FIM Superbike World Championship Nurburgring, Germany September 4, 2010 Final Qualifying Results After Superpole (all on Pirelli tires): From Superpole Three: 1. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:54.595 2. Carlos CHECA, Spain (Ducati 1098R), 1:54.621 3. James TOSELAND, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:54.909 4. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:54.934 5. Jonathan REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:55.138 6. Leon HASLAM, Great Britain (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:55.161 7. Noriyuki HAGA, Japan (Ducati 1098F10), 1:55.276 8. Tom SYKES, Great Britain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:55.378 From Superpole Two: 9. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Ducati 1098F10), 1:55.264 10. Cal CRUTCHLOW, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:55.295 11. Ruben XAUS, Spain (BMW S1000RR), 1:55.375 12. Lorenzo LANZI, Italy (Ducati 1098R), 1:55.524 13. Jakub SMRZ, Czech Republic (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:55.577 14. Troy CORSER, Australia (BMW S1000RR), 1:55.599 15. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:55.735 16. Luca SCASSA, Italy (Ducati 1098R), 1:55.908 From Superpole One: 17. Shane BYRNE, Great Britain (Ducati 1098R), 1:56.457 18. Roger HAYDEN, USA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:57.613 19. Ian LOWRY, Great Britain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:57.669 The Rest of the Grid: 20. Leon CAMIER, Great Britain (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:56.825 21. Fabrizio LAI, Italy (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:58.812 22. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:59.875 More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Weather conditions: Mostly cloudy. Temperature: Air: 13 – 21°C, Track: 18 – 30°C Number of riders participating: 19 from 12 teams Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) 1:55.232 min Fastest lap Superpole 3: Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 1:54.595 min The Saturday of the FIM Superbike World Championship at the Nürburgring (GER) started in a more than promising way for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Troy Corser (AUS) topped the timesheets in the second Qualifying Practice and then again in the Free Practice, setting the fastest time of the whole weekend so far, before crashing out in the first corner. But in the Superpole the team’s fortunes turned. All of a sudden Troy was struggling and crashed two more times, finishing 14th . Ruben Xaus (ESP) was on course for a good qualifying for the final Superpole session, but also crashed when another rider in front of him suddenly slowed. This meant Ruben could not improve his time and finished 11th . The most important thing is that both drivers escaped unhurt, and all that bad luck only gives the team even more motivation for tomorrow’s races. Ruben Xaus: Bike: BMW S 1000 RR Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:55.804 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:56.583 min / Fastest lap Superpole 2: 1:55.375 min “I have been struggling today with grip. Going into Superpole I thought I could make it onto the second row, but sadly I have to settle for a row three start. The bike feels good, so we just need to work on a few things to ensure the grip levels are consistent. All in all I am happy with the progress we have made so far. I am not setting any goals for the races tomorrow, am just going out there to do my best and hopefully the setup we have for the race will work well. I am certainly looking forward to the races.” Troy Corser: Bike: BMW S 1000 RR Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:55.429 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:55.081 min / Fastest lap Superpole 3: 1:55.599 min “In the first two crashes I just lost the front going into the first corner – without warning. With the qualifying tyre we had no rear grip compared to what we had on the race tyre. There was nothing I could do. It is a little disappointing because I feel we had a good balance for the bike, a good setting and I could have easily finished on the first row. But we never give up. The lap times we can do are fast enough, so we will just try to have a good start and make our way through the field.” Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager): “We were convinced we would be in the last Superpole session with both riders, and that we would even be in contention for the Superpole with Troy. There is not much to say. But we are still optimistic for tomorrow because Troy proved that the bike is good and he can manage a podium.” More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two 11th round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after today’s qualifying and Superpole sessions at the historic Nurburgring in Germany. The 23-year-old Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider made improvements to the engine braking and overall set-up on his CBR1000RR Fireblade overnight and was able to improve his lap times around the 5.137km Nurburgring circuit by more than a second over yesterday. His team-mate, Max Neukirchner, will start his home race from the fourth row of the grid after setting the 15th fastest time today. The German was disappointed that grip levels from his first qualifying tyre seemed to offer no more than the race rubber he had used earlier. However, Neukirchner is confident that improvements to both his bike and riding will allow him to push hard in tomorrow’s two 20-lap races at the Nurburgring. Jonathan Rea P4 1m55.138s Bit of an eventful Superpole 3 that one! I think a front wheel speed sensor broke and sent the traction control flat out and it wouldn’t let the bike push forward. I even thought it might be running out of petrol because I was struggling to get back to the pits. So I came in but