US GP: Tech 3 Yamaha Friday practice report

Edwards and Toseland confident of big improvements in Laguna Seca Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland are confident they can make big improvements in Laguna Seca after an encouraging start to the American Grand Prix ...

Edwards and Toseland confident of big improvements in Laguna Seca

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo Colin Edwards and James Toseland are confident they can make big improvements in Laguna Seca after an encouraging start to the American Grand Prix this afternoon. Home favourite Edwards and British rider Toseland were both challenging for the top five in the early stages of a session run in gloriously sunny California conditions.

Brimming with confidence after equalling his best result of the season with fourth place in Assen just six days ago, Edwards eventually finished ninth with a best time of 1.23.285.

Looking to score his 100th point-scoring Grand Prix finish in Sunday's 32-lap clash, Edwards is confident he can drastically improve his pace having encountered some front and rear suspension issues today. The 35-year-old though was only 0.6s away from fourth place.

Boosted by his season best sixth place in Assen last weekend, Toseland finished in 13th place with a best time of 1.23.690s, though he was less than a second off sixth in another close session.

With Fiat Yamaha Team Director Masahiko Nakajima again helping the 28-year-old this weekend, Toseland will work hard with his team tonight to find a setting to improve rear grip ahead of title sponsor Monster's all-important home race on Sunday.

Colin Edwards 9th 1.23.285 - 29 laps

"It wasn't the great start to my home race I was looking for and the bike feels just way too stiff. The main problem is in the hard braking because I've no feeling with the bike bouncing around on me. There's just not enough movement from the suspension. When you've got the handlebars moving and up and down and the seat moving up and down it's obvious the suspension is not absorbing the bumps enough. There are some huge bumps out there and today it felt a bit like motocross. So we'll soften it up for tomorrow and make the suspension react faster and let it move more freely rather than having a jerky and bouncing sensation. It feels like there's a second waiting right in front of me but I'm a bit handcuffed at the moment. Once we fix these issues, and I know we will because my guys at Tech 3 are awesome, I'm not going to have to push and hang it out to find the time. I know it will come immediately as soon as we get the bike working. I'm confident we can find what we need and put on a good show for the American fans and for Monster's home race."

James Toseland 13th 1.23.690 -- 31 laps

"The position isn't that great but I feel like it was a pretty decent session. We've got a bit of work to do but there is no need to panic. We're just missing a bit on the set-up really. I'm lacking a bit of edge grip on the harder rear tyre, and that is the one we're going to have to race with looking at the temperature. This track isn't quite as good for grip as Assen and we know what we've got to do to get more grip from the rear but we just ran out of time at the end of the session. And I'm still adapting to the new set-up we had in Assen because that changed the balance of the bike quite a lot. With the tighter corners and the undulation it just takes a bit of getting used to being so different to Assen. I'm confident with the bike a bit more comfortable that I can go quite a bit faster and be up there challenging for a good result for Monster in what is a massive race for our sponsor."