2010 World Superbike Championship

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Max Biaggi makes the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team happy by rocketing his number 3 RSV4 to the first Superpole with a time of 1′42.121. It is the first time for the very young RSV4 and the first time in Superbike for Max. In a day of firsts, yet another peak for Biaggi stands out: 330.2 km/h top speed, almost another prize for the guys in the Racing Division who are committed daily to taking Aprilia to the pinnacle of world motorcycling.

But all of the adversaries did very well today which shows the high level of competition: separated by only 33 thousandths from Biaggi we find Crutchlow on his Yamaha and then Fabrizio (Ducati) followed by Rea (Honda) closing out the first row of the starting grid.

An unfortunate qualifier on the other hand for Leon Camier who participated in all of the sessions this weekend. Easily making it into the second Superpole session, the young Englishman lost the bike in a slide on the ” variante Ascari ” precisely during the good lap which would have put him in the top eight.
In any case, the pace he displayed places Leon among the most feared riders for the race.

“It is a great Saturday for the team and for me – Max Biaggi commented – a Saturday which takes us to our first pole which – unfortunately – doesn’t earn any points, but it gives us great satisfaction. It is a result which gives proof of the quality of our work and which I would like to dedicate to all of the guys on our team; people who have worked hard and with great skill to help me shave hundredths off of hundredths. Today the track was better, even compared to the free practice sessions this morning and we were more aggressive than usual with the qualifying tire, so we were able to reap the fruits of the hard work we did. Now we cannot back down. There is still another test session which we will use to find the best settings to use for the races. We can’t forget that for us this is only the second time on this track while our opponents know Monza very well thanks to years of races and tests. We have a nice package but our best adversaries are all right there very close, so we know that tomorrow will be difficult, as it always is in Superbike”.

“A bad qualifier, to use politically correct terms… – stated an annoyed Leon Camier – at the beginning of pole2 I wasn’t able to take any really clean laps; I constantly had Toseland on my wheel. Then, when I came in to put on the last qualifier I was able to push hard; I had an excellent chance of getting into the top eight. Hard luck about the slide, but the front closed on me and I couldn’t stay up, even if the lap would have been compromised anyway. Fortunately we have a good race pace. Obviously I need to take advantage of a good start to avoid missing the train of leaders: everyone is fast here, so it’s important not to lose any time and let them get away”.

Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland put in an impressive performance in Superpole today, with Crutchlow just missing out on pole to start from the second position on the grid for tomorrow’s two World Superbike races. The young British rider passed through each heat comfortably, fastest in the second session with an impressive 1′42.255 lap on a used race tire. The final heat saw him miss out on pole to Max Biaggi by less than a tenth of a second.

Team mate James Toseland was also on form, clearing Superpole one in fifth and Superpole two in fourth, only three tenths off Crutchlow. The final heat saw him heading for a front row start until a small mistake dropped a few tenths off his time, meaning he will start from seventh on the second row tomorrow.

The earlier qualifying session saw the riders work through and finalise their set ups. Toseland’s heat was disrupted with a small technical problem, forcing him to return to the pits and head out on his second bike. Crutchlow finished in tenth, Toseland in 13th.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (2nd, 1′42.154)
“It was a shame to miss out on pole by less than a tenth of a second but all credit to Max for a good lap. We seemed to do a very good lap in Superpole two on a seven lap old race tire with a 42.2, then put two qualifiers in during the last session and I didn’t feel like I had the same level of grip from them. It’s going to be tough racing tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it and I think it’ll be close. Being part of an Italian team and having our workshop literally a stone’s throw from the Lesmo corner it’s been good to deliver good results so far this weekend. They’ve put in a good effort, James has ridden to two fantastic podiums recently at Assen.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (7th, 1′42.789)
“We used both our qualifiers in the second Superpole heat and unfortunately didn’t have one for the last session, however I would have done a mid 42 but I made a mistake at Lesmo on my first lap, and being a race tire I really needed to get it in on that lap so I lost a few tenths there. That would have put me on the front row, and to say you can get there on a race tire is encouraging. We had a problem with an engine this morning in qualifying and a different gearbox in the other bike which meant we couldn’t run with the best gearing in Superpole. If it can stay dry tonight then we can try a few things in tomorrow’s warm up and I’m quietly confident we can do well in the races.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“To start our home race from the first and second row of the grid is a good result. For sure tomorrow we will enjoy two really good races here, there is a lot of fun to be had for the riders on the long straights. I’m confident that the set up is good for both riders so I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do tomorrow.”

Michel Fabrizio and his team worked hard today and were rewarded with a front row place on tomorrow’s grid at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza; Michel will line up in third position, the spot that he had already provisionally secured yesterday.
This morning’s second qualifying proved to be an extremely successful session for Michel Fabrizio, on board his 1198. Despite an initially damp track, with conditions very similar to yesterday, times began to drop later in the session and, after substituting used slicks with new ones, the Italian rider was able to push hard, recording an impressive 1’43.737 on his penultimate lap to take overall first position at the end of qualifying, three tenths of a second faster than Rea (Honda) in second. By the close of the session, Noriyuki had also made progress, improving on yesterdays qualifying time by almost a second and a half, to qualify in overall twelfth position for the afternoon’s Superpole.

In the early afternoon’s final free practice session, times improved once again and Michel impressed once more, ducking under the 1’43 barrier to make two very fast laps right at the end of the session, recording the fastest overall time of this practice session at the very last minute (1’42.6). Noriyuki continued to lose valuable tenths, particularly through the first sector of track, and closed in fourteenth.

Superpole 1 – both Fabrizio and Haga made two exits during the fourteen-minute session. Michel chose not to use a qualifier in this first phase and closed in a solid eighth place, assuring himself of passage to the next phase. Noriyuki ,on the other hand, made his second exit with the qualifier and, like Michel, finished inside the top sixteen, in fourteenth position.