we didn’t have any more tyres left so we put the old set into the spare bike, which still had an experimental setting from free practice. But all in all I think our pace is OK, I’m really enjoying riding and the bike’s good. And I think we’ve got pace at the end of the race, which is important. There are some guys who are very fast over one lap, but it’s the race that counts and that’s tomorrow. I think I did that time on a qualifier that had six laps on it, so I’m pretty happy with the front row. Max Neukirchner P15 1m55.735s It’s been a good day fo r me, even though Superpole was pretty bad. I was pushing hard but I just couldn’t get any faster and the first qualifier that I used gave me no more grip than the race tyre. The second one was a little better but it still was not enough. I made some consistently fast laps in the free practice before though, so I am quite confident about our set up and I think I can ride like that in the race. The main problem we have is not being able to go as fast as other riders in the middle of the corner. Our braking points are the same, but it seems that they can release the brake and get back on the throttle a little earlier. When I try to do the same it’s not possible and I lose a lot of time maybe we have a bit too much weight on the front. I am looking forward to tomorrow though, and I hope I can push as hard as I want to in the race. Ronald ten Kate team manager I think that the front row for Jonathan is a good reward for the methodical way that he and his crew have gone about improving the setting after yesterday. It’s also a good performance considering he had to switch to his number two machine after just one lap in Superpole 3 after a problem with the electronics on his first choice bike. He has also done some good times on very old tyres today, so we are confident about his race pace. Max, too, has made good progress today, although his first qualifier didn’t quite give the levels of grip he was looking for. All in all, we’re looking forward to two good races tomorrow. More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: Nurburgring, 4th September 2010 Grid positions for the eleventh round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship at the Nurburgring were established in this afternoon’s Superpole but it was a bittersweet day for the Althea Racing Team with Carlos Checa who will start from second on the grid and Shane Byrne who will need to play catch up from his starting position on the fifth row. Spanish rider Checa once again proved to be one of the strongest riders, with regard to both “flying laps” and race pace. Having concluded this morning’s second qualifying session in second place, he also finished free practice in second before a thrilling Superpole got underway this afternoon. The fight for the pole kicked off at 15.00 and in the final stages there were two main contenders, former team-mates Max Biaggi and Carlos. In the end it was Max who took pole, by just two hundredths of a second, while Althea Racing’s Checa will line up alongside him on the front row of the grid, in second position. “These two days have been very positive”, commented Carlos. “We’ve worked well from the word go, making the right tyre choices and obtaining good overall balance. The important thing was to secure a good grid position and, that done, now we have to give it our all in the races. I thank my team as, as always, they have worked really hard to provide me with a competitive bike.” Shane Byrne had also been riding well, registering a string of laps in under 1m56 but in the decisive Superpole phase “Shakey” was unlucky. The Englishman crashed towards the start of the first stage, returned to the garage and went back on track with only two minutes left on the clock; only able to complete one lap, Shane had to settle for seventeenth position. “Unfortunately I crashed right at the start and, by the time I got back on track, I didn’t have time to improve on my position”, said Shane. “Tomorrow will be hard but I will do my best to make up positions right from the first lap. I want to thank my team as they gave me a great bike and I apologise to them for my stupid mistake. Luckily, race day is tomorrow and that is the important thing”¦ my pace is very good so I’m hopeful that I can make two great races.” Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing, is only partly satisfied with the results. “We thought it would be a perfect Saturday, with both riders on the front row, but unfortunately Shane’s crash prevented us from achieving that. With the fall, Shakey compromised his chances of a great result; perhaps he was also shaken up after the fall. It’s a shame because in both the first session and in the free practice this morning we had shown that we could be fast with both our riders”¦Carlos? He demonstrated maturity and intelligence, reacting well after two difficult races. He’s in great shape and is confident ahead of tomorrow’s races. He missed out on pole by just a fraction of a second but let’s not forget that we have to contend with other top level manufacturers and riders”¦ For now we’re happy.