Nurburgring World Superbike: First blood to Troy Corser

Troy Corser set the fastest time in this morning’s rain hit first practice session at the Nurburgring, in Germany.

Corser was one of a handful of riders that elected to switch to slick tyres on the front in the final ten minutes of the hour-long session as the track developed a dry line.

Corser was the last man to win a World Superbike race at the track having taken the race two victory when WSB last raced at the circuit back in 1999.

Troy Bayliss finished the session in second position with a lap time 0.34 seconds behind Corser. The Ducati man was one the first riders to make a real impact on his slick tyres with his first flying lap slashing nearly five seconds off the previous best.

His second flying lap was almost three seconds faster again and he looked to have secured first position until Corser’s final circulation.

Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto both got quickly dialled into the new circuit to post the third and fourth fastest times with former British Superbike champion Gregorio Lavilla in fifth.

Lorenzo Lanzi and Carlos Checa were a long way down in the wet conditions but both riders just managed to post a single fast lap on dry tyres to leap up the leader board to sixth and seventh spot.

Ryuichi Kiyonari was the early pace setter in the fully wet conditions and looked fast and comfortable. Unlike his rivals he didn’t use dry tyres so in the closing stages plummeted from first down to 12th spot, but remains confident given the high chance of more rain over the next three days.

Nurburgring World Superbike Free practice one results:

1 Troy CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 2’04.680
2 Troy BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 2’05.023
3 Yukio KAGAYAMA JPN Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’08.587
4 Fonsi NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’09.610
5 Gregorio LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’11.151
6 Lorenzo LANZI ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’12.010
7 Carlos CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’12.065
8 Sebastien GIMBERT FRA Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 2’12.129
9 Regis LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’12.156
10 Max BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’13.359
11 Loic NAPOLEONE FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 2’14.593
12 Ryuichi KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’15.154
13 Ayrton BADOVINI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’15.430
14 Max NEUKIRCHNER GER Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’17.495
15 Roberto ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda Althea Honda CBR1000RR 2’17.632
16 Jakub SMRZ CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’18.236
17 Karl MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 2’18.288
18 Makoto TAMADA JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’19.084
19 David CHECA ESP Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 2’19.150
20 Michel FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 2’19.758
21 Ruben XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’19.789
22 Justin PRIDMORE USA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2’20.297
23 Kenan SOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. Honda CBR1000RR 2’20.411
24 Shuhei AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2’21.206
25 Noriyuki HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 2’22.609
26 Shinichi NAKATOMI JPN YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 2’25.987
27 Vittorio IANNUZZO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’26.388
28 Russel HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing – Bertocchi Honda CBR1000RR 2’28.761