Giugliano breaks Losail best lap to claim Tissot-Superpole
The first ever floodlit Tissot-Superpole has been won by Ducati Superbike Team’s Davide Giugliano, who will line up for tomorrow’s two 17 lap encounters alongside Loris Baz and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), who will join him on the front row. This is the second time this year for Giugliano as pole sitter, the third one so far in his WSBK career. The Italian rider clocked in 1’57.033 to set the new best lap of the track.
The top 3 riders were awarded with their Tissot-Superpole trophies by two time World Superbike Champion James Toseland.
Davide Giugliano: “I’m very happy. For me it was important to be on the front row. The fast lap and being faster than Ben Spies is good for us but it’s more important to be consistent over race distance. Yesterday it was difficult but I’m happy with all my team, they are working very hard. In my heart I want to win, but after the recent races it’s important for me and important for Ducati to have two strong races tomorrow.”
Tom Sykes: “It was not the easiest day yesterday but It means nothing being fast on the Friday. We were working towards tomorrow. I have a game plan and me the whole Kawasaki Racing Team are working for this. Of course I’m here to win races, but it’s more important to win the championship.”
The second row for the season’s final races will see Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) and Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).
Best classified EVO rider David Salom will start from the fourth row in 12th position.
Wildcard rider Alex Cudlin (Team Pedercini Kawasaki – EVO) will make his WSBK race debut starting from 16th on the grid whilst Geoff May, who put the Team Hero EBR machine into Superpole for the very first time, will move off from the 19th position.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) both crashed unhurt and will start from 7th and 11th respectively.
Superpole 1 saw Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) and EVO leader David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) progress, joining the already automatically seeded riders after the combined FP1, FP2 and FP3 sessions yesterday. The pair were separated by 0.086s at the end of an exciting 15 minute session.
Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia – EVO) suffered a huge highside in the final moments of the first Superpole session bringing out the red flag. The Frenchman was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks and his conditions will be reviewed before tomorrow’s warm up.
Times: 1. Giugliano (Ducati) 1’57.033 average 165.492 kph; 2. Baz (Kawasaki) 1’57.281; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’57.468; 4. Davies (Ducati) 1’57.562; 5. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1’57.833; 6. Haslam (Honda) 1’58.005; 7. Rea (Honda) 1’58.190; 8. Melandri (Aprilia) 1’58.355; 9. Laverty (Suzuki) 1’58.379; 10. Elias (Aprilia) 1’58.583; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 1’58.919; 12. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’59.015; 13. Barrier (BMW); 14. Canepa (Ducati); 15. Andreozzi (Kawasaki); 16. Cudlin (Kawasaki); 17. Staring (Kawasaki); 18. Guarnoni (Kawasaki); 19. May (EBR); 20. Morais (Kawasaki).
World Supersport
The first night time qualifying session in World Supersport history finished a short time ago with Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) overhauling Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) with his final lap to secure the 10th Pole Position of his WSS career.
Under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit, the front row positions changed regularly during the sole 45 minute qualifying session with Pata Honda pairing Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti eventually joining the Frenchman on the front row.
Row two comprises Ratthapark Wilairot (Core PTR Honda), Jack Kennedy (CIA Insurance Honda), who crashed in the final moments of the session and the revelation from Magny-Cours Lucas Mahias (DMC-Panavto Yamaha).
Tomorrow’s 15 lap race, scheduled to start at 2015 local time will bring to a close a thrilling Supersport season that has given us a number of new names to watch out for in the future as well as the youngest WSS champion in the championship’s history.
Times: 1. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 2’01.851 average 158.948 kph; 2. vd Mark (Honda) 2’02.223; 3. Zanetti (Honda) 2’02.245; 4. Wilairot (Honda) 2’02.261; 5. Kennedy (Honda) 2’02.356; 6. Mahias (Yamaha) 2’02.408; 7. Coghlan (Yamaha) 2’02.474; 8. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2’02.492; 9. Rolfo (Kawasaki) 2’02.934; 10. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 2’02.981; 11. Marino (Kawasaki) 2’03.096; 12. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 2’03.196; 13. De Rosa (Honda) 2’03.267; 14. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 2’03.310; 15. Faccani (Kawasaki) 2’03.339; etc.
