From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI TAKES FIRST POLE POSITION OF SEASON WITH YAMAHA

This afternoon’s final MotoGP qualifying session was fought out in perfect sunshine with reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi taking pole position at the Welkom Circuit in South Africa. He will line up at the front of the new-look grid for the first race of the season tomorrow, with three riders per row instead of four. His Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team-mate Carlos Checa had a difficult afternoon, unable to find a good feeling on his qualifying tyres and finishing 14th fastest. He will start from the fifth row of the grid tomorrow.

The timesheets remained largely unchanged for most of the session, with Rossi’s provisional pole time from yesterday of 1:33.353 keeping him up front until Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano took the lead with nine minutes to go, with a time of 1:33.347. The top spot then changed hands several times over the course of a few minutes as Honda riders Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden all put in flying laps, before Rossi reclaimed pole position with just three minutes to go. The 25-year-old smashed Gibernau’s record from last year before bettering his time again on the next lap with a final best lap of 1:32.647. A late charge from Gibernau after Rossi had entered the box was enough for second place (1:32.682), whilst Biaggi took the final front-row spot with a time of 1:32.919.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st, 1:32.647)

“That was a fantastic lap, I’m really happy to get pole position! We’ve done something that nobody expected in a really short time, in just a matter of months. I gave 100 percent and I think this is a great moment for the sport and especially for everyone at Yamaha. This is probably one of the greatest moments of my career so far but now we need to win a race. Tomorrow is going to be very difficult, I don’t know how the bike will perform on race tyres and we still have more work to do. We’re not going to change anything on the bike for tomorrow. Anyway let’s see for tomorrow and hopefully I’ll sleep OK tonight!”

CARLOS CHECA (14th, 1:33.884)

“I couldn’t get the lap time I wanted and I cannot really say why that is; I just couldn’t get a good feeling with the soft tyres. In the beginning with the race tyres it wasn’t too bad, but I’m over-steering a little bit too much. I can’t make any big changes for tomorrow but I’m quite confident that I can at least make some consistent laps during the race. It will be difficult starting from row five, but let’s see what happens.”

JEREMY BURGESS, ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF

“I’m not too surprised, I knew we’d worked really hard, that everyone at Yamaha had worked very hard, and Valentino of course, and I expected we’d be near the front. However these are early days, this is one race of sixteen and this is our first pole position. But as a team it’s great to be in this position today and now we have to turn that into something positive tomorrow. Because this bike is new for us at every circuit we’ve been working and changing a little bit more than in the past in order to get the best out of the machine, particularly suspension and transmission. We’ve seen the Yamaha’s potential in the past and now we need all the components to be in the right place at once; the bike, the rider and the team.”

FRONT ROW

1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA 1:32.647
2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 1:32.682
3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda 1:32.919


SECOND ROW

4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team 1:33.098
5. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 1:33.111
6. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team 1:33.276


14. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA 1:33.884

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning World Superbike Qualifying Times From Misano:

1. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:40.910
2. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:41.152
3. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:41.322
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:41.524
5. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.552
6. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:41.576
7. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.674
8. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:41.772
9. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.895
10. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:42.201
11. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:42.418
12. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.624
13. Gianmaria Liverani, Ducati 998RS, 1:42.636
14. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:42.748
15. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:42.911
16. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:42.953
17. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.040
18. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.109
19. Giuseppe Zannini, Ducati 998RS, 1:43.377
20. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:43.584

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s Qualifying Results From South Africa:

250cc:

1. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:35.925
2. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:36.469
3. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:36.999
4. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:37.292
5. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:37.392
6. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:37.539
7. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:37.673
8. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:37.740
9. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:37.856
10. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, 1:37.900
11. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:37.952
12. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 1:38.060
13. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, 1:38.292
14. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:38.375
15. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 1:38.406

125cc:

1. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:41.522
2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:42.090
3. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 1:42.283
4. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:42.375
5. Pablo NIETO, Aprilia, 1:42.401
6. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:42.584
7. Mike DI MEGLIO, Aprilia, 1:42.597
8. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:42.669
9. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Aprilia, 1:42.777
10. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:42.815
11. Gino BORSOI, Aprilia, 1:43.028
12. Fabrizio LAI, Gilera, 1:43.035
13. Gabor TALMACSI, Malaguti, 1:43.063
14. Youichi UI, Aprilia, 1:43.139
15. Casey STONER, KTM, 1:43.140


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Poggiali said:”We’re working for Sunday”

Manuel PoggialiI began the defence of his world 250 championship title in brilliant fashion at the Phakisa Freeway in South Africa.

The San Marino rider qualified his MS Aprilia RSW250 on the provisional front row after setting the third best time in the season’s first official qualifying session in Welkom.

Poggiali was always in contention during the session that took place under clear blue skies and warm and sunny conditions, and he’s confident of more improvements having spent the whole day working on his race set-up for Sunday’s opening clash of 2004.

Manuel decided to take things steady in the morning session, before stepping up his pace in the afternoon to show there’s no doubt he will be challenging for a second world 250 title.

“This morning in free practice I decided not too push that hard but in the afternoon I definitely found a faster rhythm and we are moving in the right direction.”

One of the usual problems with racing at Welkom surfaced again today with dirt and dust on the track making it very slippery for the riders to cope with.

Chief engineer Rassano Brazzi said: “The first day is spent cleaning the track to get more grip but I think that Sunday it won’t be as slippery.”

Another problem facing Poggiali today was a brisk breeze that only added to the problems with more dust blown on to the track.

Brazzi added: “That was one of the problems and it makes the bike slide around a lot. It is not so much of a problem on the straight but the wind and dust make the bike difficult to control in the corners.”

Poggiali still managed to set the third best time even though he refused to run a Dunlop qualifying tyre in the closing stages of this afternoon’s session.

He said: “I did 16 laps with the same tyre that I will use in the race. I wanted to verify the set-up of the bike. I am sure that with a qualifying tyre I could do a better lap time, but all my work is for Sunday.


More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

Alex De Angelis makes a quikly progression

Aprilia Racing rider Alex de Angelis found himself in the thick of the quickest times as he began preparing for his first world 250 championship race in South Africa today.

