Croft British Superbikes: Crutchlow takes pole

Not satisfied with taking his first front row in British Superbikes Rizla Suzuki rider Cal Crutchlow managed to push to his first ever BSB pole position for Sunday's race at Croft.

Crutchlow found an extra push in the final qualifying session to beat Honda man Jonathan Rea, who had dominated most of the weekend.

Airwaves Ducati rider Leon Haslam took third place with Stobart Honda's Tom Sykes taking the position at the front of the grid.

Yamaha's Tommy Hill beat two BSB champions to fifth place ahead of Gregorio Lavilla and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

Leon Camier finished off the second row in eighth, almost half a second down on Crutchlow's 1:19.108 pole time.

Full grid positions:

1. Cal Crutchlow
2. Jonathan Rea
3. Leon Haslam
4. Tom Sykes
5. Tommy Hill
6. Gregorio Lavilla
7. Ryuichi Kiyonari
8. Leon Camier
9. Karl Harris
10. Shane Byrne
11. Michael Rutter
12. Dean Thomas
13. Chris Martins
14. Simon Andrews
15. Aaron Zanotti
16. James Buckingham
17. Marty Nutt
18. Tristan Palmer
19. Scott Smart
20. Keith Amor
21. Tom Tunstall
22. Paul Barron
23. Malcolm Ashley
24. Alex Camier
25. Ryan Rainey
26. Neil Faulkner

Vermeulen triumphs in wet Le Mans chaos

Chris Vermeulen has won the French MotoGP round in a chaotic race due to wet weather conditions.

Vermeulen finished the race ahead of Marco Melandri and Casey Stoner, followed by Dani Pedrosa,Alex Hoffmann, and Valentino Rossi. Hofmann had a superb race on the D'Antin Ducati Pole sitter Colin Edwards finished a dismal race three laps down from the leaders, as he first gambled on wet tyres.

As the track remained damp, rather than wet, Edwards pulled in to change tyres, just as the weather turned for the worse. By contrast Vermeulen was able to change one lap before the leaders, and moved into the lead after the pit changes had been resolved.

Team-mate John Hopkins was second, but dropped down the order after running wide on several corners.

The conditions led to several major crashes, and Valentino Rossi had a close call as Sylvain Guintoli highsided in front of him. Guintoli had led his home GP, and was able to get back to the pits and rejoin on his spare bike.

Randy De Puniet was also a race leader before a fall. Nicky Hayden was looking good in fourth, until a major high speed crash at around 150mph put him out of contention with just a couple of laps left.

Edwards was the last finished in 12th place, as a total seven riders failed to finish. In the MotoGP championship, Stoner's third place extends his lead over Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa, as Vermeulen jumps to fifth following his win.

Toseland tops Superpole times

James Toseland recorded a new best lap at Assen in the Superbike class to claim pole for the World Superbike round on Sunday, with a time of 1:38.603.

It's Toseland's first pole position of the year, and only the third of his career, putting the Brit on the grid next to Lorenzo Lanzi, Troy Bayliss, and Max Biaggi, who moved up from 12th in final qualifying to fourth on the grid after Superpole.

Ruben Xaus will start from fifth, ahead of Troy Corser, Max Neukirchner and the recovering Yukio Kagayama who was 16th before Superpole, and eighth after it. Ninth is Karl Muggeridge from Fonsi Nieto, Roberto Rolfo and Jakub Smrz.

The fourth row is Regis Laconi, Josh Brookes, and surprisngly Noriyuki Haga who was lucky to complete his Superpole lap after almost crashing, followed by Michel Fabrizio.

First track test for Ducati's 1200 version of 1098

The Ducati World Superbike squad have completed their first test on the 1200cc version of the 1098 they intend to race in 2008.

Eighteen-year-old Domenico Colucci, who currently rides for the Xerox Ducati Junior team on a Ducati 749 in the Superstock 600 class, completed the first shake down test on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Mugello.

The young Italian completed more than 600 miles during the three days onboard the up rated Superstock machine, complete with a 1200cc motor and a host of Superbike chassis components including top spec suspension.

The test comes at a very sensitive time within the WSB paddock where teams and organisers are still debating the future of the championship and the proposed rule change to allow 1200cc twins into the series.

Despite the uncertainty as to whether the bike will even be allowed to race in WSB and in what guise, Ducati are working flat out on their development programme. It is believed test rider, Colucci will be involved in initial shake down testing and as the bike develops.

