North West 200: doppia pole provvisoria per Seeley, Jessop tocca i 335 km/h!

Le prime prove cronometrate dell’edizione 2012 della North West 200 hanno già emesso un primo verdetto: l’uomo da battere sarà con ogni probabilità il nord-irlandese Alastair Seeley (Suzuki), già 5 volte vincitore sul famoso ‘Triangle’, che ha dominato le prove del martedì andando a cogliere la pole position provvisoria sia nella classe Superbike che in quella Supersport, oltre al secondo posto in quella Superstock.

Nella Superbike il trentaduenne eroe locale ha preceduto nell’ordine John Mc Guinness (Honda), William Dunlop (Honda), il compagno di squadra Guy Martin e Martin Jessop (Ducati), autore dell’altro exploit della giornata avendo fatto registrare la più alta velocità di sempre sul tracciato irlandese con 208 mph (335 km/h). Considerando che Jessop ha raggiunto questa velocità senza l’ausilio di nessuna scia, é lecito pensare che tale record possa essere battuto durante le gare di domenica, se non addirittura prima.

Dietro a Jessop troviamo altri nomi noti in ambito road racing: il redivivo Ian Hutchinson (Yamaha) é sesto, seguito da Michael Dunlop (Honda), Cameron Donald (Honda) e Michael Rutter (Kawasaki), che completa la Top 10. Per quanto rigurda gli altri big, Archibald (Kawasaki) chiude il primo giorno di prove con il 14° tempo mentre Simon Andrews si deve accontare del 19° posto provvisorio. Leggi il resto dell’articolo e le classifiche dei tempi dopo il ‘continua’.

La classe Supersport é invece stata dominata dal team Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing, che piazza i suoi due piloti davanti a tutti con Seeley davanti a Guy Martin. Dietro alle GSX-R 600 troviamo ben quattro Honda, la prima delle quali é quella di John McGuinness (che in Supersport corre con i colori del team Padgett’s) seguito da quelle di William Dunlop, Gary Johnson e del nostro Stefano Bonetti, eccellente sesto che si mette alle spalle piloti del calibro di Mike Dunlop, Cam Donald, Archibald e Hutchinson.

Buon 11° tempo per Bonetti nella classe Superstock, dove la pole provvisoria é stata conquistata da Farquhar (Kawasaki) davanti a Seeley, McGuinness e alla BMW S1000RR di Stephen Thompson.

