TRACK CONDITIONS DECIDE ALL IN FIRST 2006 SEASON QUALIFYING SESSION

With the heavy rains that characterised most of the opening day of track action at Losail stopping before the end of the first timed Superbike session, Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Karl Muggeridge had to work hard to try and get into contention. With wet weather settings in place at the start of the one-hour timed session, but a drying line appearing slowly, the riders had no opportunity to adjust their machines to match the new conditions. Muggas is aware that today's results may count for little, with the advent of better weather expected in the final qualifying and Superpole sessions on Friday.

Muggeridge opted not to take part in the morning session, held in fully wet conditions, but on the drying track in the afternoon Muggeridge was 13^th fastest. An indication of the prevalent track conditions comes from the fact that fastest rider Troy Bayliss was still some 16 seconds from the previous track best.

Ronald Ten Kate - Team Manager

"Today did not work out the way we wanted. The boys went out in timed qualifying but did not feel too comfortable on the bikes. We adjusted their bikes to make softer settings and then a dry line started to appear, so the adjustments proved to be the wrong way. Towards the end they could not improve their lap times, as the bikes were set-up for a wet track. Tomorrow will be dry and we will be moving up quite a bit then."

Karl Muggeridge - SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider

(13th - 2'21.152)

"Not the best start but the good thing is we tried something we had never tried before in the wet. In the beginning it was not too bad, but in the end, when the track dried out, the feeling was terrible. By that stage, we had no time left to change. So we crossed paths, but we know how to improve in the dry tomorrow. I am not too bothered about today, the bike is running well and we are looking to tomorrow. No drama."

MUGGERIDGE FALLS IN SUPERPOLE AFTER BEING FASTEST IN 1ST SPLIT

A day of mixed fortunes for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Superbike rider Karl Muggeridge falling in his Superpole lap after qualifying second fastest in regulation.

Until his misfortune in Superpole Karl Muggeridge had been a candidate for rider of the day, scoring second in regulation qualifying, and dipping under the two-minute lap barrier on race tyres in the final free practice session, which took place just before the Superpole contest itself. Muggeridge was to fall entering a complex of right hand corners carrying a little too much corner speed, running out of road on the first corner exit as he tried to score his first career Superpole win. In the first sector of the Superpole lap Karl was almost half of second ahead.

Ronald Ten Kate - Team Manager

"We were looking in good shape for Superpole. We all could see how Karl's lap was; unfortunately he didn't take it to the finish. We can also all see that Karl has already made a big step from last year to this year. The majority of people know what our ambitions are for 2006 now, which are clearly to run with the front guys."

Karl Muggeridge - SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider

(8th position - No Superpole Lap Recorded)

12TH AND 9TH FOR MUGGAS AFTER ROUND ONE IN QATAR

"That was a bit of misfortune for Karl, who showed good pace earlier in the weekend. He got into trouble with his number one bike. There has been some damage after he crashed on yesterday, but something we cannot see. For Phillip Island we will change the chassis and everything else to make sure everything is OK. If he did not have that difficulty I'm sure he would have had a couple of good top five finishes."