INDIANAPOLIS: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa thrived Saturday in Indianapolis Grand Prix qualifying. Almost everyone else was trying to hang onto their motorcycles.

On a day that three fan favorites had their race hopes jeopardized by crashes, Pedrosa barely held off a late challenge from Jorge Lorenzo to win his second Indy pole in 1 minute, 38.813 seconds. Lorenzo, the points leader from Spain, was second in 1:38.913, and Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso was third in 1:39.235.

The biggest challenge was staying upright on the treacherous 16-turn, 2.621-mile road course.

“It was tough and tricky because it was very slippery and we could see many crashes,” Pedrosa said. “It was important to keep focused. The back end was sliding a lot, so it was tough. But at the end, it was good because we could get on pole.”

Drivers complained about the slick track after Friday’s first two practices, comparing it to competing in the rain.

Things weren’t any better Saturday when reigning world champion Casey Stoner, former world champion Nicky Hayden and American Ben Spies, the 2010 Indy pole-sitter, all crashed and qualifying was red-flagged twice.

The status of all three riders for Sunday’s race remains uncertain.

Stoner tore a ligament in his right ankle. Hayden, who was knocked unconscious when his head hit the hard track, was undergoing a CT scan at Methodist Hospital, and Spies was being evaluated at the infield medical center after qualifying ended.

The toughest part was contending with turn 13, where both Stoner and Spies went down — and the sight of so many other drivers hitting the ground.

“That corner is very, very long on the left and create a lot of temperature, too, so it’s very, very easy to make mistake,” seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi said.

Doctors must now determine whether all three can race Sunday.

Stoner was the biggest name to get hurt. Originally, doctors thought the brash 26-year-old Australian fractured his right ankle after he flew over the handlebars and across the grass. Stoner attempted to walk away, then pointed to his right ankle and asked for medical assistance before being carried out on a stretcher.

An MRI later showed that he had a torn ligament. He was taken to Methodist Hospital to determine whether he could race after qualifying sixth in 1:39.465.

Hayden’s crash was scarier.

He tried to regain control of his wobbly bike between turns 14 and 15, but the No. 69 spun sideways and flung Hayden into the air, slamming his head against the unforgiving track. Hayden’s body went somersaulting across the track before finally stopping in the grass, not moving. By the time he was lifted into the ambulance, he was conscious but was still transported to Methodist Hospital for a CT scan.

Rossi will start 11th. Hayden would start eighth — if he’s allowed to compete.

“Nicky have a problem with the head, he has a concussion, but he’s OK,” Rossi said. “He says some strange things but is good.”

A MotoGP spokeswoman said the series has no stated policy on how long a concussed driver must sit out — only that they must be cleared a doctor.

Spies also ran into trouble, sliding off his bike late in qualifications before returning to the track in the final minutes. Afterward, he went to the infield care center for additional evaluation.

The series of crashes came one day after Spain’s Hector Barbara fractured three vertebrae during Friday’s first practice session, leaving the Primacy Racing Team with another Spaniard, Toni Elias, as Barbara’s replacement.

What might Sunday’s race look like? Nobody’s quite sure.

Stoner was the pole favorite heading into Saturday afternoon and had hoped to close out his MotoGP career with a fourth straight win in America. The brash 26-year-old Aussie is retiring after the season.

And Hayden, from nearby Kentucky, has a large following in this part of the country, leaving the door wide open for someone else to steal the hearts of the American fans.

It could be Pedrosa, the 2010 race winner and new favorite to become a two-time Indy winner.

It could be Lorenzo, the 2009 Indy winner who has never qualified worse than third or finished worse than fourth here and came within a whisker of winning his second pole Saturday.