Cian Fothergill celebrating his opening round win in Newcastle. (Pic: photowagon.com.au)

Competitors in the CIK Stars of Karting Series use similar equipment to that used in the European and World Championships and will reach speeds in excess of 130km/h around the Port Melbourne circuit.

With an overseas trip on the line in each of the Pro categories – Pro Light (KF1), Pro Gearbox (KZ2) and Pro Light (KF3) – along with the East Coast Clubman Title presented by Yamaha, the action will be intense.

Entering next weekend’s final round, Queenslander (Gladstone) Cian Fothergill holds a commanding lead in the chase for the James Courtney trophy, which is to be awarded to the winner of the Pro Light (KF1) category.

If successful in claiming the crown it will be Fothergill’s first title at the elite level and he will also earn the right to represent Australia in the Asia Pacific Championships at Suzuka in Japan next year.

Unlike the Pro Light (KF1) category, the battle for the John Pizarro trophy, awarded to the Pro Gearbox (KZ2) Champion, is far from being decided.

With 85 points on offer across the weekend, Bundaberg’s (Queensland) Kel Treseder holds a slender 14 point lead over Sunbury (Melbourne) driver Matthew Wall who is closely followed by Ivanhoe’s (Melbourne) Troy Woolston, Gold Coaster Chris Hays and Essendon’s (Melbourne) Jason Pringle.

Wall, who has changed chassis for next weekend’s finale in an effort to claim his first CIK Stars of Karting Series crown, knows that it is going to be tough to snare the championship away from Treseder’s grasp.

“I’ve been around karting for a long time now and have achieved a lot of great results but there is one thing that is missing at the top of my wish list – a CIK Championship – and I’ve still got a bit of work if it is going to happen this year,” said Wall.

Kel Treseder leading the way in Pro Gearbox (KZ2). Pic: photowagon.com.au

“The pace that Kel has shown this year has been very impressive but he too has to be right on top of his game. He struggled to get off the line last round and one slip by either him, myself, Troy (Woolston) or Chris Hays and the chase for the championship will be over for each of us.

“There will also be a number of local guys who are racing in the final round who could throw a real ‘spanner in the works’ and the fickle Melbourne weather could also play a bit part in the outcome. No matter which way you look at it the final round is set to be a cracker.”

Adding more emphasis on the win is the fact that the winner of the Pro Gearbox (KZ2) category will get the opportunity to race in the SuperNats in Las Vegas during November.

Last year, the 13th Annual SuperNats event in Las Vegas, America attracted some of the world’s most iconic drivers including seven-time World Formula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher, four-time World Karting Champion Davide Forè, two-time World Karting Champion Marco Adrigo and three-time World Cup KZ1 Champion Jonathan Thonon.

Entering the final round, Sydney youngster Pierce Lehane is well on track to add his name alongside the likes of Ryan Briscoe, Michael Caruso, Tim Slade and Andrew Thompson on the Jon Targett trophy as the winner of the Pro Junior (KF3) category.

Pro Junior (KF3) Championship leader Pierce Lehane. Pic: photowagon.com.au

Lehane quickly adapted to the extra power provided by the 125cc KF3 specification Vortex engine to win five of the six main events held already this year. While the opposition has closed the gap over the past couple of rounds, Lehane has remained at the front of the field and looks to be the one who will represent Australia in Monaco later this year (the reward for winning the championship).

Sydney drivers Jason Hryniuk and Daniel Baker will also be going at it in the East Coast Title for the Clubman category. With only four points separating the pair, one slip up from either of them in the final round will see the other one jetting off to Japan for the All Japan Championships next year.

In the East Coast Junior Title it is Sunshine Coast (Queensland) driver Mitchell Gee who has been consistent throughout the year and holds a 17 point lead over local driver Phillip Munnerley entering the final round.

There will also be a local class (Rotax 125) being contested across the weekend for the local competitors.

Practice will be held on Friday (August 6) ahead of qualifying day on Saturday (August 7) with the finals to be contested on Sunday (August 8).

