Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Top Speeds of IRTA MotoGP Test:

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 215.9 mph
2. Alex Barros, Honda, 215.7 mph
3. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 215.2 mph
4. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 214.9 mph
5. Max Biaggi, Honda, 214.3 mph
6. Colin Edwards, Honda, 214.2 mph
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 212.8 mph
8. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, 212.5 mph
9. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 212.1 mph
10. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 211.6 mph
11. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 211.1 mph
12. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 211.1 mph
13. Shin’ichi Itoh, Honda, 210.1 mph
14. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 210.0 mph
15. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 210.0 mph
16. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 207.8 mph
17. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 206.6 mph
18. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 206.2 mph
19. Vittoriano Guareschi, Ducati, 206.2 mph
20. Shane Byrne, Aprilia, 205.9 mph
21. Marcellino Lucchi, Aprilia, 205.0 mph
22. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 204.1 mph
23. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, 204.0 mph
24. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, 203.4 mph
25. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 202.2 mph
26. Michel Fabrizio, Harris WCM, 195.8 mph

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Supersport
Phillip Island, Australia
3/28/04
Provisional Race Results:

1, Joshua Brookes, Honda CBR600RR, 21 laps
2. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, -0.025 second
3. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, -6.035 seconds
4. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, -9.216 seconds
5. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, -11.175 seconds
6. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, -21.288 seconds
7. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, -21.293 seconds
8. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, -21.669 seconds
9. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, -23.549 seconds
10. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, -24.024 seconds
11. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, -27.449 seconds
12. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, -37.271 seconds
13. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, -43.863 seconds
14. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -46.697 seconds
15. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, -53.229 seconds
16. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, -58.729
seconds
17. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, -65.325 seconds
18. Yaniv Peleg, Honda CBR600RR, -1 lap
19. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, -13 laps, DNF
20. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, -14 laps, DNF
21. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, -18 laps, DNF
22. Steve Brogan, Honda CBR600RR, -19 laps, DNF
23. Mark Stanley, Yamaha YZF-R6, -20 laps, DNF
24. Brendan Clarke, Yamaha YZF-R6, DNS


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Belgarda:

Yamaha Belgarda Racing
Sunday, March 28th 2004
Circuit: Phillip Island (Australia), m. 4.445
Weather: Dry, sunny
Temperature: air 27° C track 35° C
Crowd: 55.000

PODIUM FOR JURGEN!
With two rounds gone, Yamaha Motor Italia riders Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret are first and second in the championship and are now looking forward to the next round at Misano. Jurgen took third place in a hotly contested race today and left Phillip Island with an eleven-point lead in the title race. His team mate Fabien struggled today, but still managed to finish sixth and grab enough points to make sure of his second place in the points total. The race was won by twenty-year old Australian Josh Brookes (Honda), with Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) second. The two fought each other tooth and nail for the majority of the 21-lapper, with Brookes taking the lead on the very last lap. Jurgen was a comfortable third, with Parkes (Honda) fourth.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 3rd
I used a soft rear and I think it was the right choice. My plan before the race was to hang in with the front-runners and then make my move towards the end. But the leaders were very aggressive in the early stages and I wanted to get into my groove and time my move when I wanted. I lost touch a little with Brookes and Curtain and because they were riding so hard, I decided that it would be better to take third instead of doing anything risky and maybe crashing. I thought it would be better for the championship not to do anything silly and that’s what I did.

FABIEN FORET ­- 6th
I made a very bad start and from then on it was a very hard race. I also think my rear tyre was too hard and I didn’t have a lot of grip, so I couldn’t push as hard as I would’ve liked. In the end I had to be satisfied with grabbing as many points as I could, but I’m angry because my plan was to finish in the top three. My result should have been better.

Results
1 Brookes (AUS-Honda) 34:12.301
2 Curtain (AUS-Yamaha) -0:025
3 VD GOORBERGH (NL-YAMAHA MOTOR ITALIA) -6:035
4 Parkes (AUS-Honda) -9:216
5 Charpentier (F-Honda) -11:175
6 FORET (F-YAMAHA MOTOR ITALIA) -21:288
7 Corradi (I-Honda)-21:293
8 Neukirchner (D-Honda) -21:669
9 Lanzi (I-Ducati) -23:549
10 Chambon (F-Suzuki) -24:024

Points
1 VD GOORBERGH 41
2 FORET 30
3 Curtain 27
4 Brookes 25
5 Fujiwara
21
6 Lanzi 20
7 Chambon 17
8 Parkes 13
9 Iannuzzo 13
10 Muggeridge
12

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP World Championship
IRTA Test
Catalunya, Spain
3/27/04

Testing Lap Times:

1. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 2:02.757, 32 laps
2. Shinichi ITOH, Honda, 2:06.453, 15 laps
3. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:12.093, 17 laps
4. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:16.264, 9 laps
5. Vittoriano GUARESCHI, Ducati, 2:16.386, 16 laps
6. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 2:17.175, 5 laps
7. Gregorio LAVILLA, Suzuki, 2:18.239, 8 laps
8. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 2:24.356, 4 laps


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

RAIN PREVENTS ANY ACTION TODAY AT CATALUNYA

Barcelona, 27.03.04 The weather was undoubtedly the main protagonist at the official MotoGP tests today. The track was opened at ten o’clock as usual, but just prior to this the skies themselves had opened, and rain fell without pause throughout the entire day, with temperatures barely above six degrees Celsius. A big crowd had made the way to the circuit for the tests, only to be left disappointed; with still a day left for the riders to practice tomorrow, most of them chose to spend the day in the pit garage and wait for Sunday. At first everyone waited, and looked at the clouds above in the hope that the situation would improve, but at lunchtime it was clear there would be no change and the d´Antin MotoGP riders decided to leave their Ducatis ‘parked up’.

