Corser on provisional pole in Germany
Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) adapted
his YZF-R1 to the cool track temperatures of the Nürburgring
to great effect on day one of practice, leading qualifying
with a lap of 1'57.257. His team-mate Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha
Motor Italia WSB Team) felt only a degree of muscle fatigue
a few days after having a plate inserted to his broken collarbone,
and managed to set a 1'58.020 best lap.
Both Yamaha riders have raced at the Nürburgring before,
albeit in 1999 and on a different track layout, with Corser
a race winner last time out.
A cold and blustery wind affected qualifying to some degree,
but the main issue on day one appeared to be a slightly dirty
track surface, which took some time to clean up, especially
after the damp morning session held back lap times and lap
totals. Corser slid off his machine late in the qualifying
session, shortly after setting his best lap, but he was unhurt
and his bike only scuffed.
Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) will have
already made it into Superpole if the second qualifying session
dawns fully wet tomorrow, having set the 14th best time in
dry conditions, 1.249 seconds from Corser's provisional pole.
David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) was 19th on day one, Shinichi Nakatomi
(Team YZF Yamaha) 21st.
Final qualifying and then Superpole for the top 16 riders
takes place on Saturday, afternoon, with Superpole in its
usual 16.00hrs slot.
Troy Corser (1st - 1'57.257 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
"The 'new' section of track is the early section and
that is also the trickiest. Turn one especially. I think because
it is blind and goes downhill, downhill, downhill, it's hard
to get a braking point. If you go straight for the apex of
the corner you can't get the bike turned. The rest of the
track feels the same as last time I raced here but it still
feels a bit dirty, like it needs bike rubber on it to deliver
more grip. I think that's because of the rock concert they
had here recently. We have steadily progressed with the bike
and I'm pretty happy so far."
Noriyuki Haga (7th - 1'58.020 - Yamaha Motor Italia
WSB Team)
"I don't have so much pain from my injured shoulder but
the muscle tends to tire very easily so I will have to get
a massage to bring it back for tomorrow. The racetrack I last
rode on in 1999 and it is just the first part that seems different.
The first corner is strange under braking, because there is
a very tight hairpin and the braking is very heavy. But I
am enjoying the track. Today was not so bad. I tested two
tyres, one soft one and one harder. The soft one will be impossible
to use for the race because it won't go the distance and right
now the next one feels too hard. So I have to work on suspension
to match the set-up and tyre choices."
Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia
WSB Team)
"It was a very positive session today. Troy is leading
and also Nori is close to the front times. We had been waiting
for today to see how Nori was going to be and we are pleased
that he has reacted well to his surgery. Both sides of the
garage are working well to get the final set-up and be ready
tomorrow morning and the last chance to qualify before Superpole."
Sebastien Gimbert (14th - 1'58.506 seconds - GMT94
Yamaha)
"It's my very first time at this track so obviously I
am happy to be inside the Superpole qualifying group already.
I did my best lap on my own, without a tow from another rider,
but I may have to get some help to go much faster tomorrow.
The bike has been good from the start and I have to say thanks
to all the technical staff for finding such a good set-up
so early. My chassis feels very good and I can ride the bike
the way I want."
Circuit Length: 4556
Weather: Dry
2008 WSB Germany - Nürburgring 13/06/2008
Qualifying 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 1'57.257
2 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'57.694
3 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 1'57.878
4 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'57.929
5 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1'57.956
6 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1'57.989
7 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'58.020
8 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'58.044
9 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 1'58.258
10 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 1'58.311
11 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 1'58.322
12 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 1'58.354
13 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 1'58.399
14 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1'58.506
15 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'58.514
19 David Checa Yamaha ESP 1'59.313
21 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1'59.642
QUALIFYING 1 REPORT 13/06/2008
Parkes fit again and fast on first day of qualifying
Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Broc Parkes soared to the
top of the first day qualifying list at the Nürburgring
in Germany, setting a time over 0.7 seconds faster than the
next best rider. His team-mate Fabien Foret went sixth quickest,
after making a small mistake on his final fast lap of the
day.
The first WSS session, free practice held this morning, was
conducted in dry but cool conditions, a lucky break for all
as rain came and went in the run-up to this the sixth round
of the championship. Parkes had also been fastest in that
session, putting some degree of circuit knowledge to good
use.
Times were slashed in the marginally warmer official afternoon
session, as Parkes led the field into the second period of
qualifying. A good day one time is a real advantage as the
immediate weather forecast is for unsettled conditions tomorrow,
making for a high risk of a wet final qualifying session.
Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by
Leoni) could not find a way into the top ten on day
one, but the still-injured David De Gea (Yamaha Spain World
Supersport) overcame his slow healing right leg fracture to
secure an early ninth place on the provisional grid. David
Salom is racing back in Spain this weekend instead of his
regular slot on the WSS Starting grid, with Aussie rider Jeremy
Crowe taking his place and finishing a respectable 20th.
Broc Parkes (1st - 2'00.743 - Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"I have been here before, running on the national circuit,
and that was definitely a help this morning. The bike is working
well on a pretty good set-up and we tried a few things through
the session to make it even better. We found a good suspension
setting and near the end we put a new tyre in and made a good
lap time. I think tomorrow we should go about a second faster,
because it was a bit windy at the end of the session. It has
been a good first day and the bike is getting to where I want
it."
Fabien Foret (6th - 2'01.951 - Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"A busy day because of the weather changing and I need
to find a better reference point on the track, for braking
and so on. I guess that is the same for everyone. I need to
set things up a bit better but we are not so far away from
everyone except Broc. He knows part of the track and made
a very fast lap. I am not so worried about this I am more
concerned to be faster than the other ones. I made a mistake
on the last corner of my fastest lap so maybe there could
have been an even better time."
Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport
Team)
"Broc is fit and feeling well and we are happy that it
is dry. Broc knows the way round because he has raced on the
shorter national track here, so that is why he has been up
to speed quite so fast. Fabien feels well too and we must
be pleased with the first day. Our target time is not clear
because no bikes have raced on this layout but I would imagine
that around two minutes would be a realistic target and Broc
is basically there. But like normal, race pace is going to
be slower."
Massimo Roccoli (14th - 2'03.218 seconds - Yamaha
Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)
"I found very little grip and drive from the track surface
today and we paid the price in the lap time. Tomorrow, if
it is dry, we will try different gearing and new suspension
settings to find the missing time."
Circuit Length: 4556
2008 WSS Germany - Nürburgring 13/06/2008
Qualifying 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 2'0.742
2 Craig Jones Honda GBR 2'1.529
3 Mark Aitchinson Triumph AUS 2'1.659
4 Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 2'1.797
5 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 2'1.909
6 Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 2'1.951
7 Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 2'2.154
8 Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 2'2.157
9 David De Gea Yamaha ESP 2'2.363
10 Didier Van Keymeulen Suzuki BEL 2'2.386
11 Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 2'2.666
12 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 2'2.770
13 Arne Tode Triumph GER 2'2.960
14 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 2'3.218
15 Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 2'3.487
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