Last season’s world 125 championship runner-up showed how quickly he’s adapted to the more powerful RSW250 by posting the sixth quickest time at the Welkom circuit this afternoon.

The San Marino rider demonstrated his potential with a series of consistent laps and he ended the 45-minute session with a best time of 1:37.539.

Gianni Sandi, Alex’s chief engineer said: “Alex is a very fast guy. He has changed his style very quickly and he is very sensible. He has adapted to the team very well, is very sensitive and he will definitely push the RSW close to the front.”

Alex posted his best time despite some minor problems caused by his front suspension set-up not being perfect.

He said: “At the start I had a problem with the front suspension but at the end we were close to finding a solution and I’m sure we can get better.”

It was a day where Alex spent most of his time trying to adapt his style to suit the Welkom circuit having never ridden at the Phakisa Freeway on the RSW250.

“It has all changed. The 250 is much faster and you can brake much harder than on a 125. Everything happens very fast as well and what I know from last year is now gone, “added a confident Alex.

What gave Alex more confidence was the fact that he completed his best laps while riding on his own. Opting not to follow other riders was a deliberate tactic so Alex could learn the circuit on a 250 by himself.

He added: “I preferred to ride on my own. I wanted to learn the track again on my own and also work on the set-up without following somebody.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s MotoGP Qualifying Results From South African Grand Prix:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:33.353
2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:33.378
3. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:33.709
4. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:33.730
5. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:33.841
6. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:33.859
7. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:34.100
8. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:34.177
9. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:34.208
10. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:34.540
11. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:34.616
12. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:34.619
13. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:34.661
14. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:35.112
15. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:35.251
16. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:35.417
17. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 1:35.852
18. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:36.187
19. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:36.552
20. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:36.834
21. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:36.907
22. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 1:38.610

More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team:

Africa’s Grand Prix
Welkom, South Africa
Friday 16th April

ROSSI TAKES PROVISIONAL POLE IN SOUTH AFRICA OPENER

The long-awaited season-opening Africa’s Grand Prix commenced in brilliant sunshine today with an exhilarating first MotoGP qualifying session on the bumpy Welkom circuit. Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi, who was fastest in this morning’s free practice session, took provisional pole position whilst his team-mate Carlos Checa finished in tenth place.

Twenty-five-year-old Rossi took the lead on his M1 machine after just ten minutes on the clock and managed to hold on to it for most of the session, despite plenty of fast-lap challenges from the rest of the MotoGP pack. With just seven minutes to go Loris Capirossi stole the lead on his Ducati, however Rossi answered back just moments later with a fastest lap of 1:33.353, bettering the lap record he set during last year’s Welkom race by just over five-tenths of a second (1:33.851). Finishing the session just behind him was last year’s race winner and Honda rider Sete Gibernau (1:33.378), followed by Ducati’s Loris Capirossi (1:33.709) and Max Biaggi (Honda, 1:33.730). Checa, who is starting his sixth season with Yamaha, posted a time of 1:34.540, still needing a little more work to do to find the correct set-up.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1:33.353)
“I’m very happy and very surprised; I sincerely didn’t expect this on the first day. We have done a lot of fast work in a very short time here and at the moment we’re on top. The bike felt good with qualifying tyres but I’m having some problems with the race tyres, because I don’t have enough grip. We still have a lot of work to do in order to be in a position to fight for the win on Sunday. We need to put in a lot more kilometres tomorrow to fix the minor problems. MotoGP qualifying is more important now than ever, because the top ten riders are generally within one second of each other, so I hope to start from the front!”

CARLOS CHECA (1:34.540)
“This morning I felt quite comfortable but it’s clear from this afternoon that there is something that we still need to find to improve. I’m particularly having problems in turns three and four where I’m finding it difficult to keep the bike on the line, but this is just the first day. Obviously seeing Valentino’s results, the bike has potential, but I can’t find it right now. We also made some small changes to the suspension between this morning and this afternoon and we’ve probably gone a little bit in the wrong direction.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO, GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“It’s nice to be at the front on the first day, it’s a good start and everyone involved in the project is really pleased. Carlos had quite a good morning session but couldn’t find the right balance this afternoon, he will try to find a better setting tomorrow. The forecast is rain for tomorrow, but I hope that’s not the case because both riders still have a lot of work to do to prepare their race bikes.”

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW
1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA 1:33.353
2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 1:33.378
3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1:33.709
10. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA 1:34.540

More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
BETANDWIN.COM AFRICA’S GRAND PRIX
PHAKISA FREEWAY
16TH APRIL 2004
QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1

NINJA ZX-RR SHOWS ITS POTENTIAL AT WELKOM

The opening round of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship season got underway at South Africa’s Phakisa Freeway today, with Fuchs Kawasaki’s Alex Hofmann ably demonstrating the potential of the all new Ninja ZX-RR by finishing this afternoon’s qualifying session an impressive 12th fastest.

Always slippery for the first session, due to the dust that collects on the track surface, the Phakisa Freeway circuit is also well known for being one of the bumpiest tracks on the MotoGP calendar. Frequent seismic activity, together with the mine workings that crisscross the whole area, mean that no matter how many times the track is resurfaced the bumps remain.

But the dust and the bumps created no real problems for Hofmann today. The 23-year-old German rider spent this morning’s practice session reacquainting himself with the Welkom circuit after a two-year absence, before getting his head down and building towards a fast qualifying lap towards the end of this afternoon’s timed session. With just seconds of the session remaining, Hofmann stopped the clock at 1:34.616 to jump to within 0.076s of a top ten grid position. With new rules introduced this season reducing the number of riders on each row of the grid to just three, Hofmann’s impressive qualifying performance secured him a fourth row start on the provisional grid.

Less than 0.05s behind Hofmann was his Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano. The 26-year-old Japanese rider looked strong at the start of both practice and qualifying sessions today, but minor set up problems with his Ninja ZX-RR meant that he was unable to push as hard as he wanted when the front runners started to up the pace. With his pit crew having already identified the changes they need to make to his bike overnight, Nakano is confident of an improvement in his lap time during tomorrow’s practice and qualifying sessions.

