MotoGP star Pol Espargaro clocked a new event lap record to secure pole position for the Yamaha Factory team at the Suzuka Eight Hours.

The Spanish rider, sharing the #21 Yamaha with Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga, blitzed the Japanese circuit to record an impressive 2:06.000s effort in Saturday’s Superpole session.

Espargaro emerged 0.287s quicker than Friday’s provisional polesitters Team Green, with Kazuki Watanabe recording the best time for the Kawasaki trio.

Ten teams qualified for the Superpole session which required two riders from each squad to post a time.

Casey Stoner turned heads on his competitive racing return as he helped guide the Musashi Harc Pro Honda team to third on the grid.

The Australian two-time MotoGP world champion, who retired from the sport in 2012, posted a 2:06.335s, which was 0.335s adrift of the factory Yamaha crew.

Stoner will share the ride with Takumi Takahashi and World Superbike Championship star Michael van der Mark.

The Yoshimura Suzuki team featuring two-time Australian Superbike champion Josh Waters was fourth fastest just half a second shy of Espargaro.

Waters’ Suzuki proved 0.4s quicker than the star studded Team Kagayama entry, which includes former World Superbike Championship runner-up Noriyuki Haga and three-time British Superbike champion Ryuichi Kyonari.

New South Wales rider Josh Hook will start the famous enduro from sixth aboard the TSR Honda, while compatriots Jason O’Halloran and Troy Herfoss line up in ninth spot for Sakuri Honda.

The Suzuka Eight Hours is scheduled to start at 12:30 AEST.