Message #9598

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DUNLOP TO START ON ROW SEVEN

Ballymoney rider William Dunlop will start the final World 250cc Grand Prix of 2009 on row seven in Sundays 27 lap race at the Ricardo Circuit near Valencia in Spain.
After struggling in first free practice with a gearbox problem on Friday, the 24 year old son of the late Robert Dunlop, sheered four seconds of his personal best lap in free practice, and continued that through to the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.
A clearly delighted Dunlop said that the only thing that was now giving the Ballymoney man problems, was lack of speed.

William Dunlop: "I am very happy to have qualified. That was the object of this weekend, but after Fridays free practice I thought that even that was a step to far for us. The regular riders here in World 250GP have bikes that are about 20mph faster than mine...the difference is so unreal, and the other thing that I have learned, is that that are not very obliging riders at all, as some of them think that they seem to own the track and that no-one else should be out on it. I managed to take four seconds of my times which was very pleasing, but I am at my limit now, as I just cannot squeeze any more speed out of the PJ Flynn/Bigman Racing 250 Honda.
Just to be in Sundays race, is in itself very exciting, so a finish would be a real bonus to what already has been a exciting weekend for me".

VALENCIA GP250cc FINAL QUALIFYING TIMES
1 = Alex Debon Aprilia 1:36.116
2 = Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:36.450
3 = Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:36.470
4 = Ratthapark Wilairet Honda 1:36.563
5 = Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1:36.656
6 = Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:36.985

25 = William Dunlop Honda 1:42.906