Suzuki Endurance Racing Team keeps pole position ahead of SRC Kawasaki and Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube “I don’t understand what the competition is doing!” Suzuki Endurance Racing Team team manager Dominique Méliand seems almost surprised that his squad kept the edge this morning in the second qualifying session for the Bol d’Or. Vincent Philippe, only rider to have ridden a lap in 1’39 at Magny-Cours during practice this time, and team-mates Anthony Delhalle and Fabien Forêt will be taking first position on the grid of the 76th Bol d’Or. But the official Suzuki riders did not improve on their performances of yesterday, and the competition is creeping closer on the clock. SRC Kawasaki confirmed its second place on the grid on the back of performances by Julien da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four. David Checa and Matthieu Lagrive improved their best times on the Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube, but their success was not shared by Kenny Foray, who crashed, happily without serious damage. The French official Yamaha is still ahead of BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent, who staged a comeback after wrecking two machines in crashes during practice. Erwan Nigon, forced by the crashes to sit out the practice, had a best lap time of 1’40.740 today and will be onboard the official BMW with Sébastien Gimbert and Damian Cudlin. BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent qualified in fourth position on the grid just ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha YART ridden by Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani, who did not manage to better their performances of yesterday. The Monster Energy Yamaha YART also crashed three times in practice. The Kawasaki Louit Moto 33 with Loris Baz, Jérémy Guarnoni and Nans Chevaux aboard is firming up on its ambitions to win the Superstock class and will be starting the race in sixth position. In the Superstock category, Louit Moto 33 is ahead of Suzuki Junior Team LMS, eighth on the grid, and the Suzuki of Team Motors Events AMT Assurances, in the twelfth spot at the start. Bolliger Team Switzerland’s Kawasaki is in the top 10 on the grid. This private Swiss team, which is celebrating thirty years of Endurance racing this season, has come to Magny-Cours without its emblematic team manager, Hanspeter Bolliger, who has just undergone surgery for a tumour on the optic nerve. We wish him a speedy recovery. Team Yamalube Folch Endurance has moved up remarkably, taking ninth place at the start ahead of Honda National Motos. The 55 squads will be going into action tomorrow, Saturday, at 15:00. Qualifying Results: 1. S.E.R.T. (PHILIPPE, Vincent – 1:39.769/DELHALLE, Anthony – 1:41.517/FORET, Fabien – 1:40.256), Suz GSX-R1000, EWC, 1:40.514 2. SRC KAWASAKI (DACOSTA, Julien – 1:40.550/LEBLANC, Gregory – 1:40.132/FOUR, Olivier – 1:41.878), Kaw ZX-10R, EWC, 1:40.853 3. YAMAHA – GMT 94 – MICHELIN (CHECA, David – 1:41.215/FORAY, Kenny – 1:41.081/LAGRIVE, Matthieu – 1:40.937), Yam YZF-R1, EWC, 1:41.078 4. BMW Motorrad France Theve (GIMBERT, Sébastien – 1:40.741/CUDLIN, Damian – 1:41.798/NIGON, Erwan – 1:40.740), BMW S1000RR, EWC, 1:41.093 5. MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA – YART (JERMAN, Igor – 1:41.650/MARTIN, Steve – 1:41.566/GIABBANI, Gwen – 1:41.487), Yam YZF-R1, EWC, 1:41.568 6. LOUIT MOTO 33 (BAZ, Loris – 1:41.826/GUARNONI, Jérémy – 1:42.594/CHEVAUX, Nans – 1:42.927), Kaw ZX-10R, SST, 1:42.449 7. BOLLIGER TEAM SWITZERLAND (SAIGER, Horst – 1:42.392/STAMM, Roman – 1:42.127/TANGRE, Jérome – 1:43.256), Kaw ZX-10R, EWC, 1:42.592 8. JUNIOR TEAM LMS SUZUKI (GUITTET, Baptiste – 1:43.060/TANGRE, Cédric – 1:42.755/ENJOLRAS, Julien – 1:42.100), Suz GSX-R1000, SST, 1:42.638 9. YAMALUBE FOLCH ENDURANCE (RIBALTA BOSCH, Daniel – 1:43.325/DOS SANTOS, Anthony – 1:42.891/TIZON IBANEZ, Arturo – 1:43.319), Yam YZF-R1, EWC, 1:43.178 10. NATIONAL MOTOS (MONGE, Josep Machado – 1:43.041/BOCQUET, Vincent – 1:44.023/MASSON, Etienne – 1:42.547), Hon CBR1000RR, EWC, 1:43.204 13. MACO RACING (PRIDMORE, Jason – 1:43.914/JUNOD, Gregory – 1:43.004/BLACK, Gregg – 1:43.618), Yam YZF-R1, EWC, 1:43.512 More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent: Magny-Cours, France – 13 April 2012: BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent bounced back from a difficult opening day at Magny-Cours, which included two big crashes, to qualify fourth on the grid for the start of tomorrow’s 76th edition of the Bol d’Or. Track conditions were difficult on the first day at Magny-Cours, with many of the leading teams suffering multiple crashes. Hugo Marchand crashed the #99 BMW S1000RR heavily when another rider dropped oil on the circuit during free practice, with the bike too badly damaged to be used for qualifying. BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent were then forced to sit out the final two qualifying sessions, after Damien Cudlin fell foul of the conditions and crashed heavily on the brakes, leaving the second bike too damaged to continue. The team’s mechanics managed to rebuild one bike for the night practice yesterday evening, but by the time the riders returned to the circuit for today’s final qualifying sessions, both BMW S1000RR bikes had been rebuilt and were ready for use. A solid performance