Crutchlow scores a front row start for Salt Lake City Race day

  Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow kept his cool in the Utah sunshine today to score a front row start on the grid for tomorrow's two World Superbike races at the Miller Motorsports circuit in Salt Lake City. Crutchlow switched to a qualifier tyre for the second heat, securing a place in the third by finishing sixth. The second qualifying tyre was used to good effect in the third heat, taking him under the 1'48 second mark to secure third on the grid with a 1'47.648.

Team mate James Toseland passed comfortably through the first Superpole heat however was unable to pass through the second. The British rider had been using a set up which had worked perfectly for a slower speed whilst learning the circuit but needed to be modified to cope with the higher speed and extra grip offered by the qualifier tyres in Superpole. He starts tomorrow's races from 14th on the grid.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (3rd, 1'47.648)

"Today hasn't been too bad, the pace is so fast out there for everybody. Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi have been fast all weekend, all credit to Carlos what a fantastic Superpole lap, not even I could get near it and I've been pretty good in Superpole this year! I'm looking forward to the races tomorrow, I think we've got a good chance of being top five and we've got good race pace."
 

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (14th, 1'48.640)

"We went out on the standard bike set up at the beginning of the weekend at a slower pace learning the track, going from 1'51 second laps then down into the 1'50's. We then switched to a new set up which seemed to work at those speeds, but as we got down into the 1'48's it made it a lot harsher over the bumps on the track, unfortunately it was too late to change this before Superpole.

So tomorrow morning we'll go back to a set up we know works well, it's just a shame as it's cost us a good grid position. Hopefully tomorrow morning we'll be able to get back down to some good lap times and get more comfortable again. In the race I'm going to need a good start and then I'm just going to get stuck in."


Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager

"The first row for Cal is great and a good starting point for the races. It's a little bit different on James's side having to start from the fourth row, for sure the race will be tougher for him. We will work tonight to make sure we understand what isn't right in the set up, I'm confident we will have a good solution tomorrow morning to give him the set up he needs to fight in the races."


Circuit Length: 4905
Weather: Sunny
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'47.081 (Carlos Checa, 31/05/2010)
Last Years Winner: Ben Spies 


Superpole

1    Carlos Checa    Ducati    ESP    1'47.081
2    Max Biaggi    Aprilia    ITA    1'47.414
3    Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR    1'47.648
4    Jakub Smrz    Ducati    CZE    1'47.662
5    Leon Haslam    Suzuki    GBR    1'48.006
6    Noriyuki Haga    Ducati    JPN    1'48.035
7    Jonathan Rea    Honda    GBR    1'48.378
8    Leon Camier    Aprilia    GBR    1'48.621
9    Ruben Xaus    BMW    ESP    1'48.141
10    Michel Fabrizio    Ducati    ITA    1'48.154
11    Shane Byrne    Ducati    GBR    1'48.159
12    Sylvain Guintoli    Suzuki    FRA    1'48.162
13    Luca Scassa    Ducati    ITA    1'48.274
14    James Toseland Yamaha GBR    1'48.640
15    Troy Corser    BMW    AUS    1'48.706


Qualifying 2

1    Max Biaggi    ITA    1'49.191    1'48.115
2    Jakub Smrz    CZE    1'48.517    1'48.289
3    Troy Corser    AUS    1'49.040    1'48.318
4    Carlos Checa    ESP    1'48.742    1'48.358
5    Shane Byrne    GBR    1'48.853    1'48.549
6    Michel Fabrizio    ITA    1'48.670    1'48.571
7    Cal Crutchlow GBR    1'48.682    1'48.611
8    Leon Haslam    GBR    1'48.734    1'49.149
9    Leon Camier    GBR    1'49.443    1'48.741
10    James Toseland GBR    1'48.887    1'49.757
11    Luca Scassa    ITA    1'48.945    1'49.011
12    Jonathan Rea    GBR    1'49.281    1'48.965
13    Noriyuki Haga    JPN    1'49.386    1'49.050
14    Sylvain Guintoli    FRA    1'50.133    1'49.142
15    Tom Sykes    GBR    1'49.748    1'49.225


- Yamaha Racing , Amsterdam -