eni SBK World Championship Day 1 Sees Melandri Atop the Charts at MotorLand Aragon Round 8

Melandri the top man on the opening day

Motorland Aragon (Spain), June 29, 2012 - Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took the fastest time in the first qualifying session of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship weekend at MotorLand Aragon in Spain. He overtook this morning’s free practice fastest man Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) who finished up second, with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) third. Eugene Laverty, Biaggi’s team-mate, was fourth quickest with an improving Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) fifth.

Marco Melandri on the #33 BMW Motorrad Motorsport S1000RR topped the charts today in provisional qualifying for round 8 at the MotorLand Aragon circuit.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

A good day for the German manufacturer saw BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet riders Ayrton Badovini and Michel Fabrizio go sixth and seventh respectively. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia) completed the provisional second row in eighth.

Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) rode his way to ninth in a hot qualifying session, with Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) the first Ducati rider home on day one, tenth. Checa’s team-mate Davide Giugliano secured 11^th place, with Camier’s team-mate John Hopkins 12^th. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was 14^th in his first visit to the MotorLand Aragon racetrack for a race weekend.

Max Biaggi on the #3 Aprilia Racing Team RSV4 Factory machine slotted into the second qualifying position in the provisional round today at the MotorLand Aragon circuit.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

One more qualifying session and then Tissot-Superpole will take place tomorrow to determine the final grid places for Sunday’s races.

Times: 1. Melandri (BMW) 1'58.608 average 162.202 kph; 2. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'58.973; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'59.123; 4. Laverty (Aprilia) 1'59.263; 5. Haslam (BMW) 1'59.396; 6. Badovini (BMW) 1'59.751; 7. Fabrizio (BMW) 1'59.770; 8. Davies (Aprilia) 2'00.146; 9. Camier (Suzuki) 2'00.147; 10. Checa (Ducati) 2'00.401; 11. Giugliano (Ducati) 2'00.514; 12. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2'00.570; 13. Canepa (Ducati) 2'00.615; 14. Rea (Honda) 2'00.617; 15. Guintoli (Ducati) 2'00.640; 16. Baz (Kawasaki) 2'00.690; etc.

World Supersport

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) secured the provisional pole starting spot by putting over half a second between himself and second place rider Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) in the first qualifying session at Aragon. The Kawasaki Intermoto Step machine of former champion Fabien Foret was a late third in the rankings at the end of day one, with Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Parts Honda) fourth.

Sam Lowes on the #11 Bogdanka PTR Honda CBR600RR was the man to beat today in the provisional qualifying session for the World SuperSport round at Aragon.  Photo courtesy of the eni SBK World Championship.

Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini) and Roberto Tamburini (Team Lorini Honda) completed the top six with a great effort from Jed Metcher (Rivamoto Junior Team Yamaha) taking him seventh ahead of another 2012 WSS rookie, Joshua Day (Team GO ELEVEN Kawasaki).

Times: 1. Lowes (Honda) 2'03.067 average 156.325 kph; 2. Cluzel (Honda) 2'03.635; 3. Foret (Kawasaki) 2'03.771; 4. Parkes (Honda) 2'03.955; 5. Morais (Kawasaki) 2'04.385; 6. Tamburini (Honda) 2'04.411; 7. Metcher (Yamaha) 2'04.516; 8. Day (Kawasaki) 2'04.838; etc.

Superstock 1000

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) set the fastest time of the first day, just ahead of his own team-mate Lorenzo Baroni in second. Markus Reiterberger (Team Alpha Racing BMW) posted third, making it a clean sweep for S 1000 RR machines in the early exchanges.

Two Kawasaki riders followed closely behind today, Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS) and Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini). Fabio Massei (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda) secured sixth place, with the top ranked Ducati Panigale rider Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia) in seventh. One more qualifying session remains, on Saturday.

Times: 1. Barrier (BMW) 2'02.741 average 156.740 kph; 2. Baroni (BMW) 2'02.833; 3. Reiterberger (BMW) 2'03.230; 4. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2'03.508; 5. Staring (Kawasaki) 2'03.870; 6. Massei (Honda) 2'03.984; 7. Savadori (Ducati) 2'04.492; 8. Coghlan (Ducati) 2'04.533; etc.

Superstock 600

Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) took the provisional pole position in the Superstock 600 European Championship class today, followed by another top championship contender, Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda). Gauthier Duwelz (Team MTM Racing Yamaha) and his team-mate Adrian Nestorovic were third and fourth fastest.

Another pair of team-mates, Tony Covena and Christian Gamarino, from the GO ELEVEN Kawasaki team, finished fifth and sixth in the heat at Motorland, with one more qualifying session left to run tomorrow before the race itself takes place on Saturday afternoon.

Times: 1. Russo (Yamaha) 2'06.129 average 152.530 kph; 2. Vd Mark (Honda) 2'06.492; 3. Duwelz (Yamaha) 2'06.635; 4. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 2'06.782; 5. Coveña (Kawasaki) 2'07.189; 6. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 2'07.605; 7. Suchet (Honda) 2'07.790; 8. Ponsson (Kawasaki) 2'07.812; etc.

KTM European Junior Cup

Lukas Wimmer was clearly the fastest man in the first practice session for the European Junior Cup, the Austrian heading up local Spanish riders Christian Vidal and Javier Orellana.

Giuseppe Scarcella, from Australia, was fourth. Gaston Garcia rode to fifth and Federico Fazzini from Italy rounded out the top six in a session with 23 competing riders.

Times: 1. Wimmer (KTM) 2'19.907 average 137.508 kph; 2. Vidal (KTM) 2'20.475; 3. Orellana (KTM) 2'20.555; 4. Scarcella (KTM) 2'20.840; 5. Garcia (KTM) 2'21.272; 6. Fazzina (KTM) 2'21.313; 7. Lewis (KTM) 2'22.924; 8. Demoulin (KTM) 2'23.139; etc.

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