Timetable & regulations WE have had two rounds of the World Supersport championship now and as you know after our round one victory and a top 10 for Miguel it certainly did not go to plan at our home round in Portugal. Good job we get two home rounds with the Silverstone one to come so we can make up for it. Looking at the facts in Philip Island it was our team who got it right and Eugene ran away with the race as he had the last round in Portimao at the end of 09. We went back to Parkalgar for round two looking for back to back wins and as practice progressed we looked in reasonable shape to do it. However when the race started Eugene could not make the break and after getting drafted by both Sofuoglu and Lascorz to drop from first to third at the end of the start finish straight, Eugene then made a mistake and crashed at turn four on the next lap. Once again it showed what a great job our technicians do as the machine went over and over and I was thinking there was no way he would be able to re-start. He did though and got home 11th to grab some useful points. I would be hard pressed not to admit though that we should have in the worst case left there with third place in the race and as joint leaders not 11 points back as we are. Oh well we have put that behind us now after analysing where we went wrong and we are confident of a strong challenge for victory this weekend. Miguel rode a great race to be in the fight for sixth place only for a technical problem to put him out on the same lap Eugene crashed to cap a bad day for our team. One of the factors we all have to live with this year is the fact that our second qualifying session is at 1600 in the afternoon and nowhere near our race time as has it always been up until this year. Whilst it is the same for all of us I believe this has been a factor in Kawasaki and Ten Kate getting it wrong in Philip Island and us in Portimao. We will all learn from this but it is very hard to understand why our qualifying session had to move for the Parkin Go one make Triumph series which is only a support class and also only at some of the events. I have asked the question and been supported in my request by the Kawasaki team to swap these around as it should be seeing as Supersport is a World Championship – but was told it has been approved by the F.I.M and can’t be changed. All I can say to that is as one of the top teams we were never asked if this was a workable situation. One thing I know is I was working in the British Championship we they invented a series to make sure Triumph could win a race and it did not make great racing then so why should it now. That said, good luck to the Triumph team in Supersport and whilst I hope they don’t win; if they do it will make this one-make series less important. Another gripe I have is we have now gone back to four-sessions a round which we all agreed at the Magny Cours round last year – but when we did I am sure we all believed it would be one in the morning and one in the afternoon and not as it now is with one in the afternoon and the second session (which is also now a qualifying session) at 5pm ending at 5.45pm. In South Africa for instance this will have to change as it did last year as it will be nearly dark at the end of the session. Also in the colder climates track temperature is down and that is hardly the safest conditions for a qualifying session for a World championship class. I know not all teams agree here but there really is no need for two qualifying sessions. We only had one last year and that worked well. One of the teams who disagree needs to remember they compete in a Superbike class where the first two rows of the grid are in fact decided in a 12 minute session. If we can’t change the timing as I believe we should then it would be far better if the second Friday session was un-timed. Better for set up and safer. Having watched the first round of BSB over the weekend I have to say hats off to MSV for reviving the fortunes of the British Superbike Championship. I for one was not in favour of the new points rules but I have to say it brought a big crowd in and with some new riders showing well like Alastair Seeley there will I predict be more than one of the recognised big names who do not reach the final three-round shoot out to decide the British title. Great to see almost full grids in Superbike and Supersport and a fair reward for MSV for putting support back in to the sport to ensure this. At World level I hope we can take note of this and all sit down and work together for the best way forward and not just short term fixes like a one make series which really can’t compete with the actual World Championship classes.