Alex Hofmann: 11th (1:34.616)
“This is my first visit to Welkom since 2001, so this morning’s session was spent relearning my way around the circuit and familiarising myself with the track conditions. The track here is pretty bumpy, which is a problem when you’re trying to get on the gas early out of the turns. You have to accept the fact that the bumps mean you’re not going to get the usual feedback from the rear of the bike, but you still have to try and find the limit – it’s a confidence thing. The track surface is a minor problem, but then it’s the same for everyone. This afternoon we tested two rear tyres that we thought might be good for Sunday’s race, before getting down to the business of setting a fast qualifying time. It was important to set a good time today, as the forecast for tomorrow is for rain. Fortunately, I managed to find a clear space on the track during my last qualifying run and ended up 11th fastest. It’s been fun actually racing against people today, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”

Shinya Nakano: 13th (1:34.661)
“I was able to run in the top ten during morning practice, but as everyone started to up the pace towards the end of the session we didn’t have the set up on the bike that I needed to match their fastest times. Unfortunately, the same was also true during qualifying this afternoon. After running in the top ten for most of the session, I dropped down the timesheet as everyone improved their times on qualifying tyres towards the end. But, having said that, we are not so far off the top ten and I am confident that the changes we make to the bike tonight will allow me to improve both my lap time and my grid position during tomorrow’s final qualifying session. My only concern at the moment is about the weather tomorrow, as the forecast is for rain. That would not be so good for us, but I guess we will just have to see how things turn out. Overall, I am fairly happy with how things have gone today and I’m really enjoying riding the bike here.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1 – FINAL TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1:33.353; 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda -0.025; 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team -0.356; 4. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team -0.377; 5. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team -0.488; 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda -0.506; 7. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha -0.747; 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team -0.824; 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda -0.855; 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha -1.187; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team -1.263; 12. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda -1.266; 13. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team -1.308

More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

First official practice session of the 2004 World Championship: Max and Makoto prepare for Sunday

The first round of qualifying practice for the 2004 season gives an indication of the fantastic show the championship promises for this year. All the most likely contenders for the title gave a taste of their potential right in the very last minutes of this afternoon’s practice. For the yellow Honda RC211Vs ridden by Max Biaggi (Michelin) and Makoto Tamada (Bridgestone), today’s two-hour session was very important for assessing and establishing the set-ups and for trying to set a good rhythm for the race. After the difficult weather conditions at the IRTA tests in Spain, the mild climate of South Africa made it possible to gather some interesting data and references for the coming two days. Max Biaggi ended with 4th quickest time and Makoto Tamada, who made a slight slip in the fast lap for the provisional pole, came in eighth.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“This was an important first day of tests because we were able to recoup some of the time we lost in the IRTA tests because of the bad weather. So we were able to gather some good references for the settings on the bike, and the riders have already achieved a good rhythm to put them out in front, and we’re working to set a pace that can make the difference in the race. If, as we are told, the weather should change tomorrow, we’re already in a position to start off well.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 4th – 1:33.730
“I preferred to sacrifice a few laps today in order to get as much information as possible for my technicians. We rapidly changed some of the parameters in order to understand why we were so fast in the first two sections of the circuit while we fell so far behind in the last two. We knew that by doing so we would lose something in other parts of the bike, but we needed to have some answers that, as it turned out, did indeed give us an idea of what to do for tomorrow. During the free practice on Saturday we’ll try out our new ideas and if they’re as effective as we think they will be, it means we’ll have plenty of room for improvement during the afternoon qualifying.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“We did some very intense work on setting up Makoto’s bike and I can see the rider is highly motivated. It was a pity about the little slip-up Makoto made just when it was the best time to go for the provisional pole, for it meant he wasn’t able to confirm his upward trend during the session. We’re also working on the choice of the most suitable race tyres and we should be able to find the answers we want tomorrow.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres) – 8th – 1:34.177
“A mistake in braking on corner 9: I simply braked too hard and the fast lap was lost. A pity, but I feel the potential is excellent and I’m almost ready for the race. Actually, I’ve got a pretty good idea about which tyres to use during the race on Sunday, even though I still want to do an endurance test. I’ve got a good feeling for my RC211V, and we’ll see tomorrow what the weather’s like and if I can improve even more.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ROBERTS CONSOLIDATES SUZUKI CHALLENGE

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr. made a strong challenge for the front row of the grid today, the first of two days of timed qualifying for Sunday’s South Africa GP, the opening round of the 2004 MotoGP season.
The American former World Champion was as high as second fastest with less than ten minutes of the hour-long session remaining, and ended up a close fifth, just over a tenth of a second outside the top four.

Team-mate John Hopkins was 14th, but more than satisfied after his attempt at a fast lap on soft qualifying tyres was thwarted by another rider. His best time came on full race tyres and he is confident of making up time and places in tomorrow’s sessions.

The opening day of the season took place in warm and sunny conditions at the high altitude Phakisa Freeway, outside the Free State gold mining town of Welkom. Tomorrow there are two more hour-long sessions, the second of them timed for grid positions for Sunday’s race.

The strong Suzuki results follow highly promising pre-season test results, with the team’s confidence high that they can regain the top positions that have proved elusive over the past two difficult seasons.

2000 World Champion Roberts’s biggest problems came from the dry highveld air, provoking sneezing fits and hayfever. “I almost sneezed a couple of times in my helmet,” he grinned.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr: 5th Position, 1:33.841:

“All in all, the tyres feel good, the bike feels good, and the settings from our Jerez and Barcelona tests have transferred over nicely. Basically we have two types of race tyre; one that is pretty critical whether it will go race distance, and one that we know will go the distance but will need a better bike setting. Our biggest issue is finding out which to use then going from there. If we go with the harder tyre, we are going to have to make a setting to compensate for the less grip. There’s things we’re struggling with – the altitude, for performance of the engine and some engine braking going into the corners. This track is a little bit tough for that, so I’m sure everybody has the same feelings. The guys did a good job getting the most out of the settings today. There was a few times when we hit a wall and they came up with something that helped out tremendously each time. This team deserves good finishes … we have a good bunch of guys here trying as hard as they can.”

