FIM Superbike World Championship Phillip Island, Australia February 27, 2010 Final Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires): Superpole 3: 1. Leon HASLAM (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:31.229 2. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F10), 1:31.245 3. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:31.642 4. Carlos CHECA (Ducati 1098R), 1:31.671 5. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:31.696 6. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098R), 1:31.757 7. Jonathan REA (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:31.912 8. James TOSELAND (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:32.019 Superpole 2: 9. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098R), 1:32.205 10. Noriyuki HAGA (Ducati 1098 F10), 1:32.229 11. Max BIAGGI (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:32.293 12. Tom SYKES (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:32.398 13. Troy CORSER (BMW S1000 RR), 1:32.430 14. Chris VERMEULEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:32.561 15. Ruben XAUS (BMW S1000 RR), 1:32.842 16. Leon CAMIER (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:32.895 Superpole 1: 17. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:32.782 18. Shane BYRNE (Ducati 1098R), 1:32.823 19. Andrew PITT (BMW S1000 RR), 1:33.207 20. Roland RESCH (BMW S1000 RR), 1:33.390 The Rest of the Grid: 21. Josh BROOKES (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:33.901 22. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:34.248 23. Matteo BAIOCCO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:35.297 24. Roger HAYDEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:35.614 More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Haslam takes his first ever Superpole win In a new look Superpole, with the top 20 riders trying to go through all three sectors of Superpole in sessions which last 14, 12 and 10 minutes respectively, Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) beat all the others to pole position with a best time of 1’31.229, securing his first ever WSBK Superpole win. Superpole 3 Eight riders fought it out for the first two grid places, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) just 0.016 seconds behind Haslam with a 1’31.245, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) and Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) slotting in behind Fabrizio. The second row will feature Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare), Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Racing Ducati), Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) after ten minutes of close final competition sorted out the leading riders. Superpole 2 The eight riders who missed final Superpole qualification were, in reverse order, Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) who was 16th overall, Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team), Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), and Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Ducati). Superpole 1 At the very start of the Superpole sessions, Roland Resch missed out on participation on his BMW Reitwagen machine after a big crash in qualifying, but of the 19 riders who competed in Superpole one, only his team-mate Andrew Pitt, Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) did not progress to Superpole 2. Byrne was still battered after his big crash yesterday but battled through Superpole. Times: 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’31.229; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’31.245; 3. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’31.642; 4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’31.671; 5. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’31.696; 6. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’31.757; 7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’31.912; 8. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’32.019; 9. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’32.205; 10. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1’32.229; 11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’32.293; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’32.398; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’32.430; 14. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’32.561; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’32.842; 16. