Troys battle for Island honours
Rotten day in Australia for BiaggiA freshly maimed Troy Bayliss has cut the best ever lap around Phillip Island in claiming pole position for tomorrow’s second round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island.
Bayliss made the one-lap Superpole shootout his own, unleashing an astonishing lap of 1:31.493 on his Ducati, half a second ahead of countryman and seven-time Phillip Island winner Troy Corser (Yamaha, 1:32.011), who will start alongside him in tomorrow’s two 22-lap races.
Bayliss’ teammate Michel Fabrizio (1:32.164) and Spain’s Carlos Checa (1:32.373) will complete an experienced front row.
It was Bayliss’ 19th pole position in world Superbike, and his third in a row at Phillip Island.
The 38-year-old’s hot lap was all the more meritorious after he highsided in this morning’s second qualifying session and suffered a nasty gash to his left elbow which required eight stitches.
“It’s been an eventful day,” said Bayliss. “My elbow but it didn’t bother me during this afternoon’s practice and Superpole.
“I’m pretty confident about tomorrow’s races. I knew it was going to be close between Corser and me here today and we both generally end up lapping with similar times.
“I couldn’t try another long-run today due to the crash, but Michel (Fabrizio) was able to do that and we were happy with the results. Tomorrow the first few laps will for sure be exciting and then I guess it will come down to tyre performance.”
Corser also set his fastest lap for the weekend in Superpole, but it wasn’t enough to eclipse Bayliss and snatch his 42nd career pole position.
“The bike is going reasonably well,” said Corser. “We had a few problems with balance in the afternoon session which meant I could not warm-up my qualifiers.
“Well done to Bayliss. “I know what you have to do to get that time; you can't make any mistakes and you have to be pretty perfect.”
Other than Bayliss’ demolition job, the other piece of high drama in Superpole came when the gear lever on Max Biaggi’s Ducati broke, forcing him to sit out proceedings.
The Roman was furious, and will now start tomorrow’s races from a lowly 16th on the grid, eight spots behind his position in normal qualifying.
Meanwhile, the second row will comprise Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki), Jakub Smrz (Ducati), world No. 2 Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and Max Neukirchner (Germany).
Nieto was a last start winner in Qatar last weekend, with Bayliss successful in race one.
Aussie Honda teammates Karl Muggeridge and Russell Holland will both start from the third row. The two have taken giant strides in set-up at Phillip Island after a slew of problems in Qatar.
Twenty-seven riders will compete tomorrow, as local riders set out to continue their domination of the Phillip Island round of world Superbikes.
Since 1990, Australians have won 21 races around the 4.448km grand prix circuit, compared to 12 for the international connection. Corser (seven wins), Anthony Gobert (five) and Bayliss (four) have been the most successful of the Aussie riders at Phillip Island.
2008 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Round two – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
SUPERPOLE RESULTS
WORLD SUPERBIKE FINAL QUALIFYING
1. Troy Bayliss
Australia Ducati 1m31.493s
2. Troy Corser
Australia Yamaha 1m32.011s
3. Michel Fabrizio
Italy Ducati 1m32.164s
4. Carlos Checa
Spain Honda 1m32.373s
5. Fonsi Nieto
Spain Suzuki 1m32.711s
6. Jakub Smrz
Czech Rep Ducati 1m32.714s
7. Nori Haga
Japan Yamaha 1m32.728s
8. Max Neukirchner
Germany Suzuki 1m32.767s
9. Russell Holland
Australia Honda 1m32.903s
10. Regis Laconi France Kawasaki 1m32.962
AUSSIE TRIFECTA LEADS SUPERSPORT QUALIFYING
In world Supersport, Honda duo Andrew Pitt and Josh Brookes both eclipsed the current lap record in final qualifying for tomorrow’s 21-lapper, while Broc Parkes (Yamaha) helped make it a triumphant day for Australia.
Pitt and Brookes, both former winners at Phillip Island, reeled off a sequence of searing laps, with Pitt eventually stropping the clock at 1:34.592, well under Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier’s one-year-old benchmark of 1:34.976.
Brookes followed with a 1:34.890, while world championship leader Parkes (1:35.059) made it three Aussies on the front row.
"I had some good laps in the last session,” said Pitt. “I obviously had a bit of help from Brookes, when we came out of the pits together he was in front of me and I just caught up with him a few 10ths.
“The team has made the setup of the bike a little better, though I think there’s still room for improvement, especially at Turn 12. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race and will hopefully put in a good performance."
Brookes was effusive about his effort, with the immensely gifted New South Welshman now enjoying the fruits of being in a settled team and on a great bike.
“I’m really happy even though I didn’t manage to take pole position,” said Brookes. “I feel that I am the most consistently fast rider out there and I’m really enjoying myself as the bike is the best it has ever been.
WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP
FINAL QUALIFYING TOP TEN
1 Andrew Pitt, Australia, Honda – 1m34.592
2 Josh Brookes, Australia, Honda – 1m34.890
3 Broc Parkes, Australia, Yamaha – 1m35.059
4 Fabien Foret, France, Yamaha – 1m35.195
5 Jonathan Rea, Great Britain, Honda – 1m35.216
6 Robbie Harms, Denmark, Honda – 1m35.241
7 Joan Lascorz, Spain, Honda – 1m35.500
8 Ivan Clementi, Italy, Triumph – 1m35.541
9 Gianluca Vizziello, Italy, Honda – 1m35.625
10 Gianluca Nannelli, Italy, Honda – 1m35.636
(Pic: Ducati)
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