Portimao (Portugal), Friday 14 October 2011 – Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) took over at the top in the afternoon’s SBK qualifying session after Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) had gone quickest in the morning’s free practice run. The 2011 champion’s time of 1 minute 43.579 seconds was good enough to see off his closest challenger, an impressive Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team), by just 0.087 seconds, while Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert – Liberty Racing Ducati) also looked good, finishing two-tenths down in third.
Rea grabbed the final place on the overnight front row with the fourth quickest time, seeing off the challenge of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), the Italian not appearing to show any ill effects from his recent left foot bone fracture. Two official Kawasaki ZX-10R machines were next up, with Spain’s Joan Lascorz getting the nod on Britain’s Tom Sykes.
In his last race for the official Yamaha team, Marco Melandri was in eighth place, while Japan’s Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia) and the Czech Republic’s Jakub Smrz (Effenbert – Liberty Racing Ducati) rounded out the top 10. Superbike rookie Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) made his debut in 18th place, while Santiago Barragan (Kawasaki Pedercini) wrapped up the field in 22nd. Yoshimura Suzuki wildcard Josh Waters was 21st quickest, his fellow Aussie Karl Muggeridge 20th in his stand-in ride for the Castrol Honda team.
The overall pace in wonderfully warm conditions was close throughout the field as 1.136 seconds covered the top 16 riders.
Times: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’43.579; 2. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1’43.666; 3. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.860; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’43.895; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.907; 6. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’44.030; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’44.111; 8. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’44.112; 9. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’44.144; 10. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’44.201; 11. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.278; 12. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’44.410; 13. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.426; 14. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’44.598; 15. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.631; 16. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’44.715; etc.
World Supersport
Spain’s David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) took the provisional pole in Supersport Q1 today, just a whisker ahead of Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) and Parkalgar Honda man Sam Lowes. Newly-crowned world champion Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) was also right behind the top 3 with fourth fastest time. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda men Florian Marino and Fabien Foret sandwiched the provisional second row in fourth and eighth with Aussie Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and Britain’s Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) in between.
Times: 1. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’46.195; 2. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’46.201; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’46.208; 4. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’46.390; 5. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’46.772; 6. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’46.788; 7. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’46.830; 8. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1’46.974; etc.
Superstock 1000
Right in the final moments of STK1000 qualifying, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) edged out Sheridan Morais (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) for the overnight top slot. The young Italian’s time of 1 minute 46.012 seconds was a couple of tenths of a second off the category’s record lap held by Badovini (1’45″773). South African Morais was a tenth behind Petrucci but ahead of Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati), Andrea Antonelli (Lorini Honda) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia STK).
Times: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’46.012; 2. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’47.297; 3. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’47.676; 4. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’48.036; 5. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1’48.103; 6. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’48.172; 7. Massei F. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1’48.218; 8. Baz L. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’48.341; etc.
Superstock 600
American Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki) set the quickest time in the first qualifying session for the European Superstock 600 Championship, followed by the surprising Slovakian runner Tomas Krajci (TK Racing Slovakia Yamaha).
Romain Lanusse was third quickest for the MRS Yamaha France team, with championship challengers Michael van der Mark (Ten Kate Junior Honda) and Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha) in fifth and seventh respectively.
Times: 1. Day J. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’49.346; 2. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 1’49.510; 3. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’49.702; 4. Covena T. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 1’50.388; 5. Vd Mark M. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1’50.552; 6. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 1’50.555; 7. Metcher J. (AUS) Yamaha YZF R6 1’50.594; 8. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1’50.628; etc.