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’32.895 There will be two 22-lap Superbike races on Sunday 28th, the first at noon local time in Victoria, the second at 15.30. Leon Haslam: “You can get caught out quite easily in Superpole so we went out to go fast early in each session. We used a soft option race tyre for the first Superpole, didn’t have any slides and felt really comfortable. When I put my first qualifier in I was sliding, so I was not sure which tyre to use in the final session, but we managed to go out there put a qualifier in and we put in a little bit of a quicker time. Sitting in the pit garage watching these guys go out to try and beat my time was probably more nerve-wracking than being out on the track. But it all ended up good and I got my first Superpole win.” Michel Fabrizio: “The second qualifying tyre we used worked the best of all the ones we had been trying and that was the one I scored the best time with. I am fairly happy in the hot conditions if that is the way things turn out on raceday.” Cal Crutchlow: “We made a good final lap but we made a small mistake in the second session, which made me run off the track. I had to use the two qualifying tyres we are given, which we could have used in the finals session. I then had to use a soft race tyre and we made it work, but I was pushing, no doubt about that. I hope I can maintain that position in the race and a front row start always helps.” World Supersport: Lascorz the top man after qualifying Spanish rider Joan Lascorz started his and his Provec Motocard.com team’s season off in perfect style with a pole position performance at Phillip Island, scorching round the 4.445km circuit in a new best lap of 1’33.847. He left his best effort for last, and put his fastest lap down to making the best use of a good machine set-up. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was second fastest with a 1’34.116, while Sofuoglu’s team-mate Michele Pirro slotted into third. Eugene Laverty will complete the front row for the 21-lap race on Sunday 28th, after qualifying fourth on his Parkalgar Honda. Katsuaki Fujiwara sent his official Kawasaki machine to the head of the second row and David Salom (despite losing the first day of track action) was top Triumph rider in sixth, on a ParkinGO BE1 Daytona 675 triple. Times: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’33.847; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1’34.116; 3. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’34.156; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’34.300; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’34.494; 6. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1’34.873; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1’34.939; 8. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1’34.999 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: British riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland demonstrated the big steps forward in bike set up on the 2010 R1 today, challenging through all three Superpole sessions to take first and second row starts respectively. Both riders had used their qualifier tyres by the end of the second session, using race rubber for their final heat. In an amazing turn of speed Crutchlow put in an incredible 1’31.642 to secure third whilst team-mate Toseland put his head down to secure eighth a row behind. The qualifying session earlier in the day saw again more improvement from the Yamaha team. Without any of the chatter problems from the test to be seen the increased power on the new bike was evident. Crutchlow ended the second qualifying heat in third, just over two tenths of pole whilst Toseland defied the pain in his hand from yesterday’s highside to secure fifth, again less than three tenths off pole. These impressive performances by both riders gave an overall qualifying position of fourth for Crutchlow and sixth for Toseland prior to Superpole. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (3rd, 1.31.642) “This morning wasn’t too bad for me, I’m pleased enough with the race pace. I think we’re struggling for the podium but that’s what I’m aiming for as always. If we can be somewhere near I’ll be happy! We managed to get a good lap out at the end of Superpole and I was pleased with that. Going into the weekend we weren’t even in the points, Yamaha has done a really good job this week and we’ve worked some stuff out. Hopefully we can keep the cooler conditions as they’ll help us tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do.” James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 1’32.019) “I was annoyed with myself for the highside yesterday, we had some issues with the electronics which caught me out so today was damage limitation for that. The balance and the bike itself has improved a lot over the weekend but the electronics now need to catch up a bit. I hurt my hand in the fall which is quite painful, especially as this is a really physical circuit and you need your strength to get round it. I made a mistake on my first tyre in Superpole this afternoon which forced me to use the qualifier in the first session, so I had to use a race tyre for the last session. I knew if I could get into the last eight then I’d be happy with the second row. We’ve got quite a lot more to do with the bike, but to see where we were before the weekend and to now be Cal on the first row and me on the second just shows you what a good job the team has done. They’ve put us in a position where we can have a go.