Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will start from pole position at the Oschersleben 8 Hours, ahead of Team Kawasaki France and Yamaha Austria Racing Team. If some of the riders have changed, these are the same teams, in a different order, that were leading the starting grid of the 2007 edition. Last year, Kawasaki France was ahead of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Yamaha Austria on the starting grid of the German round. None of the lap times were improved this morning during the second qualifying session. All the riders had to give their best yesterday, under a bright sun and on a dry track. As it was forecasted by the weather specialists, a heavy thundershower poured down on the German track this morning, just for the start of the second qualifying session. Kawasaki could then not put his plan of robbing the first place to Suzuki into action. Bolliger Switzerland takes fourth place on the starting grid. Injuries don’t slow down top riders. The SERT and Kawasaki France have to deal with two riders with ankle injuries, Vincent Philippe and Julian Mazuecos. At Bolliger Switzerland, David Morillon has to keep his teeth gritted since he rides with a broken finger, after a crash at Suzuka. Yamaha Deutschland is the first local team to sneak alongside the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship permanent teams. Nina Prinz, the only woman rider in those 8 Hours, Andrzej Pawalec and Jörg Teuchert, are riding this machine. They are followed closely by another German bike, the Suzuki of Yoshimura Germany given to a trio of Belgian riders, Werner Daemen, Olivier Depoorter and Didier Van Keymeulen. With only two riders, YMES Folch Endurance (Dani Ribalta and Pedro Vallcaneras) and Maco Moto Racing Team (Warwick Nowland and Jason Pridmore) are just ahead of the Honda Holzhauer Racing of Martin Bauer, Matthias Von Hammerstein and Michael Schumacher, the former Formula 1 champion, now on two wheels. The two BMW Motorrad are in thirteenth and twenty-sixth position. They started from similar places last year but finished Oschersleben 24 Hours at some amazing fifth and ninth places. On the BMW 17, Thomas Hinterreiter and Richard Cooper will have to deal without Jose-Luis Nion, injured during the practice. On the BMW 71 are Rico Penzkofer, Stéphane Mertens and Grégory Fastre. Phase One Endurance ended beyond the twentieth position, but it does not mean much about their real potential during the race. Sébastien Scarnato, who was busy in France, could only ride this morning. The drying track during his session allowed him to get qualified in 1’38”748, but the British Yamaha had then to step back on the average time of its three riders. For tomorrow, the weather broadcast plans a nice and sunny day. The start of the 8 Hours of Oscherslebe will take place Saturday at 3 pm. QTEL FIM Endurance World Championship Oschersleben, Germany August 8, 2008 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, 1:28.177 2. Team Kawasaki France, 1:28.340 3. Yamaha Austria Racing Team, 1:28.764 4. Boliger Team Switzerland, 1:28.947 5. Yamaha Motor Deutschland, 1:28.973 6. Yoshimura Van Zon Schafer Motorsports Germany, 1:29.133 7. YMES Folch Endurance, 1:29.360 8. Maco Moto Racing Team, 1:29.620 9. Holzhauer Racing Competition, 1:29.677 10. AM Moto Racing Competition, 1:30.096 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Reigning World Champions and current series leaders SERT has taken pole position for tomorrow’s World Endurance eight-hour fourth round at Oschersleben in Germany. Matthieu Lagrive, Julien Da Costa and Vincent Philippe put their GSX-R1000 around the circuit in a time of 1:28.177 to beat Kawasaki France (1:28.340) and Yamaha Austria in third with a time of 1:28.764. All of the fastest times were set yesterday after heavy rain hit the track at the start of today’s qualifying session. Bolliger Kawasaki were fourth, Yamaha Deutschland fifth, Yoshimura Van Zon Suzuki sixth, Yamaha Folch seventh, Maco Moto Yamaha eighth, Holzauer Honda ninth and AM Moto Suzuki tenth. SERT rider Philippe, who was injured at the recent Suzuka 8 Hours said: “I had a big crash at Suzuka so it’s good for me just to be able to ride here. I can take part in the race and I can do a full relay if necessary, but if the other teams are very fast, then maybe I won’t ride in the race.” Da Costa said: “The track here is very tight and very short. We do a lot of laps so it’s difficult to concentrate and keep focus. It’s easier to make a mistake here because there are no long straights.” Qualifying Results: 1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team – 1:28.177 2 Team Kawasaki France – 1:28.340 3 Austria Racing Team – 1:28.764 4 Bolliger Team Switzerland – 1:28.947 5 Yamaha Motor Deutschland – 1:28.973 6 Yoshimura Van Zon Schäfer Motorsport Germany – 1:29.133 7 YMES Folch Endurance – 1:29.360 8 Maco Moto Racing Team – 1:29.620 9 Holzhauer Racing Promotion 1:29.677 10 AM Moto Suzuki Racing Competition – 1:30.0961