Rea ends test on top

From worldsbk.com

After two days of intense World Superbike testing at Portimao on Tuesday and Wednesday records lay in tatters as several riders improved massively on their best lap times from last weekend's season finale at the Portuguese venue.

Even some new bike and rider combinations were in on the superfast act.

Up front was Jonathan Rea, determined to be quickest in each session, as he left the tests with a best lap of 1:41.878, closely followed by another top WSB talent, Michel Fabrizio.

After winning the WSS title on Sunday, Cal Crutchlow proved equally adept on a Superbike machine, and despite a heavy fall on the first day, he secured third best time of 1:42.115.

Another British rider, Leon Haslam, on another machine new to him, set a highly impressive 1:42.251 while running a transponder on his machine, and his team claimed he was even faster than that.

Aprilia riders Max Biaggi and Leon Camier did not run transponders, but were next fastest along, just a 10th or so from each other as Biaggi set a 1:42.7 on new suspension and new electronics packages.

Carlos Checa's first taste of Ducati power was a sweet one as he rode to a mid 1:43 time.

With team-mate Rea fastest, Max Neukirchner was also impressive in his comeback ride in a new team at Hannspree Ten Kate, as the German rider also set a mid 1:43 time.

Another rider to have missed much of the season through injury, albeit a BSB season, is new Alstare Suzuki pick Sylvain Guintoli and he was also impressively quick.

Tom Sykes had his first taste of Kawasaki power in this test, despite still suffering from a shoulder injury, and Regis Laconi, who was so seriously injured in South Africa in the springtime, returned to action for a day on Tuesday, on a DFX Ducati.

Combined Test Times (Unofficial)
Superbike
1. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:41.878
2. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1:41.992
3. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike) 1:42.115
4. Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 1:42.251
5. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) 1:42.71
6. Leon Camier (Aprilia Racing) 1:42.79
7. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1:43.098
8. James Toseland (Yamaha World Superbike) 1:43.147
9. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) 1:43.425
10. Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:43.549
11. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) 1:43.612
12. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:43.902
13 Javier Fores (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:44.413
14. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSRT) 1:44.9
15. Vittorio Ianuzzo (Suzuki) 1:44.908
16. Alex Hofmann (Aprilia test rider) 1:45.5
17. Regis Laconi (DFX Ducati) 1:46.458

Supersport
1. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:44.329
2. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki WSS) 1:44.619
3. Michele Pirro (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:44.999
4. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki WSS) 1:45.0
5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki WSS) 1:45.875
6. David Salom (Kawasaki WSS) 1:46.2
7. Gino Rea 1:46.423 (Yamaha WSS)