Press Release | September 11, 2009
The following is from Kenny Noyes’ publicist…American Kenny Noyes and his Team GSR-Kawasaki team mates, Kenny Foray of France and Xavier Forés of Spain, will start fifth tomorrow in the 73rd running of the classic Bol d´Or 24 Hours at Magny-Cours in France, the penultimate round of the FIM World Endurance Championship.For Kenny a low-side crash in the first qualifying session on Thursday was a slight set-back, but the Spanish-based American managed to find a good pace on Friday and is optimistic about the team’s chances and looking forward to a long, hard battle, hopefully in dry conditions.”Things didn’t start smoothly yesterday, but today was good. On Thursday I went out in the half-hour qualifying session thinking I was on a new rear tire, but it was a used one and I had a slow, low-side crash on the third lap. By the time we were running again I had no time to even put in a qualifier. Today though,” he said alter the final Friday session, “I spent the first half of the session getting used to the Pirelli race tire. I’ve used Pirelli before, but I’ve been on Michelin all year and I had to find the right feeling. I was able to run steady 43´s on the race tire and that was what I wanted to do today. On the Qualifier I was a little conservative passing slower riders and didn’t get into the 41´s, and the 1´42.4 my best, but on race tires I think that my pace will between high 42´s and the 43s and if all three of us, Kenny Foray, Xavier Forés and I can keep that pace we’ll be in with a chance.””This is a good team and they are hungry to win this race. They have never won this one and want it bad. Last year I was second in Albacete with Suzuki Spain in a World Endurance race that was wet from start to finish, so I am so glad to see the forecast for dry nights and sunny days on Saturday and Sunday. Endurance is tough enough without having to ride cold and wet. This one should be fun.”Final starting positions were decided in a ten-rider Superpole with the fastest qualifier of each team completing a single flying lap.
Local French riders took the top six places in Superpole: Matthieu Lagrive (Michelin Power Research Honda) set the best time of 1´40.769 followed by Gwen Giabbani (YART Yamaha), Vincent Philippe (SERT-Suzuki), Sabastien Jonchiere (National Motors-Honda) Kenny Foray (Team GMS Kawasaki) and Erwan Nigon (Yamaha France GMT94). First non-French rider in Superpole was Jason Pridmore, who slotted the BK Maco Racing-Yamaha team into seventh.Four Americans will start the French marathon tomorrow at 3:00 PM local time: In addition to Noyes, Pridmore will be joined on the BK Maco Yamaha team by Josh Hayes (third rider in Spaniard Dani Ribalta) and Will Gruy and team mates Anthony Dos Santos of France and Ayrton Badovini of Italy will start 15th on their Amadeus X One Yamaha.