Superbike first practice – conditions dry

1 SBK 34 Alastair SEELEY Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:27.564

2 SBK 4 John McGUINNESS Honda – Honda TT Legends 4:30.785 3.221

3 SBK 6 William DUNLOP Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:32.660 5.096

4 SBK 12 Guy MARTIN Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:33.858 6.294

5 SBK 40 Martin JESSOPP Ducati – ridersmotorcycles.com 4:34.569 7.005

6 SBK 9 Ian HUTCHINSON Yamaha – Swan Yamaha 4:34.675 7.111

7 SBK 3 Michael DUNLOP Honda – Hunts/McAdoo Racing 4:34.729 7.165

8 SBK 86 Cameron DONALD Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:35.415 7.851

9 SBK 1 Michael RUTTER Kawasaki – MSS Bathams Kawasaki 4:35.550 7.986

10 SBK 7 Gary JOHNSON Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 4:36.295 8.731

11 SBK 10 Conor CUMMINS Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:36.341 8.777

12 SBK 77 Ryan FARQUHAR Kawasaki – KMR Kawasaki 4:37.959 10.395 116.

13 SBK 37 James HILLIER Kawasaki – Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki 4:40.092 12.528

14 SBK 13 Adrian ARCHIBALD Kawasaki – AMA Racing 4:40.382 12.818

15 SBK 5 Bruce ANSTEY Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 4:40.461 12.897

16 SBK 20 Denver ROBB Suzuki – D.R. Racing 4:40.510 12.946

17 SBK 11 Stephen THOMPSON Kawasaki – Taylor Lyndsey 4:41.002 13.438

18 SBK 60 Horst SAIGER Honda 4:43.132 15.568

19 SBK 17 Simon ANDREWS Honda – Honda TT Legends 4:43.502 15.938

20 SBK 42 Gerard KINGHAN BMW – Kinghan Racing 4:44.746 17.182

21 SBK 18 Lee JOHNSTON Ducati – Millsport Racing Ducati 4:44.828 17.264

22 SBK 16 John BURROWS Suzuki – Cookstown BE Racing 4:46.320 18.756

23 SBK 15 Dan KNEEN Suzuki – Marks Bloom Racing 4:46.398 18.834

24 SBK 2 Ian LOUGHER Kawasaki – ILR Kawasaki 4:48.179 20.615

25 SBK 14 Ben WYLIE BMW – Wylie Racing / Per Cup Coffee 4:48.403 20.839

26 SBK 44 Jamie HAMILTON Kawasaki – KMR Kawasaki 4:49.200 21.636

27 SBK 111 Brian McCORMACK Honda – CD Racing 4:49.263 21.699

28 SBK 53 Dean HARRISON BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:49.475 21.911

29 SBK 65 Michael SWEENEY BMW – MJR Racing 4:50.287 22.723

30 SBK 19 Paul SHOESMITH BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:52.696 25.132

31 SBK 30 Herve GANTNER BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:54.756 27.192

32 SBK 43 Adrian CLARK Honda – BHR Racing 4:54.951 27.387

33 SBK 29 Ryan McCAY Honda – Free Brothers Racing 4:55.947 28.383

34 SBK 33 Olie LINSDELL Honda – Regal Leisure / Bonds 4:56.239 28.675

35 SBK 98 Paul OWEN Honda – WeTrackBikes.co.uk 5:00.565 33.001

36 SBK 39 Antonio MAESO BMW – martimotos 5:01.983 34.419

37 SBK 55 Donald MacFADYEN BMW – Capital Fire & Security Alarms 5:03.776 36.212

38 SBK 122 Alan BONNER Honda 5:04.717 37.153

39 SBK 66 Mark BUCKLEY Aprilia – Splitlath-Redmond Racing 5:06.546 38.982

40 SBK 57 Daniel JANSEN BMW – New Zealand M/cycle Adventures 5:09.075 41.511

41 SBK 56 Phillip CROWE BMW – PCR HMT Racing 5:10.283 42.719

42 SBK 54 Toni RECHBERGER Suzuki – MSC Rottenegg 5:13.393 45.829

43 SBK 48 David MADSEN-MYGDAL Yamaha 5:13.918 46.354

44 SBK 113 Ronan PENTONY Yamaha – RPMcycles.ie 5:17.750 50.186

Non Qualifiers

SBK 96 Neil GREGORY Honda – Trickbits/FBM/SNC Scaffolding 5:01.067 33.503

SBK 36 Ray HUTCHISON Kawasaki 5:17.606 50.042

SBK 45 Garth WOODS Honda – Zeus Products/AMB Compressors 5:17.925 50.361

SBK 103 Reuben McPHEE Honda 5:21.861 54.297

