Casey Stoner's average advantage over his nearest rival, during the four track sessions held so far this weekend at Laguna Seca, has been 0.6815secs.
Multiply that by the 32-lap US Grand Prix race distance and the Australian should win Sunday's race by 21.808secs.
Taking just the three free practice sessions, when only race tyres are used, and Stoner's projected victory margin becomes 24.309secs.
No one is more aware of those figures than world championship leader
Valentino Rossi, who joked that his plan to stop Stoner winning his fourth race in a row involves "starting 30 seconds earlier!"
Indeed, should Stoner convert pole into an early race lead it will be a major shock if he doesn't win his fifth race of the season. But it's not Stoner's fault that his rivals are so comparatively weak at present and the young Australian needs to exploit his current monopoly as much as he can to erase the points gap to Rossi.
Stoner had been languishing 50 points from the top at the start of June, but is now just four points behind the absent
Dani Pedrosa and 20 from Rossi - numbers that look set change even further in Stoner's favour after round eleven of 18.
"I'm happy with how we're looking in race trim and with the fact we're on pole again," said Casey of his fifth pole in a row. "I didn't manage to get the most out of the first two qualifiers because the front tyre, which is working perfectly with the race rear, was a bit too soft for the qualifying and I wasn't confident enough push it 100%. With the third one I gave it my best shot and we've come out with another pole. Congratulations to the team, who are working as hard as always, and
Bridgestone for another fantastic job."
Rossi will start alongside Stoner, with Honda's home hero
Nicky Hayden completing the front row.
Stoner's Ducati Marlboro team-mate
Marco Melandri was unable to carry his good morning from into qualifying and will line-up just 15th for what might be his last race as a Desmosedici rider.
