With all 30 entrants in the first qualifying session running on race tyres, as is normal at this stage of proceedings, the fastest rider proved to be overall third placed man in the current championship table, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda). His time of 1.50.039 is now the new track best, after modifications at the Variante Alta chicane lengthened the track compared to last season, instantly making the old lap records redundant. Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), who secured the 2005 championship title at this round last year, was second quickest, with runaway championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) third. Three-time 2006 race winner, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) slotted into the final place on the provisional front row, fourth fastest.
Barros In Contention At A Track He Knows On occasion this year Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) has encountered all-new tracks during race weekends; despite his vast MotoGP experience, but at Imola he knew most of the circuit layout even before turning a wheel in Friday morning qualifying for the first time. He was fifth fastest, ahead of former Imola race winner Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati). Fastest Yamaha rider on show was Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) seventh quickest overall. On home soil Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda) was the next best rider, completing the provisional second row in eighth.
Neukirchner Makes Good Early Start Proof that Imola is a rider's track was underlined by more than one rider who currently does not have access to the highest-level of factory machinery. Max Neukirchner, in only his third ride on the Alstare Engineering machine, was an impressive ninth fastest on day one, while the 999RS Pedercini Ducati of local man Ivan Clementi was a possibly even more admirable tenth. Pitt's team-mate Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) scored 11th on his first day of action at Imola. He set an identical time to Toseland's team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, each on 1'50.882, and thus 0.843 seconds down on Toseland. With Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) thirteenth fastest on his factory machine, the top 13 riders finished within a second of provisional pole. Fonsi Nieto and his team-mate Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) were 14th and 15th respectively, with the Yamaha Motor France Ipone machine of Norick Abe 16th fastest.
Martin Once More Impressive On His Petronas Triple Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) overcame the disadvantages of his machine having 100cc less displacement than his opponents by taking 17th fastest time, outpacing such luminaries as three-time Imola race winner Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), who was only 19th. Kurtis Roberts (Pedercini Ducati) was 22nd out of 30, and Josh Brookes (Bertocchi Kawasaki), 23rd. Local favourites Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) and Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) were 26th and 27th respectively, each fighting his own current disadvantages around the 4.959km circuit.
Supersport World ChampionshipOn the 4.959km Imola circuit Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) overcame a slow crash in the middle of the first 45-minute qualifying session to score an eventual provisional pole, edging out his team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) by 0.239 seconds. Current championship leader, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) was the next closest challenger to the Honda duo, as he goes for the outright championship win on Sunday. Fourth fastest was quick local rider, Gianluca Nannelli (Team Manila Grace SC Ducati) and Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) was a tidy fifth. All thirty-five riders were within the current qualifying time.
Superstock 1000 FIM CupLuca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) was the fastest rider after Superstock qualifying, while Brendan Roberts (HP Racing Suzuki) ran out second fastest, ahead of Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) and Ilario Dionisi (Unionbike GI Motorsports MV Agusta). Scassa was the class of the day, some 0.320 seconds ahead of Roberts. Championship leader Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki Racing) was sixth. One more qualifying session remains.
Superstock 600 European ChampionshipWith Ducati Xerox rider Niccolo Canepa now out of the championship fight after recent injury, it was left to Kawasaki Lightspeed rider Davide Giugliano to successfully challenge top dog Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) for supremacy in the 600 class. The ZX-6RR rider stole a march on Simeon on day one, outqualifying him, as the sun-kissed session was stopped a minute or so early.
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