Superpole 2 – Noriyuki’s technicians provided him with a new qualifier for this session but unfortunately the Japanese rider did not find the grip necessary to make a fast lap and thus concluded today’s Superpole in sixteenth position, equating to the fourth row of tomorrow’s grid. Michel, also on a “Q”, had more success and recorded a 1’42.7, enough to finish in second place, and progressing comfortably to the final phase.

Superpole 3 – Michel made two fast laps, the second of which temporarily propelled him into pole position, but was subsequently beaten by Biaggi and Crutchlow in the final minute of this last phase, meaning an eventual third place finish for the Ducati Xerox rider. He will therefore line up on the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s races, in the position that he had provisionally secured already yesterday.

Michel Fabrizio
“Today’s result is the best response to the gossip that was circulating in the paddock yesterday. Within the team we are working well together, are united, and together will be protagonists once more. I’m of course very happy with today’s results. We needed to get back on track with a result like this, after three rounds in which I’ve not really been present, at least not at the front where I think the factory riders should be! I’m also pleased that, after successful tests at Misano last week, we are doing well – so far – in front of the Italian crowd. It’s the first of the “home” races and so of course Ducati and myself would love to take two great race results here.”

Noriyuki Haga
“This morning conditions were pretty much the same as yesterday and I was finding it difficult, especially through the first part of the track.Then in the Superpole I found that I had better grip on the race tire than with the qualifier. I was lacking grip at the rear and, though I pushed as hard as I can, it was impossible to make a very fast lap. I’m fairly happy with the race set-up but it’s going to be another tough race day.”

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two fifth round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the fourth fastest time in today’s Superpole qualifying sessions at Monza in Italy.

After being near the top of the timing sheets in both yesterday’s and today’s practice and qualifying, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland was unable to repeat his Assen pole position, the honour going instead to local rider Max Biaggi.

Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, meanwhile continues to adapt to his CBR1000RR and improve its set-up for the historic 5.777km Monza circuit, setting the ninth fastest time today for a third row start.

This afternoon’s Superpole sessions were held in dry conditions after a wet start to the day at Monza. Further rain showers are forecast for tomorrow, when the first of the day’s two Superbike races goes at 12.00 local time , the second at 15.30.

Jonathan Rea – P4 1’42.566s

I guess it was quite good and I’m happy with the front row because I’m not really much of a qualifier – Assen must have been a one-lap wonder! As long as I get off the line well tomorrow, I’ve got some good race pace, the bike’s working good and I’m quite confident, so we’ll have to see. I’m really excited about the races and I intend to dig deep; there’ll be a load of slipstreaming going on. It’s going to be fun and games tomorrow for sure, and to be honest I wouldn’t mind being the grandstands watching!

Max Neukirchner – P9 1’43.410s

So, ninth is not so bad, but I made a little mistake on my quick lap and got in the wrong gear at the chicane, otherwise I might have been on the second row, which would have been better. But I’m really happy that we’ve been able to make more progress with the bike here this weekend. I am able to brake deeper into the corner, pick the bike up more quickly and accelerate out better. We’ve got one or two other ideas to try in warm-up tomorrow; we might go a little softer at the front and then I just need a good start. I’ve practised quite a lot this weekend already.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

Being on the front row was always the aim for Jonathan. He’s been quick in all sessions and in all conditions, so we are prepared for any weather tomorrow, although we all hope for sun and a dry track. Max has definitely continued his move forward and the second row would have been a good reward for all the hard work that he and his crew have put in recently. At least he can see the start lights now, which have been out of sight in previous races! We’ll make a few small changes tomorrow morning and then I w ould advise everyone watching to hold on to their seats!!

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam endured mixed conditions on the opening day of qualifying at Monza, but ended fifth quickest and happy enough with his day’s work.

The track was hit by torrential rain yesterday and although today dawned dry, it was not long before it began raining again. This afternoon’s qualifying session began with a damp track and the first half of the session saw many unfamiliar names at the top of the leaderboard. The track then began to dry out and by the end, there was virtually a dry line round the whole of the 5.777 kilometre circuit. Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) posted the fastest lap, with fellow countryman Jonathan Rea (Honda) second. Third went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third, with Troy Corser (BMW) fourth.

Leon – 5th, 1:45.303

The morning was good and really all today was pretty good, though there were a few small problems in the afternoon session and some of it was a bit of a waste of time. We had some sort of strange clutch problem with both bikes for a while, so to get fifth was not so bad, especially considering the changing conditions. This afternoon’s qualifying started with a wet track and then it began to dry. By the end, there was almost a dry line round the whole track, but there were still some places where you had to keep a look out. The new chicane is a bit safer and it makes the track flow better, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens when the whole pack is charging into it in a race before we can say that it is a success. For me though, the track is now more enjoyable to ride, particularly when you are by yourself. Slipstreaming round here is crucial and will be a big factor in the races. So far, I’ve not had a tow from anybody, so I’m looking forward to that tomorrow. Come raceday though, I’d prefer to be a long way out in front and not have to worry about anybody drafting me. That’s my plan anyway.

Sylvain – 16th. 1:46.588

I’ve not been here before, so the new chicane means nothing to me. Today, my first job was to learn the track and that’s what I tried to do. The track is quite technical and there are a lot of high speeds and fast corners and so it’s important to be very accurate if you want to go fast. Conditions were changing a lot in this afternoon’s qualifying session and I think I was a bit too cautious in the first chicane and that’s where I lost a lot of time. If I had been more aggressive there, I would’ve been quite a bit further up the leaderboard for sure.I know that slipstreaming is going to very important here – especially in the races of course – but there are a lot of opportunities to do that round here. However, it’ll also be very easy to get done, so I’ll have to watch out for that.

Althea Racing riders Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne were among the protagonists. On board their Ducati 1198 machines, both riders qualified comfortably for the Superpole. Spanish rider Carlos Checa, fourth in the overall standings, improved on the time he set yesterday by more than three seconds to close Superpole in eleventh position, securing a place on the third row of the grid with a best time of 1’43”506. “Today went a lot better than first qualifying”, said Carlos. “We’ve made some steps forward with regard to the bike’s rideability and we were able to better understand why we were having problems through certain sections of the track. Tomorrow will be difficult and to get into the top ten will be hard but we’ll try to take home as many points as possible.”

