Biaggi quickest in Friday Qualifying

From the World Superbike Championship

Max Biaggi powered his Aprilia RSV4 to the top of the timesheets in Friday's opening qualifying run for the World Superbike Championship at Miller Motorsports Park.

The Italian made a late surge towards the end of the one-hour session to edge American Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) off the top slot with a time of 1 minute 49.820 seconds. Spies was just one-tenth away from Biaggi’s time, and the two riders were the only ones to dip under the 1:50 mark around the 4.907km long Utah circuit. Biaggi also looked pretty impressive in top speed as well, his Aprilia clocking almost 307 km/h on the long Miller straight.

Equally impressive was last year’s double race winner Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) of Spain, who has been quick out of the box since the start of the day, and who led a total of 12 riders in one second, while Czech Republic rider Jakub Smrz on the Guandalini Ducati 1098 headed Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) for fourth.

American Jamie Hacking is standing in well for the injured Makoto Tamada in the Kawasaki World Superbike team, the American grabbing the sixth slot ahead of Britain’s Shane Byrne on the Sterilgarda Ducati 1098 machine.

Yukio Kagayama, quickest in free practice, crashed his Suzuki Alstare GSX-R in qualifying but still managed to notch up eighth place, while points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) is currently languishing in 11th place.

Still with work to do for the moment are the BMWs of Troy Corser, who had previously gone second in free practice, and Ruben Xaus, in 14th and 17th place respectively.

The FIM Supersport World Championship made its first appearance at Miller Motorsport and for this reason riders and teams had two free practice sessions instead of one so they could get to grips with the Utah circuit.

Quickest time of the day went to Spain’s Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) in 1:53.350, a couple of tenths ahead of Ireland’s Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) and Frenchman Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport). Points leader Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) was quickest in the first session but could only manage sixth in FP2, just behind the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda champion pairing of Kenan Sofuoglu and Andrew Pitt.

Kars, ON's Andrew Nelson was quickest of a trio of Canadians competing in the World Supersport class at Miller, turning the 28th best time of 1:58.742 on his Nelson Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Despite dropping her time marginally between the morning and afternoon free practice sessions Marie-Josee Boucher slipped from 31st to 32nd on the timesheets with a best of 2:03.799 on her Excel Moto Honda CBR600RR.

“This track is fast. I like that," Boucher said in a Pirelli press release. "I am learning to look up and look far. I am used to the tight, slow tracks of the Canada Superbike series so here I have to remind myself to look far into the turns. I am looking to go much faster tomorrow with the changes we’ve made to the bike.”

Lethbridge, AB racer Ryan Taylor brought up the rear of the 33rd rider Supersport field at 2:07.376, carving just over two seconds from his best morning lap in the afternoon session.

The afternoon session was brought to a halt just before the end due to a crash involving Portugal’s Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda), who was immediately taken to the medical centre for checks.

World Superbike Times
1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:49.820
2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:49.901
3. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.144
4. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:50.282
5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:50.457
6. Hacking J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:50.466
7. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:50.512
8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:50.556
9. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.701
10. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:50.740
11. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:50.755
12. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:50.757
13. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:50.961
14. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:51.002
15. Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1:51.046
16. Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1:51.072