Richard Cooper, Barrett Long, Chris Ulrich and Blake Young each earned a pole position during American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) qualifying Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

BMW of Atlanta’s Nate Kern was the fastest rider in ASRA Thunderbike qualifying with a 1:48.541, but Kern’s BMW R 1200 S registered 0.1 horsepower over the maximum limit in post-qualifying checks and he was demoted three positions to fourth on the grid.

Kern’s MOTO-ST teammate Richard Cooper, who turned a 1:48.731 on his Pirelli-shod Morton’s BMW Motorcycles R 1200 S, was then awarded the pole position. Cooper said he and Kern teamed up in the draft to better their times during qualifying and that he was still trying to learn the AMA portion of the 2.89-mile infield road course.

“It’s quite difficult with these big bikes,” Cooper told Roadracingworld.com. “The cylinders stick out pretty far and it’s difficult to keep them off the floor in the tight bits.”

Cooper said he planned to stay in Daytona after the CCS/ASRA/MOTO-ST weekend in hopes of landing a ride during the AMA event at Daytona.

Defending ASRA Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok turned a relatively quick 1:49.303 on his Ruthless Racing Buell XB12R, but his engine developed problems at the end of the session, his bike was unable to complete the mandatory post-qualifying tests on the series’ official dynamometer, his times were disallowed and he will have to start from the back of the grid.

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas topped the Superbike qualifying session with a 1:41.8 on his GSX-R600 AMA Formula Xtreme bike, but Cardenas ran off the track during the session and was ruled by officials to have cut the course and his fast lap was disallowed. This promoted Toshiba Ducati Miami’s Barrett Long to first spot on the grid. Long turned a best time of 1:42.504 (which was just faster than Cardenas’ second-best time of 1:42.558) while using the same set of Dunlop slicks that he used on his Ducati 848 in the ASRA Team Challenge race earlier Friday afternoon.

Ulrich earned the Superstock pole position with a lap of 1:40.850 on his Pirelli-equipped Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000. “I got a couple of good drafts, got in front early and did my time,” said Ulrich. “I went faster than I did earlier today in the GTO race, and that’s with it choked off [to meet the ASRA maximum horsepower limit]. So that’s good. I’m looking forward to the race.”

Cardenas’ teammate Young was the fastest qualifier in the Sportbike category by a wide margin. Young’s lap of 1:41.828 on his Pirelli-fitted GSX-R600 was 1.7 seconds faster than the next-quickest rider, Ray C’s Extreme’s Taylor Knapp (1:42.545).

“My second-to-last lap was my fastest,” said Young. “I got a guy who was far enough ahead coming out of the chicane that I could use his draft on the banking. I think that helped my time a lot.”

The ASRA National sprints will be held Saturday afternoon, leaving Sunday for the SunTrust MOTO-ST Daytona 300.

American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 29, 2008 Provisional Qualifying Results:

SUPERSTOCK: 1. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.850 2. Chris Peris (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.965 3. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.306 4. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.448 5. Seth Starnes (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.317 6. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.972 7. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:44.141 8. Dane Westby (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:44.224 9. Matthew Cooper (Yam YZF-R1), 1:45.100 10. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:45.208 11. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:45.559 12. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000)l 1:45.559 13. Matt Hall, 1:46.992 14. Jim Wirth (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:47.283 15. Antal Halasz (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:48.296 16. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:48.384 17. Steve Crevier (Buell 1125R), 1:49.065 18. Brian Boyd (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:49.180 19. Paul Decouto, 1:50.655 20. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:53.324 21. Adrian Jones (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:54.146 22. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:01.478

