PIROVANO SETS GSX-R CUP PACE
 Wild
Card entry Fabrizio Pirovano proved that he is still the ‘Master
of Monza’ in the opening qualifying session for the
Suzuki GSX-R European Cup at Monza.
Pirovano, who retired from top-level competition a few years
ago, used his considerable circuit knowledge to post the day’s
fastest lap. But he didn’t have it all his own way throughout
the 45-minute qualifying session, because he was pushed hard
by Belgian Xavier Simeon - winner of the opening round in
Valencia.
Qualifying took place on a damp track and the conditions
were far from ideal for the regular Suzuki Cup riders - many
of whom had never ridden at Monza before. Pirovano has won
in the wet at Monza - in his World Superbike and Supersport
days - but Simeon certainly did enough to give him a real
fright until the last few minutes of the session.
Third quickest today is Italian Simone Castellani ahead of
Frenchman Anthony Delhalle and Spaniard Augustin Perez. German
Phillip Hafeneger rounded out the top six.
Fabrizio Pirovano - 1st, 2:04.991:
“I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to race
here again and have been looking forward to it since the start
of the season. Monza is a very special place for me because
it is my home circuit and also because of all the successes
I have had here. It can be quite a hard track in the wet and
you have to know where you are going in order to put in a
fast lap. That’s where my circuit knowledge came in.
“But the young kid - Simeon - was a real threat this
afternoon. He made me go faster and faster and it was only
in the closing stages that I was able to pull out a bit of
a gap. As a ‘Wild Card’ I know I will not score
any points if I win the race on Sunday, but I would still
love to win it because Monza is my track.”
Friday GSX-R Cup Qualifying: 1 Pirovano
2:04.991, 2 Simeon 2:05.528, 3 Castellani 2:07.085, 4 Delhalle
2:09.189, 5 Perez 2:11.253, 6 Hafeneger 2:11.769.
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