Carlos’ team-mate Shane Byrne also made good progress today, dropping his lap time by nearly four seconds. “Shakey” finished fifteenth, with a time of 1’43”813 and will line up tomorrow on the fourth row. “To start from fifteenth will be hard but I’ll give it my all and try to make a good race”, said the English rider. “We have done some good work in the garage over these two days and tomorrow it will be important to start well and stick with the guys ahead of us.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, declared, “As I predicted, both riders improved today. Carlos wanted to wait until the last minute, for all the little problems to be resolved so that he could push to the limit and understand how to ride through the trickiest parts of the track. He has a good feeling with the bike and thanks to the team’s hard work he has the advantage of a strong set-up. Shane had a few difficulties but in the end he made good progress too and did a lot better than in yesterday’s sessions. I am confident; tomorrow we will ride a dignified race and try to limit the damage at a track that is not a real friend of ours.”

Troy Corser suffered brake problems today and was unable to push as hard as he wanted in Superpole 1 and 2 and so failed to qualify for Superpole 3. In the end, Troy finished with the 12th quickest time and so will start tomorrow’s pair of 18 lap races from the third row of the grid.

Troy Corser – 12th, 1:43.508
“I’m a bit disappointed because we’ve been there or thereabouts most of the weekend and would’ve been quicker if it had not been for some brake problems. Today I found it difficult getting the bike to stop. If I braked in the normal place, the bike would run wide and I’d miss the corner. When I braked early, to make sure I did the turn OK, I obviously lost time. On race tires everything is more or less OK, but the braking problem is a nuisance because the chicanes are very important here. For a lot of today, I felt I was back to like the bike was before, in that I was able to do one or two fast laps but not be able to do a string of consistently fast laps.
The mechanics will look at all the data tonight and see if they can identify the problems and come up with some ideas to try in the warm-up tomorrow morning. The first turn is a long way away so as long as I make a couple of good starts I think I can be with the leaders by the time we hit turn one. It’s going to be a new experience for us all and the first time we all get there, it’s going to be like going into a funnel. Hopefully we’ll all get through OK. It will be a disaster if somebody crashes in the middle of the turn because there’s a good chance that they’d skittle half the pack if they hit the damp grass on the inside of the second part of the chicane.”

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two fourth round World Superbike championship races from pole position after setting the fastest time in this afternoon’s Superpole shoot-out at Assen in Holland.

It marks the Northern Irishman’s maiden world championship pole start and was made in emphatic style as Rea was the only rider to dip under the 1’35s barrier at the recently revised 4.452km Assen circuit.

Rea will be joined on the front row for tomorrow’s two 22-lap races by Jakub Smrz, Troy Corser and fellow Briton, Leon Haslam, while his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, has work to do from the fourth row of the grid after qualifying 16th fastest.

Jonathan Rea – P1 1’34.944s

I’m so excited! It’s my first ever world championship pole position and Ronald [ten Kate] said to me before: “You’re not sweating here – you nee d to push harder and do one fast lap!” But it didn’t even feel fast; I just clipped all my apexes and with the grip of the qualifier I was able to open the throttle earlier and the lap time even surprised me. But my team are really pulling out all the stops at the moment. We had a test here last week and I’ve been staying here the last couple of weeks in my motor-home behind the workshop. But it’s down to business tomorrow and I think my CBR is good enough on race pace. There’ll be three or four out there who can go at the front so I’ll just put in 22 big ones and see where we end up after that.

Max Neukirchner – P16 1’36.581s

I’m very disappointed, of course, because we felt we were really making some progress here. I got held up behind Haga in Superpole 2 but didn’t have enough to get by and, of course, you only get one real good lap out of a qualifier so that was it . We didn’t really find anything more after qualifying this morning and I wasn’t able to go any faster this afternoon. The bike is much better than it was in Valencia but the fourth row is still not good enough. I’ll do my best to get some good starts in the two races tomorrow and try to make up some places in the early laps.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

Big thanks and congratulations to Jonathan for giving us a pole position at our home race. He’s in such a good rhythm with his race set-up and on race rubber but has struggled to put a single fast lap together. However, he pulled it out when it really mattered in Superpole 3. One thing for sure, though, is that there’s never an easy race in Superbike. We also live in two worlds with Max down in 16th. He has been moving forward all weekend until this afternoon when progress came to a full stop in free practice and Superpole, which is really a shame. He’ll have to dig deep tomorrow, but I still believe that top ten finishes are possible. I’d also like to congratulate the junior squad here for taking their Ten Kate Honda CBRs to pole position with Maxime Berger in Superstock 1000 and Florian Marino also winning in Superstock 600.

Throughout the weekend Troy Corser has been on the pace and today he stormed through Superpoles 1 and 2, taking third position in both, before going on to retain third in the final Superpole – his best ever result for BMW. Jonathan Rea (Honda) posted the fastest lap in Superpole 3 and took pole position – his first in World Superbikes – with Jakub Smrz (Ducati) second. Joining Troy on the front row of the grid is series leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki), but early season favourites Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) had disappointing Superpoles and will have to start from the third and fourth rows of the grid respectively.

Well it’s been a while since I’ve done post-Superpole TV interviews and the paddock show press conferences, but I’ve never doubted we’d get there with the BMW. The boys have done a lot of work recently and we made really good steps forward in the last round in Valencia and then the Mugello tests last week. I can really ride the bike now and it’s great to be up there on the front row and fighting for pole position at last.

The warmer conditions seem to be suiting our tires better at the moment, so I’m hoping that it is as warm, or warmer, tomorrow, because then tire life will not be so much of a problem. I normally make good starts, so I’m looking forward to my front row grid position and getting into turn one at the front or right in with the leaders. Assen is a fast track and tomorrow’s races are going to be tough for sure, but I feel comfortable on the bike and when that happens I can push harder and go for good results.

The Assen Superpole saw both Althea Racing riders secure places on the second row for tomorrow’s races. At the end of the third phase, Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne had registered the sixth and seventh fastest times which will allow them to be up fighting with the leading group.

