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Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) posted a brilliant 1 minute 35.001 seconds to take the new track best lap and BMW's first ever Superpole win. In doing so he extended his own record of pole wins in WSBK racing to 43 and he did it in some style, finishing half a second clear of his nearest rival. Second on the grid for Sunday's races will be championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) who was surprised and delighted to be so far forward at a circuit like Misano. Third went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and fourth to the charging Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda). BMW, Aprilia, Ducati and Yamaha machines share the front row places, after the usual close competition for grid places in a class with seven competing manufacturers.

Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was not able to get into contention with Corser and Biaggi in the final Superpole contest and went fifth, but Sylvain Guintoli overcame the result of an earlier qualifying collision with Corser to put his Alstare Suzuki sixth on the grid. Leon Haslam, second in the championship, took his Alstare Suzuki machine to seventh place in a tough Superpole for man and machine.

Luca Scassa (Supersonic Racing Ducati) put in another great performance for a privateer rider as he posted a top eight time; he now starts Sunday's races as last man on row two. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) battled hard to go ninth, just missing the final Superpole knockout session; Pata B&G Ducati privateer Jakub Smrz was tenth. James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) struggled in qualifying and Superpole and thus went 13th fastest, joined by fellow British riders Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Once again Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was top Kawasaki rider, 18th, while his team-mate Chris Vermeulen was 21st fastest.

Troy Corser: "I don't know who's older, Max or me but here we are! I'm very happy with what we did today, it's been a long time since I was on pole, but the team has put in a lot of work since Miller and this is a really good result. I am happy with the set-up of the bike, it's easier to ride and it has a more balanced position. It was very hot this afternoon and the surface was a bit more slippery but it is the same for everybody. If we get a good start tomorrow I will go from the front and see what happens."

Max Biaggi: "I'm very satisfied with this result which, to be quite honest, I didn't even really expect. This is a track where it is very difficult to overtake, so starting up front was important. I'm quite pleased. In the last lap I gave it my all and was very quick, but what counts now is being strong for the entire race. There are a lot of riders here, not only Troy, who are capable of making very fast laps and they showed that today as well, so we'll have to try to stick close to the leaders.

Michel Fabrizio: "It is very important to start on the front row of the grid here in Misano, where I have never really gone very well. I made a little mistake on the final lap when I saw the chequered flag a little bit too late to put in anything extra. In tomorrow's races the early laps are going to be difficult, I don't want to be controversial because once again we're missing a bit in engine power with respect to the fours, but we'll see how it goes."

Cal Crutchlow: "Testing here went OK, but we'd like to have some new parts because now we've come here to race we're doing the same pace as in all the tests with the same set-up. We do need to find something extra because everyone else is going really well here, but in any case congratulations to Corser and I'm satisfied to be on the front row for tomorrow's races."