Neil Hodgson said through a smile: “This is more like English weather than Spanish! It’s cold, it’s raining, and to be honest we don’t get very far by going out on track in these conditions. It would have been good to make something of today, but not with this weather, so we’ll wait until tomorrow. The forecast isn’t great, but anyway, I think we’ll go out whatever tomorrow.”

Rubén Xaus also had no doubts: ” With the temperatures here it’s worth nothing to go out today. The GP here is in June, and even if it rained then, it would never be as bad as this, so for us it seemed absurd to consider going out. The only riders to really have ridden are the test riders. I think everyone will go out tomorrow, even if it rains, and with this little bit of wet practice we’ll have enough to get our bearings. It’s a real shame because we needed to get on clocking up the miles, but what can you do?”


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

WET WEATHER CONTINUES AT CATALUNYA

Torrential rain greeted Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, as they arrived at the Circuit de Catalunya this morning to start the second day of the annual three day IRTA test session at the 4.727km Spanish track.

After sitting out the morning session hoping for a break in the weather, Nakano and Hofmann eventually took to the track early in the afternoon, with the rain still falling and Bridgestone wets fitted front and rear on their Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR machines.

For Nakano and Hofmann, today marked their first outing on Bridgestone wet weather tyres. Low track temperatures and standing water on parts of the circuit meant that conditions weren’t ideal even for wet weather testing, but both Fuchs Kawasaki riders took the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the characteristics of the treaded wets, as well as the wet weather set-up of their Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR machines.

While the weather forecast for tomorrow’s final day of testing promises more inclement weather, both Nakano and Hofmann are hopeful that conditions will improve enough to allow them to continue with their dry weather test programme.

Alex Hofmann: 2:12.10 (17 laps)
“The cold conditions meant it was difficult to evaluate the Bridgestone wets fully today, but at least now we’ve tried them for the first time. The rain also gave me an opportunity to make sure that the seat pad on the new bike doesn’t become too slippery in the wet and that the anti-fog system on my helmet works properly. These are only small things, but it’s better to make sure they work now, rather than discovering that there is a problem in the first wet race of the year. Although it was worth going out today, I couldn’t stay out for so long because my fingers were going numb with the cold after just four or five laps. Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow for the first timed practice session of the new season.”

Shinya Nakano: 2:16.24 (9 laps)
“This was my first time out on the Kawasaki in wet conditions, and the Bridgestone wets are also new for me. It was difficult to test the tyres in today’s conditions, as I didn’t really feel that confident in the corners, but the grip down the straight was good, with the rear tyre finding traction and not spinning. Obviously I am hoping for better weather tomorrow because we need to get more dry laps if we are to complete our test programme. But, if the rain continues then I will definitely carry on riding, as I want to try a few different wet set-up options.”


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

IRTA MotoGP tests, day 2, Saturday March 27 2004

Track temperature: 7 degrees
Ambient temperature: 8 degrees
Humidity: 61%

WEATHER PLAYS HAVOC WITH TEAMS’ TESTING PLANS

A day of constant rain combined with unseasonal cold upset the carefully laid plans of the MotoGP teams here at the Montmelo track near Barcelona. A surprisingly large number of race fans huddled in the grandstands to watch only a handful of riders brave the conditions to test wet tyres and wet-weather set-ups.

Bridgestone tyres test-rider Shinichi Itoh (Pramac Honda RC211V) was the only Honda runner to make any laps in the atrocious conditions using the low track temperature of 7 degrees on soaking tarmac as an extreme examination of his Honda RC211V’s ability to find grip and speed in a wintry environment.

Repsol Honda riders Alex Barros, who was fastest yesterday, and Nicky Hayden sensibly decided not to risk either themselves or their RC211Vs on the saturated track. They will look forward to brighter conditions forecast for the final day of this three day IRTA test tomorrow. The rain is expected to ease, but the track temperature, so crucial to tyre performance, will remain an unknown quantity until tomorrow.

Camel Honda duo Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada both elected to sit out today’s session and they look forward to a better day tomorrow and the chance to compete for a sports car in a special 40 minute period where the fastest rider in the session collects the prize.

Both Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) and Colin Edwards (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) took the view that there was little point in risking riding in these conditions. In weather that would prove of little real value to test in owing to the very cold track temperature of 7 degrees, which is rarely encountered anywhere else, with the exception of Austalia’s Phillip Island.

The overall order at the top of the timesheet remains the same as yesterday. But with only three days of testing now remaining before the season’s curtain-raiser MotoGP at Welkom in South Africa on April 18, the pressure is really on to find baseline set-ups and consistent speed in a short timeframe.

“For us the wet is not a problem,” said Alex Barros’s Crew Chief Ramon Forcada. “It’s the cold. The Grand Prix here is in the middle of June and we’ll have temperatures perhaps 20 degrees higher – perhaps more, so we’ve gathered no useful data. We had to be careful today too, Alex is making a strong recovery from his shoulder operation and it would be so easy to make a stupid mistake for nothing.”

Trevor Morris, Nicky Hayden’s Crew Chief said, “That was a frustrating day hoping for a break in the weather – which never came. With the first round of the Championship only three weeks away it would have been mad to take any risks for no real purpose. Nicky really wanted to ride and I know these sorts of situations are difficult, but let’s hope for better weather tomorrow.”

Juan Martinez, Sete Gibernau’s Chief Mechanic felt the same way. “It’s not worth risking anything,” he said. “We decided not to test because of the cold which would give us no real indicators of how the bike would perform here with normal grip levels.”

Colin Edwards’ Chief Mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini said. “We are working on the set-up of the new bike of the new bike and it’s almost meaningless to go out in these conditions. Tomorrow there will be 40 minutes of timed practice and it will be like a qualifying session – even if the weather’s bad.”

