Bayliss Takes Pole on The Island

Bayliss Takes Pole on The Island

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) will start Sunday’s two 22-lap races from pole position after a stunning Superpole ride broke a seven-year-old best lap record. Current championship leader, Bayliss was top of every previous timed outing, and his eventual 1’32.159 was better than any recorded SBK™ lap. His peerless pace sets him up as clear favourite for at least one race win on Sunday. He will doubtless experience severe pressure from his compatriot Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) who struggled against a spinning rear on the latter parts of his Superpole lap, but nonetheless set an impressive 1’32.373. James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) put in a 1’33.003 in Superpole, which placed him third fastest. The last spot on the front row could not have been a more popular choice for the legions of Aussie fans in attendance, as Steve Martin secured a prime piece of start line real estate with the fourth fastest Superpole lap. His Petronas team-mate, Englishman Craig Jones, was in the 1’35 bracket, qualifying three from bottom, in 26th.

Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) is clearly enjoying his new Superbike career and set fifth fastest time in only his second World Superbike event. His Honda may not be the fastest yet, but he is using every one of his 20-years of racing experience to summon up every horsepower available. After a disappointing first day, Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) improved to sixth after Superpole, while his fellow Aussie Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Pitt’s team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished off the second row of the grid. Haga dropped time in Superpole, having been third fastest in regulation qualifying.

The tough midfield in World Superbike this season was perfectly characterised by the results of the Superpole battle, with not only four different types of machine on row one, but four different types on row three. It was headed up, after Superpole, by Ducati Xerox rider Lorenzo Lanzi, who was only 15th in regulation qualifying. In tenth place overall, Chris Walker’s PSG-1 Kawasaki was the fastest ZX-10R on display. Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda) scored 11th, with his fastest lap on qualifiers, and despite a hairy moment when Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) ran off track on the exit of Siberia, he stayed upright to take 12th place, finishing off row three.

Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and his team-mate Regis Laconi lead the four riders on row four, with Laconi making improvements on his Friday times, despite suffering from flu. Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) had a great regulation qualifying (in seventh) but a poor Superpole, and went 15th, to head up Ivan Clementi (Pedercini Ducati).

Despite some valiant efforts, Norick Abe secured 17th best time after regulation qualifying, making for a fifth row start at one of his favourite circuits. He was not alone in being squeezed out of Superpole by the strength in depth of SBK 2006, as former World Supersport Champion Fabien Foret (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) was only 18th fastest. Max Neukirchner missed out on Superpole after he crashed his Pedercini Ducati with ten minutes of the final session left, while Qatar sensation Michel Fabrizio came back to earth with a bump, finishing just inside the top 20 after two days in Australia. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) just missed out on a top 20 placing, with is rookie team-mate Shinichi Nakatomi in 24th place.

WSB Phillip Island Superpole Times

Pos – Rider – Bike – 1st Quali – 2nd Quali – Superpole

1 – Bayliss Troy – Ducati 999 F06 – 1’33.387 – 1’32.321 – 1’32.159
2 – Corser Troy – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’33.868 – 1’32.991 – 1’32.373
3 – Toseland James – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’33.851 – 1’33.548 – 1’33.003
4 – Martin Steve – Petronas FP1 – 1’34.501 – 1’33.566 – 1’33.206
5 – Barros Alex – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’33.790 – 1’33.749 – 1’33.373
6 – Muggeridge Karl – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’34.756 – 1’33.702 – 1’33.571
7 – Pitt Andrew – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.863 – 1’33.567 – 1’33.598
8 – Haga Noriyuki – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.577 – 1’33.441 – 1’33.631
9 – Lanzi Lorenzo – Ducati 999 F06 – 1’35.202 – 1’34.174 – 1’33.791
10 – Walker Chris – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’34.589 – 1’33.945 – 1’33.928
11 – Chili Pierfrancesco – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’34.601 – 1’34.132 – 1’33.998
12 – Kagayama Yukio – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’34.461 – 1’34.158 – 1’34.111
13 – Nieto Fonsi – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’34.618 – 1’33.784 – 1’34.158
14 – Laconi Régis – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’35.033 – 1’34.182 – 1’34.492
15 – Rolfo Roberto – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’34.644 – 1’33.658 – 1’34.719
16 – Clementi Ivan – Ducati 999 RS – 1’34.708 – 1’34.089 – 1’35.032