Carlos Checa spent the practices preparing for the races but without losing sight of the importance of the grid position, fundamental in racing as close and competitive as this.

“We’re looking good with renard to race pace”, said Carlos. “We’ve concentrated on preparing for tomorrow. In Superpole we set the same time with both the qualifier and the race tire. Our grid position is not bad and tomorrow I will try to stick with the leading group and not let them get away early on. tire-wear will also be an important factor, hopefully my riding style will be an advantage in this respect.”

Satisfying results for Shane Byrne too, who’s back among the frontrunners, having set the seventh fastest time to secure a place on the second row next to Carlos.

“We’ve been mainly preparing for tomorrow”, said Shane, “and the times registered demonstrate that we can fight for good results. It will be important to make a good start so as to not lose contact with those starting on the front row. Overall I’m very happy with the work that we’ve carried out in these sessions.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, team owner, declared, “This is the first track where we haven’t tested beforehand and the first job was to understand the new chicane. The qualifying was difficult and demanding for everyone and we’re happy with the work completed. Shane has returned to a good level and Carlos has proved himself to be a top rider.”

Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland made it through the first Superpole heat this afternoon to secure ninth and tenth place on the third row of the grid for tomorrow’s two World Superbike races at the Assen TT circuit. Both riders had spent the previous qualifying sessions working on their set ups for the afternoon’s Superpole heats and had headed in to the Superbike shootout with confidence. They both made it through the first heat comfortably on race tires, then switched to qualifiers midway through the second session. Crutchlow struggled to improve on his time in the second session leaving him just outside the top eight at the end. Team mate Toseland was on form and had nearly completed a hot lap which would have taken him through to the final eight when a violent wheelie three corners from the end at high speed disrupted his time.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1′36.027)
“I struggled with my qualifier tire in the second Superpole heat, and couldn’t make it through to the third. Both James and I are still working on some stability issues which could be seen on track as well. We need to work hard in tomorrow morning’s session to see what we can change in the set up to make another step forward. We’re all working really hard, and on the positive side the electronics issues we’ve had in the past are now working very well for us.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th, 1′36.061)
“Frustrated is the word! It was a real surprise for the bike to do that in a place where I’ve never had that before, it kicked up and wheelied at over 180mph in fifth gear, it was a bit touch and go there but luckily I was able to save it. The lap was good up to that point, I only had two corners left to go and would have been through to the top eight and the third session. We’ve had so much work to do to get where we are, the team has done a great job trying to get the bike to work here. Tenth on the grid is not ideal and we’re not sure about tire life, depending on temperature tomorrow we might not be able to use the softer race tire, everyone is waiting to see how warm it will be. I’m not too worried about race pace, it’s all about what happens in those first few laps. The new fast section has effectively deleted a passing place so I’ll have to get off the line well and see how we go.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“We still have one practice session left tomorrow morning, for sure we will never give up so we will spend the session working hard to make more improvements ahead of the two races. We will definitely find something to help us. James was very unlucky on his hot lap in the second Superpole session, it was good he managed to save it safely. He’s got a good race pace so needs a good start tomorrow and we will see what he can do. Cal has shown this weekend that he also has a competitive pace, especially on worn tires so we are confident both riders can perform tomorrow.”

Ducati Xerox riders Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga will line up on the second and fourth row respectively for tomorrow’s Superbike races at the TT Circuit in Assen, Michel having qualified in eighth position, Noriyuki in fifteenth.

In morning qualifying, the lap times began to fall in the latter stages of the 45-minute session. Both Michel and Noriyuki were losing valuable tenths through the third split, which prevented them from putting together very fast laps, but both riders nevertheless improved on yesterday’s performances, with Nori taking eight tenths of a second off his best time, and Michel half a second. They thus concluded the second qualifying session in sixth and ninth position, easily qualifying for the afternoon’s Superpole.

Superpole 1. Both riders made a first exit on the race tire but, with so many riders putting together such fast laps, Michel and Nori both decided to exit again, this time on a qualifier, to ensure safe passage to the second phase.

Superpole 2. Noting that the level of grip between the race tire and qualifier were similar, both riders replicated the first session,going out first on one then the other. Michel was able to make an extremely fast lap on the race tire, faster than the lap he made later in the session on a qualifier. That first lap time meant that he finished the second phase in eighth place. Noriyuki unfortunately was not able to put together a clean lap, despite his best efforts, and he concluded with the fifteenth fastest time.

Superpole 3. Michel, having already made use of the two available qualifiers, went back out on race rubber but couldn’t get below 1m36, thus closing in eighth place, securing a place on the second row for tomorrow’s races.

Michel Fabrizio
“Second row for tomorrow is not too bad after quite a difficult weekend. I thought that times would drop with the qualifiers but in the end I made my best laps on the race tire. I’m happy with that, because the laps finally came together, and it gives me confidence for tomorrow’s races. It’s a breath of air after the last two difficult rounds. Tomorrow will of course be tough once again and I guess they’ll be some close racing but I’ll do my best to stick with the leaders.”

Noriyuki Haga
“I’m disappointed with today’s Superpole result. I was really pushing but the competition has the advantage here and I wasn’t able to put together consistently fast laps. I don’t quite understand what the problem is but I hope to make strong starts in tomorrow’s races and will do everything possible to take away as many points as I can.”

Fiat Yamaha riders on flying form in sweltering Misano

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo looked ready for business at Misano on the Italian Riviera today, putting in some impressive times and finishing the day first and second, several tenths ahead of the next fastest rider. This was despite the uncomfortably hot and humid weather, although a forecast late rain shower tonight promises to cool things down a little for tomorrow.

It was Lorenzo, fresh from his victory in Indianapolis just five days ago, who looked in command for the early part of the session as he immediately found a good setting and set about improving his time lap by lap. In the last twenty minutes however Rossi made a step forward and was able to join his team-mate lapping in the 1’35s, the local favourite eventually finishing the session a tenth ahead of the Spanish challenger. There was a further gap of over six tenths back to Dani Pedrosa in third, promising another tense weekend of racing between the Fiat Yamaha pair.