SUPERBIKE: 1. Barrett Long (Duc 848), 1:42.504 2. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), 1:42.558 3. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), 1:42.586 4. Josh Day (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.015 5. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.125 6. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.348 7. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.408 8. Eric Wood (Duc 848), 1:43.555 9. Garrett Carter (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.577 10. Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.829 11. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.133 12. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:44.919 13. Dane Westby (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.518 14. Brett Sassaman (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.638 15. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:45.671 16. Greg Melka (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.057 17. Tyler McDonald (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.359 18. Payton Sassaman (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.479 19. Trey Yonce (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.562 20. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.712 21. Andres Londono (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.727 22. Shane Narbonne (Tri Daytona 675), 1:47.469 23. Ryan O’Donnell (Suz GSX-R600), 1:47.973 24. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:47.973 25. Matt Hall, 1:48.781 26. Dr. Jeffrey Purk (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.885 27. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6), 1:49.478 28. Walt Sipp (Buell XBRR), 1:49.596 29. Bob Michael (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.186 30. Rhiannon Lucente (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.792 31. Arnold Hastings (Duc 848), 1:50.821 32. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R600), 1:50.919 33. Garrett Rick (Duc 848), 1:51.728 34. Snacktime Racing, 1:51.818 35. Roberto Vargas (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:51.978 36. Scott Decker (Suz GSX-R600), 1:52.683 37. Gary Cain (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.771 38. Jamie Hall (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:56.574

THUNDERBIKE: 1. Richard Cooper (BMW R 1200 S), 1:48.731 2. Christopher Boy (Duc 748), 1:49.112 3. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB12R), 1:52.609 4. Nate Kern (BMW R 1200 S), 1:48.541 * 5. Jason Edmonds (Bim DB5), 1:53.315 6. Walt Sipp (Buell XB12R), 1:53.366 7. Gus Holcomb (Duc 1000), 1:53.941 8. Garrett Rick (Duc 1000), 1:54.432 9. Paul James (Buell XB12R), 1:54.734 10. Robert Buroker (Duc 748), 1:55.468 11. Joseph Rozynski (Buell XB12R), 1:55.538 12. Aaron Holcomb (Buell XB12R), 1:55.954 13. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB12R), 1:56.313 14. Eric Menetrier, 1:56.794 15. Joe Delaney, 1:57.194 16. Joel Spalding (Buell XB12R), 1:57.616 17. Gino Angella, 1:58.390 18. Jeff Gochenour (Buell XB12R), 1:58.744 19. Chris Sullivan (Duc 1000), 1:58.845 20. Robert Johnson (Buell XB12R), 1:58.874 21. Duane Desomza, 1:59.460 22. Nathan Mendell (Duc 1000), 2:00.330 23. Geoffrey Gilmore (Hon CBR600), 2:00.359 24. Carl Reid, Jr., 2:00.848 25. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB12R), 2:01.468 26. Aaron Stein, 2:01.563 27. Andy Hamblin (Buell XB12R), 2:06.800 28. Dave Estok (Buell XB12R), 1:49.303**

*demoted three positions for motorcycle going over maximum horsepower limit 

**motorcycle unable to complete post-qualifying dyno test

FACTORY PRO SPORTBIKE: 1. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.828 2. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.545 3. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.645 4. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.753 5. Barrett Long (Duc 848), 1:43.908 6. Garrett Carter (Suz GSX-R600), 1:44.254 7. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.683 8. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:45.763 9. Tyler McDonald (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.810 10. Greg Melka (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.841 11. Ryan O’Donnell (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.133 12. Payton Sassaman (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.157 13. Eduard Alberts (Hon CBR600RR), 1:46.209 14. Brett Sassaman (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.457 15. Andres Londono (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.594 16. David Rose (Yam YZF-R6), 1:47.579 17. Dr. Jeffrey Purk (Yam YZF-R6), 1:47.587 18. Matt Hall, 1:48.770 19. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.834 20. Bob Michael (Yam YZF-R6), 1:49.745 21. Arnold Hastings (Duc 848), 1:50.272 22. John Deuser, 1:50.764 23. Matthew Cooper (Hon CBR600RR), 1:50.895 24. Abraham Stacey (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.520 25. Benjamin Perez de Leon (Hon CBR600RR), 1:52.017 26. Rhiannon Lucente (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.061 27. Jamie Hall (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:52.111 28. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR), 1:52.781 29. Dirk Sanchez (Suz GSX-R600), 1:52.911 30. Scott Decker (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.530 31. Travis McNerney (Hon CBR600RR), 1:55.654