Round 6, San Marino (at Misano), Friday 24th June
2005, Friday Qualifying
Circuit: 4,060km., Weather: Dry, sunny 27-30 C.

TROY QUICKEST!

Misano has been a very happy hunting ground for Troy in the past and today he
showed that he means that to continue by posting the day’s fastest lap. His time
of 1:35.717 may have been shy of the lap record (set by Troy Bayliss in 2002),
but conditions today, and particularly this afternoon, were not conducive to
reallyquick laps. The air temperature in this afternoon’s timed qualifying was
over 30 C and that gave all riders problems with their tyres. It was a tyre
problem that caused Troy to suffer his first crash of the season, but
fortunately it was a low-speed tumble and he walked away with only slightly
scuffed leathers. Behind Troy on the provisional front row of the grid today is
youngster Max Neukirchner (Honda), Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Karl Muggeridge
(Honda). Troy’s team mate Yukio Kagayama finished seventh quickest - a very good
result on his debut at the circuit.

TROY - 1st, 1:35.717

Quickest and a crash! My first fall of the season and it was hardly that really.
It happened in the corner at the end of the long back straight - Tramonto I
think it is called - when I lost the front in the turn itself. Not going in, but
actually in the turn. There was absolutely no warning at all. I was up  and I
was down and I couldn’t do anything about it.

All day I have been feeling less then a hundred per cent confident with my front
tyre and I guess the crash proved it!  Apart from that, it’s been a trouble-free
day really and the Alstare Suzuki is working pretty well. We might try some
different gearing tomorrow, but our main job is to sort out which front tyre we
are going to use in the races on Sunday.

If it is as hot as today, then we are all going to have a problem and it’s all
going to be down to who can conserve his tyre best throughout the races. The
track was a bit dirty this morning, but in the afternoon the grip definitely
improved a bit, but then the heat became a problem. We’ll have to see how
tomorrow and Sunday pans out, but I guess it’s going to carry on as hot as
today. Good job, I’m fit!

Friday qualifying:

 1 TROY CORSER (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)           1:35.717
 2 Neukirchner (D-Honda)                                   1:35.836
 3 Laconi (F-Ducati)                                       1:36.012
 4 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda)                                  1:36.170
 5 Toseland (GB-Ducati)                                    1:36.284
 6 Chili (I-Honda) 1:36.492, 7 Kagayama (J-Suzuki Corona)  1:36.652
 8 Alfonsi (I-Yamaha)                                      1:36.957
 9 Clementi (I-Ducati)                                     1:36.990
10 Martin (Aus-Petronas)                                   1:37.106

TROY CORSER WEBSITE - http://www.troycorser.com