FIM Endurance World Championship Oschersleben, Germany August 9, 2012 Qualifying Session One Results: 1. S.E.R.T. (Vincent PHILIPPE 1:26.672/Anthony DELHALLE 1:26.955/Yukio KAGAYAMA 1:27.378), Suzuki GSX-R1000, SBK, 1:27.002 avg. 2. BMW MOTORRAD FRANCE THEVENT (Sebastien GIMBERT 1:27.369/Damian CUDLIN 1:26.770/Erwan NIGON 1:27.808), BMW S1000RR, SBK, 1:27.316 avg. 3. MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA YART (Igor JERMAN 1:28.232/Steve MARTIN 1:28.372/Katsuyuki NAKASUGA 1:26.397), Yamaha YZF-R1, SBK, 1:27.667 avg. 4. YAMAHA FRANCE GMT 94 MICHELIN (David CHECA 1:27.796/Kenny FORAY 1:27.921/Gwen GIABBANI 1:27.778), Yamaha YZF-R1, SBK, 1:27.832 avg. 5. HONDA TT LEGENDS (Cameron DONALD 1:29.146/John McGUINNESS 1:27.739/Jason O’HALLORAN 1:28.018), Honda CBR1000RR, SBK, 1:28.301 avg. 6. STARTEAM 67 (Claude LUCAS 1:28.910/Jonathan HARDT 1:28.185), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 1:28.548 avg. 7. MACO RACING TEAM (Gregory JUNOD 1:29.031/Gregg BLACK 1:29.617/Lucas DE CAROLIS 1:28.643), Yamaha YZF-R1, SBK, 1:29.097 avg. 8. BOLLIGER TEAM SWITZERLAND (Horst SAIGER 1:28.799/Roman STAMM 1:27.968/Jerome TANGRE 1:30.657), Kawasaki ZX-10R, SBK, 1:29.141 avg. 9. QERT (Anthony WEST 1:27.819/Nina PRINZ 1:28.947/Nasser AL MALKI 1:31.374), Suzuki GSX-R1000, STK, 1:29.380 avg. 10. YAMALUBE FOLCH ENDURANCE (Daniel RIBALTA 1:29.669/Arturo TIZON 1:29.422), Yamaha YZF-R1, SBK, 1:29.546 avg. More, from a press release issued by FIM Endurance Press Office: Oschersleben 8 Hours Suzuki Endurance Racing Team tops qualifiers so far The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team went all out in the first qualifying practice session of the Oschersleben 8 Hours in a bid to defend its first place in the provisional rankings of the FIM Endurance World Championship once the race gets under way on Saturday. On the basis of the average lap times of all the riders, the French official Suzuki with its Dunlop tyres is in first place on the provisional grid ahead of the armada of teams running on Michelin: BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent, Monster Energy Yamaha YART and Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube. Honda TT Legends makes up the Top 5 in front of the astonishing Superstock Suzuki of the MCP Starteam 67 ridden by Claude Lucas and Jonathan Hardt. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team clinched this provisional pole position thanks to lap times just under the 1’27 mark clocked up by Vincent Philippe and Anthony Delhalle on the German track this afternoon. Damian Cudlin of the BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent also dipped under 1’27. But the day’s best performance was signed by the Japanese rider Katsuyuki Nakusuga of Monster Energy Yamaha YART with a fastest lap in 1’26.397. In Superstock, behind the MCP Starteam 67, the Suzukis of the Qatar Endurance Racing Team and AM Moto Racing Compétition are currently lying ahead of the provisional leader of the FIM World Cup, the Penz13 Kraftwerk Herpigny Racing on a BMW. The second qualifying practice session will take place tomorrow, Friday, at mid-day. The Oschersleben 8 Hours, fourth round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, will begin in earnest at 14.00 hours on Saturday for the 30 crews who have entered this classic race. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: World Champions SERT has set the provisional fastest lap time during the opening practice session for the fourth round of the Endurance World Championship at Oschersleben in Germany today. Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Yukio Kagayama put the French team’s GSX-R1000 on a provisional pole position with a lap of 1’27.650 on the 3.6km circuit near Magdeburg in the north of the country; a fraction ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha’s Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Third is BMW Motorrad France – Sébastien Gimbert, Damian Cudlin and Erwan Nigon – just ahead of Yamaha France GMT94, which has signed-up Gwen Giabbani from the Monster YART squad to replace injured Matthieu Lagrive for the race and joining team regulars David Checa and Kenny Foray. SERT’s closest rivals in the series, Honda TT Legends’ riders Cameron Donald, John McGuinness and Jason O’Halloran, are in fifth position just ahead of Suzuki’s top Superstock team; Qatar Endurance Racing Team (QERT) whose riders Anthony West, Nina Prinz and Nasser Al Malki posted a fastest lap of 1’28.871. Tomorrow (Friday) will see all 31 teams take part in the first qualifying sessions, starting at 12:00hrs local time. Saturday’s Oschersleben 8-Hour race is scheduled to start at 14:00 hrs. Live timing is available on the FIM Website: www.fim-live.com