By Glenn LeSanto

He’s spent most of the season in the shadows of the likes of James Whitham, Pere Riba and Paolo Casoli. But now he’s back. Jorg Teuchert, in case you’d forgotten, is the reigning Supersport World Champion. He’s currently back in fifth in the Championship points, but only 26 points adrift of the leader, Paolo Casoli. Teuchert finished third at Donington and he’s gone fastest in the first qualifying at Lausitzring, Germany, his homeland.

Teuchert, riding for the German based Wilbers Suspension team, took his Yamaha R6 to the top of the time sheets in wet and conditions. James Whitham had been the early leader, he was one of the first riders to change from wets to intermediates, squeezing in a fast lap before the rain came again.

But later in the qualifying session the rain held off long enough for the track, which riders say is slow to dry, to improve slightly. With a dry appearing the riders, many of whom had been sat in the pit garages waiting, all filed out onto the track with dry tyres fitted. Times soon tumbled and Teuchert, Fabrizio Pirovano, Adam Fergusson, and Vito Guareschi all leap-frogged Whitham on the time sheet, leaving the Englishman back down in fifth spot. Whitham’s team mate, Casoli, was sixth fastest.

The Fuchs Kawasaki team, who are also based in Germany, struggled in the session, with Andrew Pitt their fastest man, down at 15th fastest. But the team had been quick in the wet, so if it rains on Sunday (the forecast is for showers) they may get the chance to impress their local sponsors.

World Supersport
First timed qualifying session
Lausitzring, Germany

Times:

1.Teuchert, Yamaha, GER, 1:50.652
2.Pirovano, Ducati, ITA, 1:51.815
3.Fergusson, Honda, AUS, 1:52.078
4.Guareschi, Ducati, ITA, 1:53.036
5.Whitham, Yamaha, GBR, 1:53.045
6.Casoli, Yamaha, ITA, 1:53.057
7.Bontempi, Yamaha, ITA, 1:53.546
8.Fujiwara, Suzuki, JPN, 1:53.784
9.Foret, Honda, FRA, 1:53.941
10.Daemen, Yamaha, BEL, 1:54.002