CORSER HEADS SECOND ROW OF GRID AT BRANDS HATCH
31 July 2004 - Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Troy Corser will start tomorrow''s eighth round races of the Superbike World Championship at Brands Hatch at the head of the second row.

But it was an unlucky 13th for Foggy PETRONAS Racing team-mate Chris Walker, who was forced to switch from his favoured bike just minutes before his Superpole lap.

Both riders benefited from the availability of a new construction of qualifying tyre on a day of minimal margins, with just three hundredths separating the four second row grid positions.

Troy''s Superpole lap time was just 0.01 seconds off his best qualifying lap of 1:28.100, while fellow Aussie Steve Martin set a blistering pace of 1:27.213 to claim pole position.

Troy said: ''I am actually happier to be on the second row and at the top of the hill than fourth and on the inside of the front row. I have been going round people quite often at the first corner so hopefully I can do that again and get away with the leaders. It''s going to be a hard race, though, because the bike is a little too slow on the straights and I can''t get on the throttle any earlier. I''m still undecided between two compounds for the rear tyre so I will look at the telemetry and Chris''s times to try and make a decision tonight. The new construction qualifying tyre made a difference today as previously we have struggled to go faster on the other qualifier. But this stiffer construction - the same as the race tyre that we normally use - has more side grip and I could open the throttle earlier in the sections of the circuit where we have been struggling. On the other qualifier I seemed to have a lot of sideways movement in the faster corners. The time I did in Superpole was ab out the same time I did in qualifying, although I overshot Paddock Hill Bend a little, so I am reasonably happy with fifth considering we qualified in 12th here last year.''

Chris said: ''I''m `smashed'' to be on the fourth row. I had to use the second bike for Superpole after a problem with my preferred bike and that spare one had not felt as good all weekend. I want to be having `Stalker starts'' from the second row so that I can take the lead, not from the fourth row. Until then, the bike hadn''t felt this good since Monza. I have been in the top eight all day on race tyres but now I am starting from the fourth row and that is not going to help when we are losing two tenths on the back straight and two tenths through Clearways.''

Superpole results, Superbike World Championship, round 8, Brands Hatch: 1 Martin 1:27.213; 2 Chili 1:27.398; 3 Laconi 1:27.565; 4 Haga 1:27.833; 5 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:28.110; 6 Borciani 1:28.121; 7 Vermeulen 1:28.131; 8 Nannelli 1:28.144; 9 Ellison 1:28.356; 10 Haslam 1:28.432; 11 Pedercini 1:28.701; 12 Toseland 1:28.721; 13 Walker 1:28.822 (Foggy PETRONAS Racing); 14 Sanchini 1:29.212; 15 Bontempi 1:29.602; 16 Bussei DNS

Saturday free practice times: 1 Chili 1:27.700; 2 Nannelli 1:27.873; 3 Borciani 1:27.876; 4 Vermeulen 1:27.970; 5 Haslam 1:28.023; 6 Laconi 1:28.102; 7 Coxhell 1:28.114; 8 Toseland 1:28.645; 9 Pedercini 1:28.688; 10 Martin 1:28.699; 13 Walker 1:29.050 (Foggy PETRONAS Racing); 16 Corser 1:29.254 (Foggy PETRONAS Racing)

Saturday qualifying times: 1 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:27.785; 2 Haga (Renegade Ducatii) 1:27.810; 3 Chili (PSG-1) 1:27.819; 4 Nannelli (Team Pedercini) 1:27.910; 5 Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:28.006; 6 Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) 1:28.070; 7 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:28.100; 8 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:28.112; 9 Martin (DFX) 1:28.120; 10 Bussei (DeCecco Racing) 1:28.278; 11 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:28.460

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