Barros on front row as two-stroke rule.

For the first time this season a two-stroke machine will start a MotoGP race from pole position with Frenchman Olivier Jacque leading the final qualifying session for the German Grand Prix, at the Sachsenring this afternoon. He's joined on the front row by his Yamaha team-mate Shinya Nakano, the four-stroke Yamaha of Max Biaggi and the West Honda Pons NSR
machine of Brazilian Alex Barros.

"It's good to start from the front row but unlike
Donington I must make a good start." said Barros of his fourth place. "I have a good feeling for the race
because we've found a good flow at the circuit and put in some consistent lap times on race tyres. It should be a very interesting race after such a
close qualifying session and let's hope it stays dry."

In the one hour session held in front of a massive crowd in bright sunshine, the first 17 riders were separated by less than one second and German Alex Hofmann, replacing the injured Loris Capirossi, did a superb job in only his second race on the NSR West Honda Pons machine. He finally qualified just 1.2 seconds behind pole setter Jacque in 19 th place, after improving his morning practice time by 1.161 seconds.

"I'm really pleased to finish just 1.2 seconds
behind pole position," said Hofmann. "I improved my lap times by 1.161 seconds from this morning which also makes me very happy. I 've not fallen off here or at Donington and managed to put in some really consistent laps and I'm really looking forward to racing for the team in front of the home crowd tomorrow."
For the first time this season the four-stroke Hondas of World Champion and Championship leader Valentino Rossi and Tohru Ukawa struggled. Ukawa, who's made a remarkable recovery from his Donington practice crash, was fifth while Rossi, who's won seven out of the eight grands prix this season, was sixth.

They are joined on the second row by two more two-strokes. Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams could not improve on his Friday times, riding the 500cc KR Proton machine,and was seventh with Australian Garry McCoy getting back to full fitness in eighth place.

The two-strokes had looked strong all weekend and Jacque was not too surprised to be on pole. "We knew before we came here we had a good chance,"
explained the Yamaha rider." We have managed to some good consistent lap times and we are confident about tomorrow."

Barros, fresh from his podium finishes at Assen and Donington, led the way with just 20 minutes remaining as the pace hotted up to the delight of
the enthusiastic crowd. Four minutes later Ukawa pushed the Honda four-stroke to the front. With less than five minutes remaining Nakano led the way only to be replaced by team-mate Jacque. Biaggi then restored some four- stroke pride by grabbing pole only to be knocked back to third by Jacque and Nakano in the dying seconds of the closest ever qualifying session in the 53 year history of grand prix racing.

American John Hopkins will miss the race with a damaged hand after his spectacular accident on the Yamaha while Tetsuya Harada was uninjured when
he crashed his Honda.