Assen (Netherlands), Friday 15 April 2011 – After his superb FP1 performance this morning, Jakub Smrz (Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati) repeated the feat in first qualifying, with a time of 1 minute 36.058 seconds. This leading performance was already under the race lap record pace and only a little over one second from the track best of 1 minute 34.944. The Czech Republic charger held off a trio of fast and furious Italians, led by Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team), Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) and Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), all four separated by just half a second.
An excellent fifth place was notched up by Kawasaki Racing Team man Tom Sykes, with early front-runners Troy Corser and Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) in sixth and seventh, after being the leaders of the entire session for some time. The two Irishmen, Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) and Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) were next up, while points leader Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) was uncharacteristically down in eleventh slot.
Noriyuki Haga (Pata Aprilia Racing) placed tenth on the dummy grid, with rookie rider Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 12th, just behind his countryman Checa. Leon Camier, Biaggi’s team-mate slipped down to 13th, with Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) in 14th place. Stand-in rider Barry Veneman (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK) was 16th, one place behind team regular Ayrton Badovini. Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) went 19th in his latest comeback ride, finding a technical issue that prevented him from setting a faster time near the end of the session. One more qualifying session remains on Saturday, then Superpole takes place for the top 16 in combined qualifying.
Times: 1. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’36.058; 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’36.287; 3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’36.494; 4. 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.550; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’36.747; 6. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’36.876; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’36.989; 8. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1’37.024; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’37.063; 10. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’37.106; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’37.114; 12. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’37.364; 13. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’37.373; 14. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1’37.424; 15. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’37.613; 16. Veneman B. (NED) BMW S1000 RR 1’37.716; etc.
World Supersport
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Florian Marino made the most of his team’s home circuit advantage as he powered to the quickest time in first qualifying. Behind the young Frenchman can be found points leader Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO), just a fraction away from the top slot. Third place went to Spain’s David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) followed by Sam Lowes on the Parkalgar Honda machine, putting three different types of machinery on the provisional front row. Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) was on top slot in the early stages but then could only finish fifth, while the rest of the provisional row 2 is made up of Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com), Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing) and Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) and Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) rounded out the early top ten, with one qualifying session remaining tomorrow.
Times: 1. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’38.945; 2. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’39.121; 3. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’39.191; 4. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.291; 5. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’39.519; 6. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’39.569; 7. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.766; 8. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’40.247; etc.
Superstock 1000
Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) made a one second leap forward from his morning time to go to the top slot in Superstock 1000 qualifying. Four-tenths behind was BMW Motorrad Italia STK man Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia STK), ahead of two more Ducatis on the provisional front row, the Barni version of Danilo Petrucci and the second Althea machine of Lorenzo Baroni. Fifth went to Andrea Antonelli (Honda Team Lorini) with Dutchman Roy Ten Napel (Domburg Honda) in a popular sixth.
Times: 1. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’39.538; 2. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.915; 3. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’40.053; 4. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’40.054; 5. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’40.100; 6. Ten Napel R. (NED) Honda CBR1000RR; 1’40.178; 7. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’40.965; 8. La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’41.014; etc.
Superstock 600
Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France) set the provisional pole in the Superstock 600 class, the young Frenchman also recording a new best lap along the way, quicker than the one held by his compatriot Florian Marino. A full second behind Lanusse can be found Italian Bernardino Lombardi (Yamaha Martini Corse), ahead of 2010 Magny-Cours winner Jed Metcher (Yamaha MTM-RT Motorsports Team) from Australia. 15-year-old Italian Francesco Cocco (Yamaha Martini Corse) was next, ahead of Josh Elliot of the WTM Yamaha Team, while so far Joshua Day (Racedays Kawasaki) and Austin DeHaven (Trasimeno Yamaha) are finding the 600 category a tough baptism.
Times: 1. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’41.580; 2. Lombardi D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’42.653; 3. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 1’42.881; 4. Cocco F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’43.204; 5. Elliott J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’43.297; 6. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1’43.306; 7. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1’43.308; 8. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 1’43.341; etc.
European Junior Cup
The first edition of the European Junior Cup, an initiative that sees the participation of youngsters from 9 different nations, made its debut today at the Assen circuit. Tom Busch was quickest in the first free practice session, which gave the rookies a chance to get to know the track on their Kawasaki Ninja 250R machines, the German finishing ahead of Australian Matt Davies and South African Daniel Teixeira.
