Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) posted a brilliant 1 minute 35.001 seconds to take the new track best lap and BMW’s first ever Superpole win. In doing so he extended his own record of pole wins in WSBK racing to 43 and he did it in some style, finishing half a second clear of his nearest rival. Second on the grid for Sunday’s races will be championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) who was surprised and delighted to be so far forward at a circuit like Misano. Third went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and fourth to the charging Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda). BMW, Aprilia, Ducati and Yamaha machines share the front row places, after the usual close competition for grid places in a class with seven competing manufacturers.
Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was not able to get into contention with Corser and Biaggi in the final Superpole contest and went fifth, but Sylvain Guintoli overcame the result of an earlier qualifying collision with Corser to put his Alstare Suzuki sixth on the grid. Leon Haslam, second in the championship, took his Alstare Suzuki machine to seventh place in a tough Superpole for man and machine.
Luca Scassa (Supersonic Racing Ducati) put in another great performance for a privateer rider as he posted a top eight time; he now starts Sunday’s races as last man on row two. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) battled hard to go ninth, just missing the final Superpole knockout session; Pata B&G Ducati privateer Jakub Smrz was tenth. James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) struggled in qualifying and Superpole and thus went 13th fastest, joined by fellow British riders Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Once again Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was top Kawasaki rider, 18th, while his team-mate Chris Vermeulen was 21st fastest.
Troy Corser: “I don’t know who’s older, Max or me but here we are! I’m very happy with what we did today, it’s been a long time since I was on pole, but the team has put in a lot of work since Miller and this is a really good result. I am happy with the set-up of the bike, it’s easier to ride and it has a more balanced position. It was very hot this afternoon and the surface was a bit more slippery but it is the same for everybody. If we get a good start tomorrow I will go from the front and see what happens.”
Max Biaggi: “I’m very satisfied with this result which, to be quite honest, I didn’t even really expect. This is a track where it is very difficult to overtake, so starting up front was important. I’m quite pleased. In the last lap I gave it my all and was very quick, but what counts now is being strong for the entire race. There are a lot of riders here, not only Troy, who are capable of making very fast laps and they showed that today as well, so we’ll have to try to stick close to the leaders.
Michel Fabrizio: “It is very important to start on the front row of the grid here in Misano, where I have never really gone very well. I made a little mistake on the final lap when I saw the chequered flag a little bit too late to put in anything extra. In tomorrow’s races the early laps are going to be difficult, I don’t want to be controversial because once again we’re missing a bit in engine power with respect to the fours, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Cal Crutchlow: “Testing here went OK, but we’d like to have some new parts because now we’ve come here to race we’re doing the same pace as in all the tests with the same set-up. We do need to find something extra because everyone else is going really well here, but in any case congratulations to Corser and I’m satisfied to be on the front row for tomorrow’s races.”
Times: 1. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’35.001 (160,141 km/h);2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’35.502; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’35.680; 4. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’35.683; 5.Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’35.851; 6. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.096; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.302; 8. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’36.607; 9. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1’36.093; 10. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’36.170; 11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’36.200; 12. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’36.204; 13. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’36.216; 14. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’36.245; 15. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1’36.376; 16. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.561; etc.
World Supersport
Michele Pirro (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set a new track best at the very end of the final qualifying session to take pole position at Misano, his 1 minute 38.444 seconds proving to be not just unbeatable but also very well timed. Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) had to settle for second on the grid, with local wildcard rider Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service Yamaha) an impressive third. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) earned a top four place, with Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) a positive fifth, one place up on series points leader, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Welshman Chaz Davies (ParkinGo Triumph BE-1) made it onto the second row behind Sofuoglu, but one place ahead of Massimo Roccoli (Intermoto Czech Honda).
Times: 1. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’38.444 (154,451 km/); 2. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’38.611; 3. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’38.911; 4. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’39.019; 5.Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.224; 6. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.277; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1’39.371; 8. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.383; etc.
Superstock 1000
A new track best of 1 minute 39.190 seconds put Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) firmly into pole position in Superstock 1000 making this his fourth pole start of the current campaign. Lorenzo Baroni (Ducati Pata B&G) was second on his big vee-twin and Maxime Berger (Team Ten Kate Junior) proved to be top Honda rider in third place. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) finished in the top four, as Michele Magnoni (Team Shiner Honda) earned a fifth place grid spot. Eddi La Marra (Team Lorini Honda) went sixth fastest, and was one of seven Italian riders in the top eight places.
Times: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.190 (153,378 km/h); 2. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’39.466; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’39.596; 4. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’39.839; 5. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’39.844; 6. La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’40.051; 7. Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 1’40.231; 8. Colucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’40.308;
Superstock 600 – Race
Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) set a new lap record on lap eight as he chased down long-time leader Florian Marino (Ten Kate Honda Junior) then improved the lap record again on lap nine, eventually taking the lead in the final few corners and winning by 0.577 seconds. Spain’s Nacho Calero Perez (Orelac Racing Yamaha) was a clear third, but behind him a four-rider fight eventually saw Davide Fanelli (All Service System by QDP Honda) hold off his rivals in a thrilling fashion and take fourth place. In the championship, Guarnoni now has 111 points, with Marino on 86 after five rounds.
Results: 1. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 17’11.087 (147,549 kph); 2. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 0.577; 3. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 3.375; 4. Fanelli D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 8.412; 5. Mercado L. (ARG) Kawasaki ZX-6R 8.738; 6. D’Annunzio F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 8.778; 7. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.091; 8. Elliott J. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 15.531; 9. Major N. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 17.283; 10. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 22.360; 11. Lombardi B. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 24.367; 12. Karlsen F. (NOR) Yamaha YZF R6 27.550; 13. Pesek K. (CZE) Yamaha YZF R6 31.102; 14. Rosini M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 31.801; 15. Vrajitoru M. (ROU) Yamaha YZF R6 32.053; 16. Covena T. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 32.365; 17. Della Biancia M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 50.276
Points (after 5 rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 111; 2. Marino 86; 3. D’Annunzio 61; 4. Karlsen 51; 5. Calero Perez 44; 6. Lombardi 43; 7. Lanusse 39; 8. Fanelli 38;
