CARL Fogarty's Ducati team-mate Troy Corser has thrown down the gauntlet in the race for the World Superbike title.

The Australian was quickest in yesterday's first qualifying session for round 11 of the championship in Assen, Holland.

But Fogarty, from Blackburn, was hot on his tail as the Ducati pair put the Castrol Hondas in their place.

The unseasonal hot weather in Holland has again put the emphasis on correct tyre choice for tomorrow's two races at a track where Fogarty has won 10 out of the last 12 races.

He enters the round with a 61-point lead over Corser and 62 points over third-placed Colin Edwards, who could only make the second row of the provisional pole.

Corser fastest lap of two minutes 3.91 seconds was only marginally

slower than last year's lap record of two minutes 3.708 seconds set by Aaron Slight.

Fogarty was around six tenths of a second slower and said: "I was working to improve tyre and suspension set-up.

"I didn't do many laps with the same tyre and so I still need to do more laps before making a final decision".

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