Injured Aussie Troy Bayliss has taken yet another Superpole, keeping Ruben Xaus and what looks to be an in-form Noriyuki Haga off the top spot at Asen this afternoon. Bayliss put in a fantastically controlled riding display, and just had to sit back and watch Xaus come in fractionally behind himself and Haga.
Provisional poleman Jacob Smrz, who was fast again in free practice this morning, had a lap of mistakes and saw himself put back to the end of the second row.
Frenchman Regis Laconi came out first and puts in a 1’39.613, which was a full second slower than Troy Bayliss’ time in the fnal free practice session just before Superpole. The Aussie’s former team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi could do no better and was more than a second slower than Kawasaki-mounted Laconi.
Former British Superbike Champion Gregorio Lavilla, who is now on a 2008 Fireblade, popped up behind Laconi, registering a 1’40.377 which will no doubt disappoint him and team boss Paul Bird.
David Checa lapped half a second slower than Laconi to take second at that point, while Ryuichi Kiyonari, the reigning BSB champ, started his warm up. Kiyo has scored solid points this year on the Ten Kate Honda, but is not in the sparkling form shown in the UK over the past two seasons. He could only manage 1’40 dead to depose Checa and take provisional second place.
Former MotoGP star Makoto Tamada, who has been strong all weekend, shot to the top of the sheet, lapping three-tenths quicker than team-mate Laconi but was quickly knocked off by Carlos Checa who put in a stunning last third to go under 1’39s.
Fonsi Nieto, who has had the traction control taken off his Alstare Suzuki, looked to be on for a third halfway through his lap and climbed to second in the last third, deposing Tamada.
Next out was Mr Superpole Troy Corser, who is spending a lot of time trying to get the bike to work with him instead of riding round problems even changing the riding position late last night, was on a par with Checa in the first split and then quicker in the second sector. He crossed the line one tenth faster than the Spaniard to take top spot.
Alstare Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama was out after Corser but could only manage third with a 1’39.029. Yukio’s big mate Nori Haga followed his compatriot onto the track and is at one of his favourite circuits.
The Yamaha man was three-tenths faster through the first split but lost a little through the second sector. Over the line, he took stop spot with two-tenths to spare.
German Max Neurkirchner, who is a Superpole win-it-or-bin-it specialist, started his lap slowly and then got slower but managed to claw back half a second in the final sector to come in third.
Michel Fabrizio, on the Xerox Ducati, had a very slow first sector and by the time the second split came, he was a second slower than Haga to cross the line in ninth.
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