Marc Marquez on his way to pole position in Austin on Saturday.

On only his second MotoGP race weekend, Repsol Honda Team’s 20-year-old Marc Marquez achieved his first premier-class pole position for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.

Marquez claimed the pole position ahead of teammate Dani Pedrosa, as championship leader Jorge Lorenzo appeared to miscalculate his final run en route to third place.

During Q2 it was Marquez who posted the quickest ever MotoGP lap time at the Texan venue, delivering a 2m03.021 and thus undercutting 1983 and 1985 World Champion Freddie Spencer to become the youngest ever pole-sitter in the top class of the sport.

Pedrosa lowered his personal best on the final run but missed out on pole by two and a half tenths, whereas Lorenzo tried to avoid following traffic by touring through the pit lane – only to re-join the track too late to post a last-gasp challenge.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow, who had not attended the test last month, heads up row two from LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso. The top eight is completed by GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi.

Ninth on the grid will be leading CRT rider Aleix Espargaro, as the Power Electronics Aspar rider not only jumped up from Q1, but proceeded to out-qualify both Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden in 10th, and Ignite Pramac Racing’s Ben Spies in 12th. Sandwiched Between the two Americans is Tech 3 newcomer Bradley Smith, starting 11th.

The fifth row will be headed up by Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone, who, like 14th-placed Randy de Puniet on his Aspar ART, had challenged, but failed to earn a spot in Q2.

In 15th position, Hector Barbera will be the leading Avintia Blusens rider, starting the race in front of PBM duo Yonny Hernandez and Michael Laverty, NGM Mobile Forward Racing pairing Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti, Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci and Blusens’ Hiroshi Aoyama.

The back row will consist of Gresini’s Bryan Staring, Ioda’s Lukas Pesek and Attack Performance Racing’s wildcard rider Blake Young.

Despite 26 riders on the initial entry list, unfortunately only 24 riders will start Sunday’s race. Wildcard Michael Barnes on his GPTech bike failed to make the 107 percent threshold, whereas Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham sustained a fracture to his right collarbone following a collision with Staring in Q1. He was taken to Brackenridge University Hospital in Austin to undergo surgery.

Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding will start at the front of the grid for Sunday’s Moto2 race in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, having achieved his first pole position in any category of the world championship, with Italtrans Racing Team’s Takaaki Nakagami and Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’ Nico Terol alongside him.

Queenslander Anthony West will start from 11th position for the QMMF Racing Team aboard his Speed Up entry.

Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins dominated Moto3 qualifying session, taking pole position for tomorrow’s race, with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s championship leader Luis Salom and Team Calvo’s Maverick Viñales sharing the front row.

Caretta Technology – RTG’s Jack Miller will start a satisfying fourth, while fellow Aussie Arthur Sissis rounds out the top 10 for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

2013 MotoGP World Championship
Round Two – Circuit of the Americas, USA
MotoGP Qualifying Top 10:
1. Marc Marquez 2m03.021
2. Dani Pedrosa 2m03.275
3. Jorge Lorenzo 2m04.100
4. Cal Crutchlow 2m04.267
5. Stefan Bradl 2m04.445
6. Andrea Dovizioso 2m04.873
7. Alvaro Bautista 2m04.942
8. Valentino Rossi 2m05.380
9. Aleix Espargaro 2m05.389
10. Nicky Hayden 2m05.568
22. Bryan Staring (AUS) 2m10.098

Click here for detailed results