News in from Assen that two teams will be missing from the grid this weekend. The Reitwagen Team which has been running the first “customer” BMW S1000RR for Australian Andrew Pitt, has pulled out, citing difficulties securing sufficient sponsorship to run. This is very disappointing and, coupled with the Italian rider, Ianuzzo failing to recover from his Valencia accident, reduces the grid tomorrow to just 22 bikes, the smallest in recent memory.
Even WSBK which has prided itself on being a fairly “cheap” formula, is struggling at the moment with the GFC really hitting the European teams hard. Cushioned, as we have been, from the worst effects of ths crisis, it seems hard for us to grasp the fact that many major sponsors have been lost to the sport in recent years.
WSBK Qualifying (pre-Superpole)
1. Jakub Smrz CZE PATA B&G Racing Ducati 1198 1min 36.041s
2. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 36.339s
3. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 36.489s
4. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 36.618s
5. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 1min 36.752s
6. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198 1min 36.805s
7. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 37.064s
8. Shane Byrne GBR Althea Ducati 1198 1min 37.081s
9. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1198 1min 37.165s
10. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 1min 37.166s
11. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198 1min 37.344s
12. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1min 37.434s
13. Max Neukirchner GER Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 37.453s
14. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198 1min 37.462s
15. Luca Scassa ITA Supersonic Ducati 1198 1min 37.506s
16. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 37.580s
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 37.684s
18. Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 37.685s
19. Matteo Baiocco ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 38.795s
20. Chris Vermeulen AUS Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1min 39.079s
21. Roger Lee Hayden USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 39.186s
22. Broc Parkes AUS Echo-CRS Honda CBR1000RR 1min 40.485s
WSS Qualifying sees Ten Kate rider, Kenan Sofoglu on top, reversing the domination of the Kawasakis over the last few rounds.
Sad news overnight too that former WSBK champion, Neil Hodsgson has had to announce his retirement. Hodsgon returned to the BSB this year after a stint in the AMA and was getting well settled when he fell badly at the Brands Hatch round and severely re-injured his shoulder. Medical advice has been that he stop riding before doing permanent damage to it.