2010 CIK Stars of Karting Series
Championships Standings (Top 5) after Round Three

Pro Light (KF1)
1. Cian Fothergill (QLD) – 233
2. Hayden McBride (NSW) – 194
3. Joel Smith (Vic) – 170
4. Damien Radosevic (NSW) – 169
5. Grant Smith (Vic) – 159

Tracksa Racing's John Grother leading the Pro Light (KF1) field at Ipswich. Pic: photowagon.com.au

Pro Gearbox (KZ2)
1. Kel Treseder (QLD) – 211
2. Matthew Wall (Vic) – 197
3. Troy Woolston (Vic) – 187
4. Christopher Hays (QLD) – 177
5. Jason Pringle (Vic) – 172

Pro Junior (KF3)
1. Pierce Lehane (NSW) – 242
2. Brock Plumb (QLD) – 198
3. James Macken (QLD) – 188
4. Jonathan Venter (NSW) – 175
5. Jackson Delamont (NSW) – 162

2010 East Coast Title
Championships Standings (Top 5) after Round Three
Clubman
1. Jason Hryniuk (NSW) – 193
2. Daniel Baker (NSW) – 189
3. Brendan Nelson (QLD) – 180
4. Brenton Simonds (QLD) – 148
5. Thomas Phillips (NSW) – 140

Junior National
1. Mitchell Gee (QLD) – 193
2. Phillip Munnerley (Vic) – 175
3. Christopher Corbett (NSW) – 170
4. Breanna Woodland (NSW) – 164
5. Anthony Gamauf (NSW) – 132

FORMER CIK STARS OF KARTING SERIES CHAMPIONS

Pro Light (KF1)
1993 – Richard McLeod
1994 – Phillip Scifleet
1995 – Darrell Smith
1996 – Jeremy Lohmann
1997 – David Clark
1998 – Ryan Wlodzinski
1999 – Jamie Whincup
2000 – Neil McFadyen
2001 – Mark Winterbottom
2002 – Adam Graham
2003 – Barclay Holden
2004 – Barclay Holden
2009 – Hayden McBride

The CIK Stars of Karting Series Champion in Pro Gearbox (KZ2) will compete in Las Vegas at the SuperNats. Pic: photowagon.com.au

Pro Gearbox (KZ2)
2002 – Jason Burns
2003 – Tyson Pearce
2004 – Bart Price
2005 – Bart Price

Pro Junior (KF3)
1993 – Mike Hazelton
1994 – Christian Jones
1995 – Ryan Briscoe
1996 – Ryan Briscoe
1997 – Michael Caruso
1998 – Neil McFadyen
1999 – Adam Graham
2000 – Andrew Thompson
2001 – Tim Slade
2002 – Ben Chong Sun
2003 – Ben McCashney
2004 – Kristian Lindbom
2005 – Joshua Scott

Hayden McBride (credit - photowagon.com.au)

McBride earned the trip courtesy of his victory in last year’s Australian championship competed against a 32 strong field of world-class drivers, including Moller Madsen, the new European Champion in KF2.

“It was a great experience, albeit pretty challenging at times given the extreme grip levels we encountered and the fact that I was so much taller and heavier than the rest of the field,” said McBride.

“To come seventh in the final which was run in a downpour was pretty amazing, it was a really challenging weekend and the team, including my mechanic Marco, was working so hard non-stop all weekend to get the kart up to speed.

“I had never encountered grip like what we saw over there – even the locals were saying it was much worse than what they had seen at the venue before, if you stood on the Ingrid too long you got stuck to the track, and the kart would bog down coming out of the corners like it was stuck!”

Hayden McBride (credit - photowagon.com.au)

Add to the grip levels the fact that McBride was taller and some five kilos heavier than most of the other racers despite a intensive fitness routine in the lead up (the minimum weight of the KF2 category is nine kilograms lighter than the respective category in Australia) and the team had some obstacles when it came to set up.

“Yes we had to work pretty hard and there were lots of combinations put to the test over the weekend, but in the end the rain evened the playing field on race day and I was able to drive through from 19th to 7th in the final, and I really feel that if there had been more laps in it I could have challenged for the podium,” said McBride.

“Now that the event is over I am getting busy eating some great food after trying to keep my intake down over the weekend to lose extra weight!

“I would really like to say a thank you to the CIK Stars of Karting Series as well for providing me the opportunity to come over here and race, it has been a great experience.”

McBride’s next appearance on Australian shores will be during the final round of the 2010 CIK Stars of Karting Series to be held at Melbourne’s Todd Road circuit hosted by the Go-Kart Club of Victoria on August 7/8.

Entering next month’s final round of the four-round series McBride is second in the championship standings behind Queenslander Cian Fothergill with a slim chance of snaring back-to-back titles.

Brayden Souter in action (Pic: photowagon.com.au)

The Wimmera Open will feature three heats of racing plus a final, and there is still time for karters to enter the event via www.wimmerakartclub.com.au. Fans that want to come out and catch the action can do so free of charge.

