Ducati Corse riders Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) and Ben Bostrom (Ducati L&M) powered to a provisional 1-2 in first qualifying for Sunday’s eighth round of the World Superbike Championship in searing heat at the Misano Adriatico track today.

Both the Australian and the Californian were pacesetters right from the start of the one-hour session but in the end it was championship leader Bayliss who set a time of 1’35.749, two-tenths quicker than the circuit lap record, to lead overnight. “It’s been a strange day today because it’s really hot out there, but I felt good on the bike”, declared Bayliss, “and I feel more like my usual self after last week’s testing. The set-up is good, we’ve still got a few more tyres to try for the race but I’m sure that if it ’s cool in tomorrow’s final morning session, then we can knock another half-a-second off today’s time”.

Ducati L&M rider Ben Bostrom was just a fraction slower than Bayliss, the Californian setting quick times right from the start. Bostrom ended up two-tenths of a second adrift but also reckoned there was more to come in final qualifying. “We’re going well and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow”, commented Bostrom. “The set-up is not 100% right, but the guys are working hard. The bike is good around here and we’ve just about got the right tyre, but we’re going to have to work hard tomorrow on the race distance”.

Troy Corser was third quickest - "This morning wasn't so good and we weren't quite sure what the problem was for a while. The telemetry seemed to indicate the front end higher then it should've been (like the tests last week) and I had a problem turning the bike like I wanted. Also, I had a bit of a grip problem as well. We made some suspension changes for the afternoon and the bike definitely felt better, but the wind had got up and I had to be careful in a few places on the track. The conditions today are so different to a week ago and that has caused us all a few problems today. But I'm on the front row and that's good enough for the moment."

Colin Edwards fourth on the Castrol Honda, Edwards said: "It wasn't that much hotter than the test we had here last week but my lap time was 1.5s slower. I crashed my best machine about 12 laps into the session so I rode the spare but I would have struggled for grip no matter which machine I'd have been on."

Tady Okada was fifth and complaining of the same lack of grip as Edwards while Mauro Sanchini shocked the championship regulars with sixth place on his privateer Ducati. Australian Steve Martin took seventh with Ruben Xaus eighth despite two crashes in the session.

GSE Racing’s Neil Hodgson and James Toseland are both within 1.3 seconds of the provisional pole-sitter, in ninth and tenth position respectively.

The reigning British Superbike Champion, Hodgson’s fastest lap time of the opening qualifying session was 1:36.936 and places him provisionally on the third row of the grid.

“It’s only the first day,” said the 27-year-old Burnley rider. “Most of the factory teams have spent time testing here last week and that’s why they are already breaking the lap record. Tomorrow we will have the opportunity of finalising our set-up and improving our lap times.  I’m feeling really comfortable with the circuit and the GSE Ducati’s seem to suit it well. This round is particularly important for Ducati because Misano is their test circuit. I just hope I can be part of a Ducati 1-2-3 finish in both races on Sunday!”

For 20-year-old team-mate Toseland, Misano is another new track he and his GSE Racing Ducati must learn and adjust to.

“So far everything has been fine,” said the World Superbike newcomer. “I’m really pleased because by this time in last round I was a lot further behind than I am now. I feel I’ve quickly got a grasp of the circuit and in a good position to make Superpole tomorrow.”

The Fuchs Kawasaki boys were 13th and 14th.  Lavilla 13th - “For me this track is very difficult, I haven’t been here for such a long time. Last year I couldn’t race because of my injuries. We haven’t tested here so we are a little slow at the moment and we haven’ t found the right balance with the suspension. With a little more track time I know my times will improve-tomorrow is another day so we will just have to see."

Yanagawa 14th - “In the first session the bike wanted to turn me inside out under brakes so it was little hard to go fast. In the break we changed the suspension settings and now we’re on the right track. It still tended to swing the back wheel around under braking but it was much better. I just feel much happier on the first day of qualifying, a feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time- so I know my times will improve."

Broc Parkes was 15th quickest.  The new 900cc Benelli machine was 23rd fastest in the hands of Peter Goddard on the machine's World Superbike championship debut.  Marty Craggill was 26th.

Friday's World Superbike championship qualifying times: 
1 Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati) 1m 35.749s, 
2 Ben Bostrom, USA (Ducati) 1m 35.999s, 
3 Troy Corser, Australia (Aprilia) 1m 36.155s, 
4 Colin Edwards, USA (Castrol Honda) 1m 36.558s, 
5 Tady Okada, Japan (Castrol Honda) 1m 36.594s, 
6 Mauro Sanchini, Italy (Ducati) 1m 36.640s, 
7 Steve Martin, Australia (Ducati) 1m 36.791s, 
8 Ruben Xaus, Spain (Ducati) 1m 36.922s, 
9 Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 1m 36.936s, 
10 James Toseland, GB (Ducati) 1m 37.084s.

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