Martin on front row for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Phillip
Island
Steve Martin will start from the front row of the grid on
the PETRONAS FP1 for the second season in succession at Phillip
Island tomorrow.
The Australian qualified in fourth place for the second round
races in the Superbike World Championship, alongside James
Toseland, Troy Corser and Troy Bayliss.
Having qualified in fifth place in the morning session, Steve
posted his best lap time of the weekend of 1:33.206 to claim
his front row place.
He was also able to complete extensive race simulation runs
during afternoon free practice, in which he finished sixth
fastest.
Craig Jones continued to gain valuable knowledge of the circuit,
in only his second visit to Phillip Island, and sliced more
than half a second off yesterday’s best time during
morning qualifying.
Steve said: “I have gone progressively
quicker all weekend and to do my fastest lap when it counted
was great. It was just about as quick as I could go, while
knowing that I would be returning! So we have given ourselves
every chance for the races tomorrow, as being on the front
row is a great asset for us. I have been practising starts
all weekend and think I have them nailed now, so I can be
nice and aggressive into the first corner. I might not be
able to run the top guys but I should be able to race for
the points this weekend and I am really hoping for a top ten
finish, which should be achievable. The level of competition
in the Superbike World Championship has always been high but
to be on the front row this year, with the addition of the
MotoGP riders, is a real achievement and a measure of how
much progress we are continually making with PETRONAS.”
Craig said: “I made a little bit of
progress with the bike towards the end of morning qualifying
and tried other things in the free practice which didn’t
make a massive difference. Trying to make the bike suit me
and go fast at a track that I don’t fully know is difficult.
I have a setting I am reasonably happy with but circuit knowledge
is important round here, but tomorrow I will be riding as
hard and as fast as I can with the package I have.”
Superpole results, Superbike World Championship,
round 2, Phillip Island, Australia: 1 Bayliss 1:32.159; 2
Corser +0.214; 3 Toseland +0.844; 4 Martin +1.047; 5 Barros
+1.214; 6 Muggeridge +1.412; 7 Pitt +1.439; 8 Haga +1.472;
9 Lanzi +1.632; 10 Walker +1.769; 11 Chili +1.839; 12 Kagayama
+1.952; 13 Nieto 1.999; 14 Laconi +2.333; 15 Rolfo +2.560;
16 Clementi +2.873
Saturday qualifying times: 1 Bayliss (Ducati
Xerox) 1:32.321; 2 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona) 1:32.991;
3 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:33.441; 4 Toseland (Winston Ten Kate
Honda) 1:33.548; 5 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:33.566;
6 Pitt (Yamaha Italia) 1:33.567; 7 Rolfo (Ducati SC –
Caracchi) 1:33.658; 8 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda)
1:33.702; 9 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1:33.749; 10 Nieto (PSG-1
Kawasaki) 1:33.784; 11 Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:33.945; 12
Clementi (Team Pedercini) 1:34.089; 13 Chili (DFX Treme) 1:34.132;
14 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona) 1:34.158; 15 Lanzi (Ducati
Xerox) 1:34.174; 16 Laconi 1:34.182; 26 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS
Racing) 1:35.886
Saturday free practice times: 1 Bayliss
1:32.081; 2 Toseland 1:32.539; 3 Corser 1:32.693; 4 Muggeridge
1:33.334; 5 Barros 1:33.471; 6 Martin 1:33.479; 7 Nieto 1:33.694;
8 Pitt 1:33.792; 9 Kagayama 1:33.805; 10 Walker 1:33.846;
27 Jones 1:36.487
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