Valentino Rossi – Position: 1st Time: 1′35.304Laps: 29
“This is more the weather for the beach than for the racetrack, today was unbelievably hot! The first session was much better than in Indy though and I am quite happy. We have made a few experiments with different settings and then at the end when we put everything together with the right tire, I was able to do three fast laps and finish first. It’s a good sign to be in this shape already on Friday and now we just have to improve a bit more tomorrow because it’s very important here to be on the front row. It’s quite a tricky track and you have to be quite careful in some places, but my bike felt good today.”

Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 2ndTime: 1′35.430Laps: 29
“Today was very hot which meant it quite hard to ride, and also the track is quite slippery here. I felt comfortable on my bike from the start and I was able to be quite fast, which is always encouraging, but I think we have some more work to do because we’re not perfect yet and the front could be better, especially on the entry to the corners. Tomorrow we will try to work on this and especially on T2 and T3, because these are the areas where we are losing some time. Valentino is very strong, as I expected because it’s his home and he won last year, so we will have to be at the maximum to be able to fight with him.”

Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“We did a lot of work today and it looks like we’ve done a good job. We worked on both bikes and all the tires and by the end of the session Valentino had a good pace and rhythm. We hope that we have found a good base on which we can build tomorrow. The important thing is that we continue to fine tune the setting in the morning so that we’re at our best tomorrow afternoon and Sunday.”

Daniele Romagnoli – Team Manager
“A good start here in Misano, in extremely hot weather. Jorge found a good pace from the beginning of the session but we need to improve the feeling with the front because this track is very demanding on it. We already tried some different settings during the session and we collected some good data in order to help us to improve our package for tomorrow.”

Edwards opens with sixth fastest time in heat wave at Misano

Texan Colin Edwards posted the sixth fastest time in a hot and steamy opening free practice session at the Misano World Circuit today. Joining Edwards in the top ten was his Monster Yamaha Tech3 teammate James Toseland who was ninth and just half a second outside the top four.

Both Edwards and Toseland have carried the momentum of strong performances in last Sunday’s Indianapolis GP to their early preparations for the Misano race. Edwards, who feels he can easily find another half second with a gearing change, held a top four spot until the final minutes of the session as he concentr ated on his race day set-up.

Toseland was also in a buoyant mood. The Briton was sixth with five minutes remaining and is confident of maintaining that pace with further gains in rear end grip over the bumpy Misano tarmac. Track temperatures hit 45 degrees C with the hot weather forecast to continue for this late summer race, round 13 of the MotoGP world championship.

Colin Edwards – Position: 6th Time: 1′36.350 Laps: 26
“We got a lot of work done, the bike was very close to begin with and with a rear setting adjustment and a switch to the hard tires, the bike started feeling really good. But it was hot, it felt like nine million degrees. But the heat wasn’t that bad for seven laps runs but if it’s like this on Sunday then 28 laps here is going to be tough. I was sitting 4th for a long time and I know some of these guys just mess around the whole session and the catch onto somebody to ado a hot lap at the end. But my bike feels slow. I know we have the same gearing as last year but the bike is not reacting, it feels like there is no bottom end and you have to keep the RPM up and carry astronomical corner speeds. I guess it is the long life engines, we have lost some of the bottom end that Yamaha made such a good step on earlier this year. We plan to shorten the gearing for tomorrow and I reckon I have half a second in three corners just from that.”

James Toseland – Position: 9th Time: 1′36.588 Laps: 27
“It didn’t seem hot on the bike but the humidity was high and that really got to you so its going be pretty physical if it is this temperature on Sunday. You need the bike to work well here because if you are battling with the bike in this temperature then it is hard work. This is one of my better Friday session this season and we started with the Indianapolis set-up and just made some small changes. The bike is a little bit aggressive on the rear over the bumps so we are working to smooth that out. The track is quite bumpy this year but it always is around here and you forget how bad the bumps are. I got up to sixth at one point and then dropped to ninth but only 0.5s off fourth. I’m pleased, a good session for a Friday.”

Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) rider Aaron Yates and the #23 Jordan Suzuki team will start the final round of the 2009 AMA National Guard American Superbike championship from the front row at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). Located in Millville, New Jersey, the NJMP facility is a new addition to the AMA Pro Racing calendar and great racing is expected, with the top twelve in the American Superbike competition covered by a scant .9 seconds after Basic Qualifying. The top 10 moved onto the Superpole round with veteran Jordan Suzuki rider Yates looking to improve on his fifth position in Basic Qualifying with a strong Superpole performance. Yates did just that by posting a 1:22.069 during his flying Superpole lap, pushing the #23 GSXR-1000 up two positions (P3) and onto the front row for Saturday and Sunday’s feature races.

Yates’ MJM teammate Geoff May just missed out on the Superpole round with an 11th position in Basic Qualifying. May, who was less than one second off P1 at the conclusion of Basic Qualifying, will post a qualifying time in Saturday’s Final Qualifying session and is looking to capitalize on his strong starting abilities to propel the National Guard Jordan Suzuki into the front pack at the start of each race.

Aaron Yates – 3rd 1:22.069 – Jordan Suzuki #23
“It’s the last race of the year and it’s good to have the Jordan Suzuki up on the front row,” said Yates. “It’s exciting to be at a new track and this NJMP course is pretty fun. We had a pretty good Superpole lap and we’ve been getting the bike better and better with each session. From the looks of it, we are going to have some good close racing this weekend and I’m looking to put this thing up on the podium to close it out.”

Geoff May – National Guard Jordan Suzuki #54
“We definitely are a little disappointed to miss Superpole, but it’s encouraging to see we’re really close to the front pace,” May said. “I think this is the first time all year you’ve seen a dozen bikes all within a second in the Superbike class and I know our #54 isn’t very far from being where we need it to be. I’m heading out into Final Qualifying with some good changes lined up and we’ll be ready to dive into the fray come racetime.”

Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) won his second AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited Superpole of the season while Taylor Knapp (No. 54 Latus Motors Racing Buell 1125R) scored his first career Superpole in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL qualifying Friday at the 10th Anniversary Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia International Raceway.

Hayes turned a top lap time of 1:25.014 (95.702 mph) as the 10th and final rider to qualify in the single-bike Superpole format.  He also won the Superpole two races ago at Mid-Ohio where he went on to sweep both of that weekend’s races.  Hayes won his first race of the season in May at Infineon Raceway where he broke a season-opening streak of seven straight wins by Mat Mladin (No. 7 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000), who he edged for the Superpole Friday at 2.25-mile circuit.

“I think we left a little bit out there but it was a good lap,” Hayes said.  “I put a lot of effort into it.  Our bike had a lot of grip and worked really well.  I did a clean lap and it was enough to nip Mat by just a small margin.  Since we pulled the bike out of the truck we’ve been pretty fortunate that it’s going around the racetrack well.  I’m having a lot of fun riding.  This has been a good race track for me.”

Mladin, who turned a lap time of 1:25.103 (95.602 mph) held the top spot until Hayes made his run. He still leads American Superbike with a series-high eight Superpoles this season.

“It was all good today,” said Mladin, who joined most of his competition in having no trouble handling temperatures in the high 80s.  “I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.  It’s been a lot worse around this place before, today’s not too bad.  The breeze is nice on the bike, we’ve had a lot worse conditions here than today.”

Jordan Suzuki teammates Geoff May (No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Aaron Yates (No. 23 Brand Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) turned in a solid Superpole team performance to complete the four-rider front row.  May qualified third with a lap at 1:25.720 (94.913 mph) while Yates was fourth fastest at 1:26.126 (94.446 mph).

“I was feeling good,” May said. “We just re-analyzed some stuff.  Since Road America we’ve had a downward spiral.  This weekend we said ‘you know what, we’re going to go back to where we had this bike in the beginning of the year when we first got it.’  It seemed pretty good.  So we rolled it out of the truck and haven’t really done much since and we’re back up where I feel we should be.”

Yates is on his second straight American Superbike front row after qualifying second fastest one race ago in the Tornado Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

“It’s just like any other weekend,” said Yates, who joins his teammate May as Georgia natives. “I’m just going out there and riding the thing.  I definitely felt like the grip was down a little that time out, but we’ve made a few changes with the front of the bike.  It was sitting lower, I don’t think we quite had the load on the rear that we’ve had earlier and it was missing some traction there.  It’s like home for me, I like it hot.  I didn’t know if was going to be like this, so we’re ready.”

Larry Pegram (No. 72 Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R), who won the Superpole at the Tornado Nationals and both of that weekend’s American Superbike races, rounded out the top five in qualifying at VIR.

Saturday’s first American Superbike race of the weekend is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. local time for 23 laps/50 miles.  The Big Kahuna races will be featured in a pair of same-day telecasts on SPEED.  Saturday’s American Superbike and Daytona SportBike finals will be shown that night in a two-hour show at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) while Sunday’s premier class races and other highlights will air in a two-hour show that evening at Midnight ET (9 p.m. PT).

Wild Daytona SportBike Friday

An AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL Superpole qualifying session that was as notable for those who were not in it as the 10 riders who were saw Knapp break through for his first career top qualifying effort.  Knapp clocked in with a lap time of 1:28.233 (92.210 mph) and will share the two-rider front row with Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) who lapped at 1:28.663 (91.764 mph).

“It’s not only my first pole, but the first time I’ve ever been in a press conference,” said Knapp, who finished a career-high fifth in the Sunday American Superbike final at the Tornado Nationals on the No. 44 Taylor Knapp Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.  “It’s really cool. I had a little spin coming out of Turn 2 or 3, the left hander, the track crowns off on the edge and I got a little wide.  It spun up and I bounced off the curb and I didn’t know if that was going to hurt me too much.  I just kept stringing the lap together the best I could and ended up on top.  Totally cool, I’m looking forward to the races.”

Zemke joined teammate Chris Peris (No. 10 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) in giving Erion Honda its best starting positions as a team this year.

“I actually messed up the lap right at the very beginning going into Turn 1,” Zemke said.  “I went in there and my foot slipped off the shifter.  I was thinking, ‘I don’t think that thing went into gear.’  I hit the shifter again and it went into gear, but it was the wrong one.  It was first gear.  I lost a ton of time in the first segment.  I just kept my head down and got through the rest of the lap and it turned out okay for us.  Congratulations to Taylor on his first pole and it should be a good race tomorrow.”

Peris qualified third at 1:28.676 (91.764 mph) and was the only 2009 race winner participating in Daytona SportBike Superpole Friday.

“My lap was basically the same as I did in practice this morning,” said Peris, who won the Saturday final at Road America in June.  “It was nothing too hairball.  Nothing really out of the ordinary, but I wasn’t expecting to move up this far.  Everyone went a little bit slower so maybe it was a little bit better.  The bike’s working awesome, the team’s been great.  It just all worked out.”

Roger Hayden (No. 95 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) was also in season-best form Friday and qualified fourth at 1:28.682 (91.743 mph).

“The bike is definitely working pretty good this weekend,” Hayden said.  “My lap was okay. When I came across the start-finish line I didn’t expect it to be a 28.7, I felt like I left a lot of time out there.  I think it’s going to be a good race.  We’ve been going pretty good all weekend, we just have to get a little bit better.  I’m looking forward to it.  I’m definitely a lot closer to the front than I’ve been all year.  It makes the race weekend a lot more fun.”

Notable by their Superpole absence were Daytona SportBike championship leaders Danny Eslick (No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R) and Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600).  Eslick laid the bike down in the downhill section during the group session and qualified 12th, missing the Superpole round, while Cardenas suffered a lowside incident in morning practice that resulted in a fractured right hand.  After receiving medical treatment onsite at VIR, Cardenas rallied to participate in group qualifying and did well to clock in 13th quickest.

