Second straight Superpole for Spies

From the World Superbike Championship

After dominating the two WSBK qualifying sessions, Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) powered to the same result in Superpole on Friday with his second success in two races.

The 24-year-old Texan lapped the 5.380km Losail desert circuit in a time of 1 minute 57.280 seconds, almost eight-tenths of a second quicker than Troy Corser’s best mark from 2008.

“The most important thing is being on the front row with this many fast guys," Spies said. "I almost ruined my lap but we eventually got the job done. Race pace is looking promising, which is important but I feel sure it’s going to be a hard race tomorrow. You still have to search for the speed and find the limit in Superpole, I don’t know anything different, it’s the only one I’ve done but it’s working well for me so far.”

The starting-grid was similar to the opening round in Australia, but this time Jakub Smrz on a customer Guandalini Ducati 1098R placed second, a fraction of a second behind Spies, and ahead of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) in third.

The front row of the grid was completed by Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who managed to move up to a fourth place slot following two below-par qualifying sessions.

With fifth place on the grid, Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike) confirmed that the four-cylinder Japanese R1 is proving to be a very competitive machine indeed this year, and the British rider will start Saturday’s two 18-lap races with Japan’s Shinya Nakano (Aprilia Racing), Spain’s Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) from the UK alongside.

The new Superpole format again produced a few surprises. The first run saw the elimination of two of the stars of Phillip Island, Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who will now start from row 5, while neither Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser (BMW) nor Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) made the final cut after the second knock-out session.

Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) was quickest again Friday in the second and final qualifying session for the World Supersport race, giving the Japanese manufacturer its first pole of the year. The 23-year-old British rider knocked one second off his Thursday mark to end up with a time of 2:01.586, almost four-tenths quicker than Fabien Foret’s best from last year.

The other riders on the front row are all on Honda CBR600RR machines, with Ireland’s Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar) ahead of the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda champion pair of Kenan Sofuoglu and Andrew Pitt, the Turkish rider crashing out in the final stages of the session while chasing the pole.

Foret heads the next row of the grid in fifth place on the second factory Yamaha R6, ahead of Matthieu Lagrive (Hannspree Honda Althea) and Gianluca Nannelli (ParkinGO Triumph). 

Superbike Times
1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1:57.280
2. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1:57.384
3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1:57.694
4. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1:57.850
5. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1:57.878
6. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1:58.755
7. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.090
8. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 2:00.021
9. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1:58.734
10. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1:58.919
11. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1:59.044
12. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.055
13. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1:59.074
14. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:59.134
15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1:59.435
16. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1:59.454
17. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.713
18. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1:59.882
19. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 1:59.926
20. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2:00.108