FIM Supersport World Championship Brno, Czech Republic July 10, 2010 Final Combined Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Joan LASCORZ, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:02.800 2. Katsuaki FUJIWARA, Japan (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:02.817 3. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.082 4. Fabien FORET, France (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:03.193 5. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.397 6. Michele PIRRO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.421 7. Gino REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.450 8. Chaz DAVIES, Great Britain (Triumph Daytona 675), 2:03.641 9. Robbin HARMS, Denmark (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.757 10. Miguel PRAIA, Portugal (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.959 11. David SALOM, Spain (Triumph Daytona 675), 2:04.157 12. Matthieu LAGRIVE, France (Triumph Daytona 675), 2:04.445 13. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Italy (Triumph Daytona 675), 2:04.549 14. Massimo ROCCOLI, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 2:04.849 15. Alexander LUNDH, Sweden (Honda CBR600RR), 2:05.504 16. Bastien CHESAUX, Switzerland (Honda CBR600RR), 2:05.673 17. Alessio PALUMBO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:05.770 18. Danilo DELL’OMO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 2:06.091 19. Tomas HOLUBEC, Czech Republic (Honda CBR600RR), 2:06.306 20. Daniel BUKOWSKI, Poland (Honda CBR600RR), 2:06.336 More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: PARKALGAR HONDA ace Eugene Laverty took third place on the front row of the grid for the ninth round of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic despite crashing with more than 10-minutes to go while Miguel Praia finished a well-deserved 10th. Eugene was caught out by a bump on the entry to the first corner and is unhurt he came back to the garage but finished the session watching the timing screens. Qualification took place in blistering sunshine and high temperatures. The race starts at 1330CET on Sunday, July 11th. To keep up to date with the team visit www.parkalgarhonda.com. Eugene: “I was caught out by that bump, it was completely unexpected. I should have saved the crash but it just went on and down I am a bit annoyed. I came back to the pits but decided not to go out again and watched the timing screens. I am pleased that I managed to stay on the front row as it got fast towards the end. Overall the setting of my Parkalgar Honda is very good and I am happy with it, I can run quick lap times consistently. I now know that bump is there so I’ll be avoiding it in the race.” Miguel: “I am very happy to get into the 2mins 3seconds bracket but a little disappointed not to have stuck on the second row, the pace was very hot, just like the weather. I can run quick lap times here and I am enjoying the circuit, I think I can have a good race tomorrow. My Parkalgar Honda is good and if I can get away with the riders just in front of me then I will be able to compete with them, I need a good start.” Simon Buckmaster, Team Manger Parkalgar Honda: “Eugene was unfortunate to crash on a bump and miss the last part of the session because I am sure he could have gone faster. As it is he is on the front row and can run a very fast race pace; he will be in the fight for the victory. Miguel has genuinely impressed by taking 10th and running fast lap times. He will need a good start as he is in a bunch of riders very closely matched – but if he does he can compete inside the top 10.” More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders, Kenan Sofuoglu and Michele Pirro, will start tomorrow’s ninth round World Supersport championship race at Brno in the Czech Republic from the second row of the grid after setting the fifth and sixth fastest times respectively in today’s final qualifying session. Pole position for tomorrow’s 18-lap race was taken by Spanish rider Joan Lascorz as both Hannspree riders continued to fine-tune their Honda CBR600RR machines for the 5.403km Brno circuit’s flowing downhill and uphill sections. Currently lying in championship second place, Sofuoglu is hoping to regain the lead tomorrow as the series heads into its final phase. Pirro, meanwhile, hopes to return to the World Supersport podium for the first time since March. Kenan Sofuoglu P5 2’03.397s Overall we went in the right direction today, but I think we went slightly wrong during quali fying this afternoon. In the hot conditions, we still have some problems and it was tough today. It’s difficult braking in the downhill sections and I completely locked the front in sector two on my quick lap. I almost crashed, so maybe I should be happy with the second row. Front row would have been nice but we know what we need to do to improve the bike for tomorrow. We have the speed to fight at the front and, although I did not achieve my goal today, it’s more important to achieve it tomorrow. Michele Pirro P6 2’03.421s The front is pushing a little under braking so I cannot be completely happy. The bike feels OK otherwise but it was not a good qualifying session for me. I struggled to get into a rhythm and couldn’t make a good lap because always it seemed there were slower riders on the line when I wanted to go fast. It made today difficult but I hope tomorrow will be much better. I think ou r race pace is good enough to stay with the guys at the front and will try to do that for my team who have been working very hard to help me this weekend. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Three Ninja ZX-6R Riders on the Front Row! WSS, Brno, Czech Republic, 10 July 2010 Kawasaki riders almost completely monopolised the front row grid positions after final WSS qualifying at Brno, with Joan Lascorz on pole, Katsuaki Fujiwara second and Fabien Foret fourth. Lascorz took pole from his team-mate in the last seconds of the final qualifying session, which saw track temperatures get up to 59°C and many other riders fall as the asphalt went beyond ideal temperature. Joan was last on pole in Australia, round one, and this was his third career pole in this class of racing. On raceday he will be out to overhaul his big rivals, Eugene Laverty and Kenan Sofuoglu, and attempt to retake the championship lead. Katsuaki’s comeback to racing has been incredible so far. He was struck down with severe appendicitis before the previous Misano race and had keyhole surgery only two weeks ago, as well as being made very ill by his infected appendix. He hopes to be fit for the full race on Sunday and he is already celebrating his best start position of the year, although he has been on the front row on three previous occasions. Behind the official machines of Joan and Katsuaki, the supported Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki squad got back to its best, with Foret inside the top four and less than 0.4 seconds from pole. In the European Superstock 600 race Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R rider Josh Elliott was unlucky to crash out of the podium places and miss a place in the final results, but he had set an impressive pole earlier in the day on his Direct CCT Kawasaki Racedays machine. Joan Lascorz: “In the end it was good, we made a good plan with Pere Riba my crew chief and we are really happy. Everybody pushed hard at the end and there were many crashes because the track temperature got so high. I am happy to do my fast lap time but I am happier with my race pace in these hot conditions. We used both bikes to find a good set-up for tomorrow. I think the top guys will push from the start.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Considering I had an operation just a couple of weeks ago to have my appendix removed, I am very happy to qualify where I did. My machine is working very well and I feel good about tomorrow. I did not want to push too hard this afternoon so front row is perfect really. It is a long race tomorrow so I will have to pace myself if I can, yet stay with the front group.” Fabien Foret: “I am very happy with this session and I am in a position where I expected to be. We have some issues in the last few races and some bad luck. We arrived here fresh again and I have tried just to be clear about my own job. Three Kawasakis on the front row; just amazing for us all. All things are possible tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing: Chaz Davies will start from the second row tomorrow, while Salom, Lagrive and Iannuzzo qualified eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth respectively in today’s qualifying second session. Davies was able to improve his time by approximately a second, while Salom, Lagrive and Iannuzzo had more difficulties than expected. CHAZ DAVIES | Triumph Daytona 675 | 8th in 2’03.641 : “I’m happy with both the bike’s performance and my time from today. I’m very close to the front row, but, most importantly, I managed to do a series of very fast laps, which makes me confident for the race. However, I will make some small changes in warm up tomorrow morning which hopefully will allow me to improve my feeling with the bike”. DAVID SALOM | Triumph Daytona 675 | 11th in 2’04.157 : “We tried some new solutions today, but they were not good. I couldn’t get the same feeling as in the first two sessions and so I didn’t improve myself. We’ll look into it in warm up tomorrow morning”. MATTHIEU LAGRIVE | Triumph Daytona 675 | 12th in 2’04.445 : “I slightly improved my time from yesterday, but it was not enough. I don’t have any issues, but I’m not very effective when exiting the corner”. VITTORIO IANNUZZO| Triumph Daytona 675 | 13th in 2’04.549 : “It was a tough day today as I wasn’t able to pick up where I left off yesterday. I used the same setup from the day before by the end of the session, but there was a slight traction drop-off and I couldn’t accelerate as I wanted to”.