“I broke a bone in my hand,” said Cardenas, who crashed in the downhill run at Turn 15. “I made a mistake and hit a curb going downhill.  It was a big mistake, I crashed and I hurt my hand.  Off the bike, it feels okay and if I don’t move the hand, it doesn’t hurt.  On the bike the hardest thing is changing direction, and a little bit under braking, especially turning to the right side.  I will just try to deal with it, race tomorrow and do a good job.  There is not much you can do, only put ice on it.  That’s it, I think.”

Also enduring a tough day was Daytona SportBike Superpole leader Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) who was uninjured when he went off course during his Superpole run.  DiSalvo, who has a class-leading five Superpoles in 2009, will start ninth on the grid in this weekend’s dual races.  Chaz Davies (No. 57 Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV1000R) , who struggled with mechanical problems in the morning practice session and Superpole run, will start 10th.

Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) rounded out the Daytona SportBike top five qualifiers.

Saturday’s first Daytona SportBike race of the weekend is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. local time for 23 laps/50 miles.  The Big Kahuna races will be featured in a pair of same-day telecasts on SPEED.  Saturday’s American Superbike and Daytona SportBike finals will be shown that night in a two-hour show at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) while Sunday’s premier class races and other highlights will air in a two-hour show that evening at Midnight ET (9 p.m. PT).

SuperSport Practice Day

Josh Day (No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6) could clinch the AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei East division title this weekend and was the fastest rider in Friday’s opening practice.  Day, who won the races at Topeka and Mid-Ohio, turned a top lap time of 1:29.707 (90.695 mph).

“We ended up fastest and we still have some work to do on the front end, but I was pretty happy with that time,” Day said.  “The E.S.P. guys have been working really hard and we have just been able to carry the setup that we found since Mid-Ohio and it has pretty much worked at every racetrack so far.  We have just had to change and fine tune a few things.  I am really not thinking about the championship, and trying not to.  I don’t want it to mess me up and I am just going to come out here and try and do my best and just try to stay on top.”

Day has a 45-point lead over Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R), 126 – 81. That equates to more than a full-race lead and guarantees he will leave the Big Kahuna on top of the standings even if he fails to clinch the crown.  Even if Mercado scores all 32 available points at VIR, Day only needs to finish third or better to leave Virginia with the East title.  Mercado was 10th fastest Friday.

Sunday’s SuperSport final is18-laps for 40 miles and is scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m.

Westby Rolls In SunTrust Moto-GT Qualifying

Westby Racing riders Dane Westby and Dustin Meador (No. 13 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) continued their roll in AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT and won the pole for tomorrow’s two-hour team race at 11 a.m.  Meador turned a quick lap of 1:31.439 (88.977 mph) to qualify first overall and in the GT1 class.

“This is a good team,” Meador said.  “We are just going to keep working hard and racing hard and get our third win. I have done this kind of racing before and I like it and like running with Dane and the Westby guys.”

Championship leaders Mark Crozier and Dave Estok (No. 14 Crozier Motorsports Triumph Daytona 675) qualified second despite Crozier’s lowside during the session.  The team/owner rider was uninjured and turned the No. 14’s top lap of 1:32.638 (87.826 mph).

“We are fine and the bike is fine,” Crozier said.  “We got back going and finished qualifying and now we have to keep it clean and win a championship.”

Day and teammate Dominic Jones (No. 27 Four Feathers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) will start third after Jones turned a lap of 1:33.787 (86.750 mph).

The No. 63 Coatzymoto International Racing Ducati PS1000LE of Fernando Ferreyra and Robertino Pietri won the GT2 pole with a lap time of 1:36.150 (84.618 mph).

The SunTrust Moto-GT race starts tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Larry Pegram (No. 72 Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R) won his first AMA Pro Road Racing pole since 1996 in AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited competition while Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) earned his fifth AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL pole of the season in Friday’s Superpole qualifying for the Tornado Nationals presented by BriggsAuto.com at Heartland Park Topeka.

Pegram paced a competitive group of American Superbike competitors that saw four different manufacturers on the front row for the first time since the May 2002 race at Road Atlanta.  It was also the first Superbike pole for Pegram since the 1996 Road America race and the first for Ducati since Eric Bostrom qualified first at Daytona in March 2004.

“I actually feel really good because I usually really screw up in Superpole,” said Pegram, who clinched the top spot with a lap time of 1:36.368 (93.392 mph).  “I felt like I left a little bit out there like I normally do, but it was good enough to hold on.  I’m really happy.  My guys have worked so hard and there has really been rejuvenation this season by being back on a bike that is capable of winning.”

Pegram and Ducati will share the front row with Aaron Yates (No. 23 Brand Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000), Jake Holden (No. 59 Holden Racing Honda CBR1000RR) and Ben Bostrom (No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) for the most diverse American Superbike front row in more than seven years.

“It was a pretty decent lap and no big dramas or moments, or anything,” said Yates, who clocked in second overall and the fastest Suzuki at 1:36.513 (93.252 mph).  “I let off a little over the hill in Turn 1 and slowed down a little too much for the switchback there.  I was off a few tenths in the second segment, I think, which I have been struggling there all weekend, but I was pretty strong in the other end of the track and got through there good.  I just barely missed out.”

Holden joined Corona Extra teammate Neil Hodgson (No. 100 Corona Extra Honda CBR1000RR) as the only Honda riders in Superpole and qualified a solid third with a lap of 1:36.540 (93.226 mph).  Holden was also the fastest rider in American Superbike group qualifying earlier on Friday.

“After this morning I felt pretty good about going to Superpole,” said Holden, who posted his best qualifying effort of the year.  “I felt like I got a decent lap in but I lost the front coming through Turn 2 there over the bumps.  I tried to pull it back together and ended up still quick in that segment, so it wasn’t too bad.  It is great to be back up here on the front row. I bought this bike right before Daytona and it is pretty much just a stock machine except for the motor.”

Bostrom represented Yamaha on the front row with a fourth-place qualifying lap of 1:36.643 (93.126 mph).  He held the top spot for the majority of the middle of the session but knew his lap likely wouldn’t hold up for the pole.

