| QUALIFYING 2 REPORT | 25/07/2009 | | Sensational Spies back on pole in Brno | | |  | Having learnt the long complicated Brno track Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies got down to business today in the second qualifying session. Spies speed was never on doubt and as the track knowledge increased so the lap times came down. He ended the session on the top spot a tenth of a second faster than nearest rival Max Biaggi although overall times put him in second behind the Italian. Biaggi's claim to the top spot was short-lived as Spies went straight out in the first Superpole session to score the fastest time, without using a Q tyre. This was to be repeated in the following two heats as he switched to his two allotted Q tyres and again set himself apart from the Superbike pack, the only rider to dip twice below 1.59 seconds.
Tom Sykes performance echoed his team mate, having grasped the track layout he improved dramatically on yesterday's times and finished the second qualifying session in sixth position under six hundreds of a second from Spies in first, giving him an overall provisional qualifying position of eighth. The afternoon brought what was possibly the best Superpole session yet of the season for Sykes. Using a Q for the first session he ended comfortably in tenth. Changing tactics for the second session, he waited in the garage until four minutes from the end before heading out on a second Q and again finishing comfortably in fifth behind Michel Fabrizio. The final session saw him re-use the Q to take eighth position and a well earned second row start on the grid for tomorrow's races.
Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st,1'58.868)
"It was a good Superpole session for us and it's been a good weekend so far as well with the qualifying. We've been good with the race set up and we found something in the afternoon practice session that made the bike feel a lot better on race tyres. Superpole was good for us, we really got it together. I had a small problem in the last session but it was still good enough to get it done today but it was a tough one. We've got a good start position tomorrow and I think our bike is really good on the tyres here after a few laps so I think it's going to be a good race-day. Michel will definitely be up there tomorrow and I think Max will be too. I love the circuit, it's really wide, big and fast, it's a beautiful track." |
|  | Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (8th, 2'00.240)
"The qualifying wasn't too bad, we finished eighth overall and to be honest we were just working on the settings on the bike. In the free practice we wanted to try something else but for some reason I felt a bit uncomfortable on the bike and wasn't sure why so we switched to the second bike for Superpole. I felt straight at home again so tonight we'll change everything to make sure both bikes are the same for tomorrow. I'm reasonably happy with row two, it's better than where we have been starting from and it's a good track to pass on. We should have a good race pace so we'll try a couple more things in warm-up to see if we can improve some more and hope for dry weather. I'm looking forward to tomorrow now, I certainly feel with a good start it could be a good race round here. I'm looking forward to mixing it with everyone and getting on the podium!"
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team
"Nine Superpoles from ten races is really special, not something that everyone can do. The way both riders have worked this weekend has been really great. The pace on the race tyres is really good, and to be on the first two rows with another Superpole is fantastic. Up to now everything is good!" |
| | 2009 WSB Czech Republic - Brno 25/07/2009 | | Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time | | 1 | Ben Spies | Yamaha | USA | 1'58.868 | | 2 | Michel Fabrizio | Ducati | ITA | 1'58.950 | | 3 | Max Biaggi | Aprilia | ITA | 1'59.055 | | 4 | Jonathan Rea | Honda | GBR | 1'59.740 | | 5 | Shane Byrne | Ducati | GBR | 1'59.787 | | 6 | Troy Corser | BMW | AUS | 2'00.046 | | 7 | Ruben Xaus | BMW | ESP | 2'00.096 | | 8 | Tom Sykes | Yamaha | GBR | 2'00.240 | | 9 | Lorenzo Lanzi | Ducati | ITA | 1'59.730 | | 10 | Carlos Checa | Honda | ESP | 1'59.748 | | 11 | Makoto Tamada | Kawasaki | JPN | 1'59.873 | | 12 | Jakub Smrz | Ducati | CZE | 2'00.159 | | 13 | Yukio Kagayama | Suzuki | JPN | 2'00.223 | | 14 | Noriyuki Haga | Ducati | JPN | 2'00.235 | | 15 | Shinya Nakano | Aprilia | JPN | 2'00.262 |
