FIM World Endurance: 8 Hours of Doha

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Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship

The Superpole has seriously modified the final starting grid order for the 8 Hours of Doha, last round of the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship. The British Yamaha Phase One Endurance took their first pole position of the season as James Ellison, who came second of the British Superbike, did an incredible 2′01.002 lap.

The Yamaha Phase One Endurance leads one of their strongest competitors, the Honda Michelin Power Research Team, who signed the second best lap time with Hugo Marchand. “We worked mainly to find the best race setup”, said Hugo Marchand, “as we are usually very fast during the qualifications but then we face some problems during the race”.

BK Maco Moto Racing scored a great third place in the Superpole with Jason Pridmore, who finds himself particularly comfortable on the Losail racetrack. The Slovakian team leads the Bolliger Team Switzerland, the Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany and the Suzuki RT Racing Team Moto Virus.

The only Superstock machine to compete in the Superpole, the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team, managed to get an impressive seventh position on the starting grid. Then is the Suzuki Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers.

Great disappointment for the new 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion, Yamaha Austria Racing Team. Steve Martin was surprised as the bike did not stop sliding during his hot lap, and could not do better than a ninth place. The Suzuki AM Moto Racing Competition kept their tenth rank as in the qualifications.

The start of the 8 Hours of Doha will take place tomorrow Saturday at 1 pm local time (GMT + 3) for an arrival at 9 pm. The sunset comes at around 5 pm over the Losail racetrack.

To follow live result, log on www.ris-timing.be

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Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship

The second qualification session, which took place this morning on the Losail racetrack in Qatar, changed yesterday afternoon’s hierarchy. The Honda Michelin Power Research Team now leads the Yamaha Austria Racing Team and the Yamaha Phase One Endurance.

On the Honda Michelin, William Costes, Josep Monge and Hugo Marchand improved significantly their individual lap times. Hugo Marchand did his best in 2′01.775, and that will bring a significant advantage for Honda Michelin to dominate the session.

At Yamaha Austria, Steve Martin also improved his lap time in the first session this morning with a 2′01.545. However, YART takes the second position at the average time of its three riders. Steve Martin remains the fastest rider on track, and he has beaten last year record, signed by Matthieu Lagrive on SERT Suzuki in 2′01.754.

The British Yamaha Phase One Endurance also made impression during this morning qualification session, as Pedro Vallcaneras, Glen Richards and James Ellison were particularly fast. James Ellison even entered the trio of riders who are lapping below the 2′02 bar, with a best lap in 2′01.950.

Great performance as well for the Bolliger Team Switzerland. Horst Saiger, Eric Mizera and Patric Muff managed to place the Swiss Kawasaki in fourth place. The Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing Team has then to move back in fifth place, despite a great 2′02.761 lap from Jason Pridmore on the Slovakian Yamaha.

The Suzuki Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers is still in sixth place, ahead of the Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany, who seemed to have found a decent pace on the overheated Losail racetrack. In eighth place, the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team still holds the Superstock leadership; they will be the only representative of that class to enter the Superpole this afternoon, reserved to the ten fastest machines after the qualifications. We’ll see there the Suzuki RT Racing Team Moto Virus and AM Racing Competition. The Superpole will reallocate the ten first places on the final starting grid.

The start of the 8 Hours of Doha will be tomorrow Saturday at 1 pm local time (GMT + 3), with an arrival at 9 pm. The sunset is around 5 pm on the Losail racetrack.

To follow live result, log on www.ris-timing.be

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Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship

Yamaha Austria carries on and took the best from the first qualification session at the 8 Hours of Doha. With a 2′03.293 best lap, calculated from the average best of their three riders, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani, YART is leading their everlasting challenger, the Honda from Michelin Power Research Team of
William Costes, Josep Monge and Hugo Marchand, who did a 2′03.434 best lap. The best individual lap was signed by Steve Martin on the Yamaha Austria, in 2′02.032. The Australian rider was the only one to ride below the 2′03 bar today in Doha.

Behind the two leaders stands the Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing. They managed to score the third lap time today as Jason Pridmore signed a fantastic 2′03.464 lap. BK Maco Moto leads two other permanent teams, who are willing to end the season on a positive note: the Team Bolliger Switzerland on Kawasaki and the Team Phase One Endurance on Yamaha. In sixth place is the French Suzuki from Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers.

Despite Anthony Delhalle’s crash this afternoon, the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team remains the fastest Superstock team. In that class, the Suzuki QERT is leading two other Suzuki, the one from QERT Junior and Endurance Moto 45.

In the second position of the provisional Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship, the Suzuki RT Racing Team is not doing too well today. The Franco-Italian team is short of spare parts after a crash today and is also facing some set-up issues and technical problems.

The second qualifying session will take place tomorrow morning and the Superpole tomorrow-early afternoon. Tonight, the teams will have the opportunity to enjoy the freshness of the Qatari night, during the nocturnal riding session.

The start of the 8 Hours of Doha is scheduled for Saturday at 1 pm, local time (GMT + 3).

To follow all the live results, log on to www.ris-timing.be

A 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship new picture gallery is available on www.fim-live.com/fr/fanszone/galerie-fim

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Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship

Recently sacred 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion after the latest Bol d’Or, Yamaha Austria Racing Team still has the same motivation and the same thirst for victory at the 8 Hours of Doha, the last round of the 2009 season. The YART has dominated the free practice session this morning on the Losail racetrack.

Under a bright sun and with a temperature over 30 °C, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani signed the best lap in 2′02.965, despite a crash. They are the only team to lap below the 2′03 bar. Behind the 2009 World Champions, four teams are riding within a very narrow margin: the Yamaha Maco Moto Racing Team, the Honda Michelin Power Research Team, the Kawasaki Bolliger Team Switzerland and the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team, the first machine in the Superstock category and 2009 FIM World Cup winner.

Behind and still in a good position are the British Yamaha Phase One Endurance, the French Suzuki AM Moto Racing Competition, the Italian Yamaha Amadeus X-One, the German Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany and the French Suzuki of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers. The QERT Junior Team took the second best time in the
Superstock class.

The race promises to be very challenging. The rivalry will carry on this afternoon with the first qualification sessions and the day will finish with the night sessions, on the perfectly illuminated Losail racetrack.

To follow all the live results, log on to www.ris-timing.be

A 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship new picture gallery is available on
www.fim-live.com/fr/fans-zone/galerie-fim