If Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes could ever replicate his Superpole results into race results, he’d be World Superbike Champion. Sykes earned his seventh pole in nine tries today at the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic, the Brit almost half a second clear of defending World Champion Carlos Checa.
Superpole 2 was brought to a premature end when the Althea Ducati of Davide Giugliano blew up, causing a crash (Giugliano, Jakub Smrz and Ayrton Badovini went down in the oil) and a lengthy delay while the mess was cleaned up. That mean a “wet” Superpole session with the top 12 taking part in a 20-minute session.
When it was said and done it was Sykes at the top for the seventh time, though he’s only turned one of those poles into race wins. The Kawasaki man lapped at a best of 1:58.010.
Checa was next, the Spaniard lapping Brno at 1:58.470 on his Althea Racing Ducati to hold off the Aprilia of Eugene Laverty. Laverty posted a best of 1:58.741.
The front row for tomorrow’s two races will be filled by Giugliano, the Italian able to rebound from the oil mishap to lap in the 1:58s – at 1:58.789 – and grab the fourth fastest time.
Marco Melandri will lead the second row on his factory BMW, the Italian holding fourth until being knocked off the front row by Giugliano late in the session. Honda’s Jonathan Rea, BMW’s Leon Haslam and BMW Motorrad Italia’s Michel Fabrizio will fill the second row.
ParkinGo Aprilia’s Chaz Davies ended up ninth, his run for a better lap ending with a crash late in the session. Smrz ended up 10th with Badovini’s BMW too damaged to allow him to turn a lap in the final session.
World Championship points leader Max Biaggi failed to progress to Superpole 2. Still, he starts race one tomorrow with a 48-point lead over Melandri.
Superpole
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:58.010
2. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1:58.470
3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 1:58.741
4. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1:58.789
5. Marco Melandri (BMW) 1:59.079
6. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:59.560
7. Leon Haslam (BMW) 1:59.583
8. Michel Fabrizio (BMW) 1:59.621
9. Chaz Davies (Aprilia) 1:59.748
10. Jakub Smrz (Ducati) 1:59.871