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Toseland and Crutchlow take second and third row grid starts for the Nurburgring The second day of qualifying at the Nurburgring saw Yamaha Sterilgarda riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow deliver grid positions for tomorrow’s races that did not reflect the impressive performance of the British duo through the sessions. Toseland made quick progress from yesterday, improving his set up to finish 12th in the second qualifying session. The subsequent Superpole heats saw him on the pace immediately, passing through the first heat easily in fourth with a 1’55.486 on a race tyre. Toseland then used both qualifier tyres in the second heat, passing through in seventh to the final stage. Superpole three saw an impressive run as he took his second front row start of the season with a third position on the grid. Unfortunately Toseland left the pit lane several seconds before the start of the final session so was penalised and dropped to eighth on the second row of the grid for the races. Team mate Cal Crutchlow had also shown consistent fast pace through today’s sessions and also passed through the first Superpole heat easily in third, just in front of his team mate with a 1’55.442 on a used race tyre. Midway through the second heat Crutchlow switched to his qualifier but was unable to get the performance needed from it to graduate through to the final stage. As a result he will start from tenth on the grid tomorrow. James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 1.’54.909) “I’ve really enjoyed riding around the Nurburgring, it’s pretty new to me as I’ve not been here for eleven years. Unfortunately I exited the pit lane apparently on a red light, I didn’t do that intentionally but I’ve been penalised so my third position grid start has been taken away and I’ve been put back to eighth on the second row of the grid. The first two rows are really important here because the first corner is very tight. I’m obviously disappointed about that but the officials have taken that stance, I can’t really argue with it I just have to comply, that’s the rules. I’m still looking forward to two good races tomorrow.” Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th, 1’55.295) “We struggled a bit today with the lack of grip from the tyres. I seemed to go faster on my race tyres than my qualifiers which was frustrating. I think we are up there with top five race pace, but it’s not easy to pass here so getting through the field is difficult, everyone is on the same sort of line and times are really similar. It’s going to be difficult to make some moves so I’m hoping for a good start off the line.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager “The weekend is a typical weekend for us . Yesterday, probably due to the long break we lost some time in setting up the bike as the riders got back onto their pace again. Today both the riders and the bikes were better and better but unfortunately things outside of our control prevented us from achieving more. For Cal his Qualifier didn’t seem to perform well and I’m very sorry for James as he achieved the first row for the second time this season but a little mistake leaving the pits a few seconds before the start of the final Superpole heat means he has to start from the second row. The pace that both riders showed in free practice today was ok so tomorrow I am expecting both of them to be up there.” More, from a press release issued by World Superbike Championship organizers: Max notches up second career Superpole at the Nurburgring Points leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) slammed in a record 1’54.595 in the final run to take only his second career Superpole win and lead tomorrow’s race grid for the German Round at the Nurburgring. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) was the early pace setter and remained second, but original third place man James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) was demoted to eighth, after leaving pitlane too early in Superpole 3. All the riders behind him, down to eighth place, were thus promoted one spot on the grid. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) is now in third on the revised grid, with Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) moving up to fourth. Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) is one step closer to Biaggi in fifth, and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) is now sixth, not seventh. Tom Sykes had a great ride throughout Superpole, and slotted his Kawasaki Racing Team four-cylinder into seventh place, one up on the luckless Toseland. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad), who has been one of the main protagonists throughout the weekend, had a luckless Superpole, this time high-siding, and landing hard, his third crash in around an hour of track action. He was out of Superpole from that point, finally qualifying 14th. Max Biaggi: “After my crash I had a pain in my back and my left arm but nothing broken, just a big crash. We did a lot of work in set-up on the bike and our race pace is not so bad. For the race tyres, we are not so bad and after a few laps there should be even better grip. I am happy for me and my team, and all my sponsors.” Carlos Checa: “Everything has worked well here with our bike and we have been quick to find a competitive pace. We were fast in Superpole but then Max did an even faster lap and we went second. We are on the front row and satisfied with our pace. I hope we can finish the season well and bring Ducati to the top.” Sylvain Guintoli: “After going fastest in the second Superpole I thought I could go even better but I had no more qualifying tyres left. I had burned one getting stuck behind people so I had to put a used one in for the last part of the last session. But I am happy, have a good pace and this track is so nice, brilliant.” Times: 1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’54.595; 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’54.621; 3. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’54.934; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’55.138; 5.Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’55.161; 6.Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1’55.276; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’55.378; 8. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’54.909; 9. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’55.264; 10. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’55.295; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’55.375; 12. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’55.524; 13. Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’55.577; 14.Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’55.599; 15.Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1’55.735; 16. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’55.908 World Supersport Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) headed the qualifying list after setting a 1’58.415 lap, heading off his great championship rival Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) in the process. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) was third in his return to the WSS class, one place up on his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara. Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) fired himself into fifth place, ahead of leading Triumph rider, David Salom. Times: 1. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’58.415; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1’58.557; 3.Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’58.617; 4. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’58.654; 5. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’59.110; 6. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1’59.277; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’59.374; 8. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’59.381; 9. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’59.492; 10. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’59.895 Superstock 1000 Crowned champion at the previous round in Silverstone, Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) took pole in BMW’s back yard, with a 1’59.181 lap. The top five riders were all under the previous record, with Ducati rider Lorenzo Zanetti (SS Lazio Motorsport) second, and two Honda men, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini), third and fourth respectively. Sylvain Barrier”ƒ(Garnier Junior Racing) was also under the two-minute mark, in fifth place on his BMW. Michele Magnoni”ƒ(Bevilacqua Corse)”ƒ2’00.067 rounded out the top six. Times: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.181; 2.Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’59.337; 3.Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’59.676; 4. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’59.858; 5. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.863; 6. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 2’00.067; 7.Lammert D. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 2’00.257; 8. Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 2’00.361; 9. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2’00.660; 10. Mähr R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 2’00.770 Superstock 600 Race Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing) took another step towards the championship title today in Germany after he earned yet another victory, his fifth of the year. The Frenchman now sits on 177 points compared to his countryman Florian Marino’s 134, a gap of 43 points. Tony Covena”ƒ(Econocom) was second, Romain Lanusse (MRS Racing) was third and Berardino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) fourth. Lombardi sits third in the championship on 83 points. Pole winner Marc Moser (Sport-Evolution Triumph) was fifth in the race at his home circuit. Marino (Ten Kate Junior Honda) was only eighth today. Results: 1. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 18’47.113 (147,668 kph); 2. Covena T. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 0.877; 3. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 2.512; 4. Lombardi B. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 7.595; 5. Moser M. (GER) Triumph Daytona 675 10.297; 6.Karlsen F. (NOR) Yamaha YZF R6 10.404; 7.D’Annunzio F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 11.180; 8. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 11.453; Points (after 8 rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 177; 2. Marino 134; 3. Lombardi 83; 4.D’Annunzio 79; 5. Fanelli 71; 6.Karlsen 6; 7.Lanusse 60; 8.Calero Perez 51; 9. Covena 48; 10.Le Coquen 42 Stk600 Pirelli BEST JUMP FORWARD Richard De Tournay (Team ASPI), from 17th to 11th (6 positions) More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: FRONT ROW FOR SYLVAIN! LEON JUST BEHIND. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Sylvain Guintoli had his best Superpole of the season and will start tomorrow’s pair of 20-lap races from the front row of the grid. The Frenchman was in tremendous form today, particularly in Superpole 2, when he ended up the fastest. It took a record lap from Max Biaggi (Aprilia) to knock Sylvain down the order, but he held on to third quickest, just behind Carlos Checa (Ducati). Leon had struggled a little in regular practice and qualifying, but dug deep and improved in Superpole. He was the fastest rider in Superpole 1, fifth in Superpole 2 and that’s where he ended up also in Superpole 3. Sylvain – 3rd, 1:54.934 After going fastest in the second Superpole I thought I could go even better in Superpole 3, but I had no more qualifying tyres left. I had burned one getting stuck behind people, so I had to put a used one on for the last part of the last session. But I am happy because I have a good pace and I like this track. This circuit is fantastic! I just love the whole speed thing and, considering that this is my first time here, I’m very happy with how things have gone so far. The first corner is more technical, but the rest of the track, with all the blind approaches and fast corners, is brilliant. At the moment, I do not know what my race tyres will be because I have done similar times with each main tyre. So, before making the final choice, we’ll analyse things and work out which ones we’ll use. I think tomorrow is going to be a good day and I can’t wait for races to start. Leon – 5th, 1: 55.16 The tyres that we have here are the same concept as the tyres we had in Brno and Misano and we struggled with them there. Ultimately I feel that the new tyre has more grip and lasts longer but, at the moment, the problem is that the extra grip on the rear is hampering the way the bike is steering. That’s something we found in Brno and Misano and it is something we just have to work hard at trying to find a solution. Sylvain is getting the tyres to work well and that has helped us. I am quickest on a race tyre set-up, on the old 625 tyre. To compete against everyone else on race tyres like I did in Superpole was good. We have made some headway with the new tyre and have one more chance to make it work. Overall though, our bike works well here and I like the track. I’m sure tomorrow will be a good battle and I’m really looking forward to it. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Super Seventh Grid Position For Tom Tom Sykes put in the Kawasaki Racing Team’s best qualifying performance of the season today by going seventh on the grid. Stand-in rider Ian Lowry continued to impress and made it into Superpole. Sykes was in sparkling form on his Ninja ZX-10R in Superpole qualifying, using his tyres to the best advantage to go from 16th after regulation qualifying to eighth in the provisional Superpole rankings – then being moved up one place to seventh on the official time sheets when James Toseland was demoted from third to eighth for starting the Superpole Three session too early. Dry weather assisted all the riders to find a good set-up at the modern version of the classic German circuit, with Sykes keeping his very best efforts for when it mattered most, in Superpole. Pole position itself was taken by Max Biaggi, the championship leader. A potential baptism of WSBK fire for Ian Lowry, standing in for the injured Chris Vermeulen, proved to be well managed by both the rider and his experienced team. Ian qualified 19th on the grid, with three riders behind him during his rookie Superbike weekend. Sunday’s pair of 20-lap races will comprise round 11 of the championship, with only two more left after the WSBK circus leaves Germany. Tom Sykes: “Obviously we are very happy with the way we have been working this weekend, Kawasaki and all the boys in the team. We have an optimum setting and some kind of balance from Brands Hatch, when we raced there in BSB, and we have been able to come here and make fine tweaks, not big changes. Overall the bike has been easier to find set-up with, more consistent in feel for myself and it showed in qualifying. I am relatively happy with my race pace and I just want to get away cleanly early on in the race and get stuck in.” Ian Lowry: “I was faster and feel more comfortable on race tyres than I was on the qualifiers, so I didn’t gain anything from them. It is just like learning the track and the bike all over again when you use them, and concentrating on exit speed rather than entry speed. I need to find about 0.6 of a second now and if I can do that I feel I will be able to stick on the back of a good group in the early laps. If I can do that I know I can race with them. I took a second off yesterday’s time so I need to continue that trend. Every time I go out on the bike I am learning something but it is brilliant to be out on track with some of these guys. Overall I am very pleased and the team is happy enough too, which is the main thing.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: NORIYUKI HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) TO LINE UP ON THE SECOND ROW TOMORROW AT THE RING The Nürburgring (Germany), 4th September 2010: today’s Superpole took place in relatively warm conditions (air temperature 16°C, track 28°C) but for the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio it was not an easy afternoon; at the end of the three hard-fought phases, Haga took sixth position and Fabrizio, having registered some almost identical lap times, ninth. The morning’s second qualifying turned out to be fairly positive for both Ducati Xerox factory riders. Noriyuki immediately improved on his best time set yesterday, by recording an impressive 1m55.4. He made a string of laps with similar times and closed the session in second position, which meant an overall qualifying position of third for this afternoon’s Superpole. Michel was able to improve by a tenth of a second which left him with the fifth fastest time ahead of the Superpole. Superpole 1: the two factory riders chose different strategies for phase 1, Norikyuki taking to the track on race rubber, Michel opting for the first of two qualifiers. Both strategies worked, in that neither rider needed to make a second exit and at the end of the first mini-session, Michel was in fifth and Noriyuki tenth, results that allowed both riders to progress to the next stage. Superpole 2: this time Haga went for a “Q” while Fabrizio used a race tyre. The Japanese rider recorded a very fast lap which put him well within the top eight but nevertheless decided to make a second exit, as did his Italian team-mate. By the end of the session, both riders had recorded almost identical best times (Nori 1m55.233s, Michel 1m55.264s) but it was Haga who obtained eighth position and a place in the final phase, Michel pushed out by a fraction of a second, to close today’s Superpole in ninth position. Superpole 3: taking advantage of the second qualifying tyre, Haga made two strong laps to ensure himself of a spot on the second row of the grid, in sixth, for tomorrow’s races. Noriyuki Haga “I had a better feeling with the bike this morning compared to this afternoon’s session, so tomorrow I think we’ll make some changes that take us back in that direction regarding set-up. I was a bit disappointed with the Superpole result because I did my two laps in the final phase but maybe I should have stayed out there and done one more because the situation changed dramatically in the last two minutes and I dropped from fourth to sixth. Having said that, a place on the second row isn’t bad and after two positive days we’ll be aiming to make two