BMP Elf 99 in pole position ahead of SERT and YART BMP Elf 99 Racing Team has left absolutely no hope to the other contenders. After leading all the practices, the BMW of BMP Elf 99 Racing Team finished the second day of qualifications by taking the best from the three Superpole sessions. Sébastien Gimbert signed the best lap in 2’00.343. Only Sylvain Guintoli on the GSX-R from Suzuki Endurance Racing Team managed to get close with a best lap in 2’00.862. Yamaha Austria Racing Team took the third place with Steve Martin in 2’02.398, ahead of the surprising Honda RMT 21 with Arie Vos and the Yamaha X-One of Gianluca Vizziello. The first Superstock bike is the Suzuki from Team Motor Events. With Baptiste Guittet, they will start from sixth position. In Superpole 3, they outclassed another Superstock machine, the BMW Andalucia, but mostly the Yamaha France GMT 94 Ipone, in eighth and last position of the Superpole 3 as Matthieu Lagrive crashed. The very hot track in Losail, Qatar (nearly 40 °C on the ground) is very challenging for the riders, the machines and the tyres. Current Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship leader, Bolliger Team Switzerland will leave only from fourteenth position. Since the beginning of this round, the private Swiss team is struggling with their chassis setup. Current leader of the FIM Superstock World Cup, Qatar Endurance Racing Team, will start from eleventh position. The race will start tomorrow Saturday at 1 pm local time in Qatar (GMT + 3). FIM Endurance World Championship Losail International Circuit Doha, Qatar November 12, 2010 Final Qualifying Results (after Superpole): 1. BMP ELF 99 RACING TEAM (GIMBERT Sebastien – 2:00.769/NIGON Erwan – 2:01.675/CUDLIN Damian – 2:01.274), BMW S1000RR, EWC, 2:00.343 2. SERT (PHILIPPE Vincent – 2:01.077/GUINTOLI Sylvain – 2:00.788/FORAY Freddy – 2:03.141), Suzuki GSX-R1000, EWC, 2:00.862 3. YART (JERMAN Igor – 2:02.121/MARTIN Steve – 2:02.105/GIABBANI Gwen – 2:02.533), Yamaha YZF-R1, EWC, 2:02.398 4. RMT #21 RACING TEAM (KISPATAKI Viktor – 2:04.434/VAN KEYMEULEN Didier – 2:03.983/VOS Arie – 2:04.003), Honda CBR1000RR, EWC, 2:03.467 5. TEAM X-ONE (BELLUCCI Emiliano – 2:06.260/VIZZIELLO Gianluca – 2:03.416/BONO Luca – 2:08.707), Yamaha YZF-R1, STK, 2:03.930 6. TEAM MOTORS EVENTS (GUITTET Baptiste – 2:03.800/BOCQUET Vincent – 2:05.556/HUMEAU Emilien – 2:06.057), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 2:05.203 7. ANDALUCIA BMW (MOLINA Alvano – 2:04.883/BARRIER Sylvain – 2:03.811/ROSIVALL Agoston – 2:04.917), BMW S1000RR, STK, 2:08.731 8. YAMAHA FRANCE – GMT 94 – IPONE (CHECA David – 2:02.302/FORAY Kenny – 2:02.930/LAGRIVE Matthieu – 2:01.372), Yamaha YZF-R1, EWC, 2:16.576 9. RT MOTOVIRUS RACING (BRIVET Cyril – 2:03.989/de CAROLIS Lucas – 2:03.300/JOND Frederic – 2:04.962), Suzuki GSX-R1000, EWC, 2:04.103 10. MCS RACING – IPONE (PROSENIK Janez – 2:06.778/BACKLUND Filip – 2:04.758/IVANOV Marin – 2:09.563), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 2:04.182 11. QERT (DELHALLE Anthony – 2:02.605/CUDLIN Alexander – 2:03.884/LA NAIMI Mashal – 2:04.476), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 2:04.414 12. AM MOTO RACING COMPETITIO (AUGER Fabrice – 2:05.680/MASSON Etienne – 2:04.299/BULLE Louis – 2:04.780), Suzuki GSX-R1000, EWC, 2:04.454 13. NO LIMITS (ALDROVANDI Allessio – 2:05.509/CASAS Victor – 2:06.190/SALTARELI Simone – 2:05.091), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 2:04.579 14. BOLLIGER TEAM SWITZERLAND (HORST Saiger – 2:05.001/MUFF Patric – 2:04.501/STAMM Roman – 2:04.516), Kawasaki ZX-10R, EWC, 2:04.648 15. YMES FOLCH ENDURANCE (VALLCANERAS Pedro L – 2:05.079/MANUEL Luis Jose – 2:03.749/ALMEDA Jordi – 2:07.572), Yamaha YZF-R1, EWC, 2:04.787 16. RAC 41 – CITV BIKE (JUNOD Greg – 2:03.703/BLACK Gregg – 2:03.607/DEPOORTER Olivier – 2:03.173), Suzuki GSX-R1000, EWC, 2:05.500 17. TEAM 18 SAPEURS-POMPIERS (TANGRE