The Scuderia Triumph SC team ended the official Pirelli development winter test in Qatar in positive mood after posting competitive lap times first time out in preparation for the 2008 World Supersport season.

Former Grand Prix and World Superbike race winner Garry McCoy was joined by fellow Australian and Triumph test rider, Paul Young who competes in the British Supersport Championship on a privately entered Triumph 675.

The Italian team prepared just one Triumph 675 for the three day test, but despite having to alternate the two riders between the one bike were still able to make good progress. Although development of the bike by the team has only just begun, the team’s technical staff, headed by Franco Farnè, are already developing a more powerful engine in preparation for January’s Phillip Island test in Australia.

In addition to the two riders having just one bike between them, they also had to adapt to the Pirelli tyres and spend time running in a new engine. Despite this Garry McCoy was able to post some fast and consistent lap times on the final day which saw him match the lap times posted by the team last season, just 0.6 seconds off the lap record and 1.5 seconds behind the fastest time of the test set by the factory Yamaha squad.

The team owner Stefano Caracchi was satisfied with the result of the first test, he said:

“The team did a very good job, especially as the conditions for this first test were not perfect. The two riders improved clearly during the three-days as they gained more confidence with the track, the bike and the new 2008 Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres. From this moment on, we’ll have to work very hard to get every tenth of a second improvement, but I am very confident about our engineers skill and competency and the ability of our riders.”

Next test for the Scuderia Triumph SC team is the second Pirelli winter test at the Phillip Island racetrack in Australia on 8th to 10th January 2008.