FIM Supersport World Championship Imola, Italy September 25, 2010 Combined Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.397 2. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.279 3. Michele PIRRO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.333 4. Katsuaki FUJIWARA, Japan (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:53.541 5. Chaz DAVIES, Great Britain (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:53.723 6. Broc PARKES, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:53.798 7. Massimo ROCCOLI, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.867 8. Mark AITCHISON, Australia (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.981 9. Gino REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.134 10. Davod SALOM, Spain (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:54.276 11. Matthieu LAGRIVE, France (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:54.385 12. Miguel PRAIA, Portugal (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.400 13. Cristiano MIGLIORATI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:54.447 14. Fabien FORET, France (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:54.665 15. Robbin HARMS, Denmark (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.601 16. Roberto TAMBURINI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:55.894 17. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Italy (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:55.991 18. Ronan QUARMBY, South Africa (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.137 19. Ginaluca VIZZIELLO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.225 20. Alessio PALUMBO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:57.606 21. Giuseppe BARONE, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:58.225 22. Bastien CHESAUX, Switzerland (Honda CBR600RR), 1:58.778 23. Alexander LUNDH, Sweden (Honda CBR600RR), 1:59.475 24. Imre TOTH, Hungary (Honda CBR600RR), 1:59.766 25. Eduard BLOKHIN, Russia (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:05.251 26. Mauro GOFFI, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 2:06.702 More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Wet weather lights Parkalgar Honda fire WET weather meant no-riders improved on yesterday’s qualifying positions for the 12th round of the World Supersport Championship at Imola in Italy and has left Parkalgar Honda duo Eugene Laverty and Miguel Praia fired up and ready to race. Eugene will start from second on the grid and is determined to fight it out with Kenan Sofuoglu for the win and the Championship. Miguel’s 12th place start is no indication of his true speed and he is confident he can secure a strong top 10 finish. The racing starts at 1330 local time, Sunday 26th September. Eugene: “We got some useful data in that damp but drying session. We might not have been able to push as hard or fast as we wanted to on parts of the track but we tried some changes to my Parkalgar Honda and we have a good direction for tomorrow. Warm up will be important as we have had little track time because of rain. I am starting right alongside Kenan and my position remains the same; I am utterly determined to win and will do all I can in the race. “ Miguel: “The first section of the track was very damp so it held us back from fast lap times. I think an intermediate front tyre would have been ideal but stayed on a slick and made sure my Parkalgar Honda bike was working properly and doing what I wanted. I think 12th is OK on the grid and we should be competing inside the top 10; I am happy with my bike and its set-up despite very little track time and I am sure we will be competitive in the race.” Simon Buckmaster Team Manager: “The damp and drying conditions have not been ideal but the fact is we are in a good position with Eugene second and Miguel 12th on the grid. Eugene is right beside his title rival and we all know what we have to do it should be between them for the race win. Miguel is quick enough to finish in the top 10 and is immensely confident in his own ability and recent form so we are expecting a lot from him.” More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: >> Sofuoglu retains Imola pole position Kenan Sofuoglu will start tomorrow’s 12th round World Supersport championship race at Imola, Italy from pole position after rain prevented the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider or any of his rivals from improving on yesterday’s provisional qualifying times. Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate Michele Pirro will join him on the front row of the grid in third place, with championship contender Eugene Laverty on another Honda CBR600RR in second position. Sofuoglu and Laverty are the only two riders with a chance of winning the 2010 World Supersport championship crown with the Turkish ace having a 12-point advantage over his rival. However, with only one race remaining after tomorrow, neither can afford a slip-up in the 19-lap encounter at the undulating and bumpy 4.936km Italian circuit. Kenan Sofuoglu P1, 1’52.397s Today, all day, it was about wet practic e but, of course, I wanted it to be dry because we could have improved the lap time by about a second, I know it. Anyway, today is finished and we’ll take the pole position, which is very positive. We have always been on top in wet, dry or intermediate conditions, so it doesn’t really matter what the weather is like tomorrow for the race. I think we are in good condition for a win or a podium finish. Michele Pirro P3, 1m53.333s It’s a good result for us today, but the conditions are no good. This morning was wet and then this afternoon it was dry, and a little bit wet. But the first row is not so bad and for tomorrow I hope we can have a good race for all the guys in the team and the spectators here in Imola for my home race. The setting of the bike is not so good because of the conditions here, but it’s the same for all the other riders and I hope for a good result tomorrow wet or dry. B ut I prefer the dry. Ronald ten Kate team manager Both riders are on the front so we are definitely happy. I think we are ready for wet or dry conditions but, of course, we are looking at championship positions and points tomorrow. At the same time, we realise that we have a race to contest, and this is just another one on the way to the success that we all hope for. With Eugene Laverty also on the front row, I presume it will be Kenan and him having a proper dice again, so we’ll have to see how it turns out. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Front Row For Fujiwara Katsuaki Fujiwara took his Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com Ninja ZX-6R to fourth place in qualifying, and a subsequent front row start, after changeable conditions struck at the Imola circuit today. Broc Parkes, who had to miss the first qualifying session through illness, was sixth, thanks to his first afternoon qualifying time. Damp and drying conditions were present through the second day which meant all the top riders had to rely on their Friday times for grid positions. Kenan Sofuoglu took pole, from Eugene Laverty and Michele Pirro. For each official Kawasaki rider the race on Sunday is now laden with possibilities, as they go for podiums in what everyone hopes will be dry conditions. Broc has already managed to score a podium at the Nürburgring in his first race for the team, at the previous round, while Katsuaki has come close many times in 2010 already. The race on Sunday will be held over 19 laps of the 4.936km long parkland circuit. Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Once again Pere Riba was my chief engineer and we were working together very well. We earned a good start on the front row tomorrow, which is important for the race but also important for Kawasaki because it is where we all want to be, at the front. The conditions have changed all through practice and qualifying so we have had to find a set-up for all possible conditions. On dry tyres or half-and-half conditions it is no problem.” Broc Parkes: “The bike has been pretty good all weekend but I missed the first session because I was so sick on Thursday, so I got here late. I had some kind of virus and it wiped me out for a day. I only got out yesterday afternoon in the first qualifying, not the earlier free practice session. It rained today so we have not had much time to get a dry set-up. We were quickest in the rain this morning and the afternoon it was a mixed bag. I am not sure what to expect tomorrow in the dry, so I am hoping for a dry warm-up session to give us more time in those conditions.” More, from a press release issued by ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing: The starting grid of World Supersport’s penultimate round, held at Imola, remained the same as yesterday. In fact, the “middle class” riders took to the track under the rain, but were not able to improve their respective times, even after the surface dried out. As a consequence, there is little certainty for tomorrow, but the Triumph team is very optimistic nonetheless as Imola is a very good track for the British three-cylinder machine. All four riders believe to have found a good base setup for the race, both with wet and dry conditions. CHAZ DAVIES | Triumph Daytona 675 | 5th in 1’53.723 : “I finished fourth on this track last year. I will start fifth on the grid and I’ll be hunting my fourth podium of the season to make the team happy”. DAVID SALOM | Triumph Daytona 675 | 10th in 1’54.276 : “We only did some check-up by the end of the session today. I’ll look into it better in warm up tomorrow morning, but I think I can do well, however it’s very important to not lose time in the first few laps “. MATTHIEU LAGRIVE | Triumph Daytona 675 | 11th in 1’54.385 : “I’m confident that if I get a good start, I’ll be able to battle for the top positions. I really want to end the season with the best results”. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Triumph Daytona 675 | 17th in 1’55.991 : “I would’ve had a better starting position, if I hadn’t returned to the pit box to change tyre yesterday. I’m comfortable racing in the wet, but it felt alright in the dry as well. Hopefully, I’ll finish in the top 10″.