Camel Honda Team Principal Sito Pons was realistic about the day’s outcome. “This would have been the perfect opportunity to see the potential of all the participants and to get a better idea of our level too. But in conditions like these it makes no sense to do any testing – which is why hardly anyone went out.”

Makoto Tamada’s Team Manager believed his rider derived some benefit from today. “Makoto spent quite a bit of time with his technicians in the pits working out how to run the test programme with only three days left. We played safe and we hope the weather gets better.”


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

Cold and wet at IRTA tests in Catalunya

Driving rain never let up today at Montmelò. Although the rain was bad enough, the bitter cold made things really hard for the riders out on the track. Most of the riders preferred to keep out of the danger zone, so for most of the day there were indeed very few bikes on the circuit. The weather looks highly uncertain for tomorrow too, with a forecast drop in the temperature suggesting there may even be some snow.

Technicians and riders of the yellow-blue camel Honda team preferred not to run any of the risks that today’s weather would have entailed, so the work programme was put off until the next few days. Even if tomorrow proved to be impossible too, there will still be two days of tests in Jerez next week, further down in the south of Spain where it’s hoped the spring will have arrived.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“In conditions like this, it makes no sense to do any testing, and indeed almost nobody went out onto the track. It’s a pity these tests have been ruined by such difficult weather conditions. This would have been the perfect opportunity to see the potential of all the participants and get a better idea of our level too. I’m also sorry for the public, for all the fans out here in Catalunya. Even so, from 2 to 3 o’clock tomorrow there’ll be the official presentation of the championship live on television. And the trophy for the fastest lap will be awarded, so I think the spectators will at least get some satisfaction.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres)
“Really there’s not much to say: we didn’t even get out onto the circuit. If it had just been rain, possibly I might have done a few laps to get the rain configuration worked out, but really it’s far too cold here and it’s not worth taking any risks. I’ve seen the forecast and they’re saying we may even get sleet tomorrow: I just hope we don’t. If the worse comes to the worst, we’re still got two days in Jerez.

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“The weather’s really bad, so we decided to play safe and we didn’t let Makoto Tamada out onto the track and take any risks. Even so, Makoto spent quite some time with his technicians down in the pits working out an increasingly busy work programme for the three days left – obviously hoping the weather’ll get better.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres)
“I preferred not to go out and run any risks. But I do know that Bridgestone went ahead with the development work on their tyres with their official test rider. What can I say? I just hope the weather gets better. We’ve been waiting so long for these tests, and the wait’s just getting longer.”


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

Rain and Cold weather for the second day of Irta Test.

Test Irta – Catalunya, Saturday
No action at the Catlunya circuit today because of the rain and cold temperatures. The weather spoiled also the second day of the long-awaited motoGP test.

The Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda decided to be safe and not to lap on a cold and wet track.

Juan Martinez, Sete Gibernau’s Chief mechanic: “Today we decided not to test mainly because of the cold weather. Around midday, in fact, the air temperature was 9°C and the asphalt 11°C, lapping with these temperatures give us no indication about the correct setting for the new bike, it’s not worth risking.”

Fabrizio Cecchini, Colin Edwards’ chief mechanic: “Cold temperatures and heavy rain spoiled today’s test session. We are working on the set-up of the new bike and it has no meaning to go out in these conditions. Tomorrow there will be 40 minutes of timed practices and it will be like a session of qualifying practices, so we will go out even with bad weather.”

Fausto ! Gresini, Team manager: “with these temperatures the tyres do not reach the right temperature so we cannot work on the development of the bike. We have preferred to be safe, especially in preparation of the first race of the season. We look forward to the sun to warm us up and the spectators.”

Unfortunately according to the weather forecast, tomorrow the weather will not improve: rain and even snow are expected.

In case of bad weather the BMW 645 Ci worth Euro 80,000 offered as a prize from BMW for the best Qualifier may be postponed. The timed session is scheduled tomorrow from 14.05 to 14.55.

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Laconi Laps Up Superpole at Phillip Island

Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) secured his second Superpole in as many attempts after a superb best-of-weekend lap of 1:33.427, sliding and powering his way to the front of the grid for Sunday’s 23-lap Superbike races.

Laconi set his Superpole lap with only Steve Martin (DFX Extreme Sterilgarda) remaining to set-off, by dint of having been the fastest rider in regulation qualifying. Martin took an eventual third best time, but the sensation of the session was his younger countryman, Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) who went second quickest in only his second outing on the big capacity Honda. His time of 1:34.398 was almost a second slower than Laconi, but a convincing effort all the same.

With Martin third, the last spot on the front row was secured in some style by another SBK rookie, Leon Haslam, the 20-year-old Brit (riding for the Renegade Ducati team) outshone his team-mate, and Valencia race winner, Noriyuki Haga, finishing fourth fastest to the Japanese rider’s fifth.

With a slippery track surface having twice caught out James Toseland (Ducati Fila) in qualifying it could have been expected that the other Valencia race winner would be somewhat circumspect in Superpole, but despite recurring set-up worries, he went sixth fastest overall after a lap of obvious effort.

Home town heroes abound this season is SBK, and another Aussie, 1996 World Champion Troy Corser, rode his Foggy Petronas FP-1 three-cylinder machine to a fine seventh, despite a spectacular crash earlier in the day. Garry McCoy, a force in regulation qualifying, went eighth in Superpole, eliciting a second row start for him and his Xerox Ducati 999RS.

The top ten was filled out by the DFX Ducati of practice sensation Marco Borciani, while Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) rode a 999 machine fitted with an experimental single-sided swingarm, to help him overcome some serious problems with machine setup for his unique style.

