Submitted by David Emmett on
Results and summary of a semi-dry Superpole from Miller Motorsports Park:
Superpole 1
The track filled up immediately once it was opened, the riders heading out onto a wet but slowly drying track. The track was still treacherous, though, with Leon Camier being thrown off in a huge highside within the first couple of minutes. The Aprilia rider hurried back to the pits, and just made it out in time on his second bike.
Troy Corser was the first ride to grab top spot and the first to get into the 2'02s, followed by a 2'01 a lap later. Sylvain Guintoli and Max Biaggi followed not far behind, both men in the 2'02s. Biaggi, however, was flying, taking top spot just after the halfway mark with a 2'01.101. A lap later, he was even faster, with a 2'00.814. Guintoli, meanwhile, had taken back 2nd, half a second off Biaggi's time, with the two Yamahas of Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri taking 3rd and 4th.
Camier salvaged his session in the final seconds, finally squeezing through into Superpole 2. But Camier saved his skin at the expense of the Castrol Hondas, Johnny Rea and Ruben Xaus joining Michel Fabrizio and Josh Waters out of Superpole.
Out of Superpole 1: Johnny Rea, Ruben Xaus, Michel Fabrizio, Josh Waters
Results:
Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Diff |
1 | 1 | M. BIAGGI | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'00.814 | |
2 | 50 | S. GUINTOLI | Ducati 1098R | 2'01.333 | 0.519 |
3 | 58 | E. LAVERTY | Yamaha YZF R1 | 2'01.555 | 0.741 |
4 | 33 | M. MELANDRI | Yamaha YZF R1 | 2'01.655 | 0.841 |
5 | 41 | N. HAGA | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'01.737 | 0.923 |
6 | 96 | J. SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 2'01.838 | 1.024 |
7 | 11 | T. CORSER | BMW S1000 RR | 2'01.894 | 1.080 |
8 | 7 | C. CHECA | Ducati 1098R | 2'02.542 | 1.728 |
9 | 91 | L. HASLAM | BMW S1000 RR | 2'02.608 | 1.794 |
10 | 86 | A. BADOVINI | BMW S1000 RR | 2'02.721 | 1.907 |
11 | 66 | T. SYKES | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 2'02.942 | 2.128 |
12 | 2 | L. CAMIER | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'03.080 | 2.266 |
Out after Superpole 1: | |||||
13 | 4 | J. REA | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.232 | 2.418 |
14 | 111 | R. XAUS | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.382 | 2.568 |
15 | 84 | M. FABRIZIO | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'03.397 | 2.583 |
16 | 12 | J. WATERS | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'04.156 | 3.342 |
Superpole 2
Troy Corser was once again the first rider to go fastest, setting a 2'00.907 straight off the bat, with times clearly dropping as conditions improved a little. Corser was soon displaced by Jakub Smrz. Corser struck back straight away, but Smrz responded immediately, just seven hundredths off a sub-two minute lap. Another lap later, and he was under two minutes, with a 1'59.238.
Ayrton Badovini put in a brilliant ride, holding on to 2nd for most of the session, before being bumped by Carlos Checa, and then by Troy Corser. But as the flag fell, the hot laps came flying, with Laverty, Biaggi and Guintoli also getting ahead of Badovini.
A mistake which saw Leon Haslam end in the gravel meant the BMW man missed out on a fast lap. He was joined by Leon Camier, Tom Sykes and Noriyuki Haga on the 3rd row of the grid.
