Tom Sykes powers to WSB Superpole

Sunday

Outright WorldSBK smashed in Superpole sessions.

After two of the most unpredictable Tissot-Superpole sessions of the season, Tom Sykes will start Sundays’s two 21 lap races from Pole Position after the Kawasaki rider powered to the top spot, claiming an outright circuit best lap and the 27th WorldSBK Pole Position of his career in the process.

Alongside Sykes on the grid  will be Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), the front row qualifiers split by 0.228s.

Row two will see championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) and Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) with row 3 comprising Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Ayrton Badovini and reigning champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).

10th after qualifying was Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati SBK Team), he will head row 4 where he will be joined by Chaz Davies on the 3rd of the official Ducatis entered this weekend and Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing).

13th on the grid tomorrow will be Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing), he will be joined on the fifth row by Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).

Superpole 1 saw Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) progress to join the already seeded riders from Free Practice in the final 15 minute shoot-out for Pole. Both riders improved their lap times in Superpole 2 to make it through with Sykes recording an outright circuit best of 1.34.486s. This new record lasted for less than 20 minutes before Sykes himself went on to eclipse it in Superpole 2 setting a new outright best of 1.34.214s.

David Salom (Team Pedercini) and Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki)

Sunday's  races are scheduled to start at 1030 and 1310 respectively local time, remember to follow @WorldSBK on Twitter for the latest news as it happens.


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