Saturday, qualifying
ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
ROUND 2 IMOLA
5-8 APRIL 2012
Again in Imola after the astonishing second round of World Supersport Championship. The Yakhnich Team is back in the Italian circuit with all his riders, for the second round of the Italian championship, with different targets to reach.
On Supersport class, we must work on Vladimir Leonov Bike to test new parts on the engine management and on the setting set-up, to prepare the bike at the best way for next rounds of World Championship. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the good weather conditions allowed the team to refine many works, and settings, and already in the first qualifying of Friday Vladimir was able to set the second best time, in 1’52”9, one tenth of second better than he did in WSS race.
The work went better and better during Saturday, as he was easily riding in 1’52”2 in second qualifying, that is quite a second faster than in WSS race, and the new lap record in Imola for CIV!
Unfortunately the Sunday race will be on wet surface, as rain is announced, and we cannot test the last things we was thinking to test, but, starting from this awesome pole position, we will try to onour our presence in the CIV with a good result.
Good news even for Sergey Vlasov. During all week-end the team supported Sergey with a whole set-up testing, trying to help him to understand as sun as possible the “secrets” of the Supersport bike. Coming from the easy and simple Yamaha Trophy R6, it is very difficulties to use and understand all the electronics advantage of the supersport, but Sergey is working very hard to do it in the right way.
Every day in this week-end he improved his performances on one second, so, in the second qualifying he setted a good 1’57”6, that will allow him to fight inside the second part of the grid in the Sunday race.
Dakota Mamola arrived in Imola happy for the great result of Mugello first stage, but immediately discovered how difficult is the Italian championship. He crashed on Friday, in wet conditions, while he was riding very fast during a free practice session, and crashed even in the first lap of qualifying...
Team made a real miracle, repairing his bike in few minutes, allowing him to do at least three-four laps with the best chrono of 1’59” that means the 30.th position on the grid.
In second qualifying it was not easy for him to ride faster immediately, as in every fast lap he founded big traffic problems and had no way to finish a whole fast lap.
Six minutes to the end of qualifying, he was still in the 30.th position., when red flag was exposed.
Back to the pit lane, team made a last modification, and sended him immediately back as green light was on. He knew to have only two laps before the checkered flag, but he was really able to use this possibility: 1’56”4 in just one lap, and with this time he qualified 15.th!
After the Friday crash, this is the best result we could expect. And now wait for another great race!
Big Smiles even on the David Leonov box side. Even the younger Yakhnich team rider improved his performances day by day, and fighted with the other young riders of Yamaha R6 Trophy.
Imola circuit is good for David, because he is great in braking and here it is a good advantage.
2’03” was his best time in qualifying. Even David was disturbed in many fast laps by the traffic, and could’t do better then the 34.th position, but we are expecting a big fight in the middle of the group by our rider, and we are sure that in this race he will reserve a big surprise to the team.