Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders James Haydon and Troy Corser will start the final races of the 2003 World Superbike championship from the fourth row of the grid after an eventful final day’s qualifying at Magny-Cours.

Track temperatures of around 10 degrees contributed to a succession of crashes throughout the day, delaying proceedings at the French circuit. And, although James profited from his first use of the new specification FP1 engine to qualify in 13th, Troy lost the rear of the bike on his Superpole lap and ran wide into the gravel at the fast first corner to drop down to 16th on a grid headed by James Toseland.

Rules state that a rider who has crashes on his Superpole lap can only drop a maximum of three qualifying positions for the race grid. As Troy managed to avoid hitting the barrier and keep the bike upright to complete his lap, he was forced to drop to 16th in the Superpole standings.

Troy said: “I was back-shifting going into the first corner and the back end came round. It would be really strange for a qualifying tyre to lose grip like that and I have been struggling with the clutch all weekend, so that could have been the reason. I was focused on not hitting the wall and it was only when I was riding out of the gravel that I realised that I should have stopped. I have done half a race distance on one rear tyre and I am doing consistent times but I feel that I am using the tyre up in the corners more than other riders.”

James, sixth fastest through the fast first split in morning qualifying, said: “The modified cylinder heads made such a difference. The bike was so much easier to ride – it was pulling out of the corners better and torquing itself up. I could actually have set a better time in morning qualifying but, on my first lap on the qualifier, Chris Walker sat up in front of me at the sharp left and I thought there had been a red flag. That moment cost me the lap. On my second lap on that tyre I went into the final chicane too fast, which probably cost me two or three tenths. I hadn’t done Superpole for so long that my heart rate was racing before I went out and the one thing I didn’t want to do was make a big mistake. It’s the kind of track where a small mistake can have a big effect and I went into the Esses a little bit wrong and had slightly the wrong line in the last section. But I am pleased that it was my fastest lap of the weekend, although it was frustrating that I was only five hundredths away from 11th.”

Superpole results, World Superbike championship round 12, Magny-Cours, France: 1 Toseland 1:40.965; 2 Hodgson 0.011; 3 Laconi 0.231; 4 Xaus 0.593; 5 Chili 0.669; 6 Walker 0.673; 7 Lavilla 0.999; 8 Gimbert (SERT) 1.095; 9 Martin 1.143; 10 Haslam 1.563; 11 Borja (DFX) 1.745; 12 Garcia (NCR) 1.758; 13 Haydon (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1.809; 14 Pedercini (Team Pedercini) 2.381; 15 Gramigni (Nuvolari 391) 3.256; 16 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 26.609

Free Practice times: 1 Hodgson 1:40.754; 2 Xaus 1:40.985; 3 Toseland 1:41.265; 4 Walker 1:41.441; 5 Laconi 1:41.641; 6 Lavilla 1:41.661; 7 Chili 1:41.827; 8 Haslam 1:42.242; 9 Corser 1:42.322; 10 Martin 1:42.515; 13 Haydon 1:43.512