Flying the family flag at the event will be brothers Brayden and Kodi Souter and mother and son Natarsha and Alex Baker.

The Souter brothers – 11 year old Brayden and eight year old Kodi – often bring their entire family – mum Cynthia, dad Shane and younger brothers Jonte (five years old) and Kalan (three years old) to the track to watch them in action.

Brayden has been racing for two years in the Midget class while Kodi is new to the sport and currently using every opportunity for practice in preparation for joining his brother in the midget category.

Shane Souter said that karting was a great sport and that he couldn’t encourage people more to come down and have a look at what it is all about.

The Souter Family (l-r): Brayden, Kodi, Jonte, Cynthia, Kalan and Shane

“I started karting myself a few years back with one of my friends and I thought it would be a good sport for my kids to get into, and Brayden, who was nine at the time, really took a hold of it,” said Shane Souter.

“I decided that I would rather concentrate on his racing so I stepped out of the drivers seat, and recently my next eldest Kodi, who is eight years old now, has stepped into it as well.

“We try to have the whole family come along when we race – Karting is a real family sport and it’s great for not only the racers – teaching the kids control, confidence, driving skills and respect for speed – but it’s also great to watch for spectators with some tight racing in all of the categories.”

Brayden, who started racing two years ago as at the age of nine, said he loved the challenge presented by racing go karts.

“I really love the speed and the challenge of go kart racing,” said Brayden Souter.

“I get to make new friends and travel and hear what everyone else is up to – so many of my friends at school wish they could do what I get to do and so I always tell them to come and watch the racing and bring their parents so they can see what happens – its great fun!”

Joining the Souters on track next weekend will be mother and son racers Natarsha and Alex Baker, who are looking forward to a relaxed, fun, family friendly day at the track next Sunday.

Natarsha has been competing in the Clubman Heavy class for two years while seven year old Alex will make his racing debut at the Wimmera Open in the midget category. Dad Trevor, a mechanic, is the pair’s pit crew.

“Karting is just such a great sport for the family, and I am really excited as I know Alex is as well about his debut race at the Wimmera Open, its going to be a great day for the whole family I think,” said Natarsha Baker.

“I used to work at a hire kart company years ago and that piqued my interest early on, and then one day one of the racers who brought their own karts to the track let me have a go and I caught the bug.

“It is especially a great thing for the kids – giving them some responsibility and teaching them driving skills and confidence, and they get to make new friends as well which is great.”

Alex Baker is struggling to conceal his excitement about his big race day on August 1.

The Rookie class forming up at Wimmera (Pic: photowagon.com.au)

“I am really excited about getting to have my first race,” said Alex Baker.

“All of my friends at school wish they could get to race like I will, I can’t wait!”

The WKRC will host the 2010 Wimmera Open on Sunday August 1, with three heats of 10 laps and a 12 lap final to be run across the day and trophies presented to 1st, 2nd and 3rd. A trophy will also be presented to the first ‘P Plater’ home in each class.

Entries are open at wimmerkartclub.com.au, with entry fees of $60 and $40 for your second class. Transponders are compulsory and available for hire for $15 each on the day. An all you can eat Spit Roast dinner will be held on the Saturday night for $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Entry for spectators is free of charge.

The WKRC is located in Horsham, which is centrally located in the Wimmera region, with excellent opportunities for shopping, dining, entertainment and accommodation. It is located 300 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and 450 kilometres south east of Adelaide.

For more information on the event or the club, please visit wimmerkartclub.com.au

However, the excitement was short-lived, as Fulther and his team-mate Travis Martin were handed with a 10 minute penalty for incorrectly executing one of their compulsory pit stops.

Grother, a leading driver in the CIK Stars of Karting Series, proved to be the fastest driver at the Gladstone facility, dominating qualifying and lapping all but one kart in the opening stint of the race.

Local driver Rayment, in his first drive of a kart in two years, didn’t have Grother’s super smooth speed, but did more than enough to back up Grother and endure the pair could take victory, regardless of Fulcher and Travis Martin’s track position.

The Fulcher/Martin penalty dropped them to eighth place, promoting Kel Treseder/Clinton Hancey into second place ahead of Jim Thompson and Richard Litzow.

Andrew Scott/Cian Fothergill, Tim Samson/Darren Ey/Benny Benedetto and Anthony Meyers/Norm Trost were fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

For the three V8 Supercars drivers in the race, Jack Perkins was the best-placed, finishing seventh with team-mate Scott Dagan.

Perkins was delighted to have participated in the inaugural race.