by all four riders in today’s final qualifying, which saw Erwan Nigon and Marchand top the timesheet in their 30 minute sessions, means that the #99 BMW S1000RR will start tomorrow’s race from fourth on the grid. The BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent riders are determined to fight for a podium finish in tomorrow’s race, which looks increasingly likely to be disrupted by rain at some point during the 24 hours. Sébastien Gimbert: Pilote Bleu – 1’40.741 “The track conditions yesterday were a little strange. All the top teams suffered multiple crashes during practice and qualifying, with a lot of oil dropped on the circuit. For us it was worse, as we had two big crashes and the bikes were too damaged to continue in qualifying. Today was much better though. The team did a great job rebuilding the bikes overnight and they performed perfectly in the final qualifying session. We have the bike, we have the tyres and we have the team to do well here, so now I can’t wait to go racing. This is the worst part for me, the waiting. Everything will be okay once I’m on the grid tomorrow, but the waiting is always hard. The race will be hard, as always, but if we can avoid any trouble then I’m confident we can fight for a podium finish.” Erwan Nigon: Pilote Rouge – 1’40.740 “Yesterday was difficult, because I didn’t even get to ride in qualifying after the two crashes. But today we were straight on the pace and I was able to set the fastest la time in my qualifying session, which shows the bike is good. My teammates were also strong during qualifying, so we know we have the pace for tomorrow’s race. Okay, we would have preferred to be higher than fourth on the grid for the opening race, but fourth is far better than 54th, which is where we could have been if today’s qualifying had gone the same as yesterday’s. Tomorrow the key will be to ride safe, avoid any trouble and to lap consistently fast throughout the 24 hours. Maybe the weather will change the characteristics of the race but, whatever the conditions, I think a podium here is a realistic goal.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “The two crashes cost us dearly yesterday. We weren’t the only team to crash, many did in the tricky conditions, but I think we were the only ones to crash heavily enough to almost completely destroy two bikes. The team did a great job rebuilding both bikes for today’s qualifying, in which the riders showed just how strong they are by qualifying in fourth position on the grid. Tomorrow’s race will be tough, like all 24 hour races, but I hope that we can avoid any problems, push hard and start the new season with a podium finish on Sunday.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Team Kawasaki SRC qualify second for Bol d’Or World Endurance Championship race with Ninja ZX-10R Newsflash, 13 April 2012 Team Kawasaki SRC will start from the second place on the starting grid of the 76th famous Bol d’Or race, tomorrow. The Bol d’Or marks the start of the 2012 FIM World Endurance Championship. A strong performance was realised today by the riders of the french team, Julien Da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four. Team manager Gilles Stafler is delighted about the grid position, even if the most difficult part of the race is still to come. Stafler: “I’m really pleased about this result. All my riders were fast and to be honest starting from the second position is a good result, and the most important thing before the race. We are very confident for the 24 hours race because our race pace is very consistent and fast and I have once again to thanks Pirelli for the development made on the new tires. Now the most difficult part of the job starts and regarding the weather forcast report it seems that it’s gonna be a tough race. In any case it will be the same situation for all the teams.” The Bol d’Or race will start Saturday afternoon at 15:00 pm. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: The Yoshimura-backed Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will start tomorrow’s 76th Anniversary Bol d’Or 24-Hour World Endurance Championship opening round in France from Pole Position after setting the only sub 1:40-minute lap of both Qualifying sessions yesterday and today. SERT rider Vincent Philippe stormed last night’s opening qualifying session aboard the GSX-R1000 Suzuki with a lap time of 1:39.769, which remained unbeaten in today’s final qualifying session at the Nevers circuit at Magny Cours. Along with the laps set by team mates Fabien Foret and Anthony Delhalle, the aggregate time that put the reigning World Champions on Pole was 1:40.514. Second on the grid – and closing the gap in qualifying session 2 – is SRC Kawasaki riders Julien da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four (1:40.853) ahead of David Checa, Matthieu Lagrive and Kenny Foray aboard the Yamaha France GMT machine with a time of 1:41.078. Top Superstock qualifier is the Louit Moto 33 Kawasaki of Loris Baz, Jérémy Guarnoni and Nans Chevaux ahead of Suzuki’s Junior Team LMS riders Baptiste Guittet, Cedric Tangre and Julien Enjolras, with Motors Events Suzuki third top Superstock qualifier with 12th overall. Live TV coverage on Motors TV, Sport+ and other global channels starts at 14.30 local time tomorrow (Saturday) in time for the start at 15.00.