Marquez wins pole position for MotoGP in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Six-time defending race champion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda once again seized pole position at the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas ahead of Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi.

Marquez has never lost at the Texas track and will be an overwhelming favorite to win again as he chases a sixth season championship in seven years.

The Spanish rider easily captured pole position despite a few wobbly moments on the long straight at the Circuit of the Americas. Several riders have been complained about bumpy conditions on the track that was built for Formula One cars and hosted an IndyCar race three weeks ago.

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso trails Marquez by four points in the season championship with a season-opening win in Qatar and a third-place finish in Argentina. He’ll start 13th on Sunday.

____

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

__

Follow Jim Vertuno at https://twitter.com/jimvertuno