SBK 27 Steve HENEGHAN Kawasaki – Quattro Plant Kawasaki 7:41.547 3:13.983

SBK 71 Davy MORGAN Suzuki – Strangford Holiday Park 12:58.330 8:30.766

Supersport first practice – conditions dry

1 SSP 1 Alastair SEELEY Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:45.160

2 SSP 2 Guy MARTIN Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:46.109 0.949

3 SSP 4 John McGUINNESS Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 4:47.283 2.123

4 SSP 6 William DUNLOP Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:47.897 2.737

5 SSP 7 Gary JOHNSON Honda – Lincs Lifting/Callmac Scaffolding 4:51.120 5.960

6 SSP 32 Stefano BONETTI Honda – Speed Motor 4:52.601 7.441

7 SSP 3 Michael DUNLOP Suzuki – Ard Na Mara/McAdoo Racing 4:53.824 8.664

8 SSP 86 Cameron DONALD Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:54.354 9.194

9 SSP 13 Adrian ARCHIBALD Yamaha – AMA Racing 4:56.938 11.778

10 SSP 9 Ian HUTCHINSON Yamaha – Swan Yamaha 4:57.774 12.614

11 SSP 65 Michael SWEENEY Yamaha – MJR Racing 4:59.658 14.498

12 SSP 15 Dan KNEEN Suzuki – Marks Bloom Racing 5:00.011 14.851

13 SSP 50 William DAVISON Honda – Hill Contracts 5:01.590 16.430

14 SSP 5 Bruce ANSTEY Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 5:04.809 19.649

15 SSP 21 Jamie COWARD Suzuki – Hotties Thermal Packs/Rodlee 5:05.016 19.856

16 SSP 53 Dean HARRISON Yamaha – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 5:05.122 19.962

17 SSP 14 Ben WYLIE Yamaha – Wylie Racing / Brenin Bikes 5:05.722 20.562

18 SSP 16 John BURROWS Honda – Moira MRC 5:06.150 20.990

19 SSP 33 Olie LINSDELL Yamaha – SMV / Flitwick Motorcycles 5:06.537 21.377

20 SSP 25 Robert WILSON Kawasaki – Stoddart Racing/Taylor Lyndsey 5:06.808 21.648

21 SSP 10 Paul SHOESMITH Yamaha – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 5:07.500 22.340

22 SSP 111 Brian McCORMACK Yamaha – CD Racing 5:08.287 23.127

23 SSP 30 David HAIRE Honda – B & W Racing 5:08.490 23.330

24 SSP 66 Mark BUCKLEY Kawasaki – Gearlink Kawasaki 5:08.834 23.674

25 SSP 20 Daniel COOPER Suzuki – WK Bikes / Hel Performance 5:09.034 23.874

26 SSP 98 Paul OWEN Yamaha – #98 Club 5:11.316 26.156

27 SSP 69 Dave WOOLAMS Honda – Wooly’s Autos 5:13.078 27.918

28 SSP 55 Scott CAMPBELL Yamaha – Ian Bell Motorcycles 5:14.353 29.193

29 SSP 40 Antonio MAESO Yamaha – martimotos 5:14.624 29.464

30 SSP 42 Paul CRANSTON Honda – P & J Fuel Haulage 5:14.877 29.717

31 SSP 19 Brian PATTERSON Triumph 675 5:18.563 33.403

32 SSP 38 Anthony McCOLGAN Yamaha 5:20.223 35.063

33 SSP 12 Steve MARTIN Kawasaki – Martin Kawasaki Racing Malaysia 5:20.414 35.254

34 SSP 27 James McCANN Yamaha – Dixons Contractors 5:22.285 37.125

35 SSP 28 Mark MADSEN-MYGDAL Yamaha 5:22.699 37.539

36 SSP 36 Callum LAIDLAW Yamaha 5:23.401 38.241

37 SSP 26 Billy SMITH Suzuki – Sandbach Scrap Metals 5:23.568 38.408

38 SSP 22 Stephen McILVENNA Yamaha 5:27.514 42.354

39 SSP 113 Ronan PENTONY Yamaha – rideireland.com 5:28.276 43.116

40 SSP 59 Simona ZACCARDI Honda 5:31.156 45.996

Non Qualifiers

SSP 29 Timothee MONOT Yamaha – Team of Paris 5:22.140 36.980

SSP 48 Alessandro La MACCHIA Honda 5:37.113 51.953

SSP 61 Dario CECCONI Honda 5:41.053 55.893

SSP 24 Gary MILLER Suzuki 5:47.990 1:02.830

SSP 35 Sandy BERWICK Suzuki – Berm Shotblasting 5:58.450 1:13.290

SSP 23 Ornella ONGARO Yamaha 7:25.641 2:40.481

Superstock first practice – conditions dry then wet

1 STK 77 Ryan FARQUHAR Kawasaki – KMR Kawasaki 4:34.703

2 STK 34 Alastair SEELEY Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 4:35.197 0.494