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager “We have made a really good improvement over the last few days. In the beginning we were struggling but we’ve found a way to solve everything. Slowly we’ve been improving the performance with both bikes. To achieve the first two rows for the first race of the season with new riders, especially Cal coming from Supersport, is a great result. Tomorrow we’ll have to see the weather forecast and decide which tyres we want to use for the race. We are satisfied for today!” Circuit Length: 4445 Weather: Overcast Lap Record: 1’32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1’31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009) Last Years Winner: Ben Spies More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team: A DIFFICULT SUPERPOLE FOR THE APRILIA ALITALIA RACING TEAM The first Superpole of the 2010 SBK season held many surprises. Without a real favourite to win, it was Leon Haslam who turned in the best time at this very difficult Australian track at Philip Island. And it was eleventh place for Max Biaggi with a time of 1:32:293, which he obtained in Superpole2. The Roman driver passed the first stage in seventh place, using his first available racing tyre. During the second, he used the first qualifying tyre, but he was left out of the final eight by a tenth of a second. Leon Camier ended up in the fourth row with a time of 1:32:895. The young English driver passed the SP1 in tenth position with the racing tyres. During the second stage, Leon used his first qualifying tyre, but was forced to return to the pits because he was blocked by the other drivers. So he re-entered the track with the second available racing tyre, but at the fourth turn he lost control of the front wheel and fell to the ground. He managed to get up and continue, but had no time left for a last attempt and re-entered the pits in sixteenth place. “It’s the same problem,” declared Biaggi. “We suffer too much because of the rough terrain and it creates skips and annoying vibrations. So we can’t take advantage of the bend angle and the ideal lines and therefore we don’t use the power that we have available. Also, the new qualifying tyres aren’t helping us because, in order to last for several laps, they don’t offer the necessary grip that we would need to make time. Just like last year, Philip Island has proven to be a difficult track for us, I can’t drive as I should, and I lose those precious tenths of a second along the track.” “I’m very sorry,” said Camier. “I ran stronger with the racing tyre than with the qualifying tyre. In Superpole 2 I lost time with Toseland who blocked me on a good lap and I had to return to the pits. So I changed to the other racing tyre and at curve 4, when I had already had a good intermediate time, I lost control of the front wheel and ended up on the ground. It’s a real shame because with 2-3 tenths of a second less, I could have started off from the third row. This morning, the bike was working much better and I achieved good times, but there’s still a lot of work to do for tomorrow’s two races.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) STORMS TO SECOND PLACE ON THE GRID FOR THE FIRST RACES OF THE 2010 SUPERBIKE SEASON TOMORROW AT PHILLIP ISLAND Phillip Island (Australia), Saturday 27th February : the first Superpole of the 2010 World Superbike season took place this afternoon at a breezy Phillip Island, and Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio was undoubtedly one of the protagonists, putting in a strong and consistent performance to snatch second place on tomorrow’s grid, and missing out on pole by just a fraction of a second. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga had a more difficult time, qualifying in tenth place for the opening races of the year. Of the first ten bikes on tomorrow’s grid, five are Ducati 1198s, yet another a demonstration of the bike’s competitiveness. In this morning’s qualifying, and on a much cooler track compared to yesterday, the three fastest riders from yesterday, Checa, Fabrizio and Haslam did not manage to improve on their best times but they nevertheless held on the top three spots on the timesheet, qualifying first to third for the afternoon’s Superpole. Noriyuki, maintaining a similar pace to yesterday, preferred to work with a used tyre than change to a fresh one in the final minutes to record a fast lap, meaning that he qualified for Superpole in fourteenth place. It is interesting to note that the fastest seventeen riders lapped within seven tenths of a second of each other, a sure sign that this year’s championship will be extremely hard fought. As expected, Superpole was a close battle between the top eight. In the first of the three phases, 14 minutes in length, Nori immediately recorded a time fast enough for him to be able to return to the garage, safe in the knowledge that he had done enough. Michel meanwhile needed a tyre change before his fastest lap propelled him up the timesheets to third place, to easily proceed to phase two along with his team-mate. In the second mini-Superpole both factory riders went out on qualifiers, Michel making a fast lap and Nori changing tyre mid-session. What seemed to