Checa leads opening day in Germany

From the WSBK Press Office

Privateer Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) slammed in a brilliant new track best lap of 1:55.232 during the opening qualifying session for the World Superbike Championship at the Nurburgring on Friday to lead local favourite Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport).

Checa was a podium finisher at Nürburgring in 2009, and is looking forward to another chance to improve Saturday morning before facing Superpole on Saturday afternoon.

On his German-built BMW machine, Corser headed a trio of Ducati riders: Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team), Shane Byrne (Althea Racing Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox Team).

Championship leader Max Biaggi was sixth for Aprilia Alitalia Racing, keeping up the pressure on challenger Leon Haslam, who was only 11th for Suzuki Alstare.

Double Silverstone race winner Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) was top Yamaha rider, Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) the fastest Honda man in eighth place.

Privateer Jakub Smrz (Team PATA B&G Racing) slipped into the top 10, as did Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) on the same weekend his team launched its new 2011 season challenger in the WSBK paddock.

Local hero Max Neukirchner (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) posted a top 12 time but it was an unhappy and painful session for Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), who broke his right wrist in a heavy fall, and has been declared unfit to race on Sunday. He also hurt his knee, but without serious injury.

Stand-in rider Ian Lowry (Kawasaki Racing Team) was 19th and by no means the last rider in the first day rankings.

World Supersport Championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) set a 1:59.276 lap on the first day of competitive action in Germany, but Spanish rider David Salom (ParkinGO BE1 Triumph) was only 1/1000th of a second behind.

Silverstone podium finisher Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech) went third on his Honda, despite a late fall, without injury.

Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com) was fourth on the official Ninja ZX-6R, his new team-mate Broc Parkes seventh.

Championship challenger Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) was fifth. One more qualifying session remains to determine the final grid positions on Saturday.

Italian rider Andrea Antonelli (Honda Lorini) set the fastest time of day one at the Nürburgring in the Superstock 1000 class, heading off new champion Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) by only 0.035 seconds.

Local rider Marc Moser (Sport-Evolution Triumph) was a popular early pace setter in Superstock 600, leading regular Yamaha competitors Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing) and Romain Lanusse (MRS Racing) in the top-three battle.

World Superbike Times
1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1:55.232
2. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000RR 1:55.447
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:55.753
4. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1:55.998
5. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:56.024
6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:56.077
7. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:56.169
8. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:56.253
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:56.340
10. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:56.436
11. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:56.617
12. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1:56.617
13. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:56.734
14. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000RR 1:56.799
15. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:56.819
16. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1:56.825
etc.