Others on the Grid

17 – Abe Norick – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’35.010 – 1’34.269 –
18 – Foret Fabien – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’35.917 – 1’34.513 –
19 – Neukirchner Max – Ducati 999 RS – 1’34.822 – 1’34.559 –
20 – Fabrizio Michel – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’35.021 – 1’34.632 –
21 – Gimbert Sebastien – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.832 – 1’34.666 –
22 – Xaus Ruben – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’35.024 – 1’34.790 –
23 – Borciani Marco – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’35.502 – 1’34.944 –
24 – Nakatomi Shinichi – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’36.080 – 1’35.039 –
25 – Battaini Franco – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’36.126 – 1’35.316 –
26 – Jones Craig – Petronas FP1 – 1’36.408 – 1’35.886 –
27 – Pedercini Lucio – Ducati 999 RS – 1’36.151 – 1’35.931 –
28 – Iannuzzo Vittorio – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’36.278 – 1’36.202 –

WSB Phillip Island 2nd Qualifying Times

Pos – Rider – Bike – 1st Quali – 2nd Quali – Best

1 – Bayliss Troy – Ducati 999 F06 – 1’33.387 – 1’32.321 – 1’32.321
2 – Corser Troy – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’33.868 – 1’32.991 – 1’32.991
3 – Haga Noriyuki – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.577 – 1’33.441 – 1’33.441
4 – Toseland James – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’33.851 – 1’33.548 – 1’33.548
5 – Martin Steve – Petronas FP1 – 1’34.501 – 1’33.566 – 1’33.566
6 – Pitt Andrew – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.863 – 1’33.567 – 1’33.567
7 – Rolfo Roberto – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’34.644 – 1’33.658 – 1’33.658
8 – Muggeridge Karl – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’34.756 – 1’33.702 – 1’33.702
9 – Barros Alex – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’33.790 – 1’33.749 – 1’33.749
10 – Nieto Fonsi – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’34.618 – 1’33.784 – 1’33.784
11 – Walker Chris – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’34.589 – 1’33.945 – 1’33.945
12 – Clementi Ivan – Ducati 999 RS – 1’34.708 – 1’34.089 – 1’34.089
13 – Chili Pierfrancesco – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’34.601 – 1’34.132 – 1’34.132
14 – Kagayama Yukio – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’34.461 – 1’34.158 – 1’34.158
15 – Lanzi Lorenzo – Ducati 999 F06 – 1’35.202 – 1’34.174 – 1’34.174
16 – Laconi Régis – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’35.033 – 1’34.182 – 1’34.182
17 – Abe Norick – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’35.010 – 1’34.269 – 1’34.269
18 – Foret Fabien – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’35.917 – 1’34.513 – 1’34.513
19 – Neukirchner Max – Ducati 999 RS – 1’34.822 – 1’34.559 – 1’34.559
20 – Fabrizio Michel – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’35.021 – 1’34.632 – 1’34.632
21 – Gimbert Sebastien – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’34.832 – 1’34.666 – 1’34.666
22 – Xaus Ruben – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’35.024 – 1’34.790 – 1’34.790
23 – Borciani Marco – Ducati 999 F05 – 1’35.502 – 1’34.944 – 1’34.944
24 – Nakatomi Shinichi – Yamaha YZF R1 – 1’36.080 – 1’35.039 – 1’35.039
25 – Battaini Franco – Kawasaki ZX10R – 1’36.126 – 1’35.316 – 1’35.316
26 – Jones Craig – Petronas FP1 – 1’36.408 – 1’35.886 – 1’35.886
27 – Pedercini Lucio – Ducati 999 RS – 1’36.151 – 1’35.931 – 1’35.931
28 – Iannuzzo Vittorio – Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 – 1’36.278 – 1’36.202 – 1’36.202