Laverty wins maiden WSBK Superpole at Silverstone

Aprilia Racing Team’s Eugene Laverty clocked 2’04.730 seconds to  secure his first ever Tissot-Superpole win. After two dry sessions, the third one was red flagged as the rain started to fall on the Norhamptonshire track. The action resumed with a final wet 20-minute Superpole, which saw Laverty getting the best out of a last minute attempt, on an almost dry track surface.

Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) is back on the front row of the grid in second position, ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike).

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Smiles all round – Carlos Checa is back on the front row for tomorrow’s race.

Row 2 will be headed by Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), who was leading the last session before the rain stopped – allowing riders for a final quick lap – followed by team mate Tom Sykes. The Brit got the worse of today’s Superpole, as just before the red flag came out he set what would have been the new best lap of the circuit.

Sykes initially set a remarkable 2’03.362 second lap in the eventually cancelled Superpole Three (with Baz right behind him and also under the previous track best) but that time was nullified when the session was red flagged with four minutes to go.

Works BMW rider Chaz Davies ended up sixth, while his team mate Marco Melandri got out of contention early on as he suffered a technical problem on his BMW S1000RR during Superpole 1.

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Works BMW rider Chaz Davies during qualifying at Silverstone this weekend.

Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) and Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) ended up 7th and 8th, with Frenchman stopped by his RSV4 after a technical fault. Ninth place Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Aprilia) had to sit out the final session due to a crash he sustained before the red flag was waved.

An emotional and moving tribute to Andrea Antonelli gathered the entire WSBK paddock on the starting line at Silverstone, together with his Team, Goeleven Kawasaki, Andrea’s bike #8 and the Moscow Raceway Supersport race winner trophy, which was given in his memory. Following this special moment, the eni FIM Superbike World Championship riders went on track for the ninth Tissot-Superpole of the season.

Silverstone – FIM Superbike World Championship – Superpole 3
1. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 2m 04.730s
2. Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R 2m 04.949s
3. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 2m 05.078s
4. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 2m 05.105s
5. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 2m 05.949s
6. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 2m 06.369s
7. Leon Camier GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 2m 06.775s
8. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 No Time
9. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Aprilia RSV4 No Time
10. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 2m 05.011s
11. Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 2m 05.492s
12. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R 2m 05.573s
13. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R 2m 05.492s
14. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 2m 05.593s
15. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 2m 13.317s

Did not progress to Superpole
16. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2m 07.743s
17. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2m 08.106s
18. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR 2m 09.543s

Silverstone official WSBK lap records
Best lap: John Hopkins USA Samsung Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 2m 04.041 (2011)
Race lap record: Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF-R1 2m 05.259s (2010)

WORLD SUPERSPORT – Sam Lowes on pole despite crash
Reigning Champion Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) will start tomorrow’s two FIM Superstock 1000 Cup races at Silverstone from pole position, as the Frenchman topped the timesheets in Qualifying 2 courtesy of a 2’07.833 seconds lap-time, shattering the previous record held by Danilo Petrucci (2011). This was the 13th pole position by the Oyonnax-born rider.

Barni Racing Ducati duo of Niccolò Canepa and Eddi La Marra, eager to give some hard time to the Frenchman, will move off from second and third place respectively despite a nine tenths gap, while Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki), Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) and Romain Lanusse (Team MRS Kawasaki) will line-up on the second row on the grid.

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