Muggeridge Secures Second Pole of the Season
In the Supersport World Championship Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) relied on his Friday qualifying time of 1:35.994 to beat his peers to the punch and secure his second successive pole position of the season. It was his ninth pole in World Supersport and the Aussie rider now sits equal second in the list of all time pole setters, alongside Fabien Foret, with a total of nine. Muggeridge fell trying to improve his time still further, causing himself no injury.

A bumper day for riders of Australian origin saw the entire four spots on the front row dominated by Muggeridge, followed by Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany), Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) and local wild card Josh Brookes (Honda).

Top Yamaha rider proved to be Fabien Foret (Yamaha Italia) in fifth, one place ahead of another faller Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda), who was quickest in the morning’s untimed session.

Valencia race winner Jurgen van den Goorbergh went seventh in qualifying, with the first Suzuki eight, thanks to the efforts of Katsuaki Fujiwara – yet another crasher today.

The 22-lap Superbike races and 21-lap Supersport race take place on Sunday 28 March.


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

Second row for Garry McCoy tomorrow at Phillip Island

Garry McCoy will start for the two races of tomorrow’s second round of WSBK Championship at Phillip Island circuit from row two of the grid, after qualifying in eight position. Garry, who earned the third fastest in qualifying, suffered for problems in the final Superpole session, scoring only the eight ranking on the grid.

“I hoped for a better position on the grid, but unfortunately this afternoon my Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks looked to be the same bike as yesterday morning.” – related a bit disappointed Garry back in the pit garage – “The changes done at the front fork don’t give us the hoped result, so it has been a continuous fight against the bike, not steering because it was too light in front, while with the standard fork I felt better. However I’m not really worry for this problem, that’s all experience that we all have to go trough. For tomorrow’s warm up we’ll return to the Friday’s afternoon set up, of course depending of weather conditions. If we’ll be able to find a correct set up, comfortable for me to ride I’m confident we’ll have a positive result tomorrow.”

Also Miguel Praia got a good result, earning the qualifying on this engaging track for tomorrow’s heats.

“I’m quite satisfied of today’s result.” – has been Miguel’s comment – “I’ve been more two seconds faster than yesterday session and I reached the qualifying for the race, that was my main goal. Tomorrow we’ll see, races are long and I’ll take care to do any mistake.”


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

FPR riders bounce back from crashes


Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Troy Corser and Chris Walker both survived spectacular high-speed crashes on the second day of qualifying for round two of the World Superbike championship at Phillip Island, Australia, today.

Troy was sent somersaulting into the gravel towards the end of the morning qualifying session after a gearbox seizure. But the gritty Australian, who escaped with a sore shoulder, made good progress in the afternoon sessions to improve his qualifying grid position for tomorrow’s two races from 12th to 7th with a smooth Superpole lap of 1:35.179 – three tenths of a second better than his previous best of the weekend.

Chris’s preparations for Superpole were disrupted when he crashed at the final corner with just minutes of the final free practice session remaining. He was forced to sprint back to the garage in order to run in a new front tyre before using the spare bike for his Superpole laps, in which he climbed from 14th onto the third row of the grid with a lap of 1:36.179.

Troy said: “I was pretty lucky because if that had happened at the end of the straight I would be feeling very different right now! When the gearbox locked I thought the engine had blown so I sat it up and grabbed the clutch and expected to freewheel. But it just flicked me off for one of those long crashes when you don’t stop cart-wheeling. I fell in front of the bike and thought it was going to hit me.

“We made progress with the set-up and reduced the chatter by decreasing the pressure in the rear tyre – something Chris had tried earlier. I was able to string some consistent laps together in the afternoon, without pushing on the edge and that gave me confidence. I feel that I can do times between 1:35.5 and 1:36. That is not going to put me in the first three but, now that I am on the second row, I might be able to get a tow from the leaders down the straight. It was the first time I have used a qualifier for Superpole and they have a completely different feel – more grip but more movement.”

Chris said: “It has not been the best of days. I am a bit frustrated because I have not been able to better yesterday’s time, although I don’t feel like I have reached the maximum for the bike around here. So I’m hoping for a good start so that I get towed along. The crash was my fault as I turned in a little bit earlier as I was desperate for a good time. The back end broke away and flicked me over the top. I had experienced a few slides at that point, but I wasn’t expecting the back to go so quickly. I have hurt a few ribs around my back but hopefully I won’t be too bruised and adrenaline is normally the best anaesthetic. It was not the ideal preparation for Superpole – it’s always better to have a clean visor and not to have straw up your backside! – but it could have been a lot worse as I did move up a row. If I can find a few tenths in the morning I will be in with a chance of having a good race.”

Saturday Superpole times, World Superbike championship round two, Phillip Island, Melbourne, Australia

1 Laconi 1:33.427; 2 Vermeulen 1:34.398; 3 Martin 1:34.600; 4 Haslam 1:34.838; 5 Haga 1:35.018; 6 Toseland 1:35.034; 7 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:35.179; 8 McCoy 1:35.190; 9 Borciani 1:35.357; 10 Chili 1:35.472; 11 Pedercini 1:35.944; 12 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:36.179; 13 Nanelli 1:36.327; 14 Clementi 1:36.420; 15 Fuertes 1:36.432; 16 Sanchini 1:36.501

Free practice: 1 Laconi 1:34.024; 2 Martin 1:34.577; 3 Haslam 1:35.003; 4 Borciani 1:35.104; 5 Chili 1:35.420; 6 Vermeulen 1:35.423; 7 Haga 1:35.488; 8 Toseland 1:35.492; 9 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:35.544; 10 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:36.178

