From the SBK Press Office:

Edwards Fastest On Day One

First Qualifying Session

A charging final lap of 1:26.609, a new absolute circuit record at Oschersleben, gave Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda) the provisional pole position, after a day in which the stopwatch was pounded by the top two protagonists.

Running slightly behind schedule due to operational equipment delays, the first hour of timed qualifying saw Edwards dip under the 1:27 barrier in the early stages, looking like he had set his best lap of the session at the start.

In splendid isolation for the most part, the American was eventually joined on the 1:26 mark by world Champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) who set a best of 1:29.984, and was the only other man to do so.

Spurred on by the renewed competition to his supremacy, Edwards set out for one final lap and scorched to his best of 1:26.609, showing the form that has given him three out of the last four race wins at the circuit near Magdeburg.

Another regular challenger for pole honours, Neil Hodgson (HM Plant Ducati) went third fastest overall, just outside the 1:26s with a 1:27.164. Hodgson was, however, inside the existing race lap record of 1:27.669.

Former Oschersleben race winner, Ruben Xaus (the holder of the current lap record) jumped back to form at one of his favourite tracks, and went fast enough to roar into the first day top four, ahead of the final full factory Ducati on the grid – the L&M machine of Ben Bostrom.

Chris Walker took his four-cylinder Kawasaki to an excellent sixth place, albeit 1.444 seconds down on the leader’s time, losing out on acceleration on the short straights, which typify the Oschersleben layout.

James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati), who will be Walker’s team-mate in 2003, scored seventh quickest on the stopwatch, ahead of Pierfrancesco Chili (NCR Ducati). Both riders had been inside the top four at one stage, before being forced to yield in the final analysis.

Another fine performance, this time from Italian privateer Marco Borciani (Pedercini Ducati) saw him run out ninth, ahead of the factory Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 750 of Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla.

Noriyuki Haga (Playstation 2 Aprilia) was 1.722 seconds from the pole time, and in 11th place.

The provisional third row was completed by Aussie privateer Steve Martin on his Pirelli-sponsored DFX Ducati team. He in his part just outpaced the Spaziotel Ducati of Juan Borja, ultimately 13th.

AMA hero Eric Bostrom once more found the World Championship pace hotter than in his native US, and went 14th quickest, hoping for some more track and tyre familiarity to make a push towards the higher echelons; not to mention improved fitness after a recent boating accident.

Lucio Pedercini and Broc Parkes rounded out the top 16 provisional pole qualifiers, with factory riders Hitoyasu Izutsu (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Peter Goddard (Benelli) in 17th and 18th places respectively.

The pace at the front was so hot at Oschersleben that fully five riders failed to set qualifying times on the first day of action and must try again in the remaining session, before the specialised discipline of Superpole beckons for the top 16 on Saturday afternoon.

In the Supersport World Championship the leading light Fabien Foret shone brightest once more, flaying his Ten Kate Honda’s throttle with typical gusto and thus moving to the top of the timesheets with a 1:30.275.

Katsuaki Fujiwara, another championship hopeful, took second fastest time on his Alstare Suzuki, ahead of BKM Honda rider Christophe Cogan.

Chris Vermeulen (Van Zon Honda) was good value for his fourth place, finishing ahead of Kawasaki rider Andrew Pitt, the reigning World Champion.

The top Yamaha runner proved to be local hero Jörg Teuchert in sixth, while Yamaha Belgarda team member James Whitham proved too injured to ride after his big Brands Hatch crash, and was replaced by Gianluigi Scalvini.

The final qualifying sessions in all classes take place on Saturday 31st August, with Superpole following on from the Superbike final regulation qualifying session.

SBK Press Office