Suzuki dominate fiercely contested first qualifying

Less than one second separated the top 15 riders in Friday first qualifying with the Suzuki pairing of Max Neukirchner and Yukio Kagayama securing the top two spots on the provisional front row.

Neukirchner and Kagayama were the only men to dip into the 1m 34’s with both men also showing solid race pace on race rubber.

Carlos Checa backed up his pace from this mornings free practice session to go third and at this stage looks far and away the most consistent on race tyres with 16 of his 26 laps in the 1m 35s bracket.

Championship leader Troy Bayliss began to show the pace we all expected at Valencia but could still only manage fourth spot as he continues to dial in his Ducati 1098 F08 for the tight and twisty Spanish circuit.

Bayliss’ team-mate Michel Fabrizio backed up his strong performances in the opening two rounds by lapping just 2/100ths slower than the Australian to secure fifth.

Former Xerox Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi continued his good results at Valencia to take fifth onboard his RG Ducati 1098RS with Jacob Smrtz making it four Ducati’s in the top seven.

The Yamaha duo of Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga were down in ninth and tenth place respectively but with Corser just 0.6seconds off pole the team remain unconcerned about their early pace.

Local man and last years winner Ruben Xaus struggled to recreate the pace he showed at last months test after crashing his number one bike early in the session and ended up down in 17th spot.

His team-mate Max Biaggi began to show serious effects of his wrist injury and despite completing a further 24 laps was 1.5 seconds off he pace and down in 24th spot.

 

1 76 M. NEUKIRCHNER GER Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’34.806

2 34 Y. KAGAYAMA JPN Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’34.932

3 7 C. CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.042

4 21 T. BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 1’35.060

5 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 1’35.080

6 57 L. LANZI ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 1’35.085

7 96 J. SMRZ CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s Ducati 1098 RS 08 1’35.262

8 55 R. LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’35.278

9 11 T. CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 1’35.424

10 41 N. HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 1’35.548

11 23 R. KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.550

12 100 M.TAMADA JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’35.598

13 31 K. MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.634

14 44 R. ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda Althea Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.756

15 194 S. GIMBERT FRA Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 1’35.766

16 10 F. NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’35.766

17 111 R. XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 1’35.892

18 36 G. LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.939

19 94 D. CHECA ESP Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 1’36.066

20 131 C. MORALES ESP L’Oreal Men Expert Laglisse Yamaha YZF-R1 1’36.070

21 38 S. NAKATOMI JPN YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 1’36.088

22 83 R. HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.150

23 54 K. SOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.268

24 3 M. BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 1’36.305

25 16 S. FUERTES ESP Team Suzuki Motorrad Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.711

26 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’36.749

27 77 L. NAPOLEONE FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 1’37.288

28 37 D. LOZANO ORTIZ ESP Honda Joe Darcey Honda CBR1000RR 1’37.381

29 22 L. MORELLI ITA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1’37.660

30 88 S. AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1’37.958