Saturday qualifying (best qualifying time in brackets): 1 Martin (DFX) 1:33.932; 2 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:34.068; 3 McCoy (Xerox Ducati) 1:35.183 (1:34.494); 4 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:34.789; 5 Borciani (DFX) 1:35.030; 6 Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:35.125; 7 Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) 1:35.239; 8 Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:35.304; 9 Fuertes (MIR Racing) 1:35.395; 10 Pedercini 1:35.433; 12 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:35.473; 14 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:35.927 (1:35.832)


More, from a press release issued by Belgarda Yamaha Racing:


SECOND ROW FOR FABIEN AND JURGEN

Team Yamaha Motor Italia World Supersport riders Fabien Foret and Jurgen van den Goorbergh will start tomorrow’s second round of the championship from the second row of the grid. Both riders were chasing a front row today, but had minor problems when they were their ‘hot’ laps and finished fifth and seventh instead. Australian riders filled the entire first row of the grid after final qualifying ­the first time any nationality has taken all four front row places. Karl Muggeridge (Honda) led the charge, ahead of Kevin Curtain (Yamaha), Broc Parkes (Honda) and Josh Brookes (Honda).

FABIEN FORET ­ 5th, 1:36.533

We made many changes yesterday and I think we lost direction a bit. So today we reverted to some settings we found during Monza test and we
were able to improve. I still have a little problem with the front (it feels a bit unstable), but it’s not a big problem. We’ll try and fix this in tomorrow’s warm-up. I’m not too disappointed about being on the second row, but I know that I have to get a good start in the race. I should’ve been on the front row, but on my ‘hot’ lap I accidentally touched the kill switch and the bike cut out briefly. That lost me about a tenth of a second or so and that was enough to put me on row two.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH ­ 7th, 1:36.838

Seventh today doesn’t reflect my potential and I don’t like to talk, but I think I can win here. I know that I’m fast in the last corner and as
long as I stay in touch with the fast Hondas, I think I can make my move at the end. As long as that we all stay together I know I have a very
good chance of a win. I missed out on a front row grid place because there were some yellow flags waved ­ due to crashes ­ on my ‘hot’ lap
and so I had to take it a bit cautiously.


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

TROY HAPPY – DESPITE CRASH

Troy ended Superpole final qualifying with the seventh quickest time and will start tomorrow’s pair of 22-lappers from the second row of the grid. And he managed this despite a very heavy get-off in the morning session when he was very lucky to escape any serious injury. Typically, he bounced back in the afternoon session and then rode superbly on his Superpole lap to claim his second row grid place. The crash was a nasty one and was shown repeatedly on the big screens at the circuit, drawing gasps of shock every time it was seen. Factory Ducati rider Regis Laconi took Superpole today, with young Chris Vermeulen (Honda) second, ahead of Steve Martin (Ducati) and Leon Haslam (Ducati).

TROY

I’m pretty pleased to be on the second row – especially after what happened this morning. In that session I had a problem when the bike jumped out of gear and speared me off the track. I went into the gravel quickly and then on to the grass heading towards the tyre wall. Somehow I just managed to turn the bike away from the wall and then get back on to the track and then ride back to the pits. I jumped on the other bike for a few laps whilst the boys checked the bike. A few laps later I came into the pits and went out on the first bike again. The team told me they hadn’t found any problems, so I just went out and ride it. But, after a few laps, the bike locked up on the approach to Siberia and just spat me off before I could do anything about it. I saw sky/track/sky/track/sky track and was really lucky not to hit the tyre wall. As it is, I’ve hurt my right shoulder a bit and also banged my head a little, so I’m going to take it easy tonight. In the afternoon session I wanted to run a race distance, but there was a little misunderstanding (probably because the mechanics were rushing around repairing the crashed bike) and I had to pull in for fuel before I could complete the distance. I went out again and managed to lap consistently quickly and I felt good about that. When Superpole started, I made a determined effort and forgot about everything that had happened before and just rode as hard as I could and ended up on the second row. Now all I need tomorrow is a bike that runs consistently and without any problems. If I have that, I reckon I can get a couple of top five or six finishes.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

FUJI ON 2nd ROW AFTER CRASH

2004 Supersport World Championship. Round 2, Phillip Island, Australia. Final qualifying, Saturday March 27th. Circuit: 4.445 kms. Weather: Dry, sunny.
Katsuaki Fujiwara will start tomorrow’s World Supersport second round at Phillip Island, Australia from the second row despite a heavy crash in this morning’s qualifying session.

The Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider, who turned 29 today, banged his head in the incident, but is still optimistic of a good result in the 21-lap race, along with team-mates Stephane Chambon and Vittorio Iannuzzo, who will start alongside each other on the fourth row.

History was made today at Phillip Island, with an all-Australian front row of the grid, the first time any nationality has filled the first four places. Karl Muggeridge (Honda) is on pole, ahead of Kevin Curtain (Yamaha), Broc Parkes (Honda) and Josh Brookes (Honda).

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA 8th, 1:36.943:

“Tomorrow will be a very hard race for sure. We’re down on speed to the Hondas and that’s difficult to make up round Phillip Island because it is a fast track, with fast corner speeds, and you need all the top end you can get.. At Valencia it was not such a big problem because it is a slow circuit, This morning, I had a big crash and banged my head a little, so I am going to have an early night. It’s not the way I wanted to spend my birthday, but maybe tomorrow I can celebrate with a good result instead.”

STEPHANE CHAMBON 13th, 1:37.589:

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t make any comment at all! I didn’t know what to think after today’s qualifying because I couldn’t understand what was happening. Starting from the fourth row is not going to easy and I’m going to have to make the best start of my life if I am to get any sort of good result tomorrow. The temperature tomorrow will decide which tyres I will use, but I would prefer it to be cooler than this afternoon. At the moment, my GSX 600R Suzuki and its tyres seem to work better in cooler conditions.”

