World SuperBike 2001 - Round 10 - Brands Hatch - Friday qualifying
| Neil Hodgson set the
fastest time in Friday's opening qualifying session for round 10 of the
World Superbike championship at Brands Hatch, GB. Hodgson, carrying the expectations of an anticipated 100,000 crowd in Sunday's races, came out on top after an exciting finish to the one-hour session, held in glorious sunshine at the Kent circuit. “We’ve worked really hard all day to get the right bike set-up and finding a tyre for Superpole and the two races,” said the reigning British Superbike Champion. “I’m pleased to have secured the fastest lap today as well as provisional pole, but this is the first of three days of intense work for GSE Racing." “There will be a lot of distractions this weekend, but I’m determined to stay focused on the job at hand. I want to get everything right for Superpole tomorrow, because it is essential to get a good start at Brands.” Wild card rider Steve Hislop was relegated to second place in the final minute as Hodgson took provisional pole position with Pier-Francesco Chili moving from outside the top 10 to third place in the dying moments of the session. The 1996 world champion Troy Corser completes the provisional front row. Troy Corser - "For the first day, I'm reasonably happy. I always think that ending day one on the front row of the grid is good. It gives you a platform for the second day and Superpole. Of course, it's always good to be the fastest, but in the end it's what happens on Sunday that counts. Our biggest problem today was suspension settings and we still have some work to do tomorrow to get the bike to do what I'd like. Brands Hatch has a few areas where the track dips and it's easy for the suspension to bottom out under compression, so we have to be have to very particular in setting the bike up. We also spent some time trying out tyres today and I think we know what we'll use at the front. We have a couple of ideas for the rear and tomorrow should sort that out. After Laguna Seca's podiums, it'd be good to get back on the winning trail again - and Brands would be a good place to start." Ben Bostrom - winner of the last three races - was 5th quickest and heads the provisional second row, “I’m rather confused with the set-up at the moment because I feel like I should be fast but instead I’m slow”, declared Bostrom. “I’m having a little trouble getting the right gearing for the circuit but by tomorrow we should be good. There are a couple of points around Brands where I’m a bit slow and if I can improve there then I’ll be up at the front”. Aprilia's Regis Laconi sixth, wild card Ducati rider John Reynolds seventh and another wild card, James Haydon, eighth, also putting in a last lap blast to move into the top 10. Castrol Honda's defending champion Colin Edwards finished ninth, "I'll take that. We didn't bother with a qualifying tyre so I know I've got about half a second to come off that time at the moment." Stephane Chambon completes the top 10 with championship leader Troy Bayliss 11th, “We’re struggling with the bike set-up and we have a few problems with front-end grip”, said Bayliss. “Last year’s set-up is not working at the moment so we’re going to try a few more things. We’re missing something all around the circuit, so tomorrow we’ve got to get the bike to work and then I’ll be happy.” Castrol Honda's Tady Okada - on his first
visit to the 2.6-mile track - 12th and just one second outside Hodgson's
provisional pole position time. |
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