JOHN HOPKINS – 14th Position, 1:35.112:

“Today went really well, though I was unable to get the lap time I wanted. One bike felt good and I was riding hard, but the lap time wasn’t coming. Then that motor stopped running right and I switched to the other bike, which had a different rear suspension link that made a big difference in the right direction. We had some shifting problems that we fixed easily, but the little glitches meant I didn’t get the longer runs on the track I wanted. At the end, I put on a qualifying tyre and got behind Loris Capirossi for a fast lap … but I guess he’d already set his time and he was spinning up everywhere and he slowed me up. He was the wrong guy to follow at that time! But it meant my best time came on race tyres and we can definitely make up time on that. I’ll give it a full go tomorrow.”

GARRY TAYLOR – TEAM MANAGER:

“That was a good first day back at school!”

More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

AOKI MAKES PROGRESS IN NEW PROTON KR’S FIRST DAY

Round 1: Africa’s GP, Welkom First Qualifying: Friday, April 16, 2004

Nobuatsu Aoki: 21st, 1:36.907
Kurtis Roberts: no time

Team Proton KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki reported positive progress in the first day of qualifying for the opening round of the 2004 MotoGP season at Welkom’s Phakisa Freeway here today – a race for which even team principal Kenny Roberts admits the new 2004 machine is not yet ready.

Aoki ran 16 laps in this afternoon’s first timed session, running through a large number of the team’s new Dunlop tyres that needed testing, and setting his best time without resorting to soft-compound one-lap qualifying tyres.

The day turned sour early on for new team-mate Kurtis Roberts, however. The American MotoGP rookie had hoped he was sufficiently recovered from a pre-season testing injury to take part in the opening round. However, after just nine laps in the morning free practice session, it became obvious that his dislocated shoulder had not recovered sufficiently to cope with the demands of the technically challenging and bumpy 4.242km circuit. Kurtis decided to go to his California home, to continue recovery from the injury to regain full fitness for the forthcoming races.

The Mk2 version of the radical 990cc V5 prototype racer is still at an early stage of development, with the team still awaiting some engine and other parts before the bike will be complete in its final form. Design changes to the highly integrated new bike made it impossible to use last year’s engine as an interim measure.

Provisional pole position was set by defending champion Valentino Rossi, in his first outing after switching from Honda to Yamaha. The afternoon session ran in fine sunny weather, but with a steady breeze. One more day of qualifying remains before Sunday’s first race of the new season.

NOBUATSU AOKI
It was pretty tough this afternoon, but after Kurtis withdrew that meant I had three bikes, and the third one had a different heavier crankshaft from my two. The engine response is not so quick, and I found that made it easier to ride, and easier to control the rear-wheel sliding. The Dunlop guys have brought many different tyres here – in fact too many to test in just four hours. But we found quite a good rear tyre with a new construction, while the earlier type of front tyre is working okay. They say they will make race distance, and I made my best lap with those tyres, which is good news. Actually, I’m pretty optimistic.

KURTIS ROBERTS
I was concerned about my shoulder before I came here, and it’s definitely not right at the moment. Especially after Turn One, where you have to lean off the wrong side setting up for the next turn over some bumps, and the handlebars are moving around. It puts my shoulder at a weird angle where it feels it might pop out again – the same angle where it popped out before. That would be the worst thing to happen right now. I’ll go home and continue with physiotherapy, and come back when it is all right.

KENNY ROBERTS – TEAM PRINCIPAL
Today was horrible. We knew it would be our worst race, but when you get here and face that reality it’s hard to be happy. The engine performance was better than we expected, though. We’re not ready to be here. We’re still waiting for parts, and it’s a matter of time. The decision to send Kurtis home was obviously right. He was having trouble out of Turn One, and if his shoulder popped out, that would set him back by another three or four weeks. It was better to get him fully recovered.

More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

GP SOUTH AFRICA – FIRST QUALIFYNG PRACTICE

The challenge kicks off: for Gibernau it’s almost pole, Edwards in progress
The waiting is over and today officially started the 2004 MotoGP Championship on the warm and sunny track of the Phakisa Freeway.

During the first day of practices, the riders of the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP focused on the set-up of the bikes carrying out comparative test using both bikes (one with the old chassis and the second one with the evolution chassis).

Sete Gibernau, second fastest time, with a gap of only 25 thousands from today’s best time, confirms that the team is working on the right direction.

Sete Gibernau 2nd best time (1:33.378): “Today we used both version of chassis doing comparative tests. It’s too early to say which bike we are going to use for the race. Tomorrow we will do a small endurance practice to study how the new chassis works after 20 laps when tyres are used and the grip is no more so good. All in all I’m happy with the work done so far, Today’s second best time demonstrates that we! are going in the right direction.”

Colin Edwards 6th best time (1:33.859): “I’m happy with the work done today. Last year I didn’t race here because I was involved in the accident occurred at the start. I needed to relearn the track, studying the breaking points. Since we got the new material from Honda in Barcelona we always used the new stuff. Today we decided to make comparative test with the two versions. Tomorrow we will focus on the setting of the bike in preparation of the race and we will decide which bike we will use.”

Fausto Gresini, team manager: “Today we did a good job. We are working in preparation of the race. I believe we are going on the right direction even if Sete and Colin haven’t expressed all their potential. Tomorrow’s practices will be very important for the race.”

More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

XAUS AND HODGSON BEGIN TO PROGRESS

The d´Antin MotoGP riders today made their full debuts in the MotoGP World Championships having taken part in the first official practice session on board their Ducati Desmosedici bikes. On a scorching day, where a strong wind made its first appearance of the week, both Xaus and Hodgson confessed to being slightly nervous now that the moment of truth had arrived, and what remained clear was that both showed their capabilities on a track which neither knew at all, and which is also one of the most technical tracks on the whole calendar

The temperature was relatively hot, reaching around 26 degrees Celsius, although the accompanying brisk wind certainly gave the riders something else to think about.

Spaniard Rubén Xaus spent the session on the verge of breaking into the top ten, but ended up in sixteenth spot, confident that he can improve his grid position, “I don’t think it went too badly. The circuit’s good, although there are a few critical areas that I still need to get to know better because of the bumps there, but in general it’s gone well. I couldn’t take advantage in the last fifteen minutes because I got a muscular pain below my chest. Maybe it was some sort of tension, but to be honest it really made me lose my concentration and for certain a few places. Tomorrow we’ll continue our progress.”