be a clean lap for Haga unfortunately failed to equate to a fast enough lap, due to an apparent lack of rear grip which meant that Haga’s Superpole finished here, with the tenth fastest time of the afternoon, although only two tenths off Michel’s pace in the same session. Michel, who still had a qualifier left to use in the final phase, pushed to the limit and it seemed that the pole position was within his grasp, but it all came down to a fraction of a second, with Michel ultimately closing in second place, just 0.016 of a second from Haslam on the Suzuki. Lining up in the first eight on tomorrow’s grid are also the Ducati 1198s of Checa (Althea Racing) in fourth and Smrz (Team Pata B&G Racing) in sixth. Three-time world champion Troy Bayliss is once again special guest at the Phillip Island circuit this weekend and it was he who presented former team-mate Michel Fabrizio with his Superpole trophy today. Troy will continue to work as a Ducati “ambassador” in 2010. Michel Fabrizio “Today’s Superpole was very difficult but I am very happy with the final result. I lost out on the pole by just a fraction of a second which is a shame, but it’s not the first time that that has happened and the important thing is that I’m on the front row tomorrow. I was happy with my flying lap, a clean lap, with no-one in front of me. Tomorrow will be an equally difficult challenge, and various riders, me, Haslam, Checa, Biaggi and Nori will surely be in contention. We know we have a good race pace and I’m feeling confident for the races.” Noriyuki Haga “In the second phase of the Superpole I went out on a race tyre but even though it felt like a clean lap, the time was not quick enough and unfortunately that put me out of the fight, and I finished tenth. Tomorrow I will of course need to make a fantastic start but I am confident that I am able to do that. I apologise to Ducati for the fact that I’m on the third row but I will, as ever, do my best in the races. Last year I started from 13th and won the race so I know it is possible to achieve a great result regardless of grid position.” TIMES (Superpole): 1. Haslam (Suzuki) 1’31.2; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1’31.2; 3. Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’31.6; 4. Checa (Ducati) 1’31.6; 5. Guintoli (Suzuki) 1’31.6; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 1’31.7; 7. Rea (Honda) 1’21.9; 8. Toseland (Yamaha) 1’32.0; 9. Lanzi (Ducati) 1’32.3; 10. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1’32.7 More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing Ducati: First row for Checa in Phillip Island for first races of the season. Second day of qualifications for the Althea Racing team in Australia. The morning qualifying session commenced on a dry track with grey, cloudy skies overhead in Phillip Island. Moreover this morning Carlos Checa was the fastest rider on track (1’32″227). He entered the Superpole in first position with yesterday’s fastest lap time because today’s contrary weather conditions didn’t allow Carlos to improve his yesterday’s best time. After yesterday’s big crash, today Shane Byrne showed courage and determination, ending the qualifying session in twelfth position. In afternoon free practice both Althea team riders were able to work on their bike setting and once again Checa reached first position, improving his morning best lap time (1’32″014) Shakey ended the free session in eleventh place (1’33″413). In the first Superpole outing Checa was fourth (1’32″124) while Byrne unfortunately, did not enter the second session obtaining only the seventeenth position (1’32″823). The injury that he sustained to his back during yesterday’s qualifying session remains sore, and prevented him from performing to his maximum level. In second Superpole phase, Checa scored the third lap time (1’31″748) while in the third and final session he continued to improved his lap time (1’31″671) reaching a final fourth place. First row for him and fifth row for injured Byrne in tomorrow’s first two races of the 2010 Superbike world championship. Qualifying session : 1) Checa (Ducati) 2) Fabrizio (Ducati) 3) Haslam (Suzuki) 4) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 5) Guintoli (Suzuki) – 6) Toseland (Yamaha) 7) Rea (Honda) “¦”¦.. 12) Byrne (Ducati) Superpole : 1) Haslam (Suzuki) 2) Fabrizio (Ducati) 3) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 4) Checa (Ducati) 5) Guintoli (Suzuki) 6) Smrz (Ducati) 7) Rea (Honda) 8) Toseland (Yamaha)”¦”¦”¦.18) Byrne (Ducati) Carlos Checa :”I’m happy with today’s qualifying sessions and with my Superpole, because we fought for the pole position since the last few minutes of the last Superpole session. Like the last test in Portimao, today as well I was not able to take advantage from the qualifying tires. Anyway I’m satisfied because we are close to the fastest riders, and because today I also found a fast rhythm rather quickly. Tomorrow I’ll start from the first row and this is an important result for me and for my team, I want to thank all of them for the great job