WSBK Imola: Sykes doubles down in Superpole !

Tom Sykes and his ZX-10R Ninja caused a stir, this time on the Imola track in Italy for the second round of the World Superbike Championship. The Englishman is ahead of Guintoli, Checa, Haslam and Biaggi. Berger is 13th.

Tom Sykes and his ZX-10R Ninja have caused quite a stir, this time on the Imola track in Italy for the second round of the World Superbike Championship. The Englishman is ahead of Guintoli, Checa, Haslam and Biaggi. Berger is 13th.

Fourteen pilots in the same second: it means if you had to be sharp this Saturday morning to pass the jump-off of the second qualifying session at Imola! Sixteen drivers were able to compete in the famous Superpole session … but Tom Sykes was once again a tone above.

Author of the pole position in Australia (but in very sad circumstances, read) and big "winner" of the "spring" tests (read), the English Ninja (Kawasaki Racing), Tom showed his biggest smile this afternoon. And for good reason: he became the only Superbike rider to have turned under 1 ’47 at Imola, beating Carlos Checa’s record by almost half a second !

A previous record that the direct pursuer of Sykes has not managed to match … Bravo and "Cocorico" to him all the same, since it is our compatriot Sylvain Guintoli! The n ° 50 of Team Ducati Liberty can indeed be satisfied to have beaten the reigning world champion: Carlos Checa, "who else?"

Leon Haslam, once again in great shape and therefore able to tame the wild S1000RR, closes this promising first row. The second place is no less attractive: the 2010 world champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) will occupy the 5th place on the grid tomorrow, ahead of his best enemy Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad) !

The two Italians – whom the public will not fail to support on Sunday! -, fantastic ascent experts, will lead in their wake Jonathan Rea (Honda Ten Kate), provided however that the Northern Irishman recovers properly from his gigantic highside that occurred at the very end of Superpole 3. Otherwise, it is is Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing) who will first benefit from the aspiration of the Aprilia n ° 3 and the BMW n ° 33…

In Max Biaggi’s wheel during Superpole 2, Davide Giugliano did a little too much: the Superstock 1000 champion lost the front end of his 1198 and with him, any chance to compete in the final session of the Superpole. Due to a lack of time, Checa’s teammate (Ducati Althea) inherits the last place on the third row.

In front of him will be Eugene Laverty (11th, Aprilia Racing), Jakub Smrz (10th, Ducati Liberty) and the young Lorenzo Zanetti (9th, Ducati Pata). Of these three men, the Irishman – Laverty! – will be the closest to watch during the race: woozy at Phillip Island, "Youdjin" intended to score his first big points at Imola. To do this, he will have to put on big gas !

Maxime Berger has not passed the course of Superpole 1 and will start at the head of the 4th row on the handlebars of his Ducati 1198. He will be followed by the Italian duo Ducati Roma – Niccolo Canepa, the Briton Leon Camier on Suzuki and by Ayrton Badovini expected higher in the ranking on his Italian BMW…

Chaz Davies, absent from the opening round at Philip Island, missed the Superpole event by just two tenths. The Supersport world champion will start from 17th place ahead of two other experienced drivers: Michel Fabrizio (BMW Italia) and John Hopkins (Suzuki Crescent) unfortunate victim of an engine problem during the second qualifying session..

David Salom (Kawasaki) closes the 5th row and will lead – tomorrow noon for the first round, 3 p.m. for the second – Aitchison (BMW Grillini), McCormick (promoted to WSBK by the Ducati Liberty team), Aoyama (Honda WSBK), Mercado ( Kawasaki Pedercini) and Alfonsi (Honda Pro Ride).

Superpole WSBK 2012 Imola results

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