FIM Supersport World Championship Phillip Island, Australia February 26, 2011 Final Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:34.070 2. Fabien FORET, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.091 3. Sam LOWES, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.504 4. Broc PARKES, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:34.548 5. Luca SCASSA, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:34.635 6. Roberto TAMBURINI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:34.931 7. Florian MARINO, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.994 8. Chaz DAVIES, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:35.065 9. Robbin HARMS, Denmark (Honda CBR600RR), 1:35.272 10. Gino REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:35.362 11. James ELLISON, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:35.480 12. Massimo ROCCOLI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:35.808 13. Danilo DELL’OMO, Italy (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:35.905 14. Miguel PRAIA, Portugal (Honda CBR600RR), 1:35.953 15. Pawel SZKOPEK, Poland (Honda CBR600RR), 1:35.968 16. Vladimir IVANOV, Ukraine (Honda CBR600RR), 1:36.048 17. Ronan QUARMBY, South Africa (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:36.109 18. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:36.146 19. Ondrej JEZEK, Czech Republic (Honda CBR600RR), 1:36.185 20. Alexander LUNDH, Sweden (Honda CBR600RR), 1:36.264 21. Bastien CHESAUX, Switzerland (Honda CBR600RR), 1:36.721 22. Mitchell PIROTTA, Australia (Honda CBR600RR), 1:37.600 23. Imre TOTH, Hungary (Honda CBR600RR), 1:37.631 24. Balasz NEMETH, Hungary (Honda CBR600RR), 1:38.404 25. Marko JERMAN, Slovakia (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:38.650 26. Luca MARCONI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:39.335 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Yamaha ParkinGO Team Line Up on the Second Row at Phillip Island Yamaha ParkinGO rider Luca Scassa got down to work today with a new bike set up and quickly took steps forward to improve from the first qualifying session. The Italian moved up the provisional grid, gaining over half a second on yesterday’s performance to take a well earned fifth place start on the second row for tomorrow’s first World Supersport race of the 2011 season. Scassa completed a number of laps in the low 1.35’s, hinting at a good race pace for tomorrow. Scassa’s teammate Chas Davies was unable to improve on yesterday’s performance in the first qualifying session, the young Brit struggling to make another step but hanging in to keep a second row start on the grid in eighth for tomorrow’s race. Unpredictable weather and a forecast for rain could make the opening round tomorrow an unpredictable one for all riders in the class. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Salom Takes Pole In Kawasaki Debut Both David Salom and Broc Parkes will start the 21-lap WSS race at Phillip Island on the front row after two strong qualifying performances, including a first ever pole in this class for Salom. David, a veteran of 38 WSS races, took his first pole in his first Kawasaki race weekend as he held off the charge of Fabien Foret by 0.021 seconds. Parkes was looking set to challenge David for the fastest lap in qualifying, until a backmarker slowed his progress on his last flying lap. His front row starting position of fourth will be looked at enviously by virtually all of his competitors. Both David and Broc have strong race pace and now only need to confirm their final race set-ups in the warm-up session in the morning, before attacking the fabulous 4.445km Phillip Island circuit in the first race of the 12-round Supersport championship. David Salom: “We had some issues with rear grip earlier in the weekend but now it is a lot better. I think tomorrow in the warm-up I will try another solution, which should be good for the race. Our lap times are good, and a 1’34.0 I am happy with, because the race pace should be a little away from that. I think we should have some good racing tomorrow, and maybe there will be four or five leading riders. I am very happy to get the best lap in qualifying, it is a good start.” Broc Parkes: “The main goal was the front row and we reached that. I could have improved maybe but I caught up to a slower rider and all around the last part he slowed me up. So my best lap was not really my ideal lap. We have a good starting position for the race tomorrow, and that is the main thing. I feel pretty confident with our race set-up so we’ll see what we can do in the race. It is pretty clear what we want to do with the tyre situation already. It is good to be home racing, flying the flag for Australia in Supersport.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Fabien Foret will start tomorrow’s World Supersport championship opener at Phillip Island in Australia from the front row of the grid after setting the second fastest time in today’s qualifying session. The Frenchman had been quickest in an official pre-season test earlier this week and first or second in all practice sessions, but it was Spaniard David Salom who took pole position from Foret by just two hundredths of a second. Foret’s 17-year-old team-mate, Florian Marino, also from France, was seventh fastest today to secure a second row start in tomorrow’s 21-lap race at the 4.5km Phillip Island circuit. Fabien Foret P2, 1m34.091s I am not so happy because everything felt great with the bike and I was comfortable but another rider got on my line on my quick lap. Unfortunately, it was Florian but it’s not such a big deal these things happen some times, I am on the front row and ready to race. To be honest, we done enough testing and practice laps around Phillip Island now and we’re at the point where we are changing things for the sake of it and creating new problems. The bike is good and my pace is good so we’re ready to go tomorrow. Florian Marino P7, 1m34.994s I am still not happy but a little more satisfied that I can do the faster laps on my own now. I got caught in a group of slower riders when I was out to do a fast lap and made a couple of mistakes, one of which was to get in the way of my team-mate’s fast lap. But, these things happen sometimes and we have made some good progress here. I will try to get a good start in the race tomorrow and will do my best for a