Meanwhile, Neil Hodgson was not at all satisfied after his first practice session, “I’m not very happy to be honest. The circuit is very complicated and definitely technical. I’m not happy with my position, but what is most worrying isn’t my grid spot, but the fact that I still haven’t found the right set-up and I think that we’ll have to put in some hard work tomorrow to get me comfortable. I’m sure however that we’ll manage it.”
TIMES:

1st V.ROSSI 1:33.353
2nd S.GIBERNAU 1:33.378
3rd L.CAPIROSSI 1:33.709
4th M.BIAGGI 1:33.730
5th K.ROBERTS 1:33.841

16th RUBEN XAUS 1:35.417
18th NEIL HODGSON 1:36.187

More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

RS3 grows in Welkom

Welkom, 16.4.04

MS Aprilia Racing’s Shane Byrne made an encouraging start to his MotoGP career as the hugely-anticipated 2004 season kicked off today at the Welkom circuit in South Africa.

The reigning British superbike champion qualified his three-cylinder Aprilia RS Cube in 17th position, his best time coming on his last lap of the hour-long session.

The 26-year-old quickly adapted to the tough challenge of the Welkom circuit, notorious for a lack of grip in the early stages of the weekend because of the dirt and dust blown on to the surface.

Byrne grew in stature as his first day in MotoGP progressed. He knocked 1.5s off his best time set in the morning’s free practice session this afternoon.

He ended with a best time of 1.35.852, which left him under 2.5s behind the quickest time of the day, despite having never seen the 4.242km Welkom circuit located around 300km from Johannesburg.

“I’ve never seen this track before and I don’t have this circuit on the PlayStation, “joked Shakey.

“Coming from the British superbike championship video games have helped me learn a lot of the tracks.”

Although somewhat disappointed to find himself down in 17th position, Shakey was very happy with his lap times and is confident that with more time to set up the RS Cube, he will be able to shave off more time in the closing qualifying session tomorrow.

“If I’m honest 17th place is not my usual position, but if I look at the lap times I’m very happy, “he added.

Shakey’s chief engineer Giacomo Guidotti was full of praise after the first day efforts and he said: “I expected that from Shane. In the first session this morning he was 2.8s from first position, but dropped that to 2.4s which was a great improvement. That shows his potential and also the potential of the bike.”

Experienced British rider Jeremy McWilliams had a start to the season hit by small problems with his Cube as he tried out new gearbox components.

“I did not have the chance to do any good laps but this is a kind of a test for us and it is something that we have to do to get the bike in the right direction, “said McWilliams.

Today was also Jeremy’s first appearance at Welkom on the RS Cube and his chief engineer Pietro Caprara said: “The gearbox work is something that is necessary for us even though I know it is not good for Jeremy. We are sure though that when we have all the right settings that Jeremy will be able to do much better.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning Practice Times From The South African Grand Prix:

MotoGP:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:34.405
2. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:34.797
3. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:35.106
4. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:35.188
5. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:35.247
6. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:35.554
7. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:35.566
8. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:35.782
9. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:35.900
10. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:35.909
11. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:36.244
12. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:36.272
13. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:36.318
14. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:36.553
15. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:36.593
16. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:36.732
17. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:36.990
18. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:37.112
19. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 1:37.304
20. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:38.464
21. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:39.328
22. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, 1:39.859
23. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 1:40.182


250cc:

1. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:37.249
2. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:37.299
3. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:37.877
4. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:38.046
5. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:38.113
6. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:38.287
7. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:38.614
8. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:38.629
9. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:38.662
10. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:39.083
11. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, 1:39.279
12. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:39.400
13. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:39.493
14. Max SABBATANI, Yamaha, 1:39.643
15. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 1:39.729


125cc:

1. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:42.407
2. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:42.480
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:42.545
4. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:42.560
5. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 1:42.933
6. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:42.975
7. Casey STONER, KTM, 1:43.017
8. Gabor TALMACSI, Malaguti, 1:43.151
9. Pablo NIETO, Aprilia, 1:43.677
10. Julian SIMON, Honda, 1:43.684

From a press release:

Veteran AMA Superbike Mechanic Jerry Daggett has ended his association with Ducati Austin Racing.

“I very much enjoyed working with Eric Bostrom. He’s a real class individual. I would also like to thank all the Ducati fans & the guys at Parts Unlimited, who supported us so well during my time at Ducati Austin. I will now return home & open up my own shop doing the same work I’ve always done for anyone who wants to run up front.

Reached for further comment, Daggett told Roadracingworld.com he would rather not go into the reasons why he left the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team.

Daggett will be based out of his original home, Huntsville, Alabama, and can be reached one his mobile phone at (909) 289-7260.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning Practice Times From Misano:

World Superbike:

1. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:41.278
2. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:41.541
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:41.549
4. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:41.550
5. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.557
6. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:42.032
7. Doriano Romboni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:42.183
8. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:42.480
9. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:42.579
10. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:42.864
11. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.870
12. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:42.882
13. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:43.000
14. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.269
15. Gianmaria Liverani, Ducati 998RS, 1:43.407
16. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:43.826
17. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.877
18. Berto Camlek, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:44.167
19. Giancarlo De Matteis, Ducati 999RS, 1:44.172
20. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:44.390
21. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:44.514
22. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:45.404
23. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:46.997
24. Giuseppe Zannini, Ducati 998RS, 1:47.790
25. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:48.286


World Supersport:

1. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:48.661
2. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:48.711
3. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:48.882
4. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 1:49.073
5. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:49.871
6. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:50.416
7. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:50.877
8. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, 1:51.077
9. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:51.089
10. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:51.338
11. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:51.455
12. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-600, 1:51.936
13. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, 1:52.031
14. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 1:52.649
15. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:53.134
16. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:53.610
17. Steve Brogan, Honda CBR600RR, 1:54.719
18. Antonio Carlacci, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.865
19. Nicky Wimbauer, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:56.058
20. Eli Chen, Honda CBR600RR, 1:57.700
21. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:59.724

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Sito Pons honours his friend Antonio Cobas

On Monday morning Antonio Cobas passed away at his home in Barcelona, surrounded by the love of his family. After a career spangled with so many great successes, he was unable to win his last great fight against an illness that proved too hard to beat.

