WSB / WSS Brands Hatch - Qualifying 2
QUALIFYING 2 REPORT 02/08/2008
Haga close to a Superpole win
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) was only 0.023
seconds from a Superpole win at Brands Hatch, after a very
confused 'wet' Superpole contest, which was eventually decided
on a completely dry racetrack.
Despite the confusion caused by a late switch from a regular
'dry' Superpole to a wet session, Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor
Italia WSB Team) secured fifth place and therefore the prime
spot on the second row for Sunday's 25-lap races.
The final few laps of the Superpole session were conducted
at near track best pace, despite the start of the session
being completely wet, and the pole time of 1'25.656 was set
by Troy Bayliss.
Both Corser and Haga worked hard on their race pace in the
regular qualifying sessions but the changes of weather at
times today stopped them making a final tyre choice. Warm-up
on Sunday morning will therefore be a vital spell for the
team, which has high hopes for Sunday's races.
Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) went 18th again today, as
his team-mate David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) improved to 20th
place.
Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) did not ride due to his
earlier injury.
Noriyuki Haga (2nd - 1'25.679 - Yamaha Motor Italia
WSB Team)
"Obviously I am happy to be second and before Superpole
I was a little bit worried because of the rain stopping our
plans. I was trying to improve my feeling on a dry track,
and we did improve our performance. Anyway I will be trying
absolutely my best for the races although I expect it to be
very tough tomorrow. I really like this circuit, and I love
to win here so I will be trying my best to do that."
Troy Corser (5th - 1'26.021 - Yamaha Motor Italia
WSB Team)
"With the weather the way it was today it got a bit messy
at times, and it caught everyone out. We had a wet Superpole
but we couldn't get enough qualifying tyres to let us finish
Superpole properly. We had 12 laps but we only had two qualifiers.
I had used my first one when it started raining, so I re-used
it, and then only had one left to set our best time. The bike
is working well and we'll be ready for tomorrow. From row
two it will be elbows out into turn one!"
Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia
WSB Team)
"We are quite happy about things considering how much
the weather had to do with today but we still need to think
about tyre endurance. We have some good information already
but tomorrow morning we will make a check and the forecast
for the weather is better than today, It should be warmer,
and I think we have a good set up for good results."
Martial Garcia (Team Manager, Yamaha YZF Team)
"Nakatomi had a bad crash because of a highside yesterday
and hurt his left wrist. The doctors decided to declare him
unfit, so that is that for this weekend."
Circuit Length: 4197
Weather: Overcast
2008 WSB Great Britain - Brands Hatch 02/08/2008
Superpole
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'25.656
2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'25.679
3 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 1'25.840
4 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'25.960
5 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 1'26.021
6 Tom Sykes Suzuki GBR 1'26.166
7 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 1'26.169
8 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'26.226
9 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1'26.501
10 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 1'26.688
11 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 1'26.751
12 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'26.807
13 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 1'27.148
14 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'27.217
15 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 1'27.246
Qualifying 2
Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II
1 Troy Bayliss AUS 1'26.631 1'25.898
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN 1'26.017 1'25.920
3 Max Neukirchner GER 1'26.830 1'25.958
4 Troy Corser AUS 1'26.461 1'26.030
5 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'26.144 1'26.592
6 Yukio Kagayama JPN 1'26.156 1'26.657
7 Max Biaggi ITA 1'26.166 1'26.366
8 Ruben Xaus ESP 1'26.753 1'26.218
9 Fonsi Nieto ESP 1'26.582 1'26.231
10 Tom Sykes GBR 1'26.572 1'26.279
11 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'26.290 1'27.167
12 Gregorio Lavilla ESP 1'26.441 1'26.651
13 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA 1'27.219 1'26.466
14 Karl Muggeridge AUS 1'26.565 1'26.776
15 Carlos Checa ESP 1'27.020 1'26.577
18 Sebastien Gimbert FRA 1'27.306 1'26.725
20 David Checa ESP 1'28.230 1'27.100
29 Shinichi Nakatomi JPN 1'29.302 n/a
QUALIFYING 2 REPORT 02/08/2008
Parkes in the top four as Harris goes fifth fastest
Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) will make a start
from the first row for Sunday's Brands Hatch World Supersport
race after finishing fourth fastest in combined qualifying.
