Report - Final Qualifying - FG Sport

Ducati’s Troy Bayliss (Ducati) will start from pole position in tomorrow’s round two of the Superbike World Championship after edging out Briton’s James Toseland (Honda) by just 0.053 seconds in a gripping Superpole shootout.

In unpredictable 50kmh winds, Bayliss guaranteed himself a second consecutive No. 1 ‘gate’ at Phillip Island with a typically aggressive lap, although he had to recover from running wide at the ultra-fast Turn Nine.

However, he quickly composed himself, and produced a searing final split to stop the clock at 1:32.145, ahead of Toseland’s 1:32.198.

With Superpole locked away, Bayliss is confident that’s he’s got the wherewithal to put last week’s disappointing showing at Qatar behind him.

“It was great to take Superpole in front of family and friends,” said Bayliss. “My lap was quite messy, and when I saw Corser nearly lose it at Turn One, I thought it was going to be difficult.

“I’m going to put Qatar down to a bad race weekend – and sometimes you are going to have those.”

Bayliss knows that only a methodical approach will see him retain his world championship in 2007.

“This year I have to be very consistent, be smarter and take all the points I can get, because there is going to be a lot of pressure from Max (Biaggi), Troy (Corser), Nori (Haga) and James (Toseland).”

As is often the case, the form guide held true in Superpole, with Bayliss and Toseland entrenched at the top of the time sheets since the start of practice on Friday morning.

Toseland, who currently leads the 13-round title alongside Suzuki’s Max Biaggi, is now in a great position to join the ‘double digit’ club at Phillip Island.

The 2004 world champion lifted his tally of World Superbike wins to nine in Qatar, and is now at the peak of his powers on the extremely well sorted Honda CBR1000RR.

“Qualifying was great, there’s nothing wrong with my bike,” said Toseland. “We have just taken the success from Qatar and gone from there.

“Both Troys (Corser and Bayliss) know this track inch by inch and it certainly helps them, but I’ve done a lot of racing here now too.”

Meanwhile, Troy Corser (Yamaha) pushed hard to seize a 40th career pole position, but he fell just short with a 1:32.605. Corser’s teammate Noriyuki Haga (1:32.879) will complete the front row tomorrow, with Max Biaggi (Suzuki, 1:32.928) leading off row two.

It was a meritorious effort from Yamaha to get two bikes on the front row, considering that the team is still ironing out the bugs on its all-new 2007 YZF-R1.

Moreover, Corser’s also settling into a new environment after parting company with Suzuki at the end of last year, but the 35-year-old has proven time and time again that he’s a master at Phillip Island.

“The bike’s really going well, although we have nothing new from Qatar,” said Corser. “Our engine builders are working their bums off, because we need a bit of acceleration.”

According to Corser, he was lucky to even make it to Superpole.

“When I was rolling out for the sighting lap, I was hit by a gust of wind and nearly went down,” he said. “Then during my hot lap I lost the front-end trough Turn One, and nearly crashed again.

“And then I went wide into Southern Loop (Turn Two) -- so I am just happy to be on the front row!

“I am hoping tomorrow will be a bit calmer, because you don’t want to be racing four abreast when it is gusty.”

“I love it here though -- I just wish we could come back two or three times a year, just not once a year.”

Meanwhile, Haga made up four spots from regulation qualifying in Superpole, while Australian Josh Brookes (Honda, 1:34.731) was the biggest mover – up five spots to 12th.

Another Australian, Steve Martin (Honda, 1:33.994), will start alongside Brookes in 11th position.

Gold Coast’s Karl Muggeridge did not compete in Superpole after a heavy in this afternoon’s second practice session, and the 32-year-old is currently in hospital at Phillip Island with a suspected broken left ankle.

FORET AND CURTAIN 1-2 IN SUPERPORT

Flying Frenchman Fabien Foret will start from pole position in tomorrow’s 21-lap World Supersport race at Phillip Island.

The 34-year-old, who’s spearheading Kawasaki’s fresh assault on World Supersport, held onto the top position despite failing to improve on his time from yesterday’s opening qualifying session.

Foret (1:35.166) was one of 10 riders who eclipsed Broc Parkes’ current lap record of 1:36.399 in qualifying, and he’ll be joined on the front row of the grid by Australian Kevin Curtain (Yamaha, 1:35.199) – who crashed out unhurt in the final 10 minutes of today’s hitout -- and Honda teammates Sebastien Charpentier (Honda, 1:35.246) and Kenan Sofuoglu (1:35.480).

It was Kawasaki’s first pole position since Australian Andrew Pitt at Phillip Island in 2002, while it will be the 11th time that Foret has started from No. 1 on the grid.

Gianluca Nanelli (Ducati, 1:35.814), Parkes (1:35.830), Barry Veneman (Suzuki, 1:35.867) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Honda, 1:36.230) will be the row two protagonists.

Aussie wildcards Chris Seaton (Yamaha, 1:38.109) and Judd Greedy (Honda, 1:38.307) will start from positions 28 and 32.

All competitors made the 107 percent qualifying cutoff, including David Salom Fuentes (Yamaha), who recovered from a wild crash in yesterday’s opening qualifier.