“This event really shows how much fun karting is,” he said.

“While it would have been great to win, it was a pleasure to run around with some of the best in Australia, plus the local drivers in some pretty close racing.

“We tried a few strategy moves that didn’t work perfect for us, but to take seventh was a pretty good result for me and Scott.”

Centaur Racing’s Tony D’Alberto and Matthew Dicinoski finished ninth, with Denis Butler/Colin Palmer/Grant Rowley taking 10th.

Wilson Security Racing’s Tim Slade took 13th place with local Sea FM radio announcer Mark Edwards while V8 Utes driver Ryal Harris (driving with Gavin Whitmore) finished 14th after blowing an engine.

The inaugural four hour kart race was held as part of MotorMania Central Queensland 2010 – a huge 10 day motoring festival held between July 16-25, with events taking place throughout Gladstone, Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast.

Matthew Wall will debut in a BRM Kart at the final round of the 2010 CIK Stars of Karting Series. Pic: Kartx.com.au

Early Championship favourite Matthew Wall, who currently sits in second place 14 points adrift of Kel Treseder, is changing to a BRM chassis in a quest to claim his maiden CIK Stars of Karting Series crown and the John Pizarro trophy for 2010.

After dominating the opening round in Newcastle, Wall has failed to match the speed of the front-runners and has only finished on the podium in one of the past four finals leading him towards a European-made kart for the first time since 2002 when he campaigned a Tony Kart.

“While there was nothing wrong with the Arrow, it just wasn’t doing the job I needed to get that extra tenth to catch the other front runners so I decided that I needed a change,” said Wall.

“Judging by the pace that Justin Ruggier has shown this year (Ruggier dominated qualifying and the heat races in round 3), the BRM chassis seems to be working well in the Australian conditions and I’m really looking forward to racing it on my home track.”

While Wall hopes that a change of chassis will help him lift the John Pizarro trophy aloft on Sunday August 8, he is fully aware that Treseder will be hard to mow down.

“The pace that Kel has shown this year has been very impressive but he too has to be right on top of his game. He struggled to get off the line last round and one slip by either him, myself, Troy (Woolston) or Chris Hays and the chase for the championship will be over for each of us,” said Wall.

Troy Woolston is changing brands for the final round. Pic: photowagon.com.au

“There will also be a number of local guys who are racing in the final round who could throw a real ‘spanner in the works’ and the fickle Melbourne weather could also play a bit part in the outcome. No matter which way you look at it the final round is set to be a cracker.”

The Victorian will still be running under the JT Motorsport banner with the backing of Alfano and Eagle Lighting but will also have long-time mechanic Gary Pegararo in his corner on the first weekend in August.

Troy Woolston, who is currently third in the championship standings, is also expected to be making a chassis change for the final round. It is anticipated that he will roll out in an Intrepid chassis for the series finale – the same brand that Kyle Ensbey used to dominate the finals in round three of the series at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway last month.

Centaur Racing's Tony D'Alberto will be back in a kart this weekend in Gladstone

The inaugural four hour enduro, running as a part of the MotorMania Central Queensland Festival – a huge 10 day event between July 16-25, will see the trio join many regular competitors from the region to battle for the winner’s trophy.

Tony D’Alberto, Tim Slade and Jack Perkins will be the three V8 Supercars representatives, while V8 Utes driver Ryal Harris will also compete against the likes of Kel Treseder, Cian Fothergill, John Grother, Matt Dicinoski and Gaven Whitmore.

Centaur Racing’s D’Alberto, who will partner Dicinoski in the four-hour race, is a former karter and is generally the first to put his hand up for events of this calibre.

It is the second time in the past few years that D’Alberto has competed in a karting endurance race in Central Queensland and during this time he has developed a strong following in the region.

D’Alberto’s Commodore was adorned last weekend in Townsville by Rockhampton business Smart City Vocational College and while his V8 races didn’t pan out so good for the 24 year-old, he is aiming to turn the tables this weekend when he climbs back into a kart.

“These days, karting is a fun exercise for me, but I’m going up there to win,” he said.

“I’ve got a fast team-mate, the kart will be good so I reckon we should be in with a chance.

“There’ll be a lot of local drivers in the race, so they’ll be hard to beat, but it shouldn’t take long for me to get my head around the track. I’ve done my research and looked at the track on YouTube – it seems like a fun track. I can’t wait for it.”

While the kart race is one of the focal points of the MotorMania festival, a special ‘Legends Dinner’ will be held at Champions Brock Experience.

