Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama together with Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner used the first day of practice and qualifying at the Miller Motorsports Park to learn their way round the track and get used to racing at high altitude. The 4.907 kilometre circuit is about 1500 metres above sea level and all the bikes are suffering a drop in performance as a result. At the end of the day, Fonsi had qualified sixth, Yukio seventh and Max fifteenth. Series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) is on provisional pole, ahead of fellow countryman Troy Corser (Yamaha), with Carlos Checa (Honda) third and Jake Smrz (Ducati) fourth.
Fonsi - 6th, 1:49.895Im happy with today, even though we had some problems with my my favourite bike and that caused us to lose some time. I like this track - its not difficult to learn and its safe, but it is difficult to shave off that last fraction of a second when you are trying to go faster. I think the high altitude is affecting the bike, but its the same for everybody, so we just have to get down to it.
Yukio - 7th, 1:50.135Its a very big, wide track, so its a bit difficult to find a good line at the moment. In the afternoon, I began to find it a bit more easy and its just a case of putting in many, many laps and learning this circuit as fast as I can. I think the grip level is quite good and although the high altitude is affecting the bike, I have finished the day in a positive mood.
Max -15th, 1:50.929Im a little angry because Im finding this track difficult - especially in the first split where I know Im losing time. The second and third splits are not too bad, its just the first one where Im suffering and I think this is because of some chassis problems. We changed the bike from the morning session to the afternoon qualifying and I think maybe we went the wrong way, so tomorrow well change it more back to where we started from and work from there. The altitude doesnt seem to affect the top speed so much, but I feel it is affecting the acceleration out of the corners. We have some work to do tomorrow, but Im sure my team will manage it OK.
Circuit: 4.907 kms
Conditions: Dry,mostly sunny 21-24C
Friday Qualifying:1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:49.394
2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:49.636
3 Checa (E-Honda) 1:49.732
4 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:49.758
5 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:49.872
6 Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) 1:49.8957 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) 1:50.1358 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:50.230
9 Badavoni (I-Kawasaki) 1:50.269
10 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:50.349
15 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 1:50.929,
