[mickey]

John Hopkins:
“It was a good day today and exactly what we wanted. We needed a dry day so we could get some work done with the set-up of the bike. The track surface needed to get some rubber on it to improve grip, because at the start of the day it was still very slippery. It got better as the sessions progressed, but it is still not quite perfect! As far as race set-up goes we are almost there, we will make a couple of changes in the warm-up, but for the most part the Bridgestone tyres and the Suzuki GSV-R are working well again. As far as qualifying goes I made a big mistake coming onto my last lap and that cost me a few tenths. I lost the rear really bad and I rode like a sissy just after it happened! We could have had the front row, but now the plan is to get a good start and make sure we are in contention straight away!”
Chris Vermeulen:
“We now have the bike set-up for both wet and dry conditions and made a lot of improvements this afternoon, because I lost a bit of time this morning due to a crash down Craner Curves. I’m still a bit stiff and sore from that. The guys did a great job rebuilding my bike in the short time between sessions – even some of John’s crew helped so I am thankful to them for that. My last qualifying lap was looking good, but I made a mistake in the Melbourne Loop and ran wide. It’s not perfect starting from the fourth row, but if I can get a good start and push hard throughout the race I know I can be competitive!”