WSBK: Voltcom Crescent Suzuki rider Alex Lowes ends practice on top at Phillip Island

 

Phillip Island (Australia), Friday 21 February 2014 – Only 37 thousands of a second separated Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) at the end of second free practice for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island. Following a wet morning session that saw only few riders taking to the track, the whole field made the most of the near perfect conditions to continue their preparation for the debut races of the year. Rookie sensation Lowes started off well by moving on top of the classification and kept the lead as the session progressed, followed by team mate Eugene Laverty.

Alex Lowes: “Today was good. The wind was really bad and affecting the bike a lot, but we still made some progress in certain areas. I’m looking forward to going out tomorrow and confirming that it is definitely better when the weather’s more favourable. I really like Phillip Island; when a track is as windy as it’s been today it is hard to enjoy it, but I think it’s a great track, and I’m looking forward to the racing here.”

As the on track action moved into the final stages, Melandri elevated himself to second ahead of fellow Italian Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), who also climbed up the timings in the late stages. The reigning Champion had an off track moment before regrouping to put in his session best, whilst on the other hand team mate Loris Baz suffered his third crash of the week, fortunately unhurt. The young Frenchman finished eighth behind Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike), who was seventh, Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), who dropped to sixth and Haslam’s team mate Jonathan Rea, who eventually climbed to fifth in the final minutes.

 

Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) suffered a spectacular high side at turn 9 and was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. Race 1 winner last year Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.

A three way battle for twelfth place involved EVO riders Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Team Ducati), Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) and David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team), with Italian Canepa coming out on top to lead the EVO field.

World Superbike action will resume tomorrow morning for the third free practice session and the last chance for all riders to make it into the first Tissot-Superpole of the year who impressed by climbing the timesheets in the final minutes.

Times Day 1: 1. Lowes (Suzuki) 1’31.100 average 175.653 kph; 2. Melandri (Aprilia) 1’31.137; 3. Giugliano (Ducati) 1’31.205; 4. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’31.395; 5. Rea (Honda) 1’31.436; 6. Laverty (Suzuki) 1’31.448; 7. Haslam (Honda) 1’31.533; 8. Baz (Kawasaki) 1’31.637; 9. Davies (Ducati) 1’31.757; 10. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1’31.759; 11. Elias (Aprilia) 1’32.073; 12. Canepa (Ducati) 1’32.340; 13. Foret (Kawasaki) 1’32.734; 14. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’32.944; 15. Allerton (BMW) 1’33.118; 16. Corti (MV Agusta) 1’33.119; 17. Morais (Kawasaki) 1’33.635; 18. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 1’33.996; 19. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 1’34.279; 20. May (EBR) 1’34.640; 21. Toth (BMW) 1’35.117; 22. Walters (Kawasaki) 1’35.810; 23. Yates (EBR) 1’36.338; NC. Sebestyen (BMW) 1’39.076.

 

World Supersport

After the poor conditions of the first free practice, the weather conditions had improved considerably by the early afternoon at Phillip Island, allowing World Supersport riders to take to the track and get up to speed in today’s second session. The protagonists of the series did not waste any time in finding their rhythm in almost perfect conditions, with three-time WSS Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) setting the pace throughout the 45 minutes. The Turk suffered a technical problem down the main straight in the late stages, but the 1’33.618s lap time was quick enough for him to keep the top spot.

Scotsman Kev Coghlan (DMC-Panavto Yamaha) showed good form aboard his YZF-R6 as he claimed second place ahead of Core PTR Honda’s Raffaele De Rosa who impressed by climbing the timesheets in the final minutes.

Fourth place Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) found himself on the gravel after crashing out of turn 9, whilst trying to elevate himself to first. Because of the fall and the damage done to his bike, the young Dutchman lost some precious time, but managed to return to the track with seven minutes left before the chequered flag, although was unable to better the lap he had set before the crash.

Returning WSS rider Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta RC – Yakhnich Motorsport) continued his adaptation to the F3 675 as he ended up fifth, whilst sixth place PJ Jacobsen (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki) missed the chance for a top 3 finish as he crashed unhurt at turn 11 towards the end of the session. Other late crashers Fabio Menghi (VFT Yamaha),  Kevin Wahr (RS Wahr by Kraus Racing Yamaha) and local rider Bryan Staring (Rivamoto Honda) ended up 11th,12th and 13th respectively, none of them hurt after falling.

Irishman Jack Kennedy (CIA Insurance Honda) did not get onto the track as he was declared unfit to ride.

 

FP2 times: 1. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1’33.618 average 170.929 kph; 2. Coghlan (Yamaha) 1’34.263; 3. De Rosa (Honda) 1’34.277; 4. Vd Mark (Honda) 1’34.294; 5. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 1’34.337; 6. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 1’34.366; 7. Wilairot (Honda) 1’34.526; 8. Marino (Kawasaki) 1’34.721; 9. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 1’34.729; 10. Leonov (MV Agusta) 1’34.833; 11. Menghi (Yamaha) 1’34.854; 12. Wahr (Yamaha) 1’35.072; 13. Staring (Honda) 1’35.109; 14. Zanetti (Honda) 1’35.140; 15. Gowland (Triumph) 1’35.195; etc.