News 21 Oct 2017

Courageous Miller qualifies fifth for Australian grand prix

Recently-broken leg does little to slow talented Queensland charger.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller equalled his career-best MotoGP qualifying performance with a stunning fifth fastest time in qualifying for his home race at Phillip Island.

Miller openly declares his love affair with the fast and sweeping 4.4km seaside circuit, mirroring his qualifying position from Australia one year ago when he raced to 10th on Sunday.

But the gritty Australia is determined to deliver a much better result in this year’s 27-lap race. Showing no loss of speed despite riding with a plate and eight screws in his right leg, Miller has made a courageous comeback from a training injury suffered just three weeks ago.

“I am really happy with my condition and feeling on the bike just three weeks after my injury,” Miller said. “I love Phillip Island so it is really cool to be going fast at my home track.

“Fifth place is a good spot for me in the race and I’m hoping to make a strong start and hook-up with the top group, I feel I have the race pace to do that. Once I’m on the bike my leg is not giving me any trouble and I think it will be good for the race, I’m ready to go.”

Miller will roll onto the grid tomorrow just 23 days after fracturing his right tibia. In both the wet and dry conditions during practice and qualifying Miller has been smooth and fast aboard his Honda RC213V and is confident that he will have the stamina to go the race distance at full speed.

Miller’s practice pace put him directly into the Q2 qualifying session and he secured fifth on the grid with a time of 1m28.964s, which was just 0.5s off the pole position time set by world champion Marc Marquez.

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