He leaves his wife, Tere, and his children Patricia and Jorge.

And he leaves an enormous void in his team, among his friends and in the world of motorcycling.

In the words of Sito Pons, a brief and heartfelt remembrance of Antonio:

“Antonio is no longer with us and his loss is hard to accept. The world of motorcycling has lost a great technician, a great man. Antonio was a true innovator, a precursor, a technician who for 25 years gave an enormous contribution to the technology of motorcycling competitions.

He never abided by the standards that had already been set, for he was always trying out new ways to improve the materials he had at his disposal. And that’s exactly what he did when he designed his motorbikes: he created the multi-tubular frame, and the integral body that is still used on today’s motorbikes… He was indeed a precursor, one who opened up the way for research and development, especially in the field of frame design, that others then followed.

His thoroughness, his expertise and his passion for motorcycling were a precious lesson for his riders. He helped me, he helped Alex Criville and he helped so many other riders win races and world championship titles, not just by providing technical assistance but by teaching them to work in the most systematic and productive manner.

I believe he will remain in the hearts and minds of many for a very long time, for his kindness and for his warm and always correct way of dealing with others. Certainly no one will ever forget – and this is surely his bequest to all of us – what he designed, what he built. His motorbikes. So many bikes: trial, endurance, road racing, in the 125cc and 250cc classes, an enormous heritage that he left us and that will remain for years.

I personally took his Kobas 250 to victory a number of times and I won two 250 world championships with the Campsa Honda team directed by Antonio in 1988 and 89, while Alex Criville was world champion with the JJ Cobas 125.

Antonio has gone, and I have lost a great friend, a person who worked with me for 25 years. I have always been in the world of road racing with him, and the mutual trust between us was always absolute.

He was a man who lived the way he wanted to, and he was always able to do the things that gave him the greatest satisfaction, always respecting the three values that were most important for him: his family, his friends, and his passion for work, science, technology and research.
A top-level engineer, always perfectly aware of the available technology and always knowing exactly what to do to enter the future. He was always two or three steps ahead of the others. Once, I remember – it was in the 1980s, when we were making the Kobas – Antonio said to me: “we’ve got to get in touch with NASA, we’ve got to talk with Houston. We need some futuristic material that’s only used in aeronautics.” And that’s what we did. That’s just an example of the sort of approach that Antonio took to research and development. He was also a precursor in the field of telemetry: one of the first to use sensors to study and understand the way the bike behaved. And I’m talking about ten years ago, when it was by no means obvious to make use of such advanced technologies. Antonio was truly creative and this can be seen in all the innovations he introduced.

His dream was to build a MotoGP, but this was something that life did not allow him to do. So Antonio dedicated the last few years of his work to the study of new software and technologies for the electronic control of racing bikes.
He will always remain in our lives, and in all of us, for ever.

Antonio was our school. He was a teacher for the team and for all of us. I know he is in a place of peace and tranquillity now, and that he will always be with us, helping us to win, to reach our objectives and to remain united in his memory.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Young gun Nicky Moore will ride as a fill-in on a Pirelli-shod ViTrans – TKR Honda CBR600RR in two rounds of the British Supersport series.

Photo by Rick Menapace

According to Pirelli’s International Racing Manager Eddie Roberts, ViTrans – TKR Honda’s Paul Young crashed and broke his arm during the Brands Hatch round of the British Supersport series recently, and team owner Robbie Burns put the word out that he was looking for a young rider with Honda CBR600RR and Pirelli experience.

Roberts, who had just personally witnessed Moore finish 12th overall and top Honda in his first-ever AMA Supersport race, at California Speedway April 4, recommended the 17-year-old Riverbank, California resident to Burns, and the two-race deal was finished this week.

Moore is currently obtaining his passport, is expected to arrive in England Tuesday, April 20 and will begin testing the next day at either Cadwell Park or Mallory Park. Moore will then race for ViTrans – TKR Honda at the Snetterton (April 25) and Oulten Park (May 3) rounds of the series.

Moore has ridden a variety of machines in his short road racing career, from Yamaha YSR50s to 125cc Grand Prix bikes to Aprilia RS250s and more recently 600cc production-based machines, winning regional races on all. He is also an accomplished dirt track racer with AMA Amateur National and Lodi Cycle Bowl Championships on his resume.

Moore has been profiled in the Roadracing World “Young Guns” feature for the last two years.

“I don’t know what to think. It’s like a dream,” said Moore, when contacted by Roadracingworld.com late Friday. “I haven’t had time to sit down and think about it. We’ve just been so busy trying to get the passport – we had to go up to San Francisco to get it in one day. Then I had to get a physical, get my license straight between the AMA and England.”

Asked if he thought his performance at California Speedway would earn him a ride this quickly, Moore said, “I thought I did pretty good at Fontana. I felt like there was some room for improvement. But I never thought anything like this would come out of it, not this fast! I was just getting ready for Sears (AMA event at Infineon Raceway), hoping to maybe get with an AMA satellite team next year, but I thought even that would be a long shot.

“It’s gonna be fun, you know, but it’s gonna be crazy!”

Moore said that California Race Services’ Tom and Jerry Jirkovsky, the west coast Pirelli race tire distributors, played a large role in making the connection with Roberts, who was in contact with the ViTrans – TKR Honda team.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s World Superbike Qualifying Results From Misano:

1. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:51.160
2. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:51.509
3. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:51.965
4. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:52.010
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:52.820
6. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:52.981
7. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:53.076
8. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.716
9. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:53.740
10. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.066
11. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:54.148
12. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.248
13. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:54.443
14. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:54.532
15. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.901
16. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:55.463
17. Gianmaria Liverani, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.763
18. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:56.131
19. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:56.206
20. Doriano Romboni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:57.402

24. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:59.402

28. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:05.344


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Provisional Front Row Start For Vermeulen

Unseasonably cold and wet conditions on the Adriatic coast of Italy continued into the afternoon’s first Superbike qualifying session, as the impressive challenge of the Ten Kate Honda Superbike team took its latest steps in development. Already proven to be competitive in dry conditions, the Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR and Chris Vermeulen combination made another strong mark in the sand with their overall fourth fastest performance, with both machines being pressed into service at some stage.