Ducati could also bring in other riders including their Superstock 1000 team of Brendan Roberts and Niccolo Canepa before putting Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo Lanzi on the bike as it approaches the final version. The next test for the new bike is scheduled for mid June, 2007.

Toseland triumphs in Valenica race two

James Toseland took a hard-fought victory in the second race at Valencia to triumph over Max Biaggi by 0.287.

The top six places were close together for much of the race, until the top three of Toseland, Biaggi and Noriyuki Haga were able to pull away, with Haga taking third after being demoted by Max Biaggi on the last lap.

Ruben Xaus continued a good weekend with fourth from the works Ducatis of Lorenzo Lanzi and Troy Bayliss. Josh Brookes was seventh from Regis Laconi, Troy Corser and Max Neukirchner.

Xaus takes WSB win at Valencia

Ruben Xaus took his first win since 2003 in race on at Valencia, triumphing in changing conditions.

The Spaniard was in fifth away from the line but battled his way through to take the win from Noriyuki Haga, with Troy Bayliss third. Troy Corser will be disapointed with fourth having led at the start of the race.

Britain's James Toseland was fifth from Lorenzo Lanzi, with Michel Fabrizio finishing ahead of Max Biaggi, Josh Brookes and Roberto Rolfo.

Bayliss on pole for World Superbike race

Troy Bayliss will start tomorrow’s World Superbike races at Donington Park from the pole positon spot, after a faultless Superpole lap just moments ago – boosted when his main rival for the honour Troy Corser crashed out.

Bayliss set a scintillating 1.30.37 best, inside the existing Superbike record set by Gregorio Lavilla, to head the front row from Nori Haga, Regis Laconi, and Brit series leader James Toseland.

On his lap, Hannspree Honda star Toseland looked on it from the first turn, and set hearts racing by coming within inches of the grass down Craner as he tried to eke out a solid early lap time, knowing that the Melbourne Loop has been a weak point for his Honda so far this weekend.

Despite maintaining a leading time for the first two sectors, Toseland lost nearly 0.4s on then-leader Nori Haga in the Loop alone to finish with a 1.31.99 best, fractions ahead of works Ducati man Lorenzo Lanzi who starts fifth, and Ruben Xaus on an 06-spec works 999 in sixth.

Meanwhile pole favourite Corser will start tomorrow’s races from eighth, after he uncharacteristically crashed on his lap, losing the front on the entry to Redgate just moments into his lap. He was unhurt, and is still certain to be a factor in the races.

Suzuki star Max Biaggi, in only his third Superpole, set an opening sector time that was inside the previous best, but he lost time in the middle sector of the lap where Haga had been so fast and yet more in the Melbourne Loop final section where many riders are stuggling. He starts seventh.

Haga started early in the session, setting only the ninth best time in qualifying, yet despite a slide on the opening sector which saw him down on the previous best, he recovered to set a new session best nearly a second faster than the existing best which proved second quickest overall.

It was enough to keep him ahead by 0.15s of France’s Regis Laconi who has been solidly setting a strong pace all weekend on his ZX-10R. His team-mate Fonsi Nieto starts 10th.

Suzuki Germany’s Max Neukirchner starts from the third row, setting 11th in Superpole on his ‘K6’ GSX-R1000, which is actually a 2005-spec works bike.

Giovanni Bussei headed the field out as 16th fastest in normal qualifying, and improved to 12th on his 06-spec Ducati 999, which he is driving to races towed behind a car.

Next behind Bussei was Italian compatriot Michel Fabrizio and his Aussie DFX Corse team-mate Steve Martin. Martin is only racing after a last-minute cash injection and by calling in favours when the team thought they had lost a sponsor two weeks ago.

Meanwhile it was a disastrous session for Toseland’s team-mate Robby Rolfo, who suffered some kind of machine problem on his out lap and ran off the track into the gravel at the Melbourne Loop.

Rolfo at least was able to paddle the bike out of the gravel, more than could be said for Aussie rider Josh Brookes, who folded the front at speed at the fast left Schwantz corner, leaving his Alto Evolution Honda battered and bruised. His team-mate Karl Muggeridge put in a solid lap, to secure nith. on the grid for tomorrow’s races.

