June 24, 2011 -- Updated 1609 GMT (0009 HKT)
Italian rider Marco Simoncelli is taking part in only his second season in motorcycling's elite division.
(CNN) -- Honda rider Marco Simoncelli edged out Yamaha's Ben Spies on Friday to claim pole position in a wet qualifying session ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen.
Simoncelli crashed out of MotoGP's last race at Silverstone, but will start at the front of the grid on Saturday for only the second time in his career.
The 24-year-old was also on pole at the Catalunya Grand Prix earlier this month, but could finish only sixth.
American Spies was just 0.009 seconds behind the Italian, with world championship leader Casey Stoner set to start from third position.
Spies had been poised for his first career pole, but Loris Capirossi crashed in front of him during his last hot lap.
"I want to be a little bit upset, but I want him to be okay a lot more than I wanted pole position," Spies told the MotoGP website.
"The bike is working really good, race pace is good, so I'm confident for the race tomorrow. I don't know what kind of weather we are going to get, so we'll see how it goes."
Stoner qualified 0.135 seconds ahead of Yamaha's reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo, who won the race last year ahead of compatriot Dani Pedrosa.
The Spaniard is second overall, 18 points adrift after Australia's Stoner won the past three races to go with his victory in the season-opener in Qatar.
"I have had problems in the fast corners today, I didn't have so much grip on the rear so we have work to do for tomorrow," said Lorenzo, who like Spies is riding in special red-and-white livery to celebrate Yamaha's half-century of competing in world championship events.
"I'm very confident the team will do a good job to be ready to fight for the podium for the 50th Anniversary. Obviously the weather is not helping and we should be ready for both wet and dry conditions."
Stoner's Repsol Honda teammate Andrea Dovizioso qualified in fifth place, ahead of Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow, who is still recovering from a broken collarbone.
Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi continued his disappointing season and qualified down in 11th place for Ducati, with American teammate Nicky Hayden ninth.
Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa will lose more ground in the title race as he is still absent with a broken collarbone suffered during a crash at Le Mans on May 15.
The Spaniard's replacement Hiroshi Aoyama will start in 12th behind the Italian Rossi, who has triumphed five times at the Assen TT circuit in motorcycling's premier class and seven overall.
Credit: CNN (www.cnn.com)
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