From the WSBK Pressoffice
Kawasaki took its first World Superbike Superpole win since 2007 when Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) lapped the damp Imola circuit in 2:07.341 on Saturday, holding off a late charge from Pata B&G Aprilia rider Jakub Smrz.
Sykes is now the seventh rider to have earned a pole position in 2010, in 12 rounds so far.
“Hopefully it’s my first pole of many," Sykes said. "You know it’s fantastic that Kawasaki has managed to get a pole position. Coming into the Superpole we struggled a little bit because it was the first time in the wet, but the team really worked hard through the three sessions and when it counted at the end we had the best package to work with, so hopefully I can repay them tomorrow in the races.”
“It was a really nice result for me, because it’s my first time on the Aprilia in the wet," Smrz said. "It was very difficult, I’m still struggling a bit with the set-up of the new bike, but today was really good and really close. I can’t change the conditions anyway, so everybody will be in the same boat.”
Championship challenger Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) went third and the last place on the front row will go to local regular, Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati). This is Scassa’s first front row in WSBK racing.
“It was quite sketchy out there, the first lap with the new tire wasn’t too bad but there were a lot of slippery crashes," Haslam said. "It’s the first time I’ve been in a wet weather situation with the Suzuki so to have put it on the front row, I’m quite pleased with that. I’ve been third in the dry and third in the wet here so it gives me a good chance of getting onto the podium tomorrow. I just want to say thanks to the Alstare boys, they’ve done wonders all year, I hope to repay them with a win.”
The second row for Sunday’s races will be headed up by Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati), with the smooth riding-style of Troy Corser taking him to sixth fastest for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) was seventh fastest and starts the races from the second row, as he tries to win the championship on Sunday. Eighth was the second official BMW, ridden by a former race winner here, Ruben Xaus.
In damp conditions Superpole two was treacherous and Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) fell from his big v-twin exiting a chicane, as did many other riders. Fastest going into Superpole, Carlos was therefore ninth fastest overall, ahead of the factory Ducati Xerox machine of Michel Fabrizio.
The third row was rounded out by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Max Neukirchner and Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda). Crutchlow was on track to enter Superpole three, but ran off track without falling at the first Rivazza corner.
The 1:52.397 lap he set on the first day was enough to give Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) the World Supersport pole at Imola, as all the riders’ times remained as they were on Friday, due to the damp track conditions they experienced on Saturday.
This keeps Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) second, Michele Pirro (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) third and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com) fourth quickest.
As the Imola track surface slowly dried out, the top Superstock 1000 riders improved their pace through the final qualifying session, but none could get close to their previous best. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Junior Superstock) is therefore the pole man for Sunday’s races, thanks to his track best lap, posted on Friday, of 1:51.528.
Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) finished sixth in the Superstock 600 race on Saturday and that was enough to make him the new champion, despite a chaotic last corner double crash that saw Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) win the race, but lose the championship fight. Guarnoni now has 187 points, Marino 159.
Superbike Qualifying Times
1.Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2:07.341
2.Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2:07.392
3.Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2:08.273
4.Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2:08.427
5.Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2:08.490
6.Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000RR 2:09.842
7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2:09.924
8.Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000RR 2:10.482
9.Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 2:11.117
10.Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2:11.130
11. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 2:11.150
12.Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 2:11.271
13.Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 2:11.395
14.Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2:11.558
15.Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 2:11.601
16.Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2:11.706
etc.
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