Out after Superpole 2: Noriyuki Haga, Tom Sykes, Leon Camier, Leon Haslam
Results:
Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Diff |
1 | 96 | J. SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 1'59.238 | |
2 | 7 | C. CHECA | Ducati 1098R | 1'59.794 | 0.556 |
3 | 58 | E. LAVERTY | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'59.799 | 0.561 |
4 | 1 | M. BIAGGI | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 1'59.889 | 0.651 |
5 | 50 | S. GUINTOLI | Ducati 1098R | 1'59.889 | 0.651 |
6 | 11 | T. CORSER | BMW S1000 RR | 1'59.905 | 0.667 |
7 | 86 | A. BADOVINI | BMW S1000 RR | 1'59.935 | 0.697 |
8 | 33 | M. MELANDRI | Yamaha YZF R1 | 2'00.180 | 0.942 |
Out after Superpole 2: | |||||
9 | 41 | N. HAGA | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'00.303 | 1.065 |
10 | 66 | T. SYKES | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 2'00.477 | 1.239 |
11 | 2 | L. CAMIER | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'00.643 | 1.405 |
12 | 91 | L. HASLAM | BMW S1000 RR | 2'01.127 | 1.889 |
Out after Superpole 1: | |||||
13 | 4 | J. REA | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.232 | 2.418 |
14 | 111 | R. XAUS | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.382 | 2.568 |
15 | 84 | M. FABRIZIO | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'03.397 | 2.583 |
16 | 12 | J. WATERS | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'04.156 | 3.342 |
Superpole 3
The final session of Superpole, and once again it was Troy corser setting the fastest lap first, and once again he was trumped by Jakub Smrz, who was in turn bumped by Carlos Checa, the first rider to get under 2'00. With a dry line starting to form in places, times were quickly being obliterated, with Guintoli, Biaggi and Corser soon blasting past Checa, and Smrz soon past as well.
Next time round, Checa was back, and again the first into the 1'58s. But Smrz was flying, and the Effenbert Liberty Ducati rider took pole straight back with a 1'58.390. But Checa was not to be denied. On his final lap, Checa snatched back pole by less than a tenth. The margin may have been small, but the timing was perfect. Smrz was forced to settle for 2nd, while the Yamahas of Melandri and Laverty took the last two places on the front row. Guintoli heads up row two, ahead of Troy Corser, Max Biaggi and an impressive Ayrton Badovini. Biaggi's second row start was caused in part by the Italian running off in the final couple of minutes, and having a very slow crash, more of a topple than a crash. It was enough to stop Biaggi from returning to the track and having another shot.
Results and final grid:
Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Diff |
1 | 7 | C. CHECA | Ducati 1098R | 1'58.315 | |
2 | 96 | J. SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 1'58.390 | 0.075 |
3 | 33 | M. MELANDRI | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'58.609 | 0.294 |
4 | 58 | E. LAVERTY | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'58.860 | 0.545 |
5 | 50 | S. GUINTOLI | Ducati 1098R | 1'59.069 | 0.754 |
6 | 11 | T. CORSER | BMW S1000 RR | 1'59.262 | 0.947 |
7 | 1 | M. BIAGGI | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 1'59.736 | 1.421 |
8 | 86 | A. BADOVINI | BMW S1000 RR | 1'59.827 | 1.512 |
Out after Superpole 2: | |||||
9 | 41 | N. HAGA | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'00.303 | 1.065 |
10 | 66 | T. SYKES | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 2'00.477 | 1.239 |
11 | 2 | L. CAMIER | Aprilia RSV4 Factory | 2'00.643 | 1.405 |
12 | 91 | L. HASLAM | BMW S1000 RR | 2'01.127 | 1.889 |
Out after Superpole 1: | |||||
13 | 4 | J. REA | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.232 | 2.418 |
14 | 111 | R. XAUS | Honda CBR1000RR | 2'03.382 | 2.568 |
15 | 84 | M. FABRIZIO | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'03.397 | 2.583 |
16 | 12 | J. WATERS | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 2'04.156 | 3.342 |
Did not qualify for Superpole | |||||
17 | 17 | J. LASCORZ | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 1'50.195 | 1.935 |
18 | 52 | J. TOSELAND | BMW S1000 RR | 1'50.306 | 2.046 |
19 | 8 | M. AITCHISON | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 1'50.646 | 2.386 |
20 | 121 | M. BERGER | Ducati 1098R | 1'50.717 | 2.457 |
21 | 44 | R. ROLFO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 1'51.586 | 3.326 |