Portimao (Portugal), Saturday 15 October 2011 – A new best lap of 1 minute 41.712 seconds from Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) gave him his second Tissot-Superpole win in succession as the rider from Northern Ireland set out to end his season on a high.
Second was new champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) with third and fourth places taken by Yamaha World Superbike team-mates Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri respectively.
Jonathan Rea: “I’d much rather swap this pole position for two wins tomorrow but it’s a great result all the same. I’m just really enjoying riding my bike at the moment, we had quite a bizarre strategy this weekend, using different tyres this morning and old ones this afternoon. But it’s so hot here at the moment and I think the race is really going to start at around lap 10.”
Carlos Checa: “It’s a special weekend for me because it’s my 39th birthday, but we are for sure quite satisfied with my second position, because lapping in 1m41s is quite a good time. It’s just that Johnny is very strong. We are here to compete, but we want to be focused on the race. This for us is the best test for next year and I hope we can do some great results.”
Eugene Laverty: “I would love to have got pole but I’m on the front row and that’s the important thing. I wasn’t going to beat Johnny today. It’s a good front row position and we’re looking strong for the races tomorrow, but so are the other guys so we will see.”
The second row will feature the Effenbert-Liberty Ducati duo of Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz, in fifth and sixth places overall. Ever-improving Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) equalled his season best qualifying of seventh with PATA Aprilia Racing rider Noriyuki Haga eighth.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) completed the top ten. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) secured the final spots on the third row of the grid.
Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team Ducati), Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), one-off Portimao rider Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) and Mark Aitchison (Pedercini Team Kawasaki) completed the 16 riders who made it into Superpole one. Max Biaggi just missed out on a Superpole place in his comeback ride for his Aprilia Alitalia team, and is 17th on the grid.
Times: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’41.712; 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’41.951; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1’42.173; 4. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’42.259; 5. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’42.627; 6. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’42.710; 7. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’43.282; 8. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.307; 9. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.645; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’42.740; 11. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.879; 12. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.012; 13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.306; 14. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’43.661; 15. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.683; 16. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’44.078; etc.
World Supersport
Two Spanish Kawasaki Motocard.com machines will start tomorrow’s final round of the WSS championship from first and second on the grid after dominating the second qualifying run. Pole went to David Salom of Spain, with Australia’s Broc Parkes alongside. 2011 champion Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) was third quickest, followed by French youngster Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) in the final front row slot.
Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) was next up in fifth, with Sam Lowes of the home Parkalgar Honda team in sixth. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO), who both had harmless crashes during the session, were seventh and eighth.
Times: 1. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.095; 2. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.145; 3. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’45.253; 4. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.590; 5. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.706; 6. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.787; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.877; 8. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’45.968; etc.
Superstock 1000
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) powered to his sixth pole position of the year in the Superstock 1000 category, equalling Maxime Berger’s circuit best lap on the way. The Italian will have some tough competition alongside him on the front row: Frenchman Loris Baz (Ten Kate Junior Honda), Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati) and Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki), all with experience in higher categories.
Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock), Petrucci’s only adversary for the runner-up slot, was only in eleventh place on the third row, while his team-mate Sylvain Barrier was up in fifth ahead of Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati) and Bryan Staring (Pedercini Kawasaki).
Times: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’45.282; 2. Baz L. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’46.557; 3. Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’46.630; 4. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’46.690; 5. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’46.759; 6. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’46.862; 7. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’46.889; 8. Savadori L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’46.980; etc.
Superstock 600
Pole position for Sunday’s conclusive race in the European Superstock 600 Championship went to the young Frenchman Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France), who is still in with a chance of taking the runner-up slot. Alongside Lanusse can be found Britain’s Glenn Irwin (CN Racing Kawasaki), Dutchman Michael vd Mark (Ten Kate Honda Junior Team) and American Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki).
Day is the chief rival in the title chase for Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha), who was sixth today. Daniele Beretta (Trasimeno Yamaha) will start from row two with fifth quickest time, together with Metcher, Tomas Krajci (TK Racing Slovakia Yamaha) and Riccardo Russo (Trasimeno Yamaha).
Times: 1. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’48.211; 2. Irwin G. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.483; 3. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.613; 4. Day J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’48.947; 5. Beretta D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’48.961; 6. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 1’49.293; 7. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 1’49.342; 8. Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’49.414; etc.
