BARBERA DELIGHTS HOME CROWD WITH FRONT ROW
30 October 2004 - Aprilia

SPANISH teenager Hector Barbera claimed his eighth front row start of the season in front of a partisan home crowd at the Valencia circuit this afternoon.

The Seedorf Racing rider claimed second place on the grid for tomorrow’s 24-lap race, which will bring the curtain down on the 2004 world 125 championship.

Barbera clocked a best time of 1.40.146s to miss out on pole position by just 0.219s, after he knocked a massive 1.4s off his best time set in yesterday’s provisional session. Barbera is now in prime position to be the man to hand Aprilia the all-important constructor world championship, with the Noale manufacturer needing just two-points from tomorrow’s race to claim the crown.

“I want to end the season on a high note and qualifying on the front row has given me that chance, “said Barbera, who is in a three-rider battle to claim second overall in the world championship. Barbera currently lies fourth in the standings on 177-points, just five-points adrift of second placed Roberto Locatelli.

Locatelli ended final qualifying in seventh position as he prepares for his final 125 race. The experienced Italian said: “We made a step forward from yesterday but we are not at 100 per cent with the chassis setting. We need to make another improvement in the warm-up but I’m sure the race will be very close.”

Italian Gino Borsoi saved his best for last, the Globet.com Aprilia rider claiming his best qualifying result of the season when he finished fourth quickest. Spaniard Sergio Gadea also produced an inspired performance this afternoon when he grabbed a place on the second row of the grid. Before the last round in Australia, he hadn’t claimed a top 15 grid position, but his brilliant fifth today comes after he took 14th at Phillip Island.

www.aprilia.com

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