Brno, Saturday 21^st  July 2007

HAGA THE HAMMER IN BRNO QUALIFYING  - NEW TRACK RECORD FOR SUPERPOLE WINNER HAGA Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) beat down the doors of the Brno Citadel by becoming the first rider to dip under the two-minute lap barrier on a race weekend, scoring to his second Superpole win of the 2007 season. His 1'59.603 lap beat the strong 2'00.018 of Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), which four other top riders could not better, despite Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) looking set to be quickest until the last power-sapping climb up the hill to the final chicane. Bayliss was to finish third on the grid, with James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scoring fourth place and a front row start. In regulation qualifying, Haga was also fastest, and was thus last man away in Superpole.

CORSER ON ROW TWO WITH DOUBLE WINNER KAGAYAMA ALONGSIDE Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) was many spectator's best bets for the Superpole win but he lost pace in the final split and ended up on the second row, fifth fastest. Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) had a wild Superpole lap, running wide on one particular corner exit and drifting onto the dirt, but still ending up sixth fastest. The second row is completed by Bayliss' team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) and top privateer Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany), who was only 12th in regulation qualifying.

ROW THREE HEADED BY ROLFO Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) ran out ninth after a small crash at the end of the second qualifying session and suffered a slight leg injury, which held back his Superpole charge somewhat. Double 2007 podium finisher Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) was into the top ten despite a couple of worrying rear-end slides, while Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) improved from 14th in regulation to record a third row time, and 11th position. Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) finished off the third row after failing to improve on qualifying tyres.

NAKATOMI MAKES IT COUNT IN SUPERPOLE Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha YZF Team) mimicked his 13th place from regulation qualifying in Superpole, but two bigger SBK names had difficulties that held them on the fourth row. Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) has struggled all weekend and went 14th in Superpole, while Regis Laconi (Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse) battled hard on a bike which did not want to change direction in the fast sections, ending up 15th. Local rider Jakub Smrz (Caracchi Ducati SC) slipped to 16th only in Superpole, with 23 riders present at Brno.

WORLD SUPERSPORT - KENAN THE PRACTICE KING Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set a new Supersport track best of 2'04.871 in final qualifying to take pole at Brno for Sunday's 18-lap race. The long time championship leader was over half a second faster than the next best rider, Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team), who was in turn followed in the pre-race ranking by a slow starting, fast finishing, Joshua Brookes (Stiggy Motorsports Honda). In a happy final session for the Stiggy Honda team, regular rider Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) was fourth fastest, joining Brookes on the front row. Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) went fifth fastest but for Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki), the closest rider to Sofuoglu in the championship battle, Brno was a tough challenge, and he finished only 11th in qualifying.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP QUALIFYING - CANEPA ON THE HOT SPOT
Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) secured pole in the big Superstock class, while Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Racing Team) held off former champion Didier Vankeymeulen (TTSL-MGM Racing Yamaha). Michele Pirro (Yamaha Team Italia) went fourth on the grid.

from WSBK Press Office