Gordon Ritchie | May 12, 2017
Davies puts the Ducati on top at home in WorldSBK on Friday
Chaz Davies has revenge on his mind after Assen’s misfortunes.
After a tough and sometimes ill-tempered Assen round last time out the WorldSBK Championship recommenced in warm-sunshine and at a strong pace at Imola with Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to the fore.
His best lap time after just one day, a 1:46.229, was well under the existing lap record of 1:46.700 – set on race tires and during a race. Davies’ pace was also 0.465 seconds better than second fastest man Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) today.
Third was Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), after two one hour sessions, the second of which was interrupted for a while by a red flag when Eugene Laverty fell and had his bike lying on the track surface.
With such early pace up front so early in the weekend Sykes was still close to the previous lap record, but 0.896 seconds from Davies at Ducati’s home circuit.
Proof that Imola was once more being kind to the twin-cylinder runners came from the fact that Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth best and privateer Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) fifth on day one.
British rider Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) slotted in sixth, ahead of his countryman Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Lowes’ team-mate Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team).
The final two riders to have automatically qualified for the second Superpole session on Saturday were Leandro Mercado (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) despite his eventual problem and fall.
Nicky Hayden (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was 12th, behind the S1000RR of Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team). Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) placed 13th and Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) 14th.
2017 Imola WorldSBK Friday Results
Sofuoglu Tops The Lot On Friday in WorldSSP
After winning at Assen, Sofuoglu looks like he’s found his groove in WorldSSP.
After missing points scoring chances in the first three rounds of the championship through injury and then a DNF caused by another rider, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) headed the WorldSSP raceday last time out at Assen and was once again up top on day one of practice at Imola.
The afternoon session was interrupted by red flags on two occasions but the session went to its full duration eventually.
Sofuoglu was almost half a second better than his closest challenger today, with first session fastest rider Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) unable to improve his morning best time to go second fastest so far at his home round.
Two Honda riders, Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) put themselves into contention for Superpole on Saturday by going third and fourth respectively.
Championship leader Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) slotted in fifth, and another strong early season runner Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was sixth.
The leading MV belonged to Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in seventh place, with two more Honda riders, Christian Gamarino (BARDHAL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) and Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) in eighth and ninth places. The first part-time ESS rider was Jacobsen’s occasional team-mate, Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in tenth place.
British rider Gino Rea (Team GO ELEVEN Kawasaki) was 11th and one time championship leader Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta) 12th in the combined Friday times.
Anthony West (EAB West Racing Yamaha) secured 16th place as he continues his weekend-to-weekend WSS challenge, with British rider Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 17th.
2017 Imola WorldSSP Friday Results