Vermeulen’s time of 1:52.010 was the best of his 19 laps, with the fastest lap of the session coming from Regis Laconi (Ducati) – a 1:51.160.

“That was all right considering the conditions,” said Vermeulen. “The Superbike is a little bit different to ride in the wet than the Supersport bike, because it spins the rear wheel even in a straight line. The best thing is that the tyres aren’t that much different from the ones I used in the wet in Supersport. If the conditions are the same tomorrow then we only need to make some small steps in set-up because we made so many bigger ones today.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate stated, “We need to learn as much as possible about the bike in the rain, because this is the first time we have had to go fast in the full wet. Towards the end we had quite a good setting, with Chris feeling happy to go fast on the bike. It’s different to the Supersport machine in that it has more power and it makes for a different approach to the set-up.”

Superpole takes place on Saturday afternoon, in its traditional time-slot of 16.00hrs, after the final regulation timed qualifying session in the morning.

World Superbike Championship
Round Three – Misano Adriatico, Italy
16 – 18 April 2004
First Qualifying


1.R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1.51.160
2.C. Walker, GBR, Petronas FP1, 1.51.509
3. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP1, 1.51.965
4. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 1.52.010
5. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1.52.820
6. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1.52.981
7. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS, 1.53.076
8. P. Bontempi, Suzuki GSX1000R, 1.53.716
9. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1.53.740
10. G. Nannelli, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1.54.066


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Provisional front row for FPR riders at wet Misano

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Chris Walker and Troy Corser qualified on the provisional front row of the grid after a wet first day of the third round of the Superbike World Championship at Misano, Italy.

Chris finished the afternoon session second behind championship favourite Regis Laconi while Troy, who had headed the morning’s free practice times in drier conditions, was just behind his team-mate in third.

Both riders, using Pirelli tyres in wet conditions for the first time, gradually improved their afternoon times to close the gap on Laconi to 0.449 and 0.805 seconds respectively.

With more unsettled weather forecast for Saturday qualifying and Sunday’s two races, team owner Carl Fogarty was understandably delighted with the first day performance of his two riders.

He said: “That was down to two riders riding very well. Wet weather is always a great leveller but the bike still has to be set-up well and work well. I have said before that Chris and Troy and two of the best, if not the best, riders in the championship so now it is up to us to give them a bike that matches the others in the dry. But, while the bike is not as fast as the others, long may it continue to rain!”

Chris said: “I just went through the normal process of getting a wet setting by playing with the ride heights and found a setting where I had more feel. And it didn’t feel so bad this morning when the conditions were semi-dry. I don’t enjoy riding in the wet but there is no saying that, with a colder track, conditions will be any better tomorrow, so I am very pleased to be second fastest. The area for improvement for tomorrow is to get more corner entry grip and a bit more feel on the brakes turning into corners.”

Troy said: “We softened the set-up for the rain and tried a different rear and I was able to start to get into my rhythm. Once I got my knee on the ground I got more confidence, although I am still struggling with grip on the right hand side. My target was to get into the 51s and I knew I would be up there with that. I like this track and the bike is working well and, if the setting works in the wet, it should work well in the dry as well.”

Friday qualifying times, Superbike World Championship round three, Misano, Italy: 1 Laconi 1:51.160; 2 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:51.509; 3 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:51.965; 4 Vermeulen 1:52.010; 5 Chili 1:52.820; 6 Martin 1:52.981; 7 Haslam 1:53.076; 8 Bontempi 1:53.716; 9 Borciani 1:53.740; 10 Nannelli 1:54.066

Free practice: 1 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:41.278; 2 Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) 1:41.541; 3 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:41.549; 4 Chili (PSG-1) 1:41.550; 5 Borciani (DFX) 1:41.557; 6 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:42.032; 7 Romboni (Giesse Racing) 1:42.183; 8 Nannelli (Team Pedercini) 1:42.480; 9 Pedercini (Team Pedercini) 1:42.579; 10 Martin (DFX) 1:42.864


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

TROY HAPPY DESPITE THE CONDITIONS

Troy finished the first day of qualifying at Misano in third place, despite the difficult conditions. Overnight rain meant that the track was damp in places in the morning and Troy only got a chance to try some slicks right at the end of the session. At the end of it, Troy topped the leaderboard and was happy with the way his Petronas FP1 performed at the 4.060 kilometre circuit. Then, the rain came down and the afternoon timed session took place with a soaking wet track. Troy took it steadily and used the time to find a good set-up for his bike, but easily finished in the top three. Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) posted the fastest time of the timed qualifying; with Troy’s Petronas team Chris Walker second quickest. Completing the provisional front row of the grid is Chris Vermeulen (Honda).

TROY 3rd, 1:51.160

Well I think that today was the best the bike has felt straight out of the box. It’s funny because Misano can be quite slippery in the wet, but the bike and its power curve seemed suited to the corners here and I’m getting good drive out of them. At first, the wet grip doesn’t seem so good, but it gets better lap after lap and my confidence grew and I was able to get my knee down OK. We changed the set-up from this morning and made it softer because of the rain. The rear tyre initially didn’t have much feel, but it improved the longer I stayed out there. At the moment, I’m pretty happy because if the bike works OK in the wet, then it should work OK in the dry. At the moment, I’d still prefer a dry race – because it’s safer – but I don’t really mind if it is wet or dry.

Friday qualifying
1 Laconi (F-Ducati) 1:51.160, 2 Walker (GB-Petronas FP1) 1:51.509, 3 TROY CORSER (AUS-PETRONAS FP1) 1:51.965, 4 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda) 1:52.010, 5 Chili (I-Ducati) 1:552.820, 6 Martin (AUS-Ducati)


More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks – Scuderia Caracchi:

Under the flood the debut day at Misano

Cold and bad weather in the first day of the third round of Superbike World Championship on the 4060 meters of Santamonica circuit at Misano, Italy, starting wet and increasing rainfall. Not brilliant results for the riders of Scuderia Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks in this debut day: Garry McCoy recorded the 14th fastest and Miguel Praia 26th.

