Dani Pedrosa has brought some semblance of good fortune to Repsol Honda->ke291 when he set the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle around the TT Circuit Assen with a blistering time of 1:33.450 during the second free practice ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.

Pedrosa’s time was .012 seconds faster than what is now the previous record, which was set by his teammate, Marc Marquez in 2014. Marquez himself wasn’t too far behind, posting a personal best lap time of 1:33.589 in what’s shaping up to a dominant race for the team.

Lord knows that Repsol Honda needs as much good fortune as it can get. To say that it’s been a trying season for the team in MotoGP->ke2192 would be an understatement. As Yamaha continues to spring towards the world title, the reigning champions have had to deal with one misfortune after another.

So even if it’s just a practice round, it’s important for the team to take any victory it can get, anyway it can get it. At the very least, Pedrosa’s lap record could provide renewed confidence for the team as it tries to jump start its 2015 MotoGP campaign.

It might be too late considering how far ahead Yamaha and its riders, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, are in the standings. But if this practice round is any indication of what we can expect out of the race, I wouldn’t put it past Honda to finally get its act together and return to its winning ways.

One thing I do know: the Assen Grand Prix has always been a high point of any MotoGP season. This year’s race is shaping up to be no different.

Continue reading to read more about Dani Pedrosa’s record-breaking lap time around the Assen GP.

Why it matters

Sometimes, when things are down for you, all it takes is one small victory, even if it’s inconsequential, to get you back up on your feet.

Sure, it’s just a practice round, but Repsol Honda needed something good to happen to just so it can be reminded of its old dominance in this sport.

Dani Pedrosa’s new lap record at the Assen GP could be that catalyst that can finally bring Repsol Honda out of its misery and make a late run for the championship.

Everything will still depend on what happens during the actual race, but at the very least, the team’s confidence will be as high as it has been all season knowing that if it can just have a good qualifying round and a clean race, it can win the Assen Grand Prix and get right back in the thick of the title picture.

Let’s face it: MotoGP needs Repsol Honda to go back to its winning ways to give Yamaha a late challenge for the title.

As for us, we need this season to get exciting again.