WSBK Phillip Island Gallery B

WSBK 2015 – Round One – Phillip Island – Image Gallery B

WSBK 2015 – Round One – Phillip Island – Image Gallery B
By Trevor Hedge and Russell Colvin

Alex Lowes tops Friday WSBK Practice at Phillip Island

With just one session to go to decide the first Tissot-Superpole riders of the new 2015 WorldSBK season, Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) is the one that everyone is chasing after ending day one in Australia on top, courtesy of his FP1 time of 1.30.855s.

The British rider will head into tomorrow’s FP3 with a gap of 0.359s over Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) as the top nine riders were separated by a second.

Third place in the overall classification after the opening day was Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) one of many who were unable to improve this afternoon in the much hotter conditions.

In fact only eight of the 25 riders were able to better their FP1 times.

Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) finished 4th ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and the second of the WorldSBK rookies Nico Terol (Althea Racing) who was 6th.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) continues to find his feet after moving up from World Supersport, the reigning WSS champion jumped up to 7th.

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Niccolo Canepa (Team Hero EBR) missed FP1 due to a technical problem, the Italian managed a couple of competitive laps before falling at turn 10. He will head into tomorrow in 20th overall.

Sylvain Barrier fell at turn 11 at the half way point of FP3, the Frenchman still fast enough to claim 13th.

Leon Haslam was the only other faller, the British rider losing the front of his Aprilia at turn 10.

Reigning champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) was 12th, the Frenchman who improved throughout the final 45 minutes was lucky not to crash after saving what would have been a huge highside.

Troy Bayliss (Aruba SBK Team) found himself in 18th after his first 90 minutes of competitive WorldSBK action since 2008. The Australian spending a lot of time chasing a set-up on his Ducati Panigale machine, eventually elevating himself into the top twenty in the final seven minutes courtesy of four personal best laps in a row. Bayliss only managed one proper flying lap in the morning session thus the afternoon session was his first real hit-out on the bike with the team still chasing the basics of set-up, the Australian coming in twice for shock and fork spring changes during the 45-minute session.

Wildcard riders Matt Walters (Team Pedercini) and Jed Metcher (Race Center – Demolition Plus) eased themselves into the weekend posting the 16th and 19th times at the end of the opening day.

After FP3 in the morning, 20 riders will progress into the Tissot-Superpole sessions with 10 places on offer for the fastest ten riders after the times from FP1, FP2 and FP3 are combined. As it stands Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sits in 11th overall and will need to find at least 0.254s to move automatically into the Pole Position shoot-out tomorrow. The fastest two riders in Superpole 1 will progress to Superpole 2, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first 12 grid positions. Both Superpole sessions will run for 15 minutes each. There will be a break of 10 minutes in between Superpole 1 and Superpole 2.

World Superbike 2015 – Phillip Island – Friday Practice Times Combined Sessions