MotoGP: Fifth row for Makoto Tamada in Assen June 24, 2006
The qualifying session of the Dutch TT 76th edition ended this afternoon on the renewed Assen circuit whose track modifications provoked different reactions and feelings among riders.
In this morning free practice hour, the Japanese rider continued familiarising himself with the 4,555 mt track and carried on checking the new Michelin front tyres.
The weather conditions did not affect today riders’ job at all. They could finish the qualifying practice hour of the eighth round of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship with no rain interruption.
The second of the three European consecutive transfers will see the KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team rider start from …
SBK: Laconi Third, Walker Fourth for Kawasaki Corse
Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) showed the form that has earned him victory at Misano in the past with a third place opening qualifying performance at the 4.060km Misano circuit, in exceptionally hot conditions. On a good opening day for the entire PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse team Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) went fourth fastest.
Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) took the last place in the top ten, proving the speed of the ZX-10R and its ability to be ridden competitively by riders with a range of styles and approaches. Nieto was only 0.764 seconds from Troy Bayliss’ pole position, and 25 …
SBK: Corser Second on Misano Grid
World Superbike Champion Troy Corser put his Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000 into provisional second place during today’s qualifying for Sunday’s World Superbike Championship sixth round at Misano.
The Australian lapped the sun-scorched 4.06km San Marino circuit in a time of 1:35.016 - a fraction behind fellow countryman Troy Bayliss as team mates Yukio Kagayama and Fabien Foret finished in ninth and 16th places.
Troy Corser - 2nd, 1:35.016:
“Second quickest is ok, considering I wasn’t chasing a lap time. We’re trying to find a good set-up and that’s what we’ve been working on today. We made some changes to the bike after …
SBK: Bayliss takes Provisional Pole at Misano
Troy Bayliss pulled a last minute quick lap out of the bag to clinch provisional pole position for the Ducati Xerox Team at a hot and humid Misano Adriatico circuit on Friday. The Australian was languishing in a lowly top 10 position for much of the session as he completed a race simulation, but then bolted a fresh tyre on towards the end to produce two stunning laps that just edged him ahead of fellow Australian Troy Corser (Suzuki) and the Kawasaki duo of Rgis Laconi and Chris Walker.
“I had just done a long run with the hardest tyre Pirelli …
SBK: Martin sizzles for Foggy Petronas Racing in Misano
Steve Martin was on sizzling form in the sweltering heat of the first day’s action at the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship in Misano.
The Foggy PETRONAS Racing rider finished fifth fastest, just 0.06 seconds off the provisional front row time and 0.4 seconds behind pace-setter, Troy Bayliss.
Track temperatures of around 50 degrees posed problems with grip as riders struggled to match their times from the recent test at the Italian circuit.
But Steve bounced back from a problematic morning practice session to better his previous fastest lap at the circuit on race rubber by 0.3 seconds.
He said: “Everything started …
MotoGP: De Puniet Fastest on Opening Day at Assen June 22, 2006
It was MotoGP rookie, Randy de Puniet, who led the charge for Kawasaki today, mastering the revamped Assen circuit to finish this afternoon’s free practice session fifth fastest overall aboard his Ninja ZX-RR.
Weather conditions at Assen have been unpredictable for the past two days, with intermittent rain reducing track time during this morning’s extended free practice session.
With the rain holding off for this afternoon’s hour-long session, de Puniet took the opportunity to test a number of rear tyres from Bridgestone, to identify a suitable tyre for Saturday’s 26-lap race, for which dry conditions are forecast.
The 25-year-old Frenchman is aware that …
MotoGP: Edwards on top, Rossi injured at Assen
Camel Yamaha Team rider Colin Edwards adapted better than any other rider to the track changes and mixed weather conditions that affected the first day of action at the Dutch TT today, clocking the fastest time in the afternoon session after lapping sixth quickest in the morning. The main concern for Yamaha at Assen today, however, was for the condition of Edwards’ team-mate Valentino Rossi, who suffered a high-speed crash in the morning and was taken to a local hospital for treatment to a number of minor injuries.
The Italian was two laps into his second run of the morning when …
MotoGP: Ducati start tough Assen Weekend
The Ducati Marlboro Team today began a difficult weekend at Assen, with Loris Capirossi still suffering from injuries sustained in last Sunday’s Catalan GP multiple pile-up and Alex Hofmann riding his first laps as substitute for Sete Gibernau, who was injured in the same accident at Catalunya.
Capirossi and Hofmann also had to get used to the new Assen circuit, radically revamped since last summer, but although they were allowed an extra 30 minutes of morning practice, intermittent rain showers cheated them of much of that time.
Brave Capirossi arrived here confident that he could compete but the full extent of his …
MotoGP: Melandri back in Action, Elias back in Barcelona after Fall
FORTUNA HONDA rider Marco Melandri, involved in a terrible crash at the GP of Catalunya last weekend, was back on his Honda RC211V on Thursday at the first day of qualifying at the Dutch GP. Despite that heavy fall, the Italian’s physical condition is getting better although he still has pain in his back and neck. However, his team-mate Toni Elias who arrived at the newly-remodelled Assen full of hope and determination, suffered a crash after just two laps of the circuit. After that fall during the morning free session, the Spanish rider was forced to return to Barcelona where …
MotoGP: Makoto Tamada makes encouraging start at Assen
Under a grey and cloudy sky the riders officially took the first contact with the legendary Assen circuit after the modifications made this winter. The length of the track was shortened from 5,997 to roughly 4,750 metres and the so-called North Loop was altered causing the removal of a number of corners such as the S-corner, Haarbocht, Witterdiep, Madijik e Ossebroeken.
This morning, the riders had one hour and a half free practice session at their disposal, thirty minutes longer than usual just to have more time to dedicate to the first approach to the revamped Assen track. Light showers interrupted …