equally positive races tomorrow.” Michel Fabrizio “After all the team’s hard work and the positive results so far this weekend, I of course hoped to take part in the third part of the Superpole but unfortunately a couple of mistakes proved costly and I finished ninth, outside of the top eight for just a fraction of a second. Tomorrow will be very difficult because this is one of those tracks where it’s not easy to pass, added to the fact that there are more than a few strong riders”¦” More, from a press release issued by Alitalia Aprilia: The Roman Emperor attacks: Superpole on the Nurburgring track is his. Max Biaggi delivers the decisive blow and takes the first spot on the starting grid for the German World SBK round. Nurburgring, 4 September 2010 His advantage in the rankings doesn’t seem to have sated Max Biaggi’s competitive “hunger” as he gives the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team yet another gift on the German Nurburgring track. Max took on the Superpole with grit and determination, coming through the first two sessions without much of a problem. But it was in the battle of the top eight that the four time world champion reared his head, squeezing maximum power from his RSV4. The clock speaks clearly: 1’54.595, a new Nurburgring track record and the second Superpole of his WSBK career for Max. His team mate, Leon Camier, victim of a bad fall yesterday, unfortunately had to watch Superpole from the pit. The fracture to his right wrist scaphoid will have to be operated on in England at the beginning of next week. Due to the rather delicate nature of the injury, a recovery time cannot yet be defined with any certainty. “Our goal was to stay on the front line commented Max Biaggi starting from the pole is a nice change, maybe even a bit unexpected. In fact, to be quite honest, after a few problems in the previous laps, I didn’t think that I was that fast. But I found the right grip and traction conditions and I managed not to let the opportunity get away from me. My compliments also go to the team which evidently made the right choices. Now we need to maintain focus and avoid any distractions which our rivals may be able to exploit. Tomorrow will be an entirely new day. The two races will be anything but simple with the twin-cylinders which do very well here, favoured by the many mixed-slow sections and with weather conditions which can have quite a bit of influence on track grip. As always I’ll be looking for the best position and the best results possible. It isn’t my style to keep track of numbers, nor do I aspire to do so”. More, from a press release issued by Team PATA/B&G Racing: Jakub Smrz of PATA B&G Racing will start thirteenth on the grid at Nurburgring tomorrow after making some mistakes in Superpole 2, which prevented him from posting a better time . Smrz is confident for the race nonetheless as his goal is to finish in the top ten. Lorenzo Baroni, in Superstock 1000 was fast during the entire weekend and managed to make progress all the time. He aims to prove himself in race as well. JAKUB SMRZ | Aprilia RSV4 | 13th in 1’55.577: “We picked up where we left off yesterday and found a good base setup, which allowed me to go very fast with race tyres on. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes in the four full-speed laps of Superpole 2, when I tried to set a better time and couldn’t qualify in the first two rows. However, my goal is to ride an attacking race tomorrow”. LORENZO BARONI | Ducati 1098R | 9th in 2’00.660: “I’m happy with my performance, although I was hoping I could start more in front. I’ll have to be fast with the green light in order for me to stay with the front runners, but I’m confident I can score a good result here as well”. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: UPS AND DOWNS FOR TROY After setting the fastest times in second qualifying this morning and then in the free practice this afternoon, Troy saw his dreams of taking Superpole vanish after three crashes and a difficult Superpole 1. After problems with grip with his qualifying tyres, Troy struggled in Superpole 1 and was unable to get into Superpole 2, therefore ruining any chances of taking a place on the front row of the grid. Fortunately Troy was unhurt in the crashes, but now he faces a difficult pair of races, starting from the fourth row of the grid. Series leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia) blasted his way to victory in Superpole, with a record lap of 1:54.595. Second was Carlos Checa (Ducati), with Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki) third and Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth. Troy – 14th, 1:55.599 Obviously I am pretty disappointed about how Superpole turned out. To be honest, after today’s qualifying and free practice, I expected to be on the front row of the grid at the very least! Once again though, the qualifying tyres didn’t work as well as the race rubber and I just couldn’t get any grip out of them. In the first two crashes, I just lost the front going into turn one – both times without any warning at all – and there was nothing I could do. I am not normally a crasher, but crashes are an occupational hazard in racing. But for me to have three on one day is far too much! I’m a bit battered and bruised, but otherwise OK. It’s a shame, because I feel that we have a good balance for the bike and a good setting and I’m sure I could’ve easily finished on the front row. But I know that my lap times are fast enough and, as long as I can get my usual good starts, I’m sure I can work my way through the field. The starts will be crucial because the first turn is so tight and if you are not in the leading group, it’s easy to be get left behind through the first sequence of corners and that would make life very difficult. I have been way down the grid before and got good results, so I see no reason why I cannot do the same here. Wish me good starts!