“We haven’t any experience with this bike and those tyres in wet conditions.” – commented Garry McCoy rejoining the pit garage – “In such wet conditions I have no feeling with the front, but the rear tyre seems to work correctly. This situation isn’t proper for my sliding style of riding and I’m not able to get the corner. So, in this way I’m not going out the Curvone corner fast and also the top speed is poor. Tomorrow morning we’ll test a softer front tyre to look for a better grip, so I hope to be able to enter the corner sliding as I’m used to.”

Difficult debut on wet Misano for Miguel Praia too, but at the end the Portuguese reached a appreciating result for that conditions.

“This morning we broke the engine.” – said Praia – “So in the afternoon session I lost a bit of time running in the new engine, but looking at a track that I’ve never seen before, and on a bike and tyres I don’t know in wet conditions I believe that my result isn’t horrible. Now I hope to do better tomorrow.”

Entered as Scuderia Caracchi’s wild card rider at Misano Giancarlo De Matteis, on the old 998RS 03 type. The Italian rider scored the 21th fastest, crashing at the end of the qualifying session.

“What a pity, I ruined all the session. I was running quite well, but suddenly my rear lost the grip outing the last corner while I was trying to improve my time; I opened too early the throttle, really a pity. I’m confident to get a better result tomorrow.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI (DUCATI FILA) SETS PROVISIONAL POLE IN WET MISANO SUPERBIKE SESSION

Misano Adriatico (Italy), Friday 16 April 2004: Ducati Fila’s Regis Laconi led the field in today’s opening qualifying session for the San Marino World Superbike Championship round at Misano Adriatico, which was held in dreadful conditions. Team-mate James Toseland was not so fortunate, the British rider unable to get to grips with the wet surface and having to settle for thirteenth quickest time.

The afternoon session was hit by constant rain but the 28 year-old French rider outclassed the rest of the field, setting his lap times easily and confidently in the wet on the Santamonica circuit. Laconi dominated the hour from start to finish, recording a time of 1:51.160, three tenths of a second ahead of the surprising Petronas duo of Chris Walker and Troy Corser.

“I’m very happy because I know I’m normally always very fast in the wet” declared Laconi. “Before coming here I was quite afraid if it was wet after my performance at Valencia but today I was fine in my mind and could concentrate on setting a good time. With Ernesto Marinelli and the team we found a good solution and settings, I was able to push hard and I did 17 laps before coming into the box, but most of all I enjoyed riding in the wet out there today. I didn’t want to make a mistake this time so I started slowly. I went out on my run, felt the grip was not so bad, started to know where the track was better or worse and then the feeling was good”.

Toseland (Ducati Fila) was slightly disappointed with his performance in the wet but is confident he can improve tomorrow. “It’s been a bit of a disappointing day but we had a few problems and I wasn’t getting the feel there at all at the start of the session” declared Toseland. “We’ve just been working on it, we were getting there slowly but the session finished and we didn’t get the bike really comfortable in these conditions and before you know it the day’s over.

“If it’s dry tomorrow, it’s a completely new ball game but if it rains we’ll be OK. The tyre I chose for the wet did quite a few laps and I went a second faster in the last outing so now we know which direction to go in, we’ll be OK tomorrow” he added.

TIMES: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:51.160; 2. Walker (Petronas) 1:51.509; 3. Corser (Petronas) 1:51.965; 4. Vermeulen (Honda) 1:52.010; 5. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) 1:52.820; 6. Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:52.981; 7. Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:53.076; 8. Bontempi (Suzuki) 1:53.716; . 13. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:54.443.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

FRIDAY QUALIFYING

Fully wet track conditions for the first of two regulation qualifying sessions at Misano Adriatico provided a level, if somewhat slippery, playing field for the 28 World Superbike riders in attendance. The culmination of their Friday rain dances saw a familiar name at the top of the time sheets, that of Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999 F04), a man who has almost made qualifying his own this year. His first day best of 1:51.160 was fully 0.349 seconds better than his closest challenger, and was just one of many quick laps put in by a rider clearly on a mission at his team’s first home event of the year.

The wet conditions allowed those teams without the biggest power outputs a perfect opportunity to show what a good rider and chassis combination can provide, and the Petronas pairing of Chris Walker (Foggy Petronas FP-1) and Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1) launched themselves through the spray to second and third fastest times respectively. After an impressive showing in Valencia, where Walker secured a podium finish, the Petronas team has become a force when conditions permit, with the high profile machine reaping more measurable rewards. Only in its third meeting the Honda Fireblade of Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was an excellent fourth fastest in the wet, making it a twin, two triples and a four-cylinder in the top four positions.

Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) used his 998RS machine in the first session of the day, and eventually set the fifth fastest time, using his exact style and smoothness to make the top five in such challenging conditions. Fast in wet or dry, Steve Martin (DFX Sterilgarda Ducati 99RS) was next in the listings, with Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999RS) using his considerable experience – considering his youthful age – to run out seventh, just under two seconds slower than the charging Laconi.

Piergiorgio Bontempi (Zongshen Suzuki) had his best day of the season and went a deserved eighth fastest for the SBK rookie team. Championship leader James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) was disappointed to finish 13th on the first day, with Phillip Island race two winner Garry McCoy (Xerox NCR Ducati 999RS) 14th. Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999 RS), the winner of race two at the opening round in Valencia was in even worse trouble, finishing his first day 18th.

In the World Supersport Championship, a late lap in fully soaking conditions gave Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki) the provisional pole position, from the Ten Kate Honda duo of Broc Parkes and Karl Muggeridge. The conditions for the Supersport riders got progressively wetter as time went on, but in a peculiar twist of events the best of them went faster than ever before.

Phillip Island runner-up Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) took fourth place on the stopwatch, with 1999 Champion Stephane Chambon fifth, ahead of local Honda rider and WSS regular Alessio Corradi. Privateer Ducati rider Giovanni Bussei displaced factory pilot Lorenzo Lanzi by one position, with Bussei seventh. World Championship leader Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia) was a lowly 12th, 2003 race winner Fabien Foret (Yamaha Italia) in 21st fastest.

Final qualifying continues on Saturday 17th, with the risk of more inclement weather still hanging in the air.