Nieto on provisional pole for 250GP

Fonsi Nieto is on provisional pole for the 250GP race at MCN Donington Park at the end of the first qualifying session.

Repsol Telefonica Movistar rider Nieto knocked 0.8 seconds off his best time from the morning practice session to hold on to the top spot ahead of the Aprilias of Manuel Poggiali and Randy De Puniet.

Roberto Rolfo finished the provisional front row on his Fortuna Honda but Nieto’s team-mate Tony Elias could only cut 0.45 off his practice time slipping down the time sheets to a provisional fifth place.

Naoki Matsudo, Franco Battaini, and Sylvain Guintoli finish the provisional second row.

British rider Jay Vincent slipped down to 14th on a 1:36.487 lap, with fellow Brits Chaz Davies 17th, Lee Dickinson 24th, and Philip Desborough 26th.

Andrew Sawford, Katja Poensgen, and Teresio Isola failed to qualify.

Times:

Fonsi Nieto 1:33.859, Manuel Poggiali 1:34.366, Randy De Puniet 1:34.633, Roberto Rolfo 1:34.789, Toni Elias 1:34.814, Naoki Matsudo 1:35.260, Franco Battaini 1:35.589, Sylvain Guintoli 1:35.670, Anthony West 1:35.725, Sebastian Porto 1:35.778, Erwan Nigon 1:36.193, Johan Stigefelt 1:36.323, Eric Bataille 1:36.331, Jay Vincent 1:36.487, Alex Debon 1:36.553, Joan Olive 1:36.613, Chaz Davies 1:36.887, Christian Gemmel 1:37.085, Hector Faubel 1:37.098, Jakub Smrz 1:37.313, Hugo Marchand 1:37.330, Dirk Heidolf 1:37.862, Alex Baldolini 1:38.827, Lee Dickinson 1:39.718, Henk Vd Lagemaat 1:39.938, Phillip Desborough 1:40.141, Not Qualified: Andrew Sawford 1:40.664, Katja Poensgen 1:40.972, Teresio Isola 1:47.283

Check back regularly throughout the weekend for all the latest on the action from MCN Donington Park.