2007 FIM Supersport World Championship Magny Cours, France October 5, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Honda CBR600RR), 1:42.617 2. Broc PARKES (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.008 3. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.048 4. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.105 5. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.271 6. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.390 7. Joan LASCORZ (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.406 8. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.507 9. Tommy HILL (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.582 10. Gregory LEBLANC (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.633 11. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:43.635 12. Josh BROOKES (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.651 13. Craig JONES (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.869 14. Fabien FORET (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:43.874 15. Simone SANNA (Honda CBR600RR), 1:43.892 16. Vesa KALLIO (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:44.017 17. Arne TODE (Honda CBR600RR), 1:44.113 18. Barry VENEMAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:44.237 19. David SALOM (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:44.398 20. Kenny FORAY (Honda CBR600RR), 1:44.502 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Charpentier on top at home circuit HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Sébastien Charpentier started the final weekend of the 2007 World Supersport Championship in style today by topping the qualifying timesheet. Team-mate and 2007 World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu ended the official session as the third fastest rider. The day began with a successful free practice session that saw Sofuoglu set seven fastest laps. Charpentier used the time to concentrate on race distance aboard his CBR600RR. Both riders entered the afternoon’s official qualifying at the 4.411km French circuit in a positive frame of mind. Charpentier began the 45-minute session with a run of laps on one tyre to continue his race distance development. He then returned to the garage to change his rear tyre before heading out on a mission to secure the fastest lap of the day. The Frenchman achieved his aim with an impressive time of 1’42.617 – just one tenth of a second off the Magny-Cours best lap he set in 2006. Having secured four fastest laps, Sofuoglu finished in third place on the timesheet with a lap of 1’43.048. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “It’s been a good start to the weekend for the Supersport riders with Sébastien at the top and Kenan in third. Sébastien is very close to the best lap around here, which he set in 2006. We have made progress today but we still have some work to do on the set-up of both bikes overnight and tomorrow. Hopefully we can do that and see both guys on the front row on Sunday.” Sébastien Charpentier: “We have changed quite a lot on the set-up of the bike. It is completely different now compared to a few races ago. I have done many laps on one tyre today, checking my race distance and making sure I have a good rhythm. I then changed the tyre to go out and do one fast lap. My best lap here is a 1’42.5 and I got 1’42.6 today so I’m not far off. Tomorrow we will concentrate on distance again and for sure I think I can be faster. I am concentrating on maintaining the pace in the first ten laps of the race and I think we are getting there.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “Today was not bad – this morning went really well. At the moment we are testing a lot of parts for next year. That is a bonus of already winning the championship – we are able to develop the bike for 2008. I always try my best and I have been consistently fast all day, so hopefully I can keep this up for tomorrow and the race because, as usual, I want to win” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Positive Qualifying as Yamaha Five Positions in Top Ten Yamaha today had a successful first day of qualifying with the 2007 YZF-R6 occupying five of the top ten grid positions. Parkes was the top-placed rider for Yamaha with second place while RG Team rider Vizziello took fourth and Roccoli took fifth. Team GMT94 rider David Checa came in eighth just in front of Parkes’ team mate Tommy Hill. This morning’s session had been a good start to the final weekend with Parkes and Sofuoglu challenging each other throughout the morning’s free practice session for the fastest time. In the usual rush of activity in the last five minutes, Hill came off best in second place behind Sofuoglu with Checa and Parkes behind in third and fourth respectively. Massimo Roccoli found some good form during today, finishing seventh fastest in free practice followed by taking fifth in provisional qualifying. Team GMT94 riders Sebastien Gimbert and David Checa came here today on a good note after winning the Bol d’Or at this circuit earlier this month. Both riders put in good performances today to finish 11th and eighth respectively. Charpentier heads the board going into tomorrow’s final qualifying session with Parkes in second, Sofuoglu in third and Vizziello on fourth. Broc Parkes (2nd – 1’43.008 – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “It was looking good today until the last two minutes, when Charpentier knocked me off pole! Normally the Yamaha is good here, though, so I’m confident that we can be up the top again this weekend. We’ve got a few things to try tomorrow on set-up, mostly with the chassis, and we’ll also focus on which tyre is right for the conditions. We weren’t really able to use any of the data from the test here in August because it was wet then and it’s been dry today.” Tommy Hill (9th – 1’43.584 – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “It’s surprising how close everyone’s times are here. My main issue is getting used to the tyres on the 600 here. I keep trying to ride on them like I would on a Superbike and that just isn’t working. Tyres are the key to success here; I need to find where the best grip is on the track. We’re getting there but I’m just asking too much of the front at the moment. We need to sit down and see where we can find half a second in the data, which is how much I am behind Broc by. I’m not particularly happy with ninth because I was up there during the practice session but I hope to make better progress tomorrow.” Massimo Roccoli (5th – 1’43.271 – Yamaha Team Italia) “I’m happy with my best lap from today because I did it with a race tyre and it beat my best lap of the whole weekend here last year. I had a bad race in 2006 so I’m keen to start on the front row and do better previously. I wasn’t able to get a good lap time with a soft tyre but if conditions are the same tomorrow as they were today then I’m confident I’ll improve my grid position.”