MCNEWS.COM.AU - The ultimate in motorcycle news MotoGP 2005 - Round 13 - Sepang
MotoGP Qualifying - Anthony West Report
September 24th, 2005		 MCNEWS.COM.AU - The ultimate in motorcycle news

Patched up Australian motorcycle rider Ant West will start 17th on the grid in tomorrow's 250cc Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.

The factory Red Bull KTM racer is riding at Sepang with a bandaged left wrist after being injured in a crash during the 250cc Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi six days ago (September 18).

West finished 17th fastest in today's second and final qualifying session with a best lap time of 2-mins 10.330-secs around the 5.5km Sepang track. He set the time on his 14th of 16 laps in the session, which was held in hot conditions.

The time recorded by the 24-year-old from the Gold Coast was an improvement of 1.036-secs on his best lap in yesterday's opening qualifying session, when he was 15th fastest.

Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama won pole position for the 12th round of the 250cc world championship with the quickest qualifying lap of 2-mins 7.860-secs on a Telefonica MoviStar Honda.

The race at Sepang will be West's fifth 250cc grand prix start on the newly-developed KTM machine. His best result to date was second in the rain-affected British round at Donington Park on July 24.

West has made a total of 83 grand prix starts in the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc classes since 1998. He has five top-three podium finishes in the 250cc class, including one victory, in the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen in 2003.

ANT WEST QUOTES: "This weekend we've gone back to the engine with the 90-degree firing order. It's got the fastest straight-line speed of the engines we've used this season, although you have to be careful when you get on the throttle on the exit of the slow corners. The track here is slick and we've been working on the bike set-up to improve the front grip. It's very hot here this weekend, and you notice the tyres starting to slide around after three or four laps. We are in a difficult situation at the moment because we can't develop or test new parts with so many 'flyaway' races in a row. I've been getting treatment on my sore wrist – some physiotherapy, plus a massage and some 'deep heat'. The wrist is getting better and should be back to normal in a couple of days."

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