Spies tops wet Aragon afternoon
Heavy rain had followed this morning's delayed, damp session - when only nine riders set a lap time - with track conditions fully wet throughout FP2.
The wet but stable conditions prompted track action from the off, with constant changes at the head of the timesheets culminating in a 2m 0.219s lap by Spies, who is still searching for his first podium of the season.
For comparison, the fastest lap time this morning had been a 2m 4.890s by Nicky Hayden (Ducati), while Dani Pedrosa set a 1m 47.943s in dry testing earlier this month.
Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa was second by just 0.066s this afternoon, with Spies' team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in third (+0.527s).
Lorenzo's MotoGP title lead has vaulted from 13 to 38 points due to victory - and a DNF for Pedrosa - last time at Misano.
Hayden, who has the latest Ducati chassis for the first time this weekend, was the final rider within one-second of fellow American Spies, with Tech 3 Yamaha's Andrea Dovizioso the top satellite rider in fifth (+1.160s).
Honda LCR's Stefan Bradl took sixth (+1.407s) with Dovizioso's team-mate Cal Crutchlow seventh (+1.446s) after having a lap disallowed for cutting the track.
Valentino Rossi had been second fastest behind team-mate Hayden this morning, but dropped to eighth place (+2.193s) this afternoon.
Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Ducati) and Misano podium finisher Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) completed the top ten.
Jonathan Rea, who recently re-signed with Honda for World Superbikes next season, began his second weekend in place of Casey Stoner with eleventh place for Repsol Honda.
Randy de Puniet led the CRT challenge in twelfth for Aspar Aprilia.
The factory Honda and Yamaha teams, plus rookie Bradl, attended the private Aragon test in early September.
Free practice (2): 1. Ben Spies
2. Dani Pedrosa
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Nicky Hayden
5. Andrea Dovizioso
6. Stefan Bradl
7. Cal Crutchlow
8. Valentino Rossi
9. Karel Abraham
10. Alvaro Bautista
11. Jonathan Rea
12. Randy De Puniet
13. Aleix Espargaro
14. James Ellison
15. Mattia Pasini
16. Yonny Hernandez
17. Michele Pirro
18. Hector Barbera
19. Danilo Petrucci
20. David Salom
21. Colin Edwards
