Australian rider Casey Stoner takes pole for the 2011 Aveco Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island

Australian rider Casey Stoner takes pole for the 2011 Aveco Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island

Casey Stoner's Season in Pictures

• Casey Stoner's Season in Pictures

With around 15 minutes left in the session, Stoner went to the top of the time sheets on his first flying lap on soft tyres with a 1min30.042sec lap. That time was eight-tenths of a second quicker than the second fastest rider - his Honda Repsol teammate Dani Pedrosa - at that point .

Stoner trimmed his time slightly twice again in his next run and his 20th of 24 laps would end up being his fastest, a 1min29.975sec.

The Aussie's championship rival Jorge Lorenzo will start beside him with the Spaniard setting the second fastest time. His time was nearly half a second slower than Stoner.

Italian Honda rider Marco Simoncelli will join Stoner and Lorenzo on the front row after crashing no less than three times already at Phillip Island.

The second row will consist of Spanish Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautista, Stoner's teammate Andrea Dovizioso and American Ducati rider Nicky Hayden.

Seven time world champion Valentino Rossi struggled and could only manage the 13th fastest time, a full two seconds slower than Stoner.

If Stoner wins the race and Spanish Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo finishes in fourth or lower, Stoner will secure the MotoGP title.

The only other Aussie in the field Damian Cudlin qualified down in 17th for the race after crashing in a practice session earlier in the day.

American Ben Spies walked away from a 240km/h crash at turn one early in the session. He returned later in the session on a spare bike and qualified seventh.