And then....but... GO JAMES!!!
Superpole goes to reigning champion
SUPERPOLE GOES TO REIGNING CHAMPION - BAYLISS BOUNCES BACK INTO CONTENTION After a somewhat subdued first round at Losail last weekend the 2001 and 2006 champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) smashed his way back into the public consciousness at his home circuit by setting a new qualifying best of 1'31.887, and then winning a delayed Superpole contest, with a 1'32.145. Just behind Bayliss in both qualifying and Superpole came James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) who also prevented third place Superpole rider Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) from turning 40 in terms of Superpole wins. In a good period of final grid allocations for the Yamaha Motor Italia team, Noriyuki Haga overcame an eighth place in regular qualifying place to go fourth, and now start from the front row.
BIAGGI LEADS THE SECOND RUNG Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) scored a second row start at Phillip Island and a cosmopolitan first few Superpole places included sixth placed Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), sixth. Once again the talent and cool-headedness of German rider Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) took him to a top starting position, with his seventh place ride displacing the 2006 factory spec Ducati of Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati).
LACONI IMPROVES ON DAY TWO Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) made an upward movement after a disappointing first day, despite the high winds that plagued the second day of track action. Losail podium finisher Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) was only tenth after a disappointing Superpole run.
Second fastest Honda rider was Steve Martin (DFX Corse Honda) in 11th place, with Josh Brookes clinging onto the last place on row three on his Alto Evolution Honda. Czech rider Jakub Smrz (Caracchi Ducati SC) was 14th out of 15 in his first Superpole outing. A costly period of qualifying for some top riders saw Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) ruled out of qualifying and the rest of race weekend after his first day crash, while Karl Muggeridge fell on the oil deposited on the track by his team-mate's blown engine today, and was sent to hospital for checks after suffering a light concussion and an injured ankle. He is unsure of starting on Sunday, and currently awaits medical clearance.
PIRELLI BEAT THE CLOCK On Friday the records starting falling for Pirelli, with Foret beating Vermeulen's 2003-season best Lap. Vermeulen was on Pirellis when he set his long-standing best, and was champion at the end of that season, in the "Open Era", fought out with prototype tyres. Today Bayliss also set the new best lap for the SBK class.
The track itself changed a lot during the Phillip Island weekend, due to the different weather and temperature experienced over the practice period. Temperature and humidity has altered the tarmac grip, so different tyres were needed in different sessions to allow full potential to be reached in each session.
Pirelli has fitments ready to meet any conditions, and tomorrow the last record remaining to be beaten is for race time over the full 22-lap distance.
SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Fabien Foret (Gil Motorsports Kawasaki) was a popular pole position winner, taking his 11th career pole, the first for Kawasaki since Andrew Pitt at Phillip Island in 2002 and the first for Foret himself since the 2005 season. It was a new WSS record lap in qualifying; 1'35.166, set on day one.
A second day blighted by very high winds down the main straight made the second timed session hard work for all, but shortly before crashing in the final ten minutes of qualifying Kevin Curtain (Yamaha SSP Racing) scored a fantastic lap of the 4.445km circuit, only 0.033 seconds from equalling Foret's best.
The front row for the 21-lap race on Sunday will be completed by the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders, Sebastien Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu, with fifth fastest lap of the weekend coming from the Caracchi Ducati SC rider, Gianluca Nannelli.
Video interviews with Bayliss, Corser, Biaggi, Toseland, Muggeridge, Brooks, Martin and Kagayama are now available free on
http://www.WorldSBK.tv
