Davide Giugliano seals Portiamo Superpole
Sykes and Davies complete row two as Rea crashes on second flying lap
The seventh Pole Position of the 2015 season has been won by Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team) who claimed the fifth Pole Position of his career in this afternoon’s Tissot-Superpole session, the second of the year. The Italian rider overhauled Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and team mate Chaz Davies by 0.116s and 0.359s respectively, on his way to the fastest lap of the weekend so far (1’41.764s). Giugliano was last at the front of the grid at Imola.
Behind the top-3, row two will see Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing), who made it three Ducati machines on the front two rows.
Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) achieved his best qualifying result of the season in 7th, while championship leader Jonathan Rea crashed at the exit of Turn 2 at the start of his second flying lap. The KRT rider will start tomorrow’s two 20 lap races from the middle of row 3 in 8th alongside Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils).
Row four has the BMW Motorrad Italia entry of Ayrton Badovini, Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Ducati) and David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki). Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven) make up row five in positions 13 to 15 respectively.
Superpole 1 saw the aforementioned Alex Lowes and Leandro Mercado progress to the final shoot-out, courtesy of being the fastest two riders in the first 15-minute session.
WorldSBK Portimao – Tissot-Superpole
1 – Davide Giugliano Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team 1’41.764
2 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team +0.116
3 – Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team +0.359′
Davide Giugliano #34 – Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK – “In this morning’s session we worked really well and I think we took another good step forward with respect to yesterday’s sessions. This afternoon it was more tricky, also because of the higher temperature but I can say that we’re feeling confident ahead of the races. I’m really pleased with pole position and I see this as an important result which also boosts my morale. Tomorrow I hope that race 1 takes place in slightly cooler conditions while I realise that the second will be tough if conditions are