Pirelli Takes Two: Rapp and Davies on AMA Formula Xtreme Front Row

2008-05-17 08:06
In the inferno at Infineon Raceway, Steve Rapp and Chaz Davies earned front-row grid positions for Saturday's Formula Xtreme race, on their Pirelli Superbike Slick shod Attack Kawasakis.

Following a Thursday with the exceedingly high temperature of 104 Fahrenheit, Friday at Infineon Raceway warmed up to only a mildly exceedingly high temperature of 98, with an official humidity index of really, really dry. Despite these conditions, the new Pirelli tires stayed hooked up and consistent from morning through afternoon. Rapp earned the second spot on the FX grid at 82.235 mph, a speed barely three tenths of a mph from pole-winner Jake Zemke. Starting in fourth is Rapp's Attack Kawasaki Teammate, Chaz Davies, also on a ZX-6R.

With Pirelli riders securing half the top ten places on the FX grid, the other three are Cory West with his M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600 sitting in fifth on the inside of row two, joined by Larry Pegram on his Leo Vince/Foremost Insurance Ducati 848 two places to the side, in the seventh spot on the grid. Racer Nicky Moore qualified on row three with the tenth-quickest time.

After qualifying, Todd Fenton, Rapp's crew chief, said, "This is a special event for us because it's Steve's home track, so performing well here means a lot to him. He feels real good about practice and qualifying. Despite the heat the bike and tires have been working great and things are looking good."

In the single Superstock Practice taking place on Friday, Blake Young was fourth fastest on his M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000, while Roadracingworld.com Suzuki's Robertino Pietri had the sixth best time and his teammate Chris Ulrich was right with him with the seventh-quickest time of the session, each using Pirelli Superbike Slicks.

In Supersport it was again Blake Young with the fourth best time of the day, this time on his M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600. Drafted once again to ride for M4 EMGO Suzuki, filling in for the injured Martin Cardenas in Supersport, was Michael Barnes, quickly getting comfortable with team and bike and laying down the sixth best time. The Attack Kawasaki duo of Chaz Davies and Steve Rapp recorded the ninth and 11th best times, while M4 EMGO Suzuki's Cory West was 12th quickest, all rolling on sets of Pirelli Supercorsa DOT race tires.



Source: Pirelli

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