Round 8, Brands Hatch (GB), Friday 5th August 2005, Friday Qualifying
Circuit: 4.197 kms. Weather: Morning - damp, afternoon - mostly dry

TROY LEAVES IT LATE, BUT DOES IT AGAIN!

The last ten minutes of today’s qualifying were frenetic to say the least, but
somehow Troy found the time and space to set the day’s fastest lap - over half a
second quicker then any of his rivals! Troy’s lap of 1:27.123, totally eclipsed
Ducati rider Regis Laconi, who thought his lap of 1:27.652 would be good enough
for provisional pole. Third fastest is local favourite Chris Walker (Kawasaki),
with Aussie Karl Muggeridge (Honda) slotting into fourth. Troy’s team mate Yukio
Kagayama suffered a nasty fall this afternoon and was lucky to escape with a
badly bruised backside.

TROY - 1st, 1:27.123

For a Friday, I’m pretty happy. Already we are almost where we want to be with
our set-up and there’s not an awful lot more to do tomorrow, but we will make
some small changes to the suspension and see if we can improve. I ran over
twenty laps on my tyres this afternoon when it was dry and my lap time at the
end was only 0.3 slower then my lap times at the beginning and that’s pretty
good, I’d say. Brands and Brno are a bit similar - both feature changes in
elevations and both have some pretty interesting corners. I think I know what
tyres I will use in the race, but if it gets much warmer tomorrow and the grip
improves then I may try a harder rear. The front is more or less the same as
i’ve used all year! I had a bit of a moment this afternoon in the back part of
the track. The front wheel comes up very easily and if you put it down and it’s
not dead straight the impact knocks the pads back a bit. Then, when you put on
the brakes, nothing happens on the first pressure! You have to give another
handful and then it’s OK. But when I had the moment I had just gone past Chris
Vermeulen I think, and he must have thought I was in a bit hot! I was! Luckily I
held it all together, but it was a bit close for a moment or two. I want to get
off the line first on Sunday and lead into turn one, because Brands is a track
where you do not want to be racing other riders. If you get clear track ahead
and leave the pack to fight amongst themselves you can make time. In the first
couple of laps, I reckon you could pull out a second or two if you are in front
- and that’s my aim.

Friday qualifying:

 1 Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)  1:27.123
 2 Laconi (F-Ducati)                         1:27.652
 3 Walker (GB-Kawasaki)                      1:27.656
 4 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda)                    1:27.742
 5 Kagayama (J-Suzuki)                       1:27.767
 6 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha)                         1:28.023
 7 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda)                     1:28.056
 8 Toseland (GB-Ducati)                      1:28.072
 9 Chili (I-Honda)                           1:28.205
10 Neukirchner (D-Honda)                     1:28.271

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