Tim Slade, 2001 CIK Stars of Karting Series Champion, will be competing in the Australasian TAG 125 Karts Enduro this weekend

The guest of honour will be Kevin Barlett, Australian former open wheel and touring car racing driver. The dinner will celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions to regional motorsport clubs of all types by local club members. Five local legends will be inducted into the Camco Group MotorMania CQ Hall of Fame.

The event celebrates all things motoring, with events taking place throughout Gladstone, Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast including karting, motocross, rallying, off-roads, drags, burn outs, a trade display and a bitumen sprint.

Australasian TAG 125 Karts Enduro provisional entry list
Matt Dicinoski/Tony D’Alberto
Gerard Battye/Jason Faint
Mick Doherty/Mitch Else
Benny Bennedeto/Norm Trost/A Meyers
Grant Rowley/D Butler/C Palmer
Mark Edwards/Tim Slade
Scott Dagan/Jack Perkins
Gavin Whitmore/Ryal Harris
Craig Butle/Brenton Simonds
Kel Treseder/Klinton Hancey
Richard Litzow/TBC
John Grother/Matt Rayment
Darren Ey/Tim Samson
Travis Martin/Ryan Fulcher
Cian Fothergill/Andrew Scott
Luke Brill/Andrew Rankin
Shane Mundey/Gavin Mazzoni
Brock Ten Bensel/Brendan Beaumont

Daniel Baker (left), Brendan Nelson (centre) and Jason Hryniuk (right) are all in with a shot to win the East Coast Clubman Title and the trip to compete in Japan courtesy of Yamaha Australia. Pic: photowagon.com.au

The Parramatta Kart Warehouse driver Baker led the way during the opening round in Newcastle before Hryniuk gained the upper hand aboard his CRG kart at Ipswich in round two. After shadowing the leading duo during the opening two rounds it was Nelson who shot to the top of the podium during the most recent round at Eastern Creek.

Entering next month’s (Aug 7/8) final round to be hosted by the Go-Kart Club of Victoria, Hryniuk sits atop of the points standings as the trio chase the trip to the All Japan Final which is on offer courtesy of Yamaha Motor Company.

“Going into the last round I’d like to have a bigger lead but it has been a hard fought battle all throughout the year and any one of three of us can win it,” said Hryniuk.

“Todd Road is probably the track that I race at the most events at all year, it’s like a home track to me. I’ve won there a lot of times and hopefully I can do it again in the final round and win the trip to Japan.”

Baker, who sits a mere four points behind Hryniuk in the standings, has got his sights on chasing down Hryniuk in Melbourne but is fully aware that any slip up by the leading duo and the Doyle’s Kartsport driver Nelson will be there ready to pounce.

“It has been a great battle all year long and I don’t see the final round being any different as we chase the trip to Japan which is on offer thanks to Yamaha,” said Baker.

“The series has been run very professionally and it has been great to be a part of it.

“I raced at Todd Road earlier this year and had a good result, so hopefully I’ll be able to do the same and be on the plane to Japan but it is going to be very tough with a fair few local drivers being thrown in the mix.”

CRG driver Jason Hryniuk. Pic: photowagon.com.au

Queenslander Mitchell Gee leads the way in the chase for the East Coast Junior National Title entering the final round. While he hasn’t won a final during the opening three rounds, it is Gee’s consistency that sees him 17 points clear at the top of the table.

Local Melbourne driver Phillip Munnerley is currently in second place and with 80 points on offer across the weekend, he will be out to steal the title from Gee’s grasp – as will New South Welshman Chris Corbett who is currently third in the standings.

Practice for the final round in the CIK Stars of Karting Series will be held at Melbourne’s Todd Road circuit on Friday August 6 followed by heat races on Saturday August 7 and the finals will be contested on Sunday August 8.

The categories being raced at the round four of the CIK Stars of Karting Series is Pro Light (KF1), Pro Gearbox (KZ2), Pro Junior (KF3), Clubman, Junior National and Senior Rotax at 170kg.

Doyles Kartsport driver Mitchell Gee is leading the way in the East Coast Junior National category

Carlos Checa was once again among the frontrunners. In the morning the Althea Racing rider qualified for the Superpole with the eleventh fastest time but, during the course of the afternoon’s action, he was able to do even better. Making it into the final phase, he closed in eighth position with a best time of 1m59.571.