3 STK 4 John McGUINNESS Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 4:36.870 2.167

4 STK 11 Stephen THOMPSON BMW – Taylor Lyndsey 4:40.698 5.995

5 STK 5 Bruce ANSTEY Honda – Padgett’s MMCG Racing 4:40.710 6.007

6 STK 86 Cameron DONALD Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:41.059 6.356

7 STK 42 Gerard KINGHAN BMW – Kinghan Racing 4:41.687 6.984

8 STK 18 Lee JOHNSTON Ducati – Millsport Racing Ducati 4:41.897 7.194

9 STK 13 Adrian ARCHIBALD Kawasaki – AMA Racing 4:42.693 7.990

10 STK 37 James HILLIER Kawasaki – Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki 4:42.941 8.238

11 STK 58 Stefano BONETTI Kawasaki – Speed Motor 4:43.533 8.830

12 STK 14 Ben WYLIE BMW – Wylie Racing / Per Cup Coffee 4:43.918 9.215

13 STK 44 Jamie HAMILTON Kawasaki – KMR Kawasaki 4:45.775 11.072

14 STK 60 Horst SAIGER Honda 4:46.086 11.383

15 STK 65 Michael SWEENEY BMW – MJR Racing 4:46.953 12.250

16 STK 15 Dan KNEEN Suzuki – Marks Bloom Racing 4:47.499 12.796

17 STK 30 Herve GANTNER BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:48.070 13.367

18 STK 16 John BURROWS Kawasaki – Cookstown BE Racing 4:48.780 14.077

19 STK 53 Dean HARRISON BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:49.983 15.280

20 STK 111 Brian McCORMACK Honda – CD Racing 4:50.119 15.416

21 STK 19 Paul SHOESMITH BMW – Ice Valley Motorsave BMW 4:51.335 16.632

22 STK 27 Steve HENEGHAN Kawasaki – Quattro Plant Kawasaki 4:52.155 17.452

23 STK 96 Neil GREGORY Honda – Trickbits/FBM/SNC Scaffolding 4:55.291 20.588

24 STK 43 Adrian CLARK Honda – BHR Racing 4:55.638 20.935

25 STK 122 Alan BONNER Honda 4:55.908 21.205

26 STK 71 Davy MORGAN BMW – 01RaceFX 4:56.230 21.527

27 STK 33 Olie LINSDELL Honda – Regal Leisure/Wheeler Electrical 4:56.824 22.121

28 STK 98 Paul OWEN Honda – WeTrackBikes.co.uk 4:57.549 22.846

29 STK 29 Ryan McCAY Honda – Free Brothers Racing 4:58.078 23.375

30 STK 50 William DAVISON Honda – Hill Contracts 4:58.186 23.483

31 STK 55 Donald MacFADYEN BMW – Capital Fire & Security Alarms 5:01.097 26.394

32 STK 39 Antonio MAESO BMW – martimotos 5:01.671 26.968

33 STK 66 Mark BUCKLEY Aprilia – Splitlath-Redmond Racing 5:03.013 28.310

34 STK 62 Stanley GAMBLE Honda 5:05.326 30.623

35 STK 57 Daniel JANSEN BMW – New Zealand M/cycle Adventures 5:05.403 30.700

36 STK 45 Garth WOODS Honda – Zeus Products/AMB Compressors 5:07.168 32.465

37 STK 26 Dennis BOOTH Suzuki 5:08.042 33.339

38 STK 54 Toni RECHBERGER Suzuki – MSC Rottenegg 5:12.016 37.313

39 STK 36 Ray HUTCHISON Kawasaki 5:14.887 40.184

40 STK 23 Steve MARTIN Kawasaki – MSS Bathams Kawasaki 5:15.630 40.927

41 STK 89 Pierluigi CINTI BMW 5:22.173 47.470

Non Qualifiers

STK 6 William DUNLOP Honda – Wilson Craig Racing 4:39.503 4.800

STK 3 Michael DUNLOP Kawasaki – Ard Na Mara/McAdoo Racing 4:42.913 8.210

STK 9 Ian HUTCHINSON Yamaha – Swan Yamaha 4:45.772 11.069

STK 2 Ian LOUGHER Kawasaki – ILR Kawasaki 4:48.761 14.058

STK 56 Phillip CROWE BMW – PCR HMT Racing 5:00.329 25.626

STK 12 Guy MARTIN Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 5:04.458 29.755

STK 113 Rafael PASCHOALIN BMW – TT Brazilion Team 5:07.575 32.872

STK 1 Michael RUTTER Kawasaki – MSS Bathams Kawasaki 5:40.520 1:05.817

STK 40 Martin JESSOPP Ducati – ridersmotorcycles.com 7:09.641 2:34.938

STK 48 David MADSEN-MYGDAL Yamaha 23:03.659 18:28.956

STK 10 Conor CUMMINS Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki by TAS Racing 27:56.071 23:21.368