they’re doing”. Shane Byrne :”Obviously I’m really very disappointed. I had a big crash yesterday and today it seems difficult for me to find the rhythm of my previous test. In Superpole we used qualifying tires to try to get through, but something was wrong because the tires have less grip than the usual race tire. I know tomorrow’s races will be very difficult for me. I’ll be starting from the fifth row and it won’t be easy, but I’ll try to do my best and I hope to reach good results”. Genesio Bevilacqua General manager :”I’m very satisfied because it was the first Superpole for our team in the Superbike world championship and Carlos will start tomorrow from the first row of the grid. For sure without yesterday’s crash, Shakey could also have started from a better position as both our riders remained in the top position during all practices and qualifying sessions. This is the best reward for all our team for the great job done during the weekend. If we continue to work in this manner, I think we’ll be able to reach good results in tomorrow’s races and also in the championship standing”. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Team Suzuki Alstare’s Leon Haslam took Superpole in Australia today, to lead the grid in his debut for Suzuki in the first round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship tomorrow. The young Briton stormed to a lap of 1:31.229, over half a second inside the lap record, in Superpole 3, ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) and fellow Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha). For a while it looked as though team mate team mate Sylvain Guintoli would be joining him on the front row of the grid, but a late surge by Crutchlow relegated the Frenchman to fifth place and row two. Leon Haslam – 1st, 1:31.229: “I am absolutely delighted to get my first Superpole victory but the results in the races tomorrow are more important. Sitting in the garage watching the other guys go round in final Superpole and seeing their times falling was more nerve-racking than being out on the track and riding and it was a great relief when it was over. When we use qualifying tyres I have to use a slightly different riding style than when I am on race rubber. “Today once again we concentrated on getting a good race set up and did a lot of time on race rubber getting ready for race day. From previous data, we knew there was a certain way of working at this track to keep progressing and we did that rather than just chase any lap times. “My aim is to be in the first three in the first eight or nine laps and that will put me in a good position a good position at the end of the race. It is not what you can do in the first five laps; it’s what you do in the last five laps here that is most important. Although this is my first race weekend with the team, everyone is working together fantastically well. I have felt at home here at Suzuki Alstare since the very first time we tested and the boys have made my life easy.” Sylvain Guintoli – 5th, 1:31.696: “I thought I had done enough to get on the front row, but then I lost the position right at the end of final Superpole. It’s a bit disappointing because it would’ve been nice to be on the front row near my team mate and it would’ve been great for the team. But row two is OK, and as long as I get good starts, I think I can get good results. “The important thing though is that I am really happy with the bike and how everything is going at the moment. I used race rubber in Superpole 1 and then qualifying tyres in Superpole 2 and 3. I feel very comfortable on race tyres and I am enjoying myself here. Today we started with the same base set-up as yesterday and just made minor adjustments throughout the day. Also, I tried to improve the way I ride the bike and get more out of it, but I am just so happy at the moment and cannot wait for the races.” Final qualifying results: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare) 1:31.229, 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1:31.245, 3 Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha) 1:31.642, 4 Checa (ESP-Ducati) 1:31.671, 5 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 1:31.696, 6 Smrz (CZE-Ducati) 1:31.757. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Sykes and Vermeulen Strike Positive Superpole Blows WSBK, Phillip Island, Australia, 27 February 2010 Kawasaki Racing Team riders Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen will start of the third and fourth row respectively for Sunday’s 22-lap World Superbike Championship races in Australia. After finishing 12th and 15th fastest in the first qualifying session on Friday, today’s second qualifying saw Vermeulen seventh fastest, and Sykes 13th. Combined qualifying times placed Chris eighth and Tom 15th, each easily inside Superpole qualification. It was an astoundingly close combined qualifying timesheet, however, as Chris’s pre-Superpole performance saw him only 0.345 seconds from the quickest of all, and Tom only 0.651 away from top ranking. Both Tom and Chris made