Tom Sykes claims Sepang Superpole
The tenth Tissot-Superpole of the 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship season was claimed in emphatic style by Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) after a tense Superpole 2 in 34 degrees heat at the 5.543km Sepang International Circuit.
By clocking in 2’03.240s, the fastest lap of the weekend so far, the British rider notched up his 28th career WorldSBK Pole Position and the fourth this year.
Alongside Sykes on the front row will be Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), who claimed a second successive front row start after Laguna Seca and Sylvain Guintoli, who is back on the front row for the first time after joining the Pata Honda team.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) improved with his final lap to claim fourth place, ahead of Lowes and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team).
Row three of the grid comprises series leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), who seemed well on course to a potential pole position lap in the final stages before a mistake a Turn 9, Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing)
The fourth row will see Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing) and Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), while the previously declared unfit Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia), technically in twelfth place despite being ruled out of Superpole 2 after his FP4 crash, will not be on track at all tomorrow for the two WorldSBK races. His spot on the grid will be taken by Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike), who failed to make it through Superpole 1 despite the steps forward shown in the last free practice session.
WorldSBK Sepang Superpole
1 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team 2’03.240
2 – Jordi Torres Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils +0.270
3 – Sylvain Guintoli Pata Honda World Superbike +0.596
