MotoGP title contender Dani Pedrosa put his Honda on pole position for Sunday's British Grand Prix after the fastest ever lap at Donington Park.
The Spaniard's time of one minute 27.676 seconds was more than two seconds inside American Colin Edwards's race lap record set two years ago.
Australian Chris Vermeulen, riding a Suzuki, was second fastest with Italian Marco Melandri completing the front row on a Honda.
World champion Valentino Rossi, a multiple winner at Donington in the past but riding with a broken bone in his right hand after crashing in practice for the Dutch TT last week, could manage only the 12th best time.
Championship leader Nicky Hayden, Pedrosa's American team mate and the winner at Assen last Sunday, starts alongside Rossi in 11th place with Edwards 10th.
Hayden has 144 points in the championship after eight races and leads second-placed Pedrosa by 42. Italian Loris Capirossi is third on 100 with Rossi and Melandri on 98.
Italian Michel Fabrizio, standing in for injured Spaniard Toni Elias at Fortuna Honda, was ruled out after crashing heavily in final practice and breaking his right collarbone.
Spain's Alvaro Bautista, the 125cc championship leader, took his fourth pole position of the season in that category with main title rival Mika Kallio of Finland second fastest.
His time of 1:36.203 was more than a second quicker than Kallio's 2005 pole lap.
Qualifying results from the British GP in Donington:
1 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 1:27.676
2 Chris Vermeulen (Australia) Suzuki 1:28.158
3 Marco Melandri (Italy) Honda 1:28.205
4 John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1:28.252
5 Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati 1:28.394
6 Randy de Puniet (France) Kawasaki 1:28.428
7 Shinya Nakano (Japan) Kawasaki 1:28.431
8 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 1:28.447
9 Kenny Roberts Jr (USA) KR211V 1:28.473
10 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1:28.481
