FIM Supersport World Championship Donington Park, England March 25, 2011 Qualifying Session One Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Luca SCASSA, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:31.232 2. Sam LOWES, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:31.368 3. Broc PARKES, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:31.823 4. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:31.963 5. Chaz DAVIES, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:32.005 6. Gino REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.080 7. Robbin HARMS, Denmark (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.136 8. James ELLISON, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.258 9. Massimo ROCCOLI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:32.501 10. Fabien FORET, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.707 11. Florian MARINO, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:33.007 12. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:33.371 13. Vladimir IVANOV, Ukraine (Honda CBR600RR), 1:33.395 14. Roberto TAMBURINI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:33.462 15. Danilo DELL’OMO, Italy (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:33.527 16. Ronan QUARMBY, South Africa (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:33.730 17. Alexander LUNDH, Sweden (Honda CBR600RR), 1:33.732 18. Pawel SZKOPEK, Poland (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.175 19. Miguel PRAIA, Portugal (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.186 20. Robert MURESAN, Romania (Honda CBR600RR), 1:34.273 More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Lowes front running at Donington PARKALGAR HONDA’S Sam Lowes is provisionally second on the grid for Sunday’s second round of the World Supersport Championship at Donington Park after dominating the time sheets for most of the day – and he has plenty more time to come. Portuguese racer Miguel Praia finished 19th After struggling to come to terms with the circuit. There are further practice and qualifying sessions tomorrow before the race takes place at 1330GMT on Sunday, 27th March. Sam: “I am happy with that, especially because I was distracted by slower riders on my fast laps, there is plenty more to come if I get a clear run tomorrow. My Parkalgar Honda is working well and there are two of us clear of the rest of the field which suits me fine if that happens in the race. It’s been a very positive day.” Miguel: “The new Fogarty Esses are very strange for me, I am not getting through them as fast as I should – they are difficult. Also, I am struggling for grip, even when I am on new tyres. I am not happy with qualification but I am not sure what is wrong either, we must now work very hard to make improvements and we will have a plan for tomorrow.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “Sam is on the pace and looking good. He was held up by slower riders on his fast laps but remained calm and focussed and goes into tomorrow in a strong position. “Miguel is taking time to get used to the circuit and needs to have a clear plan and focus for tomorrow because he should be qualifying in the top 10. He has the bike, the team and the ability – he now needs to dig deep within himself and we will support him any way that we can.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Scassa Takes the Lead for Yamaha ParkinGO in Donington Supersport Qualifying Yamaha ParkinGO Team riders Luca Scassa and Chas Davies got straight down to business today in the first of the weekend’s two World Supersport qualifying sessions. Both riders were focused on small changes to the rear set up of their bikes. The championship leader Scassa took up where Cal Crutchlow left off in 2009 taking the Yamaha YZF-R6 straight to the top of the time sheet to take provisional pole ahead of tomorrow’s second qualifying heat. Teammate Chas Davies was not far behind, wrapping up the session just of the front row with fifth place in the timings. The British rider is determined to deliver in front of his home crowd after an unfortunate end to the season opening race in Phillip Island a month ago where a flat tyre prevented a potential podium finish. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha ParkinGO Team: Luca Scassa begin the weekend of the second round of Supersport World Championship right as he closed the first one: ahead of everyone. The Yamaha ParkinGO team rider immediately showed his intentions: to confirm himself at the top of the middle class ranking, hopefully trying to duplicate his win in Australia. A good start for Chaz Davies as well, that in front of his public used thi sfirst day of practice to test the assett. The welsh rider ended at the fifth place and will try tomorrow to reach his team mate. Luca Scassa – Yamaha YZF R6 # 9″ – “Compared with the first round we brought on track new solutions speaking of forks and shock that are pretty valid. I immediately found a good feeling with the bike that allowed me to pull ahead since the first manche of free practice with good times. But we are all so close and I’m sure that will be a hard fight both tomorrow and during the round, probably with the same riders I faced in Australia. Chaz Davies – Yamaha YZF R6 # 7 – “We still have vast room for improvement during the fastest stretch of the track. I’m sure to be on the right way to prepare the bike at its best within sight of the round. I really want to do a great race in front of the british crowd, like Sam Lowes and James Ellison, that I consider my biggest fellow competitors did.” More, from a press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda: Ellison targets front row start BOGDANKA PTR HONDA racer, James Ellison is looking for a front row start at Donington Park after running comfortably at the sharp end on day one of the second World Supersport round. The British rider was fifth in the opening practice on his home soil and eighth in the first qualifying session after spending most of the day well inside the top four. Polish rider Pawel Szkopek ended the day 18th on the provisional grid after reacquainting himself with the Donington Park circuit ahead of Sunday’s race. James Ellison: “It was a good day. I was up at the sharp end until I hit traffic in the last 10 minutes and I’m a bit disappointed with eighth but we have a lot of potential. Every time I left the garage I went quicker and we have both the speed and consistency so I’m fairly confident. I’m not pushing to the limit yet, the bike is working really good we haven’t actually changed anything major all day, so the front row is possible tomorrow and if I don’t get it, I’ll be very disappointed.” Pawel Szkopek: “It was a steady day for me and I’m quite pleased with it. I was focusing on improving myself and the bike. After the practice session we’ve changed some small things in the front suspension and I was able to go a full second faster in the qualifying session. My lap time was quite good and so was my position today but I think I can improve that further tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.” Simon Buckmaster: “It was a pretty good day for us. James is eighth quickest and he’s right there in contention to challenge for a podium finish after consistently being in the top four. Pawel hasn’t ridden here for two years but both riders made significant improvements over the course of the day and we’re looking forward to building on that strong start tomorrow in the second qualifying session.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Fabien Foret suffered a high-speed crash at Donington Park in the UK today at the end of the opening qualifying session for Sunday’s second round World Supersport championship race. The French rider fell from his Honda CBR600RR at the fast left-hander going down through Donington’s famous Craner Curves. While the bike was badly damaged in the crash, Foret sustained a fracture to the ring finger of his right hand the same hand he injured badly in a warm-up crash in the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia last month. Foret, who eventually qualified in 10th place, underwent an operation to pin the finger under local anaesthetic at Derby Royal Hospital this evening, and, while he wants to ride tomorrow and race on Sunday, an assessment will made on Saturday morning. His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Florian Marino, was 11th fastest today as the 18-year-old from Cannes in the south of France continues his debut season in the World Supersport championship. Florian Marino P11 The session was not so good this afternoon. It started OK and I was able to improve my time from this morning but, when I put in a new tyre, I hit some traffic and began to make some mistakes. I came in, but I was still making errors when I went out again and had problems with concentration. I think I can go much faster and we need to do a bit more work with the bike, so tomorrow we can try again. Ronald ten Kate team manager Of course, Fabien wants to ride and after what we saw in Australia, you would not want to bet against it. However, we will let him rest tonight after his operation and have a discussion with him and the medical staff when we find out how he is tomorrow. Florian continues his progress but I am sure there is a bit more to come from both him and th e bike tomorrow.