it through two periods of Superpole, only missing out on the final part. After Superpole was completed Tom was placed 12th on the grid; Chris one row behind after ending up 14th quickest. Tom Sykes: “The bike has felt consistent doing those 1’32s in qualifying and Superpole, which is nice. We changed a couple of things and certainly we could have squeezed a little more out of the package on the softer tyres. We are starting on the third row of the grid, which I think compared to where things were at last year, we are certainly working in a good direction. We have some thinking to do tonight because we got a lot of new information today. That is certainly going to give us a better indication of which direction to go in tomorrow, depending on the weather conditions.” Chris Vermeulen: “We have come forward a long way, and today was the first time I had ever had the chance to use a qualifier. We ran one in the first of the Superpole sessions and it worked reasonably well. We went out again and made a couple of mistakes on the other qualifier, then used a soft race tyre after that. My early split times were improved, but we had a small problem with the bike and we couldn’t complete that quick lap. Top seven or eight is possible tomorrow, but I do not know who is doing what with their tyres, and there will be a lot of guys in there. We still have to decide on a final tyre choice, it just depends on the weather.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: FOURTH ROW FOR TROY Troy ended the first Superpole year with a position on the fourth row of the grid, but is confident of producing good results in tomorrow’s pair of 22-lap races. Once again today, he and the team continued working on the bike’s set-up an by the end of this afternoon’s untimed practice, Troy was happy and comfortable on the bike for almost the first time this weekend. With his huge knowledge of the Phillip Island circuit, Troy is upbeat about his prospects tomorrow, but knows that he will have to get good starts if he is to leave the 4.445 kilometre track with a smile on his face. Briton Leon Haslam (Suzuki) took Superpole today – his first ever in the Superbike World Championship – with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) third and Carlos Checa (Ducati) fourth. The level of competition is higher this year than ever and, after regular qualifying, the top seventeen riders were separated by less than a second! Troy – 13th, 1:32.430 It would’ve been good to have got a bit higher up the grid, but now that I feel happy and comfortable with the bike I can really push a lot harder. We’ve done a lot of work these past two days and during the tests last week and I have only become really comfortable today and that is a good and positive feeling. Before, I felt a bit nervous on the bike and that’s why I haven’t been pushing hard, as I didn’t want to crash. Each time out, we’re improving, but the important thing for me is that I am happy with my performance and now I am looking forward to the races tomorrow. In normal qualifying we were very close to the top guys and we were looking for tenths of a second only and that was good. It was only in Superpole that the gap widened and a lot of that is down to how our bike works differently with qualifying tyres. It’s something that we have to learn to manage and if we can do that, then we would be consistently much further up the grid. I am confident that we are progressing, but the level of competition is so high that a tenth of a second makes a big difference. The wind got a bit gusty this afternoon, especially into turn one, but once I found a comfortable set-up on the bike, it was easy enough to manage. This track is hard on the tyres and the bit from Southern Loop to Honda stresses the them a lot, because you are on full gas for a long time. It’s so important to not overwork the tyres and if you do that and have had a good start, then you will be in contention at the end. I’m pretty happy with the race tyres and think I know what we’ll use for the race, depending on the conditions of course. I did a full race distance on race rubber today and am pretty happy how they behaved, so let’s hope that conditions will be good tomorrow – hopefully cooler like today – and we can go for a couple of good results. More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Second row for Rea on the Island Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s opening two races of the 2010 World Superbike championship from the second row of the grid after setting the seventh fastest time in this afternoon’s Superpole qualifying session at Phillip Island, Australia. In much cooler conditions than yesterday, the 23-year-old Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider from Northern Ireland saved his allocated qualifying tyres for the final two Superpole sessions, but experienced no significant improvement in grip or subsequent lap times. Rea’s team-mate, Max Neukirchner, was eliminated after the first Superpole session after setting the 17th fastest time, but the German rider remains