Jonathan Rea hot out of the blocks at Laguna Seca

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) topped the timesheets in each session at Laguna Seca on Friday. His consistent pace put him in control despite a crash in the middle of free practice three that put a halt to his progress in the afternoon.

Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) accompanied Rea in the top three, as they did in FP2. The Italian was the only one of the trio to improve his best lap time in the final session, however it was not enough to trouble Rea’s marker.

A trend in recent final Friday practice sessions has seen Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) creep up the timesheets as the day goes by. Friday was no different as the Italian, who was fourteenth in FP1, smashed his earlier times with the fourth fastest lap of the day. This also placed him above his teammate Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), the Irish rider in fifth position.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured the sixth fastest time on combined results, jumping ahead of Brno race two winner Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team).

Eighth went to Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), who found his way into tomorrow’s Superpole 2 in the final session. As did the Spanish duo of Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), both men back up to pace in ninth and tenth respectively after struggling in the past two rounds.

The shock absence from the top 10 at the end of Friday was Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who couldn’t improve his best FP1 lap throughout the rest of the day, and will have to start from Saturday’s Superpole 1. The Dutchman ended up with the eleventh fastest on Friday.

As for the home riders, Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) took 14th, with wildcard Josh Herrin (Attack Performance Two Wheel Legal Yamaha) in 15th, and PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) in 18th.

WSBK 2018 – Laguna Seca – Friday FP1/2/3 Combined

1. Rea – Kawasaki 1m23.104
2. Melandri – Ducati 1m23.458
3. Sykes – Kawasaki 1m23.502
4. Savadori – Aprilia 1m23.510
5. Laverty – Aprilia 1m23.586
6. Davies – Ducati 1m23.635
7. Lowes – Yamaha 1m23.687
8. Camier – Honda 1m23.769
9. Torres – MV Agusta 1m23.869
10. Fores – Ducati 1m24.033
11. Van der Mark – Yamaha 1m24.106
12. Baz – BMW 1m24.175
13. Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki 1m24.177
14. Gagne – Honda 1m24.221
15. Herrin – Yamaha 1m24.246
16. Mercado – Kawasaki 1m24.375
17. Ramos – Kawasaki 1m24.651
18. Jacobsen – Honda 1m24.974
19. Hanika – Yamaha 1m25.084
20. Hernandez – Kawasaki 1m25.187