CORSER TAKES DESERVED POLE AT SCORCHING MISANO. TROY IRRESISTIBLE: World Championship leader Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) added Superpole to his provisional pole from Friday and underlined the speed he has shown all weekend. The 1996 World Champion set a best of 1’35.330, the fastest time of the weekend so far, as he set off last in an often dramatic Superpole contest.

REGULATION QUALIFYING: Corser had outpaced Max Neukirchner in the combined qualifying sheets, with Corser’s team-mate Yukio Kagayama third and Regis Laconi fourth. Thus these riders were the last four away of the 16 Superpole qualifiers.

FRONT ROW FOUR: With Corser the winner after the Superpole contest, Vermeulen was once more thwarted by his adversory Corser, and the young Aussie rider has still to break his 2005 Superpole duck. Regis Laconi (Ducati Xerox 999F05) gave his usual spirited performance to secure a front row starting position in front of his employer’s partisan crowd, with riders and fans alike sweltering in 33°C temperatures. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) made another high mark on his ladder of education in World Superbike, looking at home on track to go fourth quickest and appearing equally cool in the post Superpole press conference.

KAGAYAMA DRAMATIC: Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) rode an all-action lap to secure fifth place, losing traction in places as he applied himself with complete commitment. He placed one ahead of Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) who took sixth fastest time in front of an adoring crowd. As an extra treat for the local hero, he was awarded a special prize at the post race press conference, due to his date with destiny on Sunday. He will have started 250 World Superbike legs once things get underway, and was given a prolonged standing ovation from his public as he was introduced to the crowd. World Champion James Toseland (Ducati Xerox 999F05) was disappointed with his Superpole ride, but starts from row two, an important placing at this initially tight and twisty circuit.

MARTIN BOOSTS PETRONAS EFFORTS: A popular second row qualifier, in eighth, was Steve Martin one rider who clearly enjoyed his Superpole lap to finish within less than a second of the more powerful four-cylinder machines. Ten riders in total were within one second of the best time. Martin’s positive result was not mirrored by his team-mate and compatriot, Garry McCoy, who finished his regulation qualifying 22nd fastest.

NEUKIRCHNER SLIPS UP: An early rear wheel slide from Max Neukirchner’s Klaffi Honda dropped him from second in regulation to ninth, and disappointing third row start for a 22-year-old with high hopes of shining come Sunday. Last rider into the top ten was Ducati privateer Lorenzo Lanzi (SC Ducati 999RS). Giovanni Bussei (Bertocchi Kawasaki) and Ivan Clementi (Team Pedercini Ducati 999RS) completed row three, all at their home race.

PITT AND CARDOSO FLY YAMAHA FLAG: Misano has not proved a happy venue for the Yamaha Superbike runners, with Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia R1) and Jose Luis Cardoso (DFX Extreme Yamaha) the last two riders to complete a Superpole lap of any speed, qualifying 13th and 14th respectively, beginning their races on Sunday from the fourth row. Pitt’s team-mate Noriyuki Haga did not qualify for Superpole, running out 21st. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) was only 25th on another tough Misano day.

WALKER AND BOSTROM STRIKE TROUBLE: Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki ZX-10R) and Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji) failed to set Superpole times at all, with Bostrom’s machine quitting on him and Walker running off track, rejoining to tour back to the pits. They were placed on the last two positions of the fourth row, Walker 15th and Bostrom 16th.

SUPERSPORT: Exuberant celebrations from Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike) proved well founded as he took pole position after the final qualifying session. The two-time Misano race winner was on superb form, setting a best lap of 1’37.620, in blistering temperatures of 32°C. The Frenchman thus became the first rider this year to depose championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) in qualifying. Charpentier was only third today, one place behind his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara.

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) was top R1 rider, and starts from the front row after finishing fourth overall. Gianluca Nannelli (SC Ducati 749R) was top Ducati runner, in sixth place, with wild card Cristiano Migliorati (Lightspeed Kawasaki) ninth and Javier Fores the top Suzuki man, in tenth. The 23-lap Supersport race is sandwiched between the brace of 25-lap Superbike races at Misano, tomorrow, June 26th.