His team-mate for the Brands Hatch round, Karl Harris, was
a superb fifth in his first WSS race for the team, and has
also found what he thinks will be a good set-up for the 23-lap
race on Sunday. He was only 0.020 seconds from Parkes today
in terms of his best qualifying lap, and only 0.2 seconds
from pole.
Parkes was finally unable to go for his sixth pole in a row
after the British weather caused light showers to fall on
and off during the final qualifying session today. Despite
this he is confident that the team have found a strong set-up
for raceday as he goes for his second 2008 season race win.
Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) ended
up tenth on the grid after only marginally improving his first
day time on a track surface which was difficult for even the
local riders to read.
David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport) moved up to 18th
place on his R6, and will start the race from row five.
Broc Parkes (4th - 1'28.201 - Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"Overall that was pretty good but we didn't have a good
clean run in the final session. We went out at the start and
it was drizzling rain a little bit, then I put in a bit of
a lap time, and then came in. Maybe I should have gone out
again right away but we waited to see what would happen. Later
in the session when I went out again the rain came back but
the bike feels good and we made a lot of progress in the race
setting. We did our best lap on our fourth or fifth lap on
the same tyre and that is usually a good sign."
Karl Harris (5th - 1'28.221 - Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"Top five is OK. I was actually up on the first two splits
but then on the last part of the lap it started spitting with
rain. I didn't feel I was holding off even then but I just
wasn't doing my usual 100% commitment. But I am happy with
fifth, especially as it was a bit of a nightmare in that session,
with the weather changing every five minutes. We are making
changes on the bike and we are going faster because of them,
so I am very happy with the bike and the team. We'll see how
we go tomorrow."
Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"The team worked hard on the data overnight to find solutions
for Broc's set-up today, we worked hard and found a race setting
we were happy with. For Karl it was less complicated. Both
riders improved their times and are very close to pole so
we have to be satisfied with that. For the first time in five
races we don't have pole but we are OK because all those poles
did not bring us any wins. But we are ready for anything on
Sunday and Broc being on the front row is important. If it
is wet tomorrow it will be the same for everyone so we'll
wait and see. I don't think anybody wants to have rain here.
But for sure we have to ride, wet or dry - it's not optional!"
David Salom (18th - 1'29.433 - Yamaha Spain)
"It was a pity that it started to rain when it did. I
had just put in a new tyre and after two laps it started to
rain. I had been able to improve my best time from yesterday
anyway, and I know I can have a good pace tomorrow in the
race."
Circuit Length: 4197
Weather: Overcast
2008 WSS Great Britain - Brands Hatch 02/08/2008
Qualifying 2
Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II
1 Matthieu Lagrive FRA 1'28.511 1'28.003
2 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'28.117 1'28.274
3 Craig Jones GBR 1'28.340 1'28.171
4 Broc Parkes AUS 1'28.409 1'28.201
5 Karl Harris GBR 1'28.886 1'28.221
6 Joshua Brookes AUS 1'29.441 1'28.390
7 Robbin Harms DNK 1'28.952 1'28.459
8 Barry Veneman NED 1'28.875 1'28.498
9 Andrew Pitt AUS 1'29.087 1'28.519
10 Massimo Roccoli ITA 1'28.780 1'28.747
11 Steve Plater GBR 1'29.730 1'28.950
12 Hudson Kennaugh RSA 1'29.025 1'29.147
13 Joan Lascorz ESP 1'29.281 1'29.056
14 Gianluca Vizziello ITA 1'29.157 1'29.090
15 Mark Aitchinson AUS 1'29.157 1'29.530
18 David Salom ESP 1'30.202 1'29.433
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