Corser strikes first in Portugal

From worldsbk.com

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) set provisional pole position at the Algarve circuit in southern Portugal, as the brand-new Autodromo Internacional opened for racing action on Friday.

Without ever having seen the track before, and in wet conditions the Australian rider was quickest around the ups and downs of the 4.592km circuit, ending up with a time of 1 minute 55.791 seconds.

His closest adversaries were almost 1.5 seconds down, with British one-event rider Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) taking the next place. Third went to Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio, who tested here last week, with Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) completing the front row.

Three more Brits were on the second row, Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda), Chris Walker (Ventaxia VK Honda) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The young northern Irish rider, promoted from Supersport to WSBK for his debut race following a straight swap with teammate Kenan Sofuoglu, put in a superb performance, ending up just three-tenths ahead of team-mate Carlos Checa.

The top two in the championship took things easy in the wet conditions, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) finishing 10 with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) one place behind.

Two more championship protagonists, Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) and Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) were on row 3.

Honda machines dominated the opening Supersport qualifying session, with eight CBR600RRs in the top 10, monopolizing the entire front row. Provisional pole went to Matthieu Lagrive (Intermoto Czech Honda), who clocked a time of 1:58.614. The Frenchman set his quickest lap just before a violent downpour virtually brought a halt to proceedings for the rest of the session.

Second quickest time went to Parkalgar Honda rider Josh Hayes, with Spain's Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) third, but three seconds behind. The front row was completed by Italian Gianluca Vizziello (Benjan Racing Team Honda).

Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) made a positive return to Supersport with fifth quickest time ahead of the Hannspree Honda Althea of Gianluca Nannelli and the RES Software Suzukis of Barry Veneman and Didier Van Keymeulen.

World Champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was down in 10th place, while Yamaha World Supersport's Broc Parkes and Fabien Foret failed to shine, notching up respectively 24th and 30th position.

The weekend battle that will crown this year's Superstock 1000 FIM Cup champion got underway in Friday's first qualifying session. The first round went to Australian Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team), who set provisional pole, while current points leader Xavier Simeon (Suzuki Alstare), was only fifth, on the same row as Maxime Berger (Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda).

The fourth championship contender Alex Polita (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) struggled to 17th quickest time.

This year's European 600 Superstock champion Loris Baz (YZF Junior Team) stamped his authority on Friday's first qualifying session. The young French rider was one second quicker than the British pairing of Gino Rea and Dan Linfoot (Stonebaker), with Italian Danilo Petrucci (Trasimeno) for an all-Yamaha front row.

Superbike Qualifying Times
1. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:55.791
2. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:57.214
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 1:57.440
4. Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 1:58.115
5. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:58.327
6. Walker C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:58.557
7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.356
8. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.676
9. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:59.939
10. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 2:00.012
11. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 2:00.152
12. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2:00.194
13. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2:00.263
14. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 2:00.288
15. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 2:00.362
16. Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2:00.643