Report on Qualifying for the sixth of seven rounds of the Spanish National Formula Extreme Championship from Valencia, Spain, Saturday, November 20, 2005 A press release from Folch Endurance Yamaha Reus, Tarragona, Spain Spanish FX Leader De Gea Breaks Ankle in Final Qualifying at Valencia The Spanish Formula Extreme Championship, the only European road racing series that is still undecided, is down to the final two races and it is suddenly wide-open again. Until the first lap of the final qualifying session on Saturday it looked as if 2004 FX Champion and former Team Modenas-Roberts 500 GP rider José David de Gea (BQR Honda) would be able coast home over the last two races on the basis of his 19 point lead over Javier del Amor (Laglisse Yamaha R1). Other riders with realistic mathematical chances of taking the title coming into Valencia were Ivan Silva (Laglisse Yamaha R1) and Josep Monge (Promosport Yamaha R1), but de Gea, winner of three of the five races run so far, looked very comfortable after smashing the class record in the morning session. However, temperatures dropped and clouds rolled in for the afternoon session producing a rash of crashes on the cold and always slick surface of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit of the Valencian Community, suddenly throwing the championship wide open. Monge had already crashed and broken his wrist on Friday and then, today, championship leader de Gea crashed hard on his out-lap for the final qualifying session. At first the rider from Murcia believed he had gotten away with a huge cold tire high-sider, but a precautionary trip to the clinic revealed a fractured ankle. De Gea is expected to ride, but with a great deal of pain and limited mobility. Just minutes before the end of the session Dani Ribalta flew high over the bars. The rider from Tarragona escaped with bruises but his Pontgrup Suzuki broke in half after going end-over-end after high-siding its rider. With de Gea out, the fastest time in the final session went to his BQR team mate David Tomas, followed by del Amor, Silva, ex-world Superbike regular Sergio Fuertes (Reynolds Motorrad Suzuki GSX-R) and American Kenny Noyes (Folch Yamaha R1). Noyes also crashed, but on the last lap of the session when chasing del Amor and Silva. He was bruised but suffered no serious injury. “I was on an old tire, but when I saw del Amor and Silva come out, I slowed down and followed them on their out lap hoping to get a tow. I got a tow alright, but my rear tire had cooled down too much and I got high-sided on the first right hander. Too bad, because I was on pace for a front row start if I had completed that lap.” Noyes will start off the second row with de Gea on the pole. De Gea’s time of 1’36.292 would have placed the Honda BQR rider third in last week’s World Superbike tests at Valencia on a warmer day back of Lorenzo Lanzi and Troy Bayliss (on the factory Ducati 999FO5s) whose best times were 1’35.7 and 1’36.1, but ahead of Yukio Kagayama’s 1’36.3 on the Alstare Suzuki. Folch Yamaha’s second rider, Bernat Martinez, was tenth overall. With rain expected for Sunday, Michelin is having MotoGP spec rain tires shipped down from France while Dunlop technicians were hard at work at sundown hand-cutting slicks in case of intermediate conditions tomorrow. The premier Formula Extreme class, televised live on Spain’s leading network, includes riders from seven different countries (Spain, Great Britain, Argentina, France, Qatar, Israel and the USA). A total of 37 riders will start. News from Spanish National support classes: World Champion Luthi “Cherrypicks” in Spanish 125 Recently crowned 125 World Champion Thomas Luthi of Switzerland (Bet and Win Honda) is giving aspiring riders in the Spanish 125 series a chance to make a name for themselves, but, if qualifying is anything to go by, the champion should have no trouble pulling away tomorrow. Luthi, who qualified in 1’40.2 and took the title two weeks ago from Mikka Kallio (KTM) by a mere five points, will start of the pole with huge 1.7 second advantage over German Stefan Bradl, 15 year old son of former 250 Grand Prix star Helmut Bradl and British teenager Bradley Smith. Spain’s Mateo Tunez, who holds a slender four point lead in 125 over Italy’s Stefano Bianco, starts fourth, but Bianco only qualified 24th and will make a sixth row start. A total of 80 riders with participants from nine countries fought in qualifying to earn a spot on the 36 rider grid. Due to the early fall sundown no consolation race is programmed and 34 riders will go home without racing. In the Supersport 60 riders from five countries entered and 36 will start, lead by Victor Carrasco (Yamaha R6) who qualified in 1’39.3. Carrasco trails Arturo Tizon (Yamaha) by 35 points with only 50 still in play. Tizon starts second .4 of a second off Carrasco’s pole.