VITTORIO IANNUZZO 14th, 1:37.998:

“I’m happy to be alongside Stephane on the grid, but wish it could be on the first two rows of the grid instead of the fourth! I tried many different things, but the end results seemed to be the same. I’m not sure how that can be. My problem is that I do not know what the problem is! I haven’t got a good feeling about the front end and that’s hindering my progress. All I know is that I need a really good start tomorrow.”


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

Muggeridge On Pole At Home

Karl Muggeridge will start his home event from pole position, thanks to his best time from the qualifying session on Friday. He will line up on the same row of the grid for the 21-lap race as his team-mate Broc Parkes, who secured a fine third place starting slot, after posting his best lap of the weekend in the final 45-minute official session this afternoon. The front row turned out to be a completely Aussie affair, with Yamaha rider Kevin Curtain second quickest overall, and local wild card Honda rider Josh Brookes slotting into fourth spot.

Muggeridge crashed attempting to improve on his Friday time, but as has been the case all weekend the wind played its part in holding down the lap times for all riders. Muggeridge was the only man into the 1:35 bracket, thanks to his best of 1:35.994, with Parkes only 0.4 seconds down, securing a 1: 36.384.

“I just took off too much a bite,” said Muggeridge of his crash. “I was going in deeper and deeper and just took too big a chunk at one time. I was trying to alter my line to make it tighter due to the wind, trying to keep out of it. As I went in it was pushing hard and the crash happened real early into the corner. I think the set-up for the race is pretty good. Tyre choice is only one for the front, and I think I’ve made my mind up for the rear. There is another one I want to use but I don’t think it will last.”

Parkes, huddled in a debriefing for some time after the end of the session, said, “When I put my hot lap in I nearly crashed, running on under braking. I wasn’t really confident in the bike but towards the end I built some up. In that second session I was fastest man on track but the conditions weren’t as good as yesterday. I’m on the front row but struggling a little bit. In the race things should pan out a bit differently. Normally I would come here and things come easy but it has been harder to go fast now.”

“Really we have had a great start to the weekend,” said Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate. “We have both riders on the front row, with the bonus of pole position. Tomorrow will be a pretty hard race, with 5-6 people likely to battle for the race win – even if there is a big gap in times back to the lower places.”

World Supersport Championship
Round Two – Phillip Island
26- 28 March
Final Qualifying


1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’35.994
2. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’36.164
3. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’36.384
4. J. Brookes, AUS, Honda CBR600RR, 1’36.425
5. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’36.533
6. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’36.555
7. J. vd Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’36.838
8. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki GSX 600R, 1;36.943
9. C. Kellner, GER, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’37.278
10. L. Lanzi, ITA, Ducati 749 R, 1’37.300

Vermeulen Takes Superb Second Place in PI Superpole

Chris Vermeulen made another big career step after the Superpole competition at Phillip Island, securing second on his all-new Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. Seventh overall after regular qualifying, Vermeulen rode assuredly and at full pace to secure second place on the grid, with a lap time of 1:34.398.

This beat his previous best time of 1:35.239 from normal qualifying, and put him second behind convincing Superpole winner Regis Laconi (Ducati), who set a 1:33.427. Vermeulen’s best was firmly ahead of fastest man in regulation qualifying Steve Martin (Ducati) and fourth placed Superpole competitor Leon Haslam (Ducati).

“I’m happy to be on the front row, that was my goal,” said Vermeulen. “The bike is getting better and better, that’s all I can say really. We only had a new bike at the start of the year and we’re getting more and more parts as we go on. Hopefully we’re going to be even more of a threat soon. The move from Supersport to Superbike has not been that hard and things are going well. Regis put in a superb lap, so congratulations to him for that.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate was pleased at the level and speed of progress the team has made since the start of their SBK adventure only a scant three months ago. “That’s a great result Chris and all the Superbike team,” he stated. “The bike is improving each time we go out and everything is moving in the right direction. For Chris to start on the front row was important for the race and to be second quickest in Superpole in only our second race is a nice r eward. The races are the most important things and now we hope for two good results on Chris’s home circuit – where he won the Supersport race with us last year.”
World Superbike Championship
Round Two – Phillip Island
26 – 28 March 2004
Superpole Qualifying


1. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1’33.427
2. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000 RR, 1’34.398
3. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’34.600
4. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS, 1’34.838
5. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 1’35.018
6. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 1’35.034
7. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP1, 1’35.179
8. G. McCoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’35.190
9. M Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’35.357
10. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’35.472


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI (DUCATI FILA) POWERS TO POLE #2 OF THE YEAR IN AUSTRALIA

Phillip Island (Australia), Saturday 27 March: Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) took his second pole position of the year in a superb Ducati-Honda battle at Phillip Island as he out-gunned his Ten Kate rival Chris Vermeulen by almost one second. The young Australian was holding the pole right until the very end of the one-lap dash with 1:34.398 but Laconi put in an incredible time of 1:33.427 to clinch the pole.

“For me the championship starts in Phillip Island! After my double zero in Valencia I am so happy to be on pole here in Australia,” declared Laconi. “I like this track , we have worked so well with the team to find good settings on the bike and try to be fast for the race.and we succeeded!”

“Before I wasn’t so quick in this one-lap grid qualifying session, but this year it looks like I am super-fast in Superpole!” he added. “For sure we lost a bit of grip in the afternoon when it got warmer, but it was less windy. We worked on the tyres and the settings but made no big changes from the morning, and the bike is OK for the race.”

James Toseland had a positive day on the second Ducati Fila 999, cancelling out his tenth-place performance yesterday to move up to sixth overall in qualifying, a position he then held in Superpole, and the 23-year-old will start tomorrow’s two races from the second row of the grid.

