From a press release issued by the Daytona International Speedway PR Department:

Daytona 200 By Arai Qualifying Quotes
Ben Bostrom, No. 155 American Honda
“No I wasn’t really sure (I could win the pole). Miguel (Duhamel) and I were sitting in the truck watching these guys and they were a really fast group. All of them put up mid-48s so I didn’t know if we had enough to pull it out. The Honda worked really well, a big thanks to the team for setting it up. I kind of got lucky. It was really close. That’s one of the closest poles probably ever at Daytona. There’s a lot of guys right there within a few tenths of each other.”

Kurtis Roberts, No. 80 Erion Honda
“I tried to work on just being smooth. I’m not the best qualifier up here. I really don’t give (care) about it myself, except Daytona is Daytona and you get a watch.”

Mat Mladin, No. 66 Yoshimura Suzuki
“It’s one point, that’s what I say all the time. If it didn’t offer a point for the pole, then I wouldn’t care where I qualified. But it’s one point and at the end of the year that could make a difference and we missed out on that so I’m pissed.”

Aaron Yates, No. 20 Yoshimura Suzuki
“We got the bike working, really comfortable. It felt good to run that kind of pace. Just riding the 1000 around like that, it’s been awhile since I’ve been that comfortable on the thing. It was pretty good. It was a lot of fun there until the right at the end when we all went out together and nobody wanted to go. It’s got a little frustrating.”

YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT BEING ON THE FRONT ROW
“I don’t have to worry about anybody bumping me back tomorrow. Just knowing that we have the bike working good enough to put up here with these guys.”

Rick Shaw, rider of the No. 79 Suzuki
“The pressure was really, really on today. Actually, the pressure has been on for months and months and months. Now, it’s over and done with. The race is going to be anti-climatic. Getting in was the hard thing. In the future, it’s going to be the same thing. You’ve got to really uncork one to get in the race. The new bike was good. All the new products were good and the tires were good. It helped out quite a bit. I just sat on it and rode it with everything I had.”


Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying
Jason Pridmore, No. 43 Attack Suzuki
“We been having a little trouble this year just getting laps on the 750. The team did a great job getting everything put back together. It was just little nagging stuff that kept up off the track. We broke the track record on a race tire to start with and then we went out on a single compound tire to see if it was any better for the race, but I saw with four minutes to go I wasn’t too many more laps anyway so we saved that tire for tomorrow. There were two guys that I desperately wanted to get by in the infield because I didn’t want to get stuck behind them in the chicane. I got by one guy on a 600 in the middle of turn six and then I got the other guy just coming off the back banking – that was on my fast lap.”

Eric Wood, No. 36. Barden Precision Ball Bearings Suzuki
“That’s probably my best AMA qualifying effort yet. We’ve been working really hard on getting the chassis setup. We actually blew up our bike yesterday and Vince Haskovec loaned us a motor from his backup bike, so I’ve got to thank him because without his help we probably wouldn’t have even been riding today. We put a soft race tire on and on the out lap I was going to try to hook up with Josh Hayes because he was really going good. But then I saw a bunch of riders bottled up and I just backed off and decided to wait and do the best I could by myself. I pushed the brake markers a little deeper and got on the gas a little earlier and it worked. I tried to go harder on the second lap (with the soft) and I got stuck behind some slower riders. I was happy to be on provisional pole (after the even numbered session) and I just sat back and saw Jason cut a 52.3, then a 51.5, I just thought ‘Man, he’s on the gas.’ Jason is a world-class rider and I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Pro Honda Oils Supersport Qualifying Quotes
Kurtis Roberts, No. 80 Erion Honda”The qualifying run wasn’t so special. I was a little faster earlier this morning by myself and was faster in December. I’ve had a hard time switching to the 600 this week from the Superbike because we’ve only rode it here for a few laps this winter and I hadn’t rode it since. It’s hard for me to go back forth and I’m just concentrating on Superbike. I could care less really about the 600. I just wanted to put in a real comfortable qualifying and get through without any close calls. First or second row was all I was hoping and just to be there for the race tomorrow because it’s always the last two laps that matter here anyway. I just wanted to put ourselves in a good position for that and hopefully we can pull on out.”

Pole winner Miguel Duhamel, No. 17 American Honda
“It was definitely teamwork. Ben (Bostrom) and I, we were talking before going out and we figured let’s get together and do the best that we can. On the first try around, I kind of mistimed it a bit. Then we came in together, we timed our pit stop like that, and had a little conference. He was trying to explain the way he wanted to do it which was the right way and it really worked out for me. Actually what happened out there, Ben was running in front of me and was waiting for me to come flying by him. He was going so good that I could barely catch up to him. He really took one for the team as far as that is concerned. Our bikes are running really good. I think if I would’ve got in front and gave him the same tow he gave me maybe he would be up here talking right now.”

Jamie Hacking, No. 2 Yamaha
“I was ready for him to retire. I never count him (Duhamel) out. You can’t. He has been around long enough. He knows how to play this game. I kind of lost my draft partner earlier in the session. Little Jason (DiSalvo) had a little incident in the infield. I was out there by myself running around the bottom of the race track. The wind was blowing pretty good down the front straightaway and the RPMs were just dropping. I ran as hard as I could. I was hoping it was going to hold up, but this sucker got me.”

Aaron Gobert, No. 96 Yamaha
“Yamaha has four riders and there’s two crew chiefs spilt among into the two lots. (Damon) Buckmaster and myself tried to get together and do a few laps together and get something going. There was a bit of the breeze or headwind coming down the front straightaway and we knew we needed a draft to get through that. Buckmaster and I just had a plan and went out and did four laps on one tire and did the best we could. Then we just choose another tire that which was different. We picked one that worked. The lap that I did my quick time, Buckmaster ran off in the chicane either that or it was the lap that I got caught behind some slower guys and Buckmaster got away from me and I pulled him back in. He was the only guy I rode with the whole time.”

Jason DiSalvo, No. 40 Yamaha
“I went into the Turn (6) and lost the front end. The bike came down on my knee and I tried to gas it back up and the thing just caught and spit me off. I did some deep tissue damage to my hand (right hand) and it hurts worse than when I broke it. I’ m still going to race Supersport, but I’m going to sit out the 750 (Superstock) race.”


BMW Motorrad International BoxerCup
Provisional Qualifying
Richard Cooper, No. 47 BMW
“All weekend I’ve been trying the learn the track since I’ve never been here before. I was kind of running at the back really trying to get clear track time. Watching the other classes I see that you need to have to be with a bunch of riders to get a good time. I thought I’d go out and try to get in with the bunches and get into the slipstream and see how much it makes a difference, and it sure did. I was really surprised that I was over a second quicker than anybody out there and it gives you real good confidence for the weekend to come.”

Cooper, 19, rode in the BoxerCup last year and was sixth in the series. He was 2nd in the 2001 British Supersport championship.

Tripp Nobles, No. 23 BMW
“I told Dennis (his tuner) if I’m a little off coming into this thing give me a few sessions. To be this close to begin with, well my tuner just made it real easy for me. It’s just finding the limits of the tires early on. I was surprised we got going this quick this early. We got in the 05s today and should be able to get in the 04s tomorrow. There were a lot of riders out there that we’re how do I want to say this – nervous. I didn’t want to risk getting up in with them today. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a little more brave and get up there.”

Sebastien Legrelle, No. 45 BMW (Through interpreter)
“One moment I decided to stop since I was not with the good riders. I stopped to get a drink and waited until a fast group of riders came through and I joined them. I made one shot and one my last lap made my best time.

Legrelle is a four-time Belgium Supersport and one-time European Supersport champ.