Carlos Checa on his Althea Racing Ducati at Brno on Saturday

“As soon as I went out on track for the final session I could feel that the second qualifier, brand new, didn’t have the same grip as the first and was not as stable, which meant I could only do so much. I am, however, very satisfied when I look at our race pace. Over these two days we’ve spent some time trying some new solutions and now we’re on the right track. Tomorrow? It will be a difficult race because the heat means there is not much grip. The tyres have to last twenty laps but we’ll try our best, as ever,” said Checa

Shane Byrne was also able to qualify for the Superpole thanks to his best time set this morning and, despite a still injured left hand, the English rider made it to the second session, which he concluded in sixteenth position, with a time of 2m00.564.

“I want to thank the team because they’ve done a great job on the bike”, said “Shakey”, “In the first Superpole phase I set my best time so far this weekend (1m59.925) but I had a few problems with the front of the bike, and risked crashing in the second session. The race? It will be very difficult for me because after five or six laps my hand starts to bother me but I’ll give it my all and try to score two top ten finishes.”

Shane Byrne his Althea Racing Ducati at Brno on Saturday

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing is also confident of a good result, “The Superpole didn’t go as expected but I’m still confident ahead of the races. Both Carlos and Shakey have improved their times and we have a great pace.”

“ Checa may be able to fight against the leaders while Shane won’t be 100% due to his hand of course, but our goal is to take as many points as possible, keeping an eye on the team’s classification.”

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu at Brno

Currently lying in championship second place, Sofuoglu is hoping to regain the lead tomorrow as the series heads into its final phase.

“Overall we went in the right direction today, but I think we went slightly wrong during qualifying this afternoon. In the hot conditions, we still have some problems and it was tough today. It’s difficult braking in the downhill sections and I completely locked the front in sector two on my quick lap. I almost crashed, so maybe I should be happy with the second row,” said Sofuoglu.

“Front row would have been nice but we know what we need to do to improve the bike for tomorrow. We have the speed to fight at the front and, although I did not achieve my goal today, it’s more important to achieve it tomorrow,” he said.

Pirro, meanwhile, hopes to return to the World Supersport podium for the first time since March.

“The front is pushing a little under braking so I cannot be completely happy. The bike feels OK otherwise but it was not a good qualifying session for me. I struggled to get into a rhythm and couldn’t make a good lap because always it seemed there were slower riders on the line when I wanted to go fast,” said Pirro.

“It made today difficult but I hope tomorrow will be much better. I think our race pace is good enough to stay with the guys at the front and will try to do that for my team who have been working very hard to help me this weekend,” he said.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland lapped the 5.403km circuit in a time of 1’59.094s to secure his first front row start since the Italian WSBK round at Monza in May. Pole position was taken by Britain’s Cal Crutchlow as Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, set the 11th fastest time.

Jonathan Rea in pit lane on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda

“I can’t fault the efforts of the guys in my team this weekend – they’ve all worked really hard to give me a bike that I can fight at the front with. And we have had to fight to get it up there. It’s still tough and we know that the package isn’t the easiest to take from race to race,” said Rea.

After a steady start in yesterday’s free practice, Rea and his crew have spend the last two days methodically working through chassis and electronics issues with the team’s Honda CBR1000RR, giving Rea the confidence to push hard at the fast and flowing Brno circuit.

“However, we’ve made good progress with the chassis and the electronics since the first outing yesterday and the front row is a good reward for that. We’re using slightly different electronics this weekend and it’s easy to forget that it takes some time to get it working on the sweet spot. The chatter has not really been an issue here, which is great, and we know that we can still achieve a pretty good pace when the tyre performance drops off,” said Rea.

Neukirchner is also happy with the way his own pit crew has worked through problems, resulting in the German rider’s best qualifying performance since Monza. “Someone was right on my line in Superpole 2 and I think it cost me maybe three tenths. That might have put me in the final Superpole for the front two rows but it wasn’t to be. I’m happy that today we made the bike more stable at the front when it’s in the corner and I did quite a few consecutive laps today in the low 2m01s range so I think the pace can be OK,” said Neukirchner.

Max Neukirchner set to climb the hill at Brno on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda during a qualifying

Neukirchner has the added support of his fan club, which has made the trip from his home town of Chemnitz in Germany. He believes that he has a race pace that will allow him to compete nearer the front of the field than he has been accustomed to this season.

“We tested the new front tyre today, as well, and it gives a better feeling which should be good for the race. I don’t have the 100% feeling that I’d like, but I’m happy enough and the circuit characteristics are helping, too. The races will be tough, but they are the same for everyone, so I will try to get two good starts and see what happens,” said Neukirchner