Tom Sykes Takes 5th Superpole of Season at Misano SBK World Championship Round

Five-star Sykes eases away in Tissot-Superpole

Misano Adriatico (Italy), June 9, 2012 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was a clear winner in Tissot-Superpole at the eni FIM Superbike World Championship round at Misano, his fifth such success in 2012 thus far. His quickest lap time of 1 minute 35.375 seconds was the best of the weekend to date, with Sykes over 0.6 seconds faster than the next best rider, Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team). Sykes now has a career total of seven Superpole wins, putting him level with famous names in SBK racing like Regis Laconi and Noriyuki Haga.

Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia Gold Best) was a great third at his home round, while another local hero, Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) was fourth. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) went fifth on the grid; Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was sixth while top Aprilia rider was Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) in seventh. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati) crashed out when looking set for the second fastest time in Superpole two.

Tom Sykes: “I enjoy the watches, it’s something to aim for! Today we did a very good job, I can’t deny we’ve had a difficult weekend, it’s the first time all year we’ve had very hot conditions and low grip levels. We started off the weekend very slow, quite embarrassing to be honest. Today was a mixed bag for qualifying, but when the pressure was on my boys delivered and I was able to put a good lap together.”

For the fifth time in seven rounds Tom Sykes took Superpole on the #66 Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R at Misano today in the SBK World Championship Tissot-Superpole session.  Photo courtesy of the SBK World Championship.

Jonathan Rea: “I can’t grumble, that lap of Tom’s was incredible! For me, we achieved our first target to be on the front row, the guys are working hard on the bike for tomorrow’s race and I’m quite happy at a track that almost ended my season last year. To come back this year, qualify on the front row and to be quite strong makes me really happy.”

Jonathan Rea qualified 2nd today behind Sykes in the Tissot-Superpole session on the #65 Honda World Superbike Team CBR1000RR, just .283 seconds in arrears.  The top eight riders in the final Superpole 1 session qualified within just under 1.2 seconds of one another.  Photo courtesy of the SBK World Championship.

Ayrton Badovini: “I’m very happy because these are very difficult moments for me and my team. The result is very important because we want to work more to win the race. We have been good in the races, but not very fast in the single lap and so far this season third place in Superpole has been impossible.”

Matteo Baiocco (Barni Racing Team Italia) was a very impressive ninth fastest in his wild card run and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 11th. Top names like Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team), Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) did not get out of Superpole one and thus Biaggi starts Sunday’s races from the third row, with Melandri and Checa on the fourth. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) was 14th and top Suzuki runner in Superpole.

Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes and Ayrton Badovini show-off their hardware for their days' work during the Tissot-Superpole ceremonies at Misano today.  Photo courtesy of the SBK World Championship.

Times: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'35.375 average 159.513 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 1'35.991; 3. Badovini (BMW) 1'36.083; 4. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'36.147; 5. Smrz (Ducati) 1'36.183; 6. Haslam (BMW) 1'36.283; 7. Laverty (Aprilia) 1'36.365; 8. Guintoli (Ducati) 1'36.559; 9. Baiocco (Ducati) 1'37.509; 10. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'37.686; 11. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'37.704; 12. Fabrizio (BMW) 1'37.796; 13. Melandri (BMW) 1'37.806; 14. Camier (Suzuki) 1'37.985; 15. Zanetti (Ducati) 1'38.078; 16. Checa (Ducati) 1'38.977; etc.

World Supersport

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) took the pole in the Supersport World Championship class at Misano thanks to his Friday best time, which could not be bettered by Lowes himself or any of his rivals today, despite their many close attempts. Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) was second with Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) third and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) the final rider on the front row for Sunday’s race. Only 0.200 seconds separated the first four riders, with the top ten within 0.653 seconds of each other. Massimo Roccoli (Yakhnich Motorsport) was the top Yamaha rider, in fifth.

Times: 1. Lowes (Honda) 1'38.987 average 153.693 kph; 2. Cluzel (Honda) 1'38.999; 3. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1'39.110; 4. Parkes (Honda) 1'39.187; 5. Roccoli (Yamaha) 1'39.302; 6. Foret (Kawasaki) 1'39.568; 7. Quarmby (Honda) 1'39.573; 8. Morais (Kawasaki) 1'39.610; etc.

Superstock 1000

Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Ducati) took the pole position start at Misano after a final session that was interrupted by a red flag. He beat the push of Kawasaki MRS rider Jeremy Guarnoni by only 0.067 seconds with the G.M. Racing machine of Michele Magnoni third. He led a three BMW run of machines, with Lorenzo Baroni’s BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet version next up and Markus Reiterberger’s Team Alpha Racing S1000RR fifth. The second Barni racing Ducati Panigale of Lorenzo Savadori was sixth.

Times: 1. La Marra (Ducati) 1'39.634 average 152.695 kph; 2. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 1'39.701; 3. Magnoni (BMW) 1'39.784; 4. Baroni (BMW) 1'39.921; 5. Reiterberger (BMW) 1'40.005; 6. Savadori (Ducati) 1'40.099; 7. Barrier (BMW) 1'40.133; 8. Bussolotti (Ducati) 1'40.286; etc.

Superstock 600 – Race

A brilliant last lap of action at Misano saw a two-rider fight for supremacy won by young Dutch master Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Honda) from local ace Riccardo Russo (Yamaha Team Italia FMI). The margin of victory was only 0.095 seconds after 12 laps in which Russo was looking dominant for some time. In the championship Russo still leads van der Mark but now by only two points, 81 to 79. Christian Gamarino (GO ELEVEN Kawasaki) was third, over seven seconds down, with Luca Vitali (Yamaha Team Italia FMI) fourth.

Results: 1. Vd Mark (Honda) 12 Laps/50.712 km in 20'40.578 average 147.160 kph; 2. Russo (Yamaha) 0.095; 3. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 7.597; 4. Vitali (Yamaha) 8.322; 5. Cocco (Yamaha) 14.451; 6. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 15.538; 7. Monti (Suzuki) 18.302; 8. Coveña (Kawasaki) 18.840; etc.

Points (after 4 of 10 rounds): 1. Russo 81; 2. Vd Mark 79; 3. Calero Perez 50; 4. Duwelz 42; 5. Vitali 33; 6. Gamarino 27; 7. Chesaux 26; 8. Egea 24; etc.

KTM European Junior Cup

Lukas Wimmer from Austria posted the fastest lap in the single-make KTM European Junior Cup qualifying session, to earn the right to start from pole for Sunday’s race. Artur Wielebski from Poland was second, Christian Vidal and Javier Orellana from Spain were third and fourth. Jamie Patterson from the UK went fifth.

Times: 1. Wimmer (KTM) 1'51.874 average 135.989 kph; 2. Wielebski (KTM) 1'52.296; 3. Vidal (KTM) 1'53.324; 4. Orellana (KTM) 1'53.589; 5. Patterson (KTM) 1'53.781; 6. Garcia (KTM) 1'53.882; 7. Kyee (KTM) 1'54.188; 8. Mikhalchik (KTM) 1'54.192; etc.

Coppa dei Due Paesi (Two Nations Cup)

Denis Sacchetti (SD Rider Team Kawasaki) topped the combined qualifying sheets, ending up 0.216 seconds from second place rider, Alessia Polita (Team Trasimeno) who was in turn closely followed by her team-mate, Leandro Leuthe Biliotti and Patrik Vostarek (Motorpower Honda).

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