Misano Adriatico (Italy), Saturday 11 June 2011 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) used all his experience and pace to take a popular pole position at Misano, overcoming wet but slowly drying conditions better than his peers to take Kawasaki’s first pole on the new Ninja ZX-10R. His last pole was in similar conditions at Imola last season on the previous Kawasaki model.
Points leader Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) ran him close after three wet Superpole sessions but starts second, with Jakub Smrz (Effenbert – Liberty Racing Ducati) third and the front row completed by Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike).
Tom Sykes: “That just makes it a little bit sweeter for me, having struggled to get a good dry set-up. Exactly the same conditions as last year at Imola when I took the pole. A massive credit to Kawasaki Racing and Paul Bird Motorsport, in those conditions we have a strong electronics package and that helped us today. Conditions were so slippery and we found the maximum.”
Carlos Checa: “We are very satisfied but at the end I was struggling to keep the tyre in a good condition. It was sliding around, I took some risks but I could see that the limit was always the thing. Considering the conditions and my start with a small crash, my goal was the front row and we made it.”
Jakub Smrz: “It was a really tough day. I didn’t feel very well on the bike with the dry session, and then the rain started so everything changed and we started from zero. I made a small mistake in Superpole 1, I was doing good lap times easily but I didn’t see the boards and crashed. But I could go on the second bike and finished third in the end.”
Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) crashed out late on and missed the chance to improve on fifth, while Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) overcame the pain of a fall yesterday to take sixth place. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) and Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) completed the front two rows. Biaggi was in pain in Superpole after crashing in the final free session, the Italian being diagnosed with bruising on his left ankle and damage to his talus bone cartilage.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK) posted a ninth place finish after Superpole two, with faller Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike) ahead of Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) and Sykes’ fellow Kawasaki Racing Team rider, Joan Lascorz. Superpole three saw the exit of fast man in the dry Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), faller Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team), Rea’s team-mate Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) and Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) who fell twice in this session. WSBK star Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) was only 17th but local rider Matteo Baiocco (Barni Racing Team S.N.C.) was a good 18th of 23 riders. Returnee Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) was 22nd fastest.
Weather conditions are hoped to improve for raceday, at what is usually a hot and steamy racetrack for the riders to deal with.
TISSOT Superpole times: 1. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’55.197; 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’55.373; 3. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’55.745; 4. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’55.768; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’56.034; 6. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’56.285; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’56.480; 8. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’57.054; 9. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’57.374; 10. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1’57.454; 11. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’57.831; 12. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’58.509; 13. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’02.235; 14. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 2’02.440; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.664; 16. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’36.686; etc.
World Supersport
Sam Lowes on his Parkalgar Honda took pole in the WSS division, after the second qualifying session proved to be wet today and therefore the only times that counted were those set on the first day of dry track action. Sam’s best of 1 minute 39.541 seconds means that Yamaha ParkinGO rider Chaz Davies will line up second, and the Kawasaki Motocard.com machines of David Salom and Broc Parkes will start Sunday’s race in third and fourth places.
Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) will head the second row from Italian champion, Ilario Dionisi (Honda Italia). Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Honda) and Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) complete the second row. Marino was fastest in the wet session today.
Times: 1. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’39.541; 2. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’39.618; 3. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’39.795; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’39.897; 5. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’40.133; 6. Dionisi I. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’40.141; 7. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1’40.454; 8. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’40.467; etc.
Superstock 1000
The Superstock 1000 runners also failed to improve their times from yesterday’s first session due to the rain, and so the pole position remains in the hands of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati). For tomorrow’s race the Italian will be flanked by Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) on the front row. Third quickest was Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) with Andrea Antonelli (Lorini Honda) next up.
Former champion Niccolò Canepa (GOELEVEN Kawasaki), Monza winner Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia STK), South African Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) and Michele Magnoni (Baru Racing BMW) make up row 2. Top runners in today’s wet conditions were Giugliano, Petrucci and Zanetti.
Times: 1. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’39.118; 2. Davide Giugliano (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’39.550; 3. Sylvain Barrier (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.776; 4. Andrea Antonelli (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’39.891; 5. Niccolò Canepa (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’39.911; 6. Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’40.089; 7. Sheridan Morais (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’40.262; 8. Michele Magnoni (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’40.306, etc.
Superstock 600 – Race
Giuliano Gregorini (RCGM Yamaha) took the first Italian win of the season in this year’s European Superstock 600 Championship. Gregorini, from Fano just down the Riviera coast was in top form in the wet conditions, not only remaining upright throughout in a field decimated by crashes, but also setting a fast pace. The gap to the next man at the flag was more than seven seconds.
The runner-up slot went to Australian talent Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Team), with Frenchman Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France) next up and Nicola Jr Morrentino (Elle2Ciatti Yamaha).
In the points standings Lanusse still leads the way followed by Metcher and Gregorini, while Dino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha), who crashed today, has slipped down to fourth place in the table.
Results: 1. Gregorini G. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 24’53.471 (122,241 kph); 2. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 4.532; 3. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.187; 4. Morrentino N. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.992; 5. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 11.601; 6. Cecchini R. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 43.906; 7. Vrajitoru M. (ROU) Yamaha YZF R6 59.209; 8. Pascarella J. (USA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’01.555; etc.
Points (after 3 of 10 rounds): 1. Lanusse 61; 2. Metcher 36; 3. Gregorini 35; 4. Lombardi 33; 5. Van Der Mark 31; 6. Day 23; 7. Duwelz 22; 8. Russo 20; etc.
Russian Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) will start from pole tomorrow in the first event in the Two Countries Cup, which sees riders from Italy and Russia compete in a two-event trophy. Six Italians will be lining up behind him, the best of the group being Stefano Togni (Str Ig Factory Yamaha).