Jerome – 2:03.178/MOLINIER Stephane – 2:04.461/BRIERE David – 2:04.155), Suzuki GSX-R1000, EWC, 2:04.729 18. QERT III (AL NAIMI Sultan – 2:05.598/AL MANNAI Rashid – 2:05.257/AD KHALAF Mahmoud – 2:08.600), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 2:05.035 19. BK MACO RACING (PRIDMORE Jason – 2:03.879/RIBALTA Daniel – 2:04.812), Yamaha YZF-R1, EWC, 2:05.955 20. TEAM LTG #57 (LOISEAU Anthony – 2:06.259/DENIS Kevin – 2:06.418/MACKELS Bastien – 2:07.387), Yamaha YZF-R1, STK, No Time Recorded More, from a press release issued by BMP Elf 99: THIRD POLE POSITION FOR THE BMP-ELF-99 RACING TEAM The BMP-ELF-99 Racing Team’s BMW S1000RR will start from pole position in tomorrow’s 8 Hours of Doha, after Sébastien Gimbert set the fastest overall time during this afternoon’s Superpole shootout in Qatar. The BMP-ELF-99 Racing Team had dominated free practice and qualifying in Qatar, topping the timesheet in every session at the Losail circuit. Superpole was no different, with Gimbert setting a new circuit record aboard the BMW S1000RR, to take pole position by more than half a second from former MotoGP rider, Sylvain Guintoli. Gimbert will start tomorrow’s race from the front of the grid for the second time in as many races, having also started the Bol d’Or from pole position just over a month ago. With Damian Cudlin fastest in Superpole for the 8 Hours of Albacete earlier in the year, Doha marks the third consecutive pole position for the BMP-ELF-99 Racing Team in this, their debut season in the Endurance World Championship. Erwan Nigon and Cudlin also made a significant contribution during practice and qualifying in Qatar, lapping within half a second of Gimbert to ensure that the BMP-ELF-99 Racing Team topped the timesheet on combined times following the first qualifying session on Thursday. The 8 Hours of Doha, the final round of the 2010 Endurance World Championship, will get underway tomorrow afternoon at 13.00 local time (GMT+3). Sébastien Gimbert: Pole Position – Superpole Lap 2’00.343 “I’m happy to be starting from pole position once again tomorrow; it’s the second time in a row for me and the third consecutive pole for the team. Endurance racing is truly a team sport and without the hard work of everyone in the team, including my two teammates, and the unstinting support of our partners – Elf, BMW and Michelin, pole position wouldn’t have been possible today. We’ve got a good set-up for the race and, with Erwan and Damian both on top form, I’m looking forward to a good result for the team tomorrow.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “Once again we’ve shown our potential by topping the timesheet in every session and then backing that up by securing our third pole position in succession. Now we need to carry this momentum through into tomorrow’s race if we are to end our debut season in the Endurance World Championship on a high, preferably with a race win here in Qatar. I’d like to thank Elf, BMW and Michelin for all their support this season, without whom we wouldn’t even be here, never mind challenging for the race win from pole position tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will start tomorrow’s final round of the 2010 World Endurance Championship, the 8 hours of Doha in Qatar, from second place on the grid. World Superbike contender Sylvain Guintoli, who is guesting alongside SERT regulars Vincent Philippe and Freddy Foray, put in a time of 2’00.862 minutes on the French team’s GSX-R1000 – just a fraction behind pole setters, BMW-mounted BMP Elf 99 Racing team (2’00.343). Third place – more than two seconds adrift of the leaders – was Yamaha Austria Racing Team (2’02.398) ahead of Honda RMT 21 and Yamaha X-One. The top Superstock team is the Suzuki GSX-R1000 piloted by Team Motors Events in sixth place. With temperatures forecast to top 40 degrees, tomorrow’s eight-hour race gets underway at 1pm local time.