41st Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Macau, China November 16, 2007 Final Qualifying Results: 1. Michael Rutter (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:26.644 2. Thomas Hinterreiter (Yam YZF-R1), 2:26.949 3. John McGuinness (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:27.498 4. Steve Plater (Yam YZF-R1), 2:27.986 5. Guy Martin (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:28.064 6. Ian Hutchinson (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:29.529 7. Steve Allan (Yam YZF-R6), 2:29.652 8. Jeremy Toye (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:29.730 9. Conor Cummins (Yam YZF-R1), 2:30.762 10. Martin Finnegan (MV Agusta F4-1000), 2:31.069 13. Mark Miller (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:31.163 15. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:32.366 24. Jimmy Moore (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:36.800* * 4th in 600cc class More, from a press release issued by Macau Grand Prix Press Office: Rutter Sets New Record to Take Pole Michael Rutter, the 34-year-old British motorcycle racer searching for a record-breaking seventh victory in the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix grabbed pole position for tomorrow’s 41st running of the Far East Classic event. This is the sixth time in 13 appearances that Rutter has topped the qualifying list but he admitted after the second and crucial timed session that he had had to ride harder than he had ever done before to be quickest. Rutter, on the AVIVA Kawasaki 1000, lapped at a staggering 2:26.644 seconds, 1.3 seconds quicker than his record-breaking pole performance last year. Austrian Thomas Hinterreiter on the Austria Racing Team Yamaha 1000 was second fastest just three tenths of a second slower than Rutter. Britain’s John McGuinness, winner of the race in 2001 and keen to win this year after setting a sensational record 130mph lap at the Isle of Man TT races in June, was third fastest just over half a second behind the Austrian. It was a disappointing day for Steve Plater. The 35-year-old Lincolnshire rider had been on provisional pole after Thursday’s opening qualifying session but was plagued throughout today’s one hour outing by an electrical fault on the AIM Racing Yamaha 1000 that prevented him from completing a flying lap. The team is still busy searching for the cause of the problem and hope that it will be cured in time for Saturday morning’s warm up. Even so, Plater’s quick lap on Thursday was enough to keep him on the front row of the grid for the 15-lap race with fourth fastest time, 1.3 seconds slower than the flying Rutter. Fifth fastest was Guy Martin on the Solent Scientific Racing Honda 1000, but the 26-year-old Humberside, UK rider was a faller in the session, injuring a wrist and being ruled out of Saturday’s race. Steve Allan was quickest in the separate 600 Class on the AIM Racing Yamaha. The 33-year-old from Perth in Scotland, winner of the race for the past two years, lapped in 2:29.652 seconds to qualifying an impressive seventh overall among the more powerful big bikes. Allan was 3.7 seconds a lap faster than 32-year-old German Rico Penzkofer on the Yamaha Austria Racing Team 600 making his second appearance at the event. Another Scot, Callum Ramsay (Solent Scientific Honda 600) snatched third best time in the Class just edging out American newcomer Jimmy Moore (AVIVA Kawasaki) who was making a racing return for the first time since breaking a bone in his right foot and his left ankle in a crash in America in June. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: FOURTH PLACE START FOR STEVE PLATER AT MACAU GP After setting provisional pole in first qualifying for the Macau GP, Woodhall Spa racer Steve Plater was hoping to consolidate that in the final session on Friday morning. But it all went wrong for him when the AIM Yamaha R1 developed a misfire in the early stages of the session preventing him from posting a flying lap. Most of his opponents were able to post quicker times using qualifying tyres but although Steve, who won the race last year, was unable to capitalise on his earlier times he was still able to claim a fourth place start to Saturday’s 15-lap affair as his times from the first session were quick enough to secure his place on the grid. “After pulling into the pits in the early stages of final qualifying the team worked on the bike changing many settings in an effort to cure the misfire and with just three minutes remaining I was able to go back out there,” said Steve. “But at the end of my out lap the chequered flag came out curtailing my time on the track. However, on my in-lap I was up on the first two splits before coming into the pits so as long as we can solve the problem with the bike we should be ok for the race.” The 15-lap race gets underway on Saturday at 2.50pm local time, which is around 7am in the UK.