MISANO, Italy – After another tense but exciting Tissot-Superpole, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) will start Sunday’s two 21-lap eni FIM Superbike World Championship races at the Misano World Circuit from pole position after getting the better of Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), who will join him on the front row.
Saturday’s pole position is the 21st of Sykes’ WSBK career, with the Englishman now tied in third place with Carl Fogarty for the most pole positions scored in the series.
“The support from the Italian fans has been fantastic as always,” Sykes said. “I have been happy with my pace over race distance since the start but I knew it was over one lap that I really needed to attack the circuit.
“My crew guys were able to adapt the bike to take the best out of the qualifying tire. I was able to move the bike from one side of the track to the other side of the track and hit each apex as I wanted to. I think we have done a fantastic job. To take the circuit record from one of my racing heroes, and a very, very talented rider like Troy Corser is a very proud moment for me.”
As the first 11 riders were separated by less than one second during the three Free Practice sessions, it was always going to be a close Superpole session and the on track action certainly didn’t disappoint the crowd as several riders took their turn to head the field.
Behind the top three, row two on Sunday will see Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) and Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia), with Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) lining up on row three.
The EVO battle was won by Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Team Ducati), who will start both races Sunday from the fourth row in 10th position overall after making it to the final session thanks to the second time set in Superpole 1 behind Elias.
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) crashed at the end of the session and will therefore start 12th.
Kenan Sofuoglu had the seventh Supersport championship pole position of the year snatched away from him in the closing moments of a scorching qualifying session at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli.
The former multiple champion had an eventful session, crashing his Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki after looking comfortable at the top of the timing sheet. The Turk would eventually finish fourth after blistering laps from Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), championship leader Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) and Italian Raffaele De Rosa (CIA Insurance Honda) pushed him back onto row two.
Ratthapark Wilairot (Core PTR Honda) was an impressive fifth ahead of Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport Team), who improved at the end of the 45-minute thriller.
Italian Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) claimed his second career pole position and his second of the 2014 Superstock 1000 campaign to edge championship leader Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Team). Just 0.042s separate the pair ahead of Sunday’s 15-lap race with Savadori’s compatriot Fabio Massei (EAB Racing Ducati) once again on the front row.
Marco Faccani (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) won the fourth round of the European Superstock 600cc Championship after a close fight with compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Evan Bros. Racing Team) and with it returns to the lead of the championship.
Taking the intial holeshot, Faccani tried to break away but after setting a new lap record on the second lap Caricasulo set off in pursuit, the young Italian eventually having to settle for second, but delighted with his maiden podium finish.
Six riders went down in the opening series of corners including championship leader Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing Yamaha) and podium man in Imola Stefano Casalotti (VFT Racing Yamaha). All riders were uninjured.
The leading duo broke clear of an equally enthralling fight for third with wildcard rider Davide Stirpe (Scuderia Maranga Racing) eventually coming out as the final podium finisher.
Javier Orellana (Europ Food S.L.) secured his second pole position of the season in the PATA European Junior Cup, powered by Honda, at Misano. The current runner-up in the title race was already in the lead during the second qualifying session when he set the 1:56.820 lap time to seal the first grid slot for Sunday’s 10-lap race.
Orellana will be joined on the front row by current points leader Augusto Fernandez (WIL Sport) and Italian Marco Malone (Iron Bike Roma).
World Superbike Qualifying Times
1.Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:34.883 (160.341km/h)
2. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1:35.079
3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) 1:35.106
4. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) 1:35.254
5. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) 1:35.316
6. Toni Elias (Aprilia) 1:35.404
7. Chaz Davies (Ducati) 1:35.602
8. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:35.675
9. Eugene Laverty (Suzuki) 1:36.043
10. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) 1:36.404
11. Alex Lowes (Suzuki) 1:36.489
12. Leon Haslam (Honda) 1:36.515
13. David Salom (Kawasaki)
14. Matteo Baiocco (Ducati)
15. Ayrton Badovini (Bimota)
16. Claudio Corti (MV Agusta)
17. Sylvain Barrier (BMW)
18. Ivan Goi (Ducati)
19. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki) 1:37.807
20. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) 1:38.008
–From the WSBK Press Office
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