Assen day two: Qualifying tactics

It rained for Q1, was dry for Q2 and damp for Q3. Welcome to the tactical world of qualifying, where I got it very wrong

Posted: 20 May 2011
by Ben Cope

The queue for the toilet in the morning was ridiculous..

The 848 Challenge mafia (Jason Boswell and Alan Jones) fail to spot the 1198 motor I squeezed into the 848 chassis the night before

First scrutineering guy fails me because I haven't lockwired my caliper bolts. On my way out of the scrutineering garage, a second scrutineering guy sticks a pass sticker on my fairing and waves me through. Welcome to Holland.

Just before the start of Q1 it rains. Some of the riders opt for wets, I opt for a cuppa and a copy of WIRED magazine. In that session Russian rider Alexei Ivanov highsides and dislocates his shoulder. WIRED magazine was a much better bet.

Q2 was dry, my mission was simple: to bag a tidy lap in case it rains in Q3. My 1m55.6 sees me towards the bottom, 0.2s off Dan Cruickshank. So, work to do in Q3 then...

A bit of banter with Harry and Alan before Q3. I was confident I could get into the 1m53s

But Q3 didn't go to plan. The track was damp and almost everyone went slower. My time of 1m57 was pointless. I was really disappointed with that and realised that when it comes to qualifying, the best tactic is to go as fast as you can, when you can! I'd be starting my first race on Sunday on the back row.