| Pos. | Rider | Nat. | QUAL I | QUAL II | | 1 | Max Biaggi | ITA | 1'59.982 | 2'00.707 | | 2 | Ben Spies | USA | 2'00.558 | 2'00.043 | | 3 | Jakub Smrz | CZE | 2'01.031 | 2'00.052 | | 4 | Michel Fabrizio | ITA | 2'00.066 | 2'00.101 | | 5 | Carlos Checa | ESP | 2'00.205 | 2'00.408 | | 6 | Shane Byrne | GBR | 2'01.017 | 2'00.355 | | 7 | Lorenzo Lanzi | ITA | 2'00.581 | 2'01.118 | | 8 | Tom Sykes | GBR | 2'01.070 | 2'00.600 | | 9 | Troy Corser | AUS | 2'00.603 | 2'00.636 | | 10 | Broc Parkes | AUS | 2'00.887 | 2'00.623 | | 11 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | 2'01.023 | 2'00.702 | | 12 | Ruben Xaus | ESP | 2'00.731 | 2'00.973 | | 13 | Shinya Nakano | JPN | 2'00.731 | 2'01.537 | | 14 | Yukio Kagayama | JPN | 2'00.958 | 2'01.410 | | 15 | Leon Haslam | GBR | 2'01.403 | 2'01.012 | | 26 | David Checa | ESP | 2'02.785 | 2'03.092 |
| QUALIFYING 1 REPORT | 25/07/2009 | | Crutchlow sets pole with blistering pace in Brno | | |  | Yamaha World Supersport sensation Cal Crutchlow kept the heat on in qualifying today, setting an incredible pace to finish the session over eight tenths of second faster than second placed rider Eugene Laverty. Crutchlow was never out of the number one spot for the duration of the session, repeating his performance of the morning's free practice where he was again nearly a second and a half ahead of the pack.
Team mate Fabien Foret was not as fast as yesterday's free practice session, the French rider struggling to find a good rhythm for the circuit. Foret spent the majority of the qualifying session inside the top five however he dropped a couple of places to seventh for a second row start on the grid tomorrow for the race.
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World supersport Team (1st, 2'02.060)
"it wasn't so bad today considering we only used one set of tyres again. We found the new front tyre to be very good round here so we tried that and stuck to the rear we normally use. I did 15 good laps on them at the end so all good. I think the race will be different, Eugene will be able to tag along and do the pace, I just don't think he's showing it today. I had a few moments out there, the wind was really strong and picked me up in a few places when it got under the front wheel and pushed me wide. Let's see what we can do tomorrow. |
| Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (7th, 2'03.825)
"I'm not very happy with seventh position, I think I messed my session up a bit and wasn't able to manage a fast lap which is a shame. I think it will be better for the race because I'm more consistent then than fast for one lap so we'll see tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get a good start and then the race will be ok."
Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
"a couple of good laps again from Cal, he's definitely ready for tomorrow and was ready to race today. Eugene picked up the pace today so tomorrow we have to fight and try to win it again. From Cal's point of view I think he has everything under control and the set up is done. Fabien struggled a bit in qualifying, pushing a bit too hard and overshooting some corners, he was struggling to find the rhythm that he had in practice this morning. Second row is not brilliant, he expected to be at least eight tenths faster but couldn't get it out. We'll see tomorrow." |
| | 2009 WSS Czech Republic - Brno 25/07/2009 | |
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time |
| 1 | Cal Crutchlow | Yamaha | GBR | 2'02.060 |
| 2 | Eugene Laverty | Honda | GBR | 2'02.908 |
| 3 | Joan Lascorz | Kawasaki | ESP | 2'03.217 |
| 4 | Katsuaki Fujiwara | Kawasaki | JPN | 2'03.220 |
| 5 | Gianluca Nannelli | Triumph | ITA | 2'03.428 |
| 6 | Garry McCoy | Triumph | AUS | 2'03.662 |
| 7 | Fabien Foret | Yamaha | FRA | 2'03.825 |
| 8 | Michele Pirro | Yamaha | ITA | 2'04.042 |
| 9 | Massimo Roccoli | Honda | ITA | 2'04.135 |
| 10 | Anthony West | Honda | AUS | 2'04.192 |
| 11 | Mark Aitchison | Honda | AUS | 2'04.279 |
| 12 | Miguel Praia | Honda | POR | 2'04.303 |
| 13 | Sheridan Morais | Yamaha | RSA | 2'04.458 |
| 14 | Kenan Sofuoglu | Honda | TUR | 2'04.463 |
| 15 | Danilo Dell'omo | Honda | ITA | 2'04.503 |
| 28 | Yannick Guerra | Yamaha | ESP | 2'07.868 |
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