VERMEULEN MAKES HISTORY WITH HIS SUPERPOLE WIN - CHRIS TAKES HIS FIRST POLE IN WORLD SUPERBIKE After some great rides and race wins in Superbike since his move to the class in 2004, Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Chris Vermeulen took his first Superpole win at the perfect moment - and in the perfect place. His stunning lap of 2’04.179 was the best of the weekend, and was taken at the home circuit of his Winston Ten Kate Team, giving them their first ever Superpole success in the SBK class as well. Vermeulen, only ninth fastest after regulation qualifying, had been saving his best for last, running race tyres in almost all the previous sessions which preceding his Superpole triumph. Thus he did not have to wait a long time to set his Superpole lap, keeping his thought processes at racing pace. As an Assen race winner last year for Honda, Vermeulen installed himself in the position of firm favourite, going 0.7 seconds faster than his closest rivals after Superpole.

UP AND DOWN FOR THE DUCATI XEROX SQUAD It was a day of contrasts within the Ducati Xerox team, as James Toseland overcame recent disappointments to secure the fastest time in regulation qualifying, 2’04.742, and then go second to Vermeulen in Superpole, guaranteeing a prime starting point for his races on Sunday. His team-mate, Regis Laconi, was declared unfit to ride as a result of a fast highside crash on Friday, suffering a severe gash on his right elbow and damaged tendons in his throttle and braking arm. He has already returned to Marseille in France for specialist treatment, in an attempt to be fit for the Lausitzring race next weekend.

CORSER HAS TO GIVE BEST TO HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMAN Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) is the most successful Superpole winner in the history of SBK racing, but the championship leader was not able to match the immaculate pace of Vermeulen on this occasion, going third fastest overall as Toseland overhauled him with the last lap of the afternoon. Corser’s team-mate Yukio Kagayama survived a couple of ‘moments’ in his usual dramatic Superpole display, ending up seventh, on the second row of the grid. Rizla Suzuki wild card rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh was a disappointed 23rd, and thus out of the Superpole top 16, despite making significant improvements in his opening day pace.

RAPID HAGA ON FRONT ROW Former Assen race winner Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) came close to disaster at the final chicane in his otherwise impressive Superpole lap, almost unloading from his R1 as the tail came around in the middle of a fast change of direction. He recovered, kept the throttle wide open, and recorded a lap good enough to give him a front row start. His Superpole position made it four different manufacturers in the top four places on the front row. Haga’s team-mate Andrew Pitt, who had initially outqualified him, went sixth fastest in Superpole, and now starts his race one place behind second Winston Ten Kate Honda rider, Karl Muggeridge.

MARTIN SECOND ROW AFTER SPARKLING QUALIFYING DISPLAY Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) continued the great form he showed on day one to earn eighth fastest time in Superpole and take an outstanding second row start. Garry McCoy was once more unable to match his team-mate’s pace and finished his qualifying sessions 22nd.

REST OF HONDA RIDERS EXPERIENCE DIFFERING FORTUNES Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) and Pierfrancesco Chili reversed their relative positions from regulation qualifying, with Chili finishing Superpole in an improved ninth place, but Neukirchner fell as he tried to push the pace - and his front tyre grip - thankfully without injury. As he had qualified on the second row of the provisional grid, his crash meant that he only dropped to 12th on the grid, the last spot one row behind that on which he originally qualified.
Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji) overcame the discomfort of riding with the lingering affects of a testing injury, but could only replicate his original fourth row start, earned with a 13th fastest time in regulation.

DUCATI PRIVATE RIDERS ON THIRD ROW After a superb fourth place grid qualification before Superpole, Lorenzo Lanzi (SC Caracchi Ducati) dropped down to tenth place overall, one ahead of another quick private Ducati rider from qualifying, Ivan Clementi (Pedercini Ducati).

WALKER STRUGGLES IN SUPERPOLE PSG-1 Kawasaki rider Chris had to battle an uncooperative machine set-up during Superpole, with his bike wildly out of shape in many sections, preventing him from replicating his fifth place in regulation qualifying. He was an unlucky 13th, first spot on the fourth row. Gianluca Vizziello (Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) went 14th, Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) 15th.