Parkes first of the Australians in second for Monster Energy Yamaha.
On its first outing at Oschersleben’s third round of the 2014 FIM Endurance World Championship, Team SRC Kawasaki threw down the gauntlet by taking the provisional pole.
In the first qualifiers, the team moved ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha and Honda Racing, which snatched the provisional third place on the grid from rival Yamaha Racing GMT 94 Michelin.
The first qualifying session for the Oschersleben 8 Hours this afternoon got off to a fast start. Gregory Leblanc for Team SRC Kawasaki and Broc Parkes for Monster Energy Yamaha were the first two to slip under the 1m27 mark.
On the average of the best times clocked up by its riders Greg Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive and Fabien Forêt, Team SRC Kawasaki came out of this first qualifying session ahead of Broc Parkes and Michael Laverty for Monster Energy Yamaha.
In spite of a crash for Julien Da Costa, Honda Racing took 3rd place in the qualifiers with the most evenly matched team in the field in the persons of Julien Da Costa, Sébastien Gimbert and Freddy Foray. They just snatched third place in extremis from Yamaha Racing GMT 94 Michelin with David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines.
Pedro Vallcaneras, Bastien Mackels and Markus Reiterberger of the Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team clinched 5th place on the provisional grid and scored the best individual time of the day when Mackels put in a lap in 1m26.743.
The German Superstock BMW is currently ahead of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Monster Energy Yamaha YART including Australian Rick Olson. Honda National Motos, the Kawasaki of Team Bolliger Team Switzerland and the Suzuki of Team R2CL with Gareth Jones make up the top 10.
Some way behind the Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team who seem to be in control in Superstock, Junior Team LMS Suzuki and QMMF Racing Team (Kawasaki) featuring Alex Cudlin and Ant West came in 11th and 12th on the provisional grid. Next up in 13th was the Maco Racing Team of Alex Phillis.
2014 Endurance World Championship
Round three – Oschersleben, Germany
Friday qualifying results:
1. SRC Kawasaki 1m27.466
2. Monster Energy Yamaha (Broc Parkes) 1m27.619
3. Honda Racing 1m27.673
4. Yamaha Racing GMT 94 Michelin 1m27.675
5. Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team BMW 1m27.822
6. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 1m27.980
7. Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Rick Olson) 1m28.271
8. National Motos Honda 1m28.311
9. Team Bolliger Kawasaki 1m28.500
10. Team R2CL (Gareth Jones) 1m28.578
12. QMMF Racing Team Kawasaki (Alex Cudlin/Ant West) 1m28.578
13. Maco Racing (Alex Phillis) 1m29.218