Carlos Checa continued the good form he has shown all weekend on the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda to grab a front row grid position at Phillip Island.
However, his less experienced team-mates struggled throughout the day and didn't make the Superpole final 16.
Former
MotoGP star Checa set a time less than a second down on
Troy Bayliss' pole mark and qualified in a strong fourth position, a result well deserved after the struggle the team has encountered with its new bikes during the early sessions.
The Spaniard's lap was inch perfect and, after an encouraging start in Qatar was hindered by bad luck, the veteran will be looking for podium results in both races tomorrow.
“I am satisfied with the work we've done,” Checa commented, “I was worried about the chattering I experienced yesterday, but we made some modifications and seem to have solved the problem.
“I was a little reluctant to use a qualifying tyre for the Superpole lap, and still wasn't convinced using it was the best option, but my team convinced me - and they were right! It looks like we are on the pace for tomorrow's races.”
Checa's Hannspree Honda team-mates,
Ryuichi Kiyonari and
Kenan Sofuoglu, both encountered difficulties with their machines in second qualifying and both failed to make it into the Superpole session. They will start Sunday's races from the 19th and 21st place respectively
Double British Superbike champion Kiyonari has continued to struggle with the adaptation from BSB to WSBK, and from Michelin to Pirelli tyres and must be hoping his luck can change soon.
“Tomorrow, I will try to push harder and put in some better results. I am absolutely not happy with the results so far,” he said.
Reigning Supersport world champion Sofuoglu has had a tough time in Australia after looking on the pace in Qatar. The Turk was inside the top 16 in practice on Friday but dropped back to 21st in the timed session on Saturday morning.