RESULTS 1. Bayliss 1.30.37
2. Haga 1.31.08
3. Laconi 1.31.38
4. Toseland 1.31.40
5. Lanzi 1.31.50
6. Xaus 1.31.69
7. Biaggi 1.31.69
8. Corser Crashed
9. Muggeridge 1.32.08
10. Nieto 1.32.18
11. Neukirchner 1.32.19
12. Bussei 1.32.74
13. Fabrizio 1.32.75
14. Martin 1.33.54
15. Rolfo Crashed
16. Brookes Crashed

Jerez GP grid: Pedrosa from Rossi; 1s covers top 15!

Dani Pedrosa delighted a near 100,000-strong home crowd to claim pole position for tomorrow’s Spanish GP at Jerez, a fraction ahead of Valentino Rossi.

In a thrilling hour-long session, Pedrosa claimed top spot with a best time of 1:39.402 as the top 15 riders on the grid were split by less than a second. Italian Loris Capirossi, who won last year’s Jerez GP, will start 15th on the fifth row of the grid - yet he was only 0.989s off pole position!

Pedrosa’s best lap was 0.4s slower than Capirossi’s previous qualifying benchmark set on the 990cc factory Ducati a year ago, but it was enough to edge out Yamaha rival Rossi by just 0.051s.

Today’s result reversed the outcome of the recent pre-season test at Jerez. Pedrosa lost out to Rossi on that occasion, but gained some sort of revenge this afternoon, though his best time was nearly a second slower than he managed on qualifying rubber at the test (when he clocked a best of 1:38.527).

Pedrosa was fastest on race tyres before most of the field opted to run qualifiers in the last 15 minutes when he clocked a 1:40.899s to overhaul early pace-setter Casey Stoner.

Pedrosa, 20, said: “Tomorrow will be a very difficult race because the lap times are very close. Being on the front row was important and we will try tomorrow to make a great race. The set-up of the bike is not so bad so we will see.”

Rossi was content with second place after enduring troubles on race tyres throughout the practice sessions. On his first soft Michelin qualifying tyre he clocked a best of 1:39.878 that put him top of the timesheets for a short time.

Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards and Stoner then went faster before Rossi clocked his best of 1:39.453 on his second and last qualifier to head the leaderboard again before Pedrosa’s late intervention denied him a 47th career pole.

Rossi, 28, said: “I am happy because the lap time is quite good. I know it was possible to make a better lap time because last month at the test I was able to go one second faster. The first row was our target but the pace on race tyres we have struggled with yesterday and this morning.

We found a good tyre for the race this afternoon and the tyres will be the big issue tomorrow for the race. The last ten laps will be very hard and very difficult for everybody.” Completing the front row is Spanish veteran Carlos Checa, who finally made a big breakthrough on qualifying tyres today.

The 34-year-old has dominated for most of the weekend and he was fastest in the first three free practice sessions. His struggle with Michelin’s soft qualifying tyres appeared to have struck again as he was left languishing down in 16th place until right at the death when he suddenly leapt to the front row, relegating Edwards to fourth.

Checa said: “I believe we will be fighting for the podium tomorrow. I am happy because I have struggled with the qualifying tyres. I had problems all through the winter and in Qatar at the first race so I’ve got to be happy.”

Edwards will head up the second row in front of world championship leader Stoner. Both had led the session at one point while factory Ducati rider Stoner shaved 0.3s off his best qualifying time from a few weeks ago at the Jerez test.

John Hopkins, who has revealed he may require surgery on a damaged ligament in his right wrist (suffered in a testing crash at Qatar last month), completes the second row. Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden’s nightmare defence to his world crown continued as he could only finish 11th fastest and will start tomorrow’s 27-lap encounter from the fourth row.

The 25-year-old is still being plagued by front-end problems with his factory RC212V Honda, and a modified chassis he has tried in Jerez has made little difference in improving his confidence.

Times

1 D PEDROSA 1:39.402
2 V ROSSI 1:39.453
3 C CHECA 1:39.460
4 C EDWARDS 1:39.486
5 C STONER 1:39.524
6 J HOPKINS 1:39.625
7 S NAKANO 1:39.632
8 T ELIAS 1:39.660
9 M MELANDRI 1:39.722
10 K ROBERTS 1:39.727
11 N HAYDEN 1:39.834
12 R DE PUNIET 1:39.883
13 A BARROS 1:40.196
14 C VERMEULEN 1:40.328
15 L CAPIROSSI 1:40.391
16 O JACQUE 1:40.405
17 M TAMADA 1:40.617
18 A HOFMANN 1:40.710
19 K AKIYOSHI 1:41.202
20 S GUINTOLI 1:41.219