“It wasn’t a bad lap really in Superpole until the last corner but then there was a massive gust of wind that sent me wide and lost me a couple of tenths of a second. Without that I would have been on the front row for sure,” declared Toseland. ” It’s been a difficult weekend up to now anyway and it could have been a lot worse so I’m happy with the way things have turned out.

“It’s not too bad starting on the second row because things are different in the race and with the tyres after half race distance it’s just a question of hanging in there. I’m happy with my set-up now, because after yesterday’s problems we just went back to what we had here in January to change the main suspension geometry to what we had at the tests and the bike feels a lot more comfortable now,” he concluded.

STARTING-GRID: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:33.427; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 1:34.398; 3. Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:34.600; 4. Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:34.838; 5. Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:35.018; 6. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:35.034; 7. Corser (Petronas) 1:35.179; 8. McCoy (Xerox Ducati) 1:35.190; etc.

ROW 3 START FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island (Australia), Saturday 27 March: Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Breil) will start tomorrow’s second round of the World Supersport Championship from row 3 of the grid after qualifying in tenth position.

22-year-old Lanzi, from Cesena, Italy, was unable to improve on the time of 1:37.300 he set in yesterday’s opening session, and slipped down from sixth to tenth as the Supersport battle heated up at the front.

But the youngster, who powered his way to a unexpected fourth place finish on his and the 749R’s debut at Valencia one month ago, is convinced he can pull off another positive result in tomorrow’s 21-lap race.

“I hoped for a better position but unfortunately it wasn’t to be,” he declared. “We made a series of modifications this morning but we realised it wasn’t the right way to go so we switched back to yesterday’s settings.”

“We then had a few minor problems in the afternoon and it was only in the last couple of laps that we were able to fit a tyre that was the same as yesterday’s and we immediately improved by one second, but by then it was too late.”

“I’m disappointed about this because I lost out on the second row. It’s still one row better than Valencia, so I feel sure I can get a decent start and get another good result.”

From a press release issued by the FIM:

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix
Decision of the Grand Prix Commission

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Sito Pons (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), with the presence of Paul Butler (Secretary), has unanimously decided to introduce the following modifications to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations, for immediate application:

1.15.2 Practice Sessions

iii) The end of practice will be indicated by the waving of a chequered flag at which time the pit exit will be closed. A rider’s time will continue to be recorded until he passes the finish line after the allotted time has elapsed, at which time the red light on the finish line will be displayed. After the chequered flag riders may complete one additional lap prior to entering the pits.

1.21 Behaviour during Practice and Race

8) Riders may enter the pits during the race, but taking the motorcycle inside the pit box is not permitted. Any infringement of this rule will be penalised with a disqualification. Refuelling is strictly prohibited. Work in the pit boxes is permitted during the intervals, if races are interrupted.

2.5.1 The following are the minimum weights permitted:

MotoGP 4-stroke
3 cylinders or less 138 kg
3 cylinders or less with oval piston 148 kg
4 and 5 cylinders 148 kg
4 cylinders or more with oval piston 158 kg
6 cylinders or more 158 kg

2.5.4 To remove the variable element of the weight of any remaining fuel, 125cc and 250cc motorcycles will be weighed without the fuel tanks for which a 2 kg allowance will be made. (delete: for all classes)

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike
Phillip Island, Australia
Combined Qualifying Results
3/27/04

1. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:33.932
2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:34.068
3. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.494
4. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.789
5. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.030
6. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:35.125
7. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.239
8. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.304
9. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.395
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.433
11. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:35.450
12. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:35.473
13. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.528
14. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:35.832
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:35.936
16, Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.948
17. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.085
18. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:37.407
19. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.465
20. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, 1:39.134
21. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:39.537

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike
Phillip Island, Australia
Superpole Results
3/27/04

1. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:33.427
2. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:34.398
3. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.600
4. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.838
5. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.018
6. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:35.034
7. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:35.179
8. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.190
9. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.357
10. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:35.472
11. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.944
12. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:36.179
13. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:36.327
14. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:36.420
15. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.432
16. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:36.501

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Supersport
Phillip Island, Australia
Final Qualifying Results
3/27/04

1. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 1:35.994
2. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:36.164
3. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.384
4. Joshua Brookes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.425
5. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:36.533
6. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.555
7. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:36.838
8. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:36.943
9. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:37.278
10. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 1:37.300
11. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.410
12. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, 1:37.510
13. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:37.589
14. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:37.855
15. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.998 16. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:38.069
17. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:38.074
18. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:38.847
19. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:39.320
20. steve Brogan, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.375
21. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.546
22. Brendan Clarke, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:40.115
23. Mark Stanley, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:40.896
24. Yaniv Peleg, Honda CBR600RR, 1:41.200

From a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki Team:

British Supersport / Superstock Championships ­ Round one ­ Silverstone
Saturday March 27 2004

POLE POSITION FOR ZX-10R AND MSS DISCOVERY KAWASAKI AT SILVERSTONE

The MSS Discovery Kawasaki team made a dream debut with the new ZX-10R machine as Steve Allan blasted to pole position for Sunday’s opening round of the National Superstock Championship at Silverstone, Northants.

And MSS Discovery Kawasaki Supersport team-mates Pere Riba and Rob Frost are predicting explosive action in Sunday’s opening British round after a thrilling final qualifying session at Silverstone on Saturday.

Allan’s Superstock pole position means the Scotsman heads the grid for the first time in his career in the class and provides the perfect start to the campaign for the new Kawasaki ZX-10R.

“I can’t fault the machine at all,” said Allan. “It’s got the speed and handles superbly and it’s all left me really excited about tomorrow’s race and the year ahead.”

Allan’s pole position time came in Saturday morning’s qualifying session before the 29-year-old crashed out of the final session of the day.

