Michelin Phillip Island day 2 report

Troy Corser (Aprilia) takes pole position for Sunday's third round of the World Superbike championship as Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda - Michelin) mounts a late challenge only to finish third as rain his the Australian circuit.

Aprilia's Troy Corser added to his Kyalami, South Africa pole position with his second pole position of the year at Phillip Island, Australia on Saturday. The 16 Superpole final qualifying hopefuls were given a "wet Superpole" format due to strong winds at the coastal circuit, two hours south of Melbourne in Victoria state.

Ducati privateer Neil Hodgson set the early pace but Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda - Michelin) was always in the hunt for his first pole position of the year and never looked like he would be edged off the front row of the grid for the two 22-lap races which make up the third round.

Hodgson's time was then beaten by Corser and only Edwards had one flying lap left to topple the Australian polesetter. Putting the sticky Michelin Superpole tyres to good use Edwards looked like he might achieve his aim, only to make a mistake and run wide at the final corner of his lap - ending the day in third place.

Ben Bostrom completes the front row of the grid for Sunday's race action while Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada - Michelin) bounced back from a crash in the Superpole to take fifth place and lead the second row of the grid.

Bayliss is joined on the second row by Aprilia's Regis Laconi, Gregorio Lavilla (Kawasaki) and eighth-placed Broc Parkes (Ducati). Tady Okada (Castrol Honda - Michelin) will start from ninth place after the Japanese rider suffered a disappointing Superpole session.

Yamaha rider Paolo Casoli will start round two of the World Supersport championship from pole position after Saturday's final qualifying session was hit by rain. No rider improved on his Friday time so the grid remains as of Friday evening.

Suzuki's Katsuaki Fujiwara will start from second place on the front row as the top 16 riders qualified within one second of Casoli's time. Kevin Curtain (Honda BKM - Michelin Pilot) grabbed third place and the Australian will hoping for victory on home soil on Sunday.

Vittoriano Guareschi (Dienza Ducati Racing - Michelin Pilot) completes the provisional front row in fourth place. Iain MacPherson (Kawasaki) heads the second row, alongside Dean Thomas (Dienza Ducati Racing - Michelin Pilot) in sixth.

Guareschi set the fastest time in Saturday's damp qualifying session ahead of Suzuki's Karl Muggeridge with Chris Vermeulen (Castrol Honda - Michelin Pilot) third quickest). Vermeulen starts the race from 12th place on the grid.

-Michelin