“I botched the third split pretty bad, and I just wasn’t so good in the last one,” Bostrom said.  “I felt fine in the first couple and got a few things to learn, but the bike is fantastic.  It is really important to try out the newer soft tire before you go out for Superpole, but we kind of let that slip.  We had a little mechanical there during qualifying.  I don’t know, I just wasn’t ready for the thing to grip that good.  The track is pretty slippery and really fun to ride around.  There’s a lot of sideways action everywhere and the race is going to be exciting and I think one of the better races.”

Bostrom was also complimentary of the outstanding effort Heartland Park Topeka owner Raymond Irwin has made in working with AMA Pro Road Racing to improve the safety aspects of the circuit.

“The promoter is trying hard to reconstruct the track for safety issues,” Bostrom said.  “When we come back there will be a few things that definitely need to be done, but it looks like he is proactive and will do it.  Good on him, its nice to have a new track.”

Bostrom’s teammate Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) qualified fifth.

Saturday’s first American Superbike race of the weekend is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. local time for 20 laps/50 miles. Coverage of Saturday’s races will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) on SPEED.

DiSalvo’s Fifth Daytona SportBike Superpole

While Pegram and Ducati qualified up front for the first time in years, DiSalvo boosted his class-leading run of Daytona SportBike Superpoles to five with today’s result at Heartland Park.  DiSalvo locked down the top spot with a lap of 1:38.924 (90.979 mph) and now has his sites set on his first win of the season.

“I think we can get the win and it is going to be a good race,” said DiSalvo. “The crew has been working really hard and we have a new engine spec this weekend.  I am just really excited.  The bike feels great and we have made a lot of development to the chassis this weekend.  I am really pumped to get out and race tomorrow.”

DiSalvo will share the front row with Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) while their respective teammates Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) and Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) rounded out the top four.

“I figured I had a pretty good run all the way until the second-to-last corner when I tucked the front,” Herrin said. “The slide was just normal, every lap is usually like that.  It’s just the style that I have.  It felt really good the whole lap.  We finally got the good solid Superpole lap we’ve been looking for the whole year.  It’s nice just for confidence going in to tomorrow knowing that we don’t have to fight through that whole pack in the beginning.”

Points leader Cardenas is locked in a tight championship battle with Danny Eslick (No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R), who qualified 10th, claiming the final spot of today’s Daytona SportBike Superpole qualifiers.  Cardenas still expects the Eslick and Buell to be up to speed in this weekend’s races.

“I expect the Buell to be fast in the race and maybe something happened in his run,” Cardenas said.  “I’ve been improving at the Superpole thing.  This time it came up good, I got a third position and made a good lap.  It could be better, but it’s the way it is.  The bike has been working great and the crew also.  We’ve been trying some different settings because here the back of the bike slides a lot.  I think we found a good solution and the bike is ready for tomorrow.”

Aquino scored his first top-three finish of the year one race ago at Mid-Ohio and was on form again Friday at Topeka.

“We got some really close action in this class, it’s pretty intense,” Aquino said.  “It seems like whenever I make it into Superpole I gain a position or two.  Today I think I stayed where I was at.  The second row is good.   I’m pretty confident that everybody here is going to be in the main pack the whole race.  It’s going to be good.”

Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) rounded out the Daytona SportBike top-five qualifiers.

Saturday’s first Daytona SportBike race of the weekend is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. local time for 20 laps/50 miles.  Coverage of Saturday’s races will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) on SPEED.

Good Day In SuperSport and SunTrust Moto-GT

Josh Day (No. 4 Kerker Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) won his first race in AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio to take the East division points lead.  He kept the momentum up Friday at Heartland Park where he paced SuperSport practice and won the pole for Saturday’s AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT race.  In SuperSport, he was fastest in both of Friday’s practice sessions and turned his top lap of 1:41.490 (88.679 mph) in the morning session.

Day is also joining fellow SuperSport rider Bryce Prince on Scotty Van Hawk’s No. 27 Four Feathers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 in SunTrust Moto-GT in addition to racing for Van Hawk in Daytona SportBike this weekend.

“Racing in Moto-GT is definitely helping me learn the tracks,” said Day, who won the SunTrust Moto GT1 pole with a lap time of 1:41.848 (88.367 mph). “Scotty Van Hawk over at Four Feathers let me ride this bike and the Daytona SportBike, so I got a pretty busy schedule this weekend, but it is going pretty good so far.  I have never been here before but we did the promoter practice yesterday and it definitely helped us a lot for today.  It has been a fun track to learn and I am running in three races this weekend, so I am going to need the laps.”

In SunTrust Moto-GT2, the No. 77 Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati PS1000LE will start first with young riders Cory Rech and Huntley Nash onboard.  The duo won on the team’s second Ducshop Ducati in their debut at Mid-Ohio and were assigned to the team’s primary title contender for Topeka.

The SunTrust Moto-GT race starts tomorrow at 11 a.m. local time while the SuperSport final is Sunday at 3 p.m. for 16 laps/40 miles.

He’s done it again; Ben Spies sits a top the World Superbike Grid at Brno.

Brno Superbike – Superpole – Saturday  July 25, 2009

1- 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1; 1′58.868
2- 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R; 1′58.950
3- 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory; 1′59.055
4- 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR; 1′59.740
5- 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R; 1′59.787
6- 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR; 2′00.046
7- 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR; 2′00.096
8- 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1; 2′00.240
9- 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R; 1′59.730
10- 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR; 1′59.748
11- 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R; 1′59.873
12- 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R; 2′00.159
13- 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9; 2′00.223
14- 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R; 2′00.235
15- 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory; 2′00.262
16- 14 Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR; 2′00.498
17- 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR; 2′00.718
18- 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR; 2′00.811
19- 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R; 2′03.819
20- 121 Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR; 2′14.727
21- 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R; 2′01.510
22- 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R; 2′01.643
23- 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R; 2′01.816
24- 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR; 2′02.346
25- 53 Polita A. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9; 2′02.718
26- 94 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1; 2′02.785
27- 88 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9; 2′04.041
28- 51 Cihak M. (CZE) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9; 2′04.905