Allan explained: “It was a really stupid crash and I’m embarrassed by it. I was actually slowing down to pull into the pits when I lost control of the front. There was a bit of cement dust about from an earlier crash and I think that distracted me.”

Allan heads the grid for the 18-lap Superstock battle while his team-mates in the MSS Discovery Kawasaki squad are in action earlier in the day for the British Supersport Championship encounter.

Spaniard Riba scooped a second row start for the 20-lap race with seventh place on the grid and the former Grand Prix and World Superbike star is confident of challenging for victory in Sunday’s race.

“We’re still learning about the ZX-6RR and I go faster each time I take to the track,” reported the Barcelona ace. “I’m not worried at all about the race, I’m certain I’ll be able to race with the leaders.

“We have a good race set-up and I know I could have qualified higher but ran out of time. We have a completely new machine so we’re thinking as much about a 13-round championship as we are about one race.

“We are still to find the perfect qualifying setting with the machine so we can make full use of the softer compound tyres for a fast lap.”

Frost starts the Supersport battle from 18th place on the grid and the hard-charging Lincolnshire rider expects to be challenging for a placing much higher up the pack on Sunday afternoon.

Frost commented: “We got a little bit lost on set-up in the final qualifying session but there is so much to come from the machine over the next few weeks that I’m certain we’ll just keep getting better and better.”

Frost continued: “Starting from where I am on the grid is not a problem and we’re confident about our race set-up so I’ll be going for it as hard as I can from the start.”

British Supersport Championship final qualifying times:

1. Simon Andrews, Yamaha, 1:29.692
2. Jay Vincent, Honda, 1:29.858
3. Karl Harris, Honda, 1:29.903
4. Craig Jones, Triumph, 1:29.954
5. Leon Camier, Honda, 1:30.120
6. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 1:30.315
7. Pere Riba, Kawasaki, 1:30.362
8. Michael Laverty, Ducati, 1:30.502
9. Tom Sykes, Suzuki, 1:30.657
10. Jonathan Rea, Honda, 1:30.666

18. Rob Frost, Kawasaki, 1:31.916


National Superstock Championship final qualifying times:

1. Steve Allan, Kawasaki, 1:30.292
2. Ben Wilson, Suzuki, 1:30.439
3. Andy Tinsley, Suzuki, 1:30.591
4. Danny Beaumont, Yamaha, 1:30.727
5. Jamie Morley, Suzuki, 1:30.738
6. Mark Heckles, Yamaha, 1:30.744
7. Tristan Palmer, Suzuki, 1:31.004
8. Les Shand, Yamaha, 1:31.296
9. David Johnson, Yamaha, 1:31.369
10. Craig Fitzpatrick, Suzuki, 1:31.503


More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

BSB Championship, Round 1
Silverstone
Qualifying

SMART QUALIFIES SIXTH FOR OPENING BSB ROUND

Hawk Kawasaki rider Scott Smart qualified in sixth place for the opening BSB round at an overcast Silverstone today. The number 88 rider set his 1:27.567 lap in the last five minutes of the day’s second qualifying session, which looked as though it might be rained off as threatening clouds moved in over the Northamptonshire circuit. Smart was also forced to use his second bike to set the time after his number one machine suffered technical problems.

“I’m pleased to be starting from the second row, especially after the
problems we’ve suffered throughout practice and qualifying, but it’s
a bit of a shame we couldn’t get the suspension set-up sorted on the
other bike because we’ve been struggling to find a good race set-up
all weekend,” said Smart. “To do the lap times we really have to
stick our necks out. That’s going to make it hard work tomorrow
because when the tyre’s not there the bike’s a real handful.
Obviously we’re working to sort that out, but at the moment we’re not
there. I’m hopeful we can make more progress before tomorrow’s race
though.”

His team mate, Glen Richards, suffered a more frustrating day. The
Aussie topped the times sheets for much of the first session, but was
dropped to third place after a crash ruled him out of the final 10
minutes. Richards was one of several riders caught out by an oil spill
at turn one, but fortunately he was uninjured an able to take part in
the afternoon’s final hour of qualifying.

The Hawk rider again looked to be running strongly until a crash at
Priory ended the number 75 rider’s session. His previous best time of
1:27.667 dropped Richards to ninth on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

“We could have done without those two offs today,: said Hawk Kawasaki
Team Principal Stuart Hicken. “But nobody falls off on purpose.
Certainly Glen’s first one was down to someone else’s spillage, then
he tipped off again with just two or three minutes to go of the second
session. Unfortunately the bike bounced in the gravel, and that made a
load more work, but we can get that one up and running again for
tomorrow. The encouraging bit is that we’re not a million miles away
from the front row, which is quite nice, because the bikes are so stock
at the moment it’s ridiculous. They might look like race bikes at the
moment, but the engines are still very standard and there’s still a
lot to come from them. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry because we do
need laps on the bike. The more laps we get, the more we can get the
bike on the pace and that’s the important bit. If it stays dry we’ll
have a good setting from the chassis by the first race tomorrow, for
sure.”


Combined Qualifying
1) Michael Rutter, Honda, 1:26.135
2) Sean Emmett, Ducati, 1:26.679
3) John Reynolds, Suzuki, 1:26.937
4) Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:27.274
5) Stuart Easton, Ducati, 1:27.431
6) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki, 1:27.567
7) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 1:27.593
8) Dean Thomas, Ducati, 1:27.632
9) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki, 1:27.667
10) Steve Plater, Yamaha, 1:27.915
11) Gary Mason, Yamaha, 1:28.542
12) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki, 1:28.965 (P)
13) James Buckingham, Suzuki, 1:29.155 (P)
14) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki, 1:29.185 (P)
15) Sam Corke, Suzuki, 1:29.296 (P)

(P) = Privateer