FIM Supersport World Championship Magny Cours, France October 7, 2006 Best Combined Qualifying Times: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.506 2. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.097 3. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.514 4. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.763 5. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.765 6. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.032 7. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), 1:44.170 8. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.238 9. Johan STIGEFELT (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.367 10. Stephane CHAMBON (kaw ZX-6RR), 1:44.371 11. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.430 12. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.452 13. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:44.553 14. Mauro SANCHINI (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.556 15. William DE ANGELIS (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.638 16. Simone SANNA (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.718 17. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.044 18. Kai Borre ANDERSEN (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.081 19. Didier VAN KEYMEULEN (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.176 20. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.199 21. Christian ZAISER (Duc 749R), 1:45.296 22. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.299 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: POLE FOR CHARPENTIER WITH SOFUOGLU SECOND Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) lowered the best Supersport lap time at Magny-Cours once more to set pole for Sunday’s 22-lap race, despite far from ideal conditions underfoot. It was his eighth pole of the 2006 season. Once again the track and weather conditions conspired to make it a difficult day for the Supersport entrants, and shortly after a very short spell of light rain appeared, Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) fell at a fast section of the 4.411km circuit, but he escaped without further injury to the leg he injured yesterday. Championship leader Kevin Curtain was only fifth on the grid, good news for Charpentier, who is still in with a chance to retain his championship crown. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “Obviously we have very good start positions at Sebastien’s home race tomorrow, first and second, with Kevin in fifth. That means he is on the second row, so it’s the best possible position for us to start the race. We saw an incredible lap from Sebastien just before the rain came, and he was still on a very used front tyre, so we know that he could have gone even quicker. With Kenan, he really saw his chance for pole because he was very fast again here. But he overdid it when the first rains came. Because we know how slippery it is here as soon as there is any rain on the track surface. He had a small crash, and he limped away just because of the injury he suffered yesterday. When he got back to the pits we could see that he is OK and we even let him back out on his spare machine to test the bike and check all was OK with him. It was, and we are in great form for tomorrow. We are ready for it, we want to win, and also give a good salute to the CBR600RR, which has dominated the series for three years – it is by far the most successful machine ever in World Supersport. Sebastien Charpentier – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Pole Position Fastest Lap 1’42.506 – 23 Laps) “I didn’t push 100% because on the second lap there was a little bit of rain on the track so I closed the gas a little bit. I guess it was possible to go a little quicker. I think the goal for tomorrow is to make 1’43s in the race and I hope that is the situation in the race. I hope that I can give a good performance and win it, and I am not sure how Curtain was after today. But if he finishes with five or six points it will be terrible for me. If there was a South African race still to go this year, then we may have a very different story, even now. I have a new challenge next year for Honda so that is a very important thing for me. I am happy because I have a very good team around me and they work in a good direction. I hope the weather is better, because it is a little bit strange, and cold. So to make a 1’42.5 is good for all of us.” (Kenan Sofuoglu – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider) (2nd Position Fastest Lap 1’43.097 – 24 Laps “It all went well until the last lap when light rain fell on my visor. I thought I could get one more fast lap, but I couldn’t and fell. But for the race the set-up is the way I wanted, the team works well – just like Imola – and I am up there with Sebastien. That’s good for my morale, because I demonstrated that I have the chance of a good race on Sunday.”