positive that improvements made in his CBR1000RR’s set-up will stand him in good stead for tomorrow’s two 22-lap races around the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit. Jonathan Rea P7, 1’31.912s We’ve struggled all weekend to get the most out of putting a new tyre in the bike. We had exactly the same this afternoon in Superpole when we got no more grip from the qualifiers than we had from the race tyre. Of course, I’m frustrated and quite disappointed to be starting from the second row. However, the positive thing is that our race pace has been improving steadily and I’m really excited that the racing finally starts properly tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting amongst it, pushing to the front and seeing what we can do. Max Neukirchner P17, 1’32.782s I know it looks bad, and it’s not a great starting position, but I’m actually feeling quite positive. We made some improvements this morning and I went faster as well as being able to improve on the life of the tyre. We will make some more changes to follow that direction and try these in warm-up tomorrow morning. We have two long races tomorrow and I’m feeling very fit and positive. I don’t think I can win but it shouldn’t be so bad if we can keep making the progress we made today. Ronald ten Kate team manager The race pace for both riders is looking well and we’ve definitely moved forward there. On the qualifiers during Superpole we couldn’t go any faster, however, and that’s a little frustrating to deal with. For the race, with Jonathan, we should be in a position to fight for a podium. On Max’s side we’ve been changing the bike a lot especially at the rear. For sure, tomorrow we need to try some other settings during warm-up because we’re too far off at the moment. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsports: Fourth row start for Troy and Ruben 2010 Superbike World Championship, round one Superpole qualifying report, Phillip Island, Australia For thousands of motorcycle racing fans across the globe, today was the day when the 2010 Superbike World Championship really started, with Superpole qualifying taking place to determine final grid positions for tomorrow’s two 22-lap races at Phillip Island circuit in Australia. With 26 permanent riders all fighting for a place at the top of the podium, the 2010 series is arguably the strongest in the championship’s history. Having made a major commitment to WSBK, all eyes are on BMW Motorrad Motorsport and its team riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus on their S 1000 RR race bikes. Having arrived ‘Down Under’ and participated in the official tests, free practices and two timed qualifying sessions, Corser and Xaus were determined to get among the action at the 4.445-km circuit, and after an intense two sessions of Superpole qualification, will start in 13th and 15th place respectively on the grid when the action begins at 1200 tomorrow (local time). For those unfamiliar with the Superpole format, the 20 fastest riders from the qualifying heats participate in Superpole 1, which always starts at 1500 and finishes 14 minutes later with the elimination of the four slowest riders. Then the seven-minute countdown for the second round begins, in which the remaining 16 riders participate. At 1521, Superpole 2 (12 minutes) begins, and at the end of this, the eight slowest riders are eliminated. The countdown (7 minutes) then restarts and at 1540, Superpole 3 begins and the remaining eight riders have ten minutes to compete for pole position and the first two rows of the grid. After the recent scorching weather, much cooler air and track temperatures greeted the riders today. Having both made it through the first Superpole 1 session in 13th and 16th respectively, double WSBK champion Corser and multiple WSBK race winner Xaus finished Superpole 2 in 13th (1:32.430) and 15th places(1:32.842), and will both start tomorrow’s races from row four of the grid. British rider Leon Haslam secured pole position with a best time of 1:31.229. Troy Corser: “We made good steps forward with the set-up today, and I feel more confident on the bike. We also slowly improved our lap times over the course of the day. We just needed to do quicker lap times as we were mostly in the 1:34s and 1:33s. In the first session of Superpole we had to use a qualifying tyre just to make sure we stayed in the competition but I actually set my fastest time of the Superpole on a race tyre. Of course, I am a little disappointed with the grid position, but if I get a good start I am confident to set good lap times.” Ruben Xaus: “With every session this weekend we have been making positive steps forward. The championship is really tight this year with a lot of fast young riders coming through, but this only makes me try harder and it’s good for the series. If I get a good start tomorrow I am confident we can come away from here with a good set of results.” Davide Tardozzi: “We made a step ahead although the times and the grid positions don’t reflect that too much. For some reason we struggled with the qualifying tyres, and both riders set their fastest lap in today’s Superpole on race tyres. Apart from the starting position we are in a comfortable situation for tomorrow. The team will do their best to finish the races in the best possible positions.” Among the 26 permanent riders in the 2010 Superbike World championship are 14 race winners and two former WSBK champions. Predicting a winner is almost impossible, but one thing is for sure exciting, close and hard-fought racing is guaranteed. