Troy Corser takes Superpole win at Assen

Troy Corser scored his 37th career pole in SBK, extending his own record over Carl Fogarty. © Suzuki Racing. Troy Corser won the dry Superpole contest at Assen, and in doing so scored his 37th career pole in SBK, extending his own record over Carl Fogarty (next best on a total of 21). Corsers time of 1'36"965 was the only one inside the 1'38 barrier in Superpole, but on the new 4.555km circuit at Assen the best lap in any qualifying session (1'38"629) was set by Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) in the free practice session which preceded Superpole.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) was second fastest in Superpole, up from fifth fastest after regulation qualifying, but he is joined in the top rank by riders who have all won at least one race this year - Corser, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) in third and fourth place rider Bayliss.

Assen features many new challenges for even the most experienced previous visitors this season, and in his rookie SBK campaign, Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) adapted well to go fifth fastest, heading up the second row. Team-mates Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) went sixth and seventh respectively, with the last place on row two secured by Haga's team-mate, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia). Toseland and Pitt are also race winners this season, making the prospects for closely contested races on Sunday a sure bet.

Ever improving SBK rider Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) slotted his big ZX-10R into the first grid place on the third row, disappointed after qualifying sixth for Superpole itself. He heads up Bayliss' team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) heroic Steve Martin on the underpowered Foggy Petronas FP-1 and former Assen race winner, Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati).

Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) rode with his usual high level of commitment but took 13th out of 16 in Superpole, experiencing some set-up issues in qualifying per se. Joining him on the fourth row are three other four-cylinder riders - top four pre-Superpole qualifier Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda), plus Yamaha Motor France riders, Sebastien Gimbert and Shinichi Nakatomi. With so much talent in SBK this season, the usual clutch of unlikely subjects who missed the top 16 Superpole cut included Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse - one place away), Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) 18th, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) 19th and a sterling effort from Josh Brookes (Kawasaki Bertocchi) 20th. Roberto Rolfo had a tough Assen weekend, 26th on his Ducati SC Caracchi twin, with Kurtis Roberts 27th on his Pedercini Ducati.
(FGSport)

---