SSP riders Toba and Pawi make the ‘Most’ of day 1 at a new track
PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda riders Toba and Pawi qualify twenty-third and twenty-sixth at the Most Circuit in the Czech Republic
The Autodrom Most is hosting round six of the WorldSSP championship and riders Kaito Toba and Khairul Idham Pawi wasted no time this morning, making full use of the first 45-minute free practice at what is a new circuit for both of them. Working hard with their technicians to find a setup for the CBR600RR that can be effective around the Czech track, and despite the interruption caused by two red flags, Toba set a best of 1’37.319 to finish twenty-eighth, while a 1’37.781 saw Pawi close in thirtieth position.
After only one practice session, the WorldSSP field was back out in the afternoon for the Superpole qualifying phase. With just forty minutes in which to secure the best possible grid position, Kaito and Khairul made a strong start, placing top twenty in the early stages. Malaysian rider Pawi was able to duck under 1’37 in the second half of the session to record a best of 1’36.703, one full second quicker than his FP1 reference, while his Japanese team-mate Toba lost precious time when he ran off track and was forced to return briefly to the pits. Making one final exit and pushing hard, Kaito was also able to lower his previous time by a good second, for a best of 1’36.311 that saw the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda rider qualify twenty-third, ahead of team-mate Khairul, twenty-sixth.
Kaito Toba WorldSSP Rider #27
"“This was our first day at Most. In the free practice we decided to try a new set up solution, but we weren't fully satisfied with it. For the Superpole we went back to the setting we had at Donington Park and I felt more confident. I did my best to learn the track as quickly as possible and we made a steady progression throughout the day. We'll see how things go tomorrow in the first race and will keep working to improve.”"
Khairul Idham Pawi WorldSSP Rider #89
"“In morning practice, I had trouble learning the new track to be honest. We improved on our times a little in Superpole but we’re still too far from the front. The front of the bike is still squatting too much, but we’ll see what we can do in the race tomorrow. Hopefully I can maintain a good pace and perhaps even improve on our times.”"
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