Althea Racing Ducati's Giugliano Leads Early Qualifying at eni SBK World Championship Brno Round 9

Giugliano the early leader at Brno


Brno (Czech Republic), July 20th 2012 – Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) improved on his morning time to also head up the first qualifying session at Brno, setting a time of 1 minute 59.452 seconds before rains arrived at an inopportune moment, then falling heavier at the end of the session.

Davide Giugliano took early qualifying honors during day one activities today at Brno on the #34 Althea Racing Ducati 1098R.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) went second quickest, Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) was third, with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) into the top four and placing four different machines into the top four places in the process.

Marco Melandri on the #33 BMW Motorrad Motorsport S1000RR slotted into the 2nd spot, just .093 seconds behind early leader Giugliano today at Brno during day one qualifying.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

Fifth place so far went to Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati), with local favourite Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing-Team Effenbert) scoring sixth on his vee-twin.

Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio posted similar times to take them into the top eight places. The constantly learning Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia) was ninth, Leon Haslam 10th on his BMW Motorrad Motorsport bike and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 11th. The top 11 riders were within a second of each other, and John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) was only 1.075 seconds from provisional pole and the first Suzuki in the rankings, 12th.

Times: 1. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'59.452 average 162.834 kph; 2. Melandri (BMW) 1'59.545; 3. Laverty (Aprilia) 1'59.693; 4. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'59.850; 5. Checa (Ducati) 2'00.180; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 2'00.226; 7. Badovini (BMW) 2'00.244; 8. Fabrizio (BMW) 2'00.322; 9. Davies (Aprilia) 2'00.391; 10. Haslam (BMW) 2'00.422; 11. Baz (Kawasaki) 2'00.441; 12. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2'00.528; 13. Camier (Suzuki) 2'00.615; 14. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2'00.746; 15. Rea (Honda) 2'00.911; 16. Berger (Ducati) 2'00.978; etc.

World Supersport

Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) headed up a three-rider Honda assault on the time sheets in the first qualifying session, with the Aussie setting a time of 2 minutes 03.440 seconds to lead Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) and Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda). The top three were separated by only 0.055 seconds.

Broc Parkes on the #23 Ten Kate Racing Products Honda CBR600RR led first day qualifying today at the Brno round in the World Supersport Championship class.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

The next best rider was Kawasaki Intermoto Step competitor Fabien Foret, with South Africa’s Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) fifth. Championship points leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini), who recently had a successful operation on his left knee, went sixth quickest, one place up on 207 125cc world champion Gabor Talmacsi (PRORACE Honda). Andrea Antonelli (Bike Service R.T.) was the top Yamaha runner in eighth place.

Times: 1. Parkes (Honda) 2'03.440 average 157.573 kph; 2. Lowes (Honda) 2'03.481; 3. Cluzel (Honda) 2'03.495; 4. Foret (Kawasaki) 2'04.120; 5. Quarmby (Honda) 2'04.475; 6. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2'04.661; 7. Talmacsi (Honda) 2'04.662; 8. Antonelli (Yamaha) 2'04.944; etc.

Superstock 1000

Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) topped the times in the first official qualifying session in the Czech Republic, from another top regular Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet). Local rider Ondrej Jezek (SK Energy Racing Team Ducati) was third on his 1098R machine. Christoffer Bergman (BWG Racing Kawasaki) scored fourth place on the provisional grid, with Motorland Aragon race winner Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) fifth after day on. One more qualifying session remains before the race on Sunday morning.

Times: 1. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2'04.031 average 156.822 kph; 2. Barrier (BMW) 2'04.071; 3. Jezek (Ducati) 2'04.562; 4. Bergman (Kawasaki) 2'04.644; 5. Staring (Kawasaki) 2'04.851; 6. Reiterberger (BMW) 2'05.174; 7. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 2'05.199; 8. Savadori (Ducati) 2'05.211; etc.

Superstock 600

Team Italia FMI Yamaha rider Riccardo Russo led the early running at Brno, heading off the MTM Racing Yamaha of Gauthier Duwelz and the EAB Ten Kate Junior Honda Team bike of Michael van der Mark with a time of 2 minutes 06.963 seconds. Alex Schacht (Schacht Racing SBK ONE Honda) slipped into fourth place, as Aussie rider Adrian Nestorovic (MTM Racing Yamaha) put in a fifth best time. Twenty-six riders set qualifying times first time out, as they aim for the best possible start position for Saturday’s 11-lap race.

Times: 1. Russo (Yamaha) 2'06.963 average 153.201 kph; 2. Duwelz (Yamaha) 2'07.138; 3. Vd Mark (Honda) 2'07.162; 4. Schacht (Honda) 2'07.723; 5. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 2'08.043; 6. Cocco (Yamaha) 2'08.102; 7. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 2'08.410; 8. Ponsson (Kawasaki) 2'08.501; etc.

KTM European Junior Cup

Lukas Wimmer secured the fastest lap of the first free session in the KTM Junior Cup Championship, with his fellow Austrian Tom Busch second, 0.205 seconds behind. Giuseppe Scarcella took his KTM Duke to third fastest time, with Adrian Pasek fourth overall.

Times: 1. Wimmer (KTM) 2'21.153 average 137.799 kph; 2. Busch (KTM) 2'21.358; 3. Scarcella (KTM) 2'21.784; 4. Pasek (KTM) 2'22.014; 5. Fazzina (KTM) 2'22.332; 6. Vidal (KTM) 2'22.427; 7. Orellana (KTM) 2'22.454; 8. Miñana (KTM) 2'22.619; etc.

Coppa dei Due Paesi (Two-Nations Cup)

Leandro Biliotti (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) posted the quickest first qualifying lap in the international Coppa dei Due Paesi contest at Brno, 0.4 seconds ahead of Denis Sacchetti (SD Rider Team Kawasaki). Patrik Vostarek (Motorpower Honda) put three different manufacturers into the top three. Local rider Tomas Vavrous (Montaze Bros Racing Team Yamaha) was the fourth out of a healthy total of 21 entrants.

Times: 1. Biliotti (Yamaha) 2’07.585; 2. Sacchetti (Kawasaki) 2’07.985; 3. Vostarek (Honda) 2’08.897; 4. Vavrous (Yamaha) 2’09.551; 5. Averkin (Kawasaki) 2’10.297; 6. Vlasov (Yamaha) 2’10.687; 7. Spigariol (Kawasaki) 2’10.734; 8. Dusek (Yamaha) 2’10.973; etc.

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