Ben Spies leads close Indianapolis warm-up

Ben Spies gave the home fans added optimism ahead of this afternoon's Indianapolis MotoGP by leading this morning's warm-up session.

The Factory Yamaha rider, who will start second on the grid behind world championship leader Casey Stoner, finished the session 0.102sec ahead of 2010 Indy winner Dani Pedrosa, who has qualified fourth on the grid.

Stoner and Spies' team-mate Jorge Lorenzo followed - with the top four riders covered by just 0.167sec.

Fifth went to another American, Nicky Hayden, who lapped just 0.367sec behind Spies in the cooler conditions preferred by his Ducati.

Marco Simoncelli was sixth (+0.613sec) for Honda Gresini with fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso seventh (+0.670sec).

Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Colin Edwards made it three home riders in the top eight with Ducati riders Hector Barbera and Valentino Rossi completing the top ten.

Rossi's best lap of 1min 40.879sec was 1.258sec behind Spies, but - like team-mate Hayden - was quicker than his qualifying time, which left him 14th on the grid.
Warm-up:

1. Spies
2. Pedrosa
3. Stoner
4. Lorenzo
5. Hayden
6. Simoncelli
7. Dovizioso
8. Edwards
9. Barbera
10. Rossi
11. de Puniet
12. Aoyama
13. Abraham
14. Crutchlow
15. Bautista
16. Capirossi
17. Elias