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: Team Suzuki Alstare news 2010 Superbike World Championship Round 1, Phillip Island, Australia Saturday qualifying, 27th February Circuit: 4.445 kms Weather conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 20 – 22 C. Track temperature : 25 – 34 C. LEON STARTS WITH A SUPERPOLE WIN! Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam took his first ever Superpole victory at Phillip Island today after consistently being in the top two or three throughout practice and qualifying. The young Briton stormed to a lap of 1:31.229, over half a second inside the lap record, in Superpole 3, ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) and fellow Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha). For a while it looked Leon’s team mate Sylvain would be joining him on the front row of the grid, but a late surge by Crutchlow, relegated the Frenchman to fifth place and row two. Leon – 1st, 1:31.229 I am absolutely delighted to get my first Superpole victory but the results in the races tomorrow are more important. Sitting in the garage watching the other guys go round in final Superpole and seeing their times falling was more nerve-racking than being out on the track and riding and it was a great relief when it was over. When we use qualifying tyres I have to use a slightly different riding style then when I am on race rubber. Today once again we concentrated on getting a good race set up and did a lot of time on race rubber getting ready for raceday. From previous data we knew there was a certain way of working at this track to keep progressing and we did that rather than just chase any lap times. My aim is to be in the first three in the first eight or nine laps and that will put me in a good position a good position at the end of the race. It is not what you can do in the first five laps, it’s what you do in the last five laps here that is most important Although this is my first race weekend with the team, everyone is working together fantastically well. I have felt at home here at Suzuki Alstare since the very first time we tested and the boys have made my life easy. Sylvain – 5th, 1:31.696 I thought I had done enough to get on the front row, but then I lost the position right at the end of final Superpole. It’s a bit disappointing because it would’ve been nice to be on the front row near my team mate and it would’ve been great for the team. But row two is OK and as long as I get good starts, I think I can get good results. The important thing though is that I am really happy with the bike and how everything is going at the moment. I used race rubber in Superpole 1 and than qualifying tyres in Superpole 2 and 3. I feel very comfortable on race tyres and I am enjoying myself here. Today we started with the same base set-up as yesterday and just made minor adjustments throughout the day. Also, I tried to improve the way I ride the bike and get more out of it, but I am just so happy at the moment and cannot wait for the races. Final qualifying results 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare) 1:31.229, 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1:31.245, 3 Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha) 1:31.642, 4 Checa (ESP-Ducati) 1:31.671, 5 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 1:31.696, 6 Smrz (CZE-Ducati) 1:31.757, More, from a press release issued by Team PATA B&G Racing: Jakub Smrz confirmed his good form finishing sixth in the first Superpole of the season. The PATA B&G Racing rider will now try to replicate his performance tomorrow. It’s very important to stay in the leading pack from the beginning otherwise the tyres would wear out more quickly trying to recover positions. However, the competition will be very fierce as the gap between the riders was very small today. JAKUB SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 6th in 1’31.757: “The machine performed very well today thanks to the team who solved the issues we had yesterday. I qualified in the second row and I’m really happy with the result. In the second Superpole session I took to the track with a qualifying tyre I had used in the first sector, while in Superpole 3 I had a new tyre on. I pushed as hard as I could for 5 straight laps and I posted my fastest time in the very last one. We found a very good set-up. The only problem we could be facing is the rain forecast for tomorrow and the tyre choice. We did some tests in practice but we’re not very sure if the back is going to perform at its best for the entire race”.