good result. Ronald ten Kate – team manager The front row was our target for Fabien today and we have achieved that, even though it seemed that pole position was within his reach. Florian has done really well again and it’s very impressive for him to start his first race here from the second row. He has continued to improve his time in every session and has been very methodical in his approach. Both riders are in positions for good results tomorrow so we will hope for a good start for both and then see where we are at the end of the race. More, from a press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda: More to come from Bogdanka PTR Honda JAMES ELLISON concentrated on race set-up for his Bogdanka PTR Honda today and is confident he can finish higher than his 11th place qualifying position in tomorrow’s World Supersport opening race in Australia. Ellison knows what he wants from his bike and will dial in changes for warm-up he is expecting them to give him the pace needed to fight at the sharp end of the grid. Bogdanka PTR Honda’s Pawel Szkopek is looking for a points scoring finish. James Ellison: “I’m a bit disappointed because I didn’t go as fast as I’d like to but I wasn’t able to brake hard enough and it was costing me time. But we’re working on it with the Ohlins guys and have a plan for tomorrow’s warm-up. The good thing is I don’t have a problem with my knee so I’m looking forward to a good race.” Pawel Szkopek: “We haven’t done any major changes today and I was focusing on improving my riding. We’ve gathered a lot of data which will now allow us to choose a race setup that we will try in the warm-up. I’m hoping for a good race and if I can be more consistent, my final position should be better than the starting one.” Simon Buckmaster: “James was trying a few different things to improve his feeling but for the warm-up we’ll go back to where we were yesterday. We know what to do and even though he’s only 11th on the grid, his potential is much greater than that. Pawel wasn’t able to improve his lap time and needs to focus on his riding and be more consistent and if he can then he has every chane of a points scoring position.” More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Fantastic front row for Lowes PARKALGAR HONDA’S Sam Lowes qualified a superb third for the opening round of the World Supersport Championship at Phillip Island in Australia and is relaxed and confident ahead of the race. Miguel Praia on the second Parkalgar Honda matched his pace from first qualifying but could not better it as he tried different settings on his bike. He qualified 14th but is sure he can improve in the race, which starts at 1330 local time on Sunday, 27th February. Sam: “It was a real good session this morning for race times and distance. In the afternoon I wanted to see what lap time I could do. I ended up going consistently fast with a lot of laps in the mid-34s which is great. But I do need to work on my fast one-off lap for qualifying. My Parkalgar Honda got better as I went faster. I am really happy as we did a lot of work on race pace in the second free practice on a hard tyre. If I can get off the start well then I have as good as anyone race speed and will use my head and manage my tyre. I feel good.” Miguel: “I am not as fast as I expected – we tried a lot of different things on my Parkalgar Honda with more weight on the rear to find grip. It didn’t happen and I was only able to match yesterday’s time. I really wanted to secure the third row but the times are close. For the race it will be easier over full distance as I normally race better than qualify. I want a good start and to beat my result of ninth from last year.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “Sam is fantastic and very consistent in the mid-34s. He has got podium potential for sure and will be in the hunt at the front of the race. “Miguel is struggling for rear grip but the data suggests he needs to carry more speed in the fast corners to cut his lap times. We will try to give him more confidence in warm-up and expect him to finish higher than 14th in the race.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha ParkinGO Team: Luca Scassa and Chaz Davies gained the second row during the qualifying to define the starting grid for the first race of the Supersport World Championship 2011 that will take place tomorrow in Phillip Island, Australia. The Yamaha ParkinGO Team-bearer ended the second qualifying day with a fifth and eighth place, and for what concern Luca Scassa getting to lower a1’35-time and achieving a 1’34.635, in that way lowering of a good six-tenths the previous time scored during the qualifying 1. His goal was to keep concentrate on the motorbike set-up and give his best during the final laps to gain a good position on the starting grid. Some problems for Chaz Davies instead, that couldn’t get a better time but he’s satisfied by the motorbike set-up. He got some brake’s problems that didn’t allow him a proper sharp-braking like the one he had during the previous qualifying. But his time of 1’35.065 still can be considered a good one within sight of the race; the eighth place on the grid desn’t have to be underestimated, as the #7 shown himself as one of the most talented rider on the starting grid. Both the riders got better laps after laps gaining confidence with a motorbike, the YZF R6, that isn’t always an easy one to “understand”. The confidence with the track, that was faced only once by both the riders, with the motorbike and the positive attitude will turn out decisive for a great race tomorrow. Chaz Davies Yamaha YZF R6 #7 “It’s been a wrong day, but during which I managed to prepare the motorbike at my best for the race. During the final laps I slipped, without any consequences, but later on the brake didn’t worked properly and I lost the chance to get a better time. A problem picked out by the team that will be solved within sight of the race tomorrow. We’ll check a few little changes but I guess to have my chances for a great result.” Luca Scassa Yamaha YZF R6 #9 – “We managed to follow the right work schedule and we got a really good level. I only missed the first row for a very small gap but all that matter is the race tomorrow. We always went successful during race’s simulation. The motorbike set-up allows to well-manage the tyre’s wear. Our goal is to start the season with a great result.”