Portimao (Portugal), Saturday 5 July 2014 - Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) will start the 8th round’s two World Superbike races from the front of the grid after winning this afternoon’s Tissot-Superpole at a very hot and sunny Portimao circuit, his third in a row at the Portuguese track and 22nd Pole Position so far in his WSBK career.
A thrilling Superpole 1 saw David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team) progress to join the already seeded top ten from the combined free practice sessions with the 12 riders then doing battle for the final 15 minute grid deciding shoot-out.
The opening session wasn’t without incident as after 4 minutes the red flags came out as the marshals tended to Claudio Corti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who had fell on the rollercoaster section of the circuit. He was taken to the medical centre for further checks. Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) also failed to record a time as his Aprilia developed a technical problem on his out lap.
In the final 15 minute Superpole 2, the times at the top changed almost every time a rider recorded a time but at the flag and with less than a second covering the top 9, Sykes emerged as the fastest, ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), who will join him on row one tomorrow.
Row two will see Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team), Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and other factory Aprilia rider Sylvain Guintoli, who recovered from a high speed FP4 crash to claim 6th. In the battle of the EVO riders, Sylvain Barrier will start 10th and David Salom 12th. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) crashed in the final minute of the session and will therefore start 11th tomorrow.
Times: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'42.484 average 161.305 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 1'42.765; 3. Davies (Ducati) 1'42.924; 4. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'43.038; 5. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'43.048; 6. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'43.076; 7. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'43.245; 8. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'43.317; 9. Haslam (Honda) 1'43.475; 10. Barrier (BMW) 1'43.754; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 1'43.840; 12. Salom (Kawasaki) 1'44.361; 13. Badovini (Bimota); 14. Canepa (Ducati); 15. Iddon (Bimota); 16. Morais (Kawasaki); 17. Staring (Kawasaki); 18. Andreozzi (Kawasaki); 19. Corti (MV Agusta) ; 20. Elias (Aprilia). World Supersport Kenan Sofuoglu has grabbed the 8th World Supersport Pole Position in the final ten minutes of today’s qualifying session at Portimao in Portugal despite a late charge from series leader Michael van der Mark who will start 2nd. Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) improved as the session progressed eventually ensuring the final front spot in 3rd. Jack Kennedy will start 4th after holding provisional pole for the majority of the session, the Irishman showing the form that we know he is capable of aboard his CIA Insurance Honda. He will be joined on the second row by his CIA Insurance Honda team mate Raffaele De Rosa and Pata Honda’s Lorenzo Zanetti who were 5th and 6th respectively. Podium finisher last time out PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) will start 8th despite falling in the final minute of the session. Times: 1. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1'45.924 average 156.067 kph; 2. Vd Mark (Honda) 1'46.002; 3. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 1'46.089; 4. Kennedy (Honda) 1'46.310; 5. De Rosa (Honda) 1'46.591; 6. Zanetti (Honda) 1'46.632; 7. Coghlan (Yamaha) 1'46.644; 8. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 1'46.673; 9. Marino (Kawasaki) 1'46.726; 10. Roccoli (MV Agusta) 1'46.795; 11. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 1'47.074; 12. Rolfo (Kawasaki) 1'47.322; 13. Bussolotti (Honda) 1'47.391; 14. Wilairot (Honda) 1'47.525; 15. Debise (Honda) 1'47.744; 16. Menghi (Yamaha) 1'47.874; 17. Baldolini (MV Agusta) 1'48.024; 18. Marconi (Honda) 1'48.191; 19. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 1'48.242; 20. Coveña (Kawasaki) 1'48.310; 21. Nocco (Kawasaki) 1'48.820; 22. Calero (Honda) 1'49.365; 23. Ivanov (Yamaha) 1'49.933. Superstock 1000 Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) is the pole sitter for tomorrow’s 14-lap FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race at Portimao after setting a 1’46.802s lap-time in the sole qualifying session for the series. The Italian rider edged points leader Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Team Ducati) and Englishman Kyle Smith (Agro-On Wil Racedays Honda), second and third respectively, with the Englishman getting his first front row start of his rookie STK1000 year. Other title contender Ondrej Jezek (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was fourth ahead of David McFadden (MRS Kawasaki), Romain Lanusse (Team Pedercini Kawasaki), Joshua Day (Agro-On Wil Racedays Honda) and Kevin Valk (MTM Racing Team Kawasaki). Federico D’Annunzio (FDA Racing Team BMW) and wildcard Federico Sandi (Team Motoxracing BMW) completed the top 10. Times: 1. Savadori (Kawasaki) 1'46.802 average 154.784 kph; 2. Mercado (Ducati) 1'46.917; 3. Smith (Honda) 1'46.988; 4. Jezek (Ducati) 1'47.122; 5. McFadden (Kawasaki) 1'47.732; 6. Lanusse (Kawasaki) 1'47.844; 7. Day (Honda) 1'47.912; 8. Valk (Kawasaki) 1'48.050; 9. D'Annunzio (BMW) 1'48.102; 10. Sandi (BMW) 1'48.164; 11. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 1'48.211; 12. Massei (Ducati) 1'48.329; 13. Nemeth (Kawasaki) 1'48.512; 14. Muresan (BMW) 1'48.857; 15. Suchet (Kawasaki) 1'49.552; etc. Superstock 600 - Race Marco Faccani (San Carlo Team Italia) has won his 4th European Superstock 600cc race after dominating once again at a very sunny but windy Portimao circuit in Portugal. Turn one saw a group of midfield riders tumble, all thankfully without injury whilst at the front championship leader Marco Faccani (San Carlo Team Italia) overtook Poleman Wayne Tessels (Wayne’s Racing Team) before coming under intense race long pressure from the Dutchman along with Misano second place rider Federico Caricasulo (Evan Bros Racing Team). As the top three eased away Ukranian Ilya Mikhalchik (Go Eleven Kawasaki) led fellow European Junior graduate Richard Bodis (Talmacsi Racing) in the fight for 4th. At the flag it was championship leader Faccani who claimed his 4th win of the year and with it takes a healthy points lead into the summer break. Less than 0.1s separated 2nd from 3rd with Tessels coming home ahead of Caricasulo in the run to the line. Behind the podium finishers Ilya Mikhalchik clung on to 4th ahead of Richard Bodis who claimed a career best 5th ahead of 6th placed Andrea Tucci (San Carlo Team Italia). Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing) was a notable retirement for the second consecutive race. The Finnish rider now third in the championship standings after starting the weekend 2nd. Results: 1. Faccani (Kawasaki) 12 Laps/55.104 km in 21'58.928 average 150.406 kph; 2. Tessels (Suzuki) 4.029; 3. Caricasulo (Honda) 4.210; 4. Mikhalchik (Kawasaki) 10.744; 5. Bodis (Honda) 10.807; 6. Tucci (Kawasaki) 10.900; 7. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 12.330; 8. Lahti (Yamaha) 13.384; 9. Zaccone (Honda) 13.827; 10. Puffe (Kawasaki) 14.715; 11. Rouse (Honda) 18.068; 12.Salvadori (Kawasaki) 18.198; 13. Pittet (Yamaha) 25.010; 14. Casalotti (Yamaha) 25.278; 15. De Gruttola (Kawasaki) 25.916; etc. Standings (Round 5 of 7): 1. Faccani 106; 2. Tessels 72; 3. Tuuli 58; 4. Tucci 55; 5. Caricasulo 46; 6. Salvadori 42; 7. Mikhalchik 40; 8. Manfredi 35; 9. Casalotti 27; 10. Duwelz 23; 11. Lahti 22; 12. Rinaldi 19; 13. Nestorovic 19; 14. Stirpe 16; 15. Zaccone 16; 16. Hartog 13; 17. Puffe 12; 18. Bodis 11; 19. Sabatino 11; 20. Morrentino 10; 21. Marchal 10; 22. Rouse 5; 23. Mercandelli 5; 24. Gobbi 5; 25. Lewis 5; 26. Pittet 5; 27. Zeelen 5; 28. Canducci 3; 29. Monti 2; 30. De Gruttola 1; 31. Patronen 1. European Junior Cup Javier Orellana (Europ Food S.L.) has secured the pole position for tomorrow’s Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda, 10-lap race, courtesy of the 2’03.935s lap-time set in the second qualifying session held today. The young Spaniard, who is currently second in the standings, will be joined on the front row of the grid by compatriots Mika Perez (Cuna de Campeones) and points leader Augusto Fernandez (WIL Sport). Times: 1. Orellana 2'03.935 average 133.386 kph; 2. Perez 2'04.517; 3. Fernandez 2'04.560; 4. Harland 2'04.824; 5. Fernandez 2'04.951; 6. Hubner 2'05.138; 7. Licciardi 2'05.327; 8. Soomer 2'05.864; 9. Hill 2'06.123; 10. Wisdom 2'06.161;11. Van Sikkelerus 2'06.537; 12. Ortt 2'06.694; 13. Ferreira 2'07.144; 14. Epis 2'07.389;15. London 2'07.460; 16. Somosi 2'07.604; 17. Van Schoonhoven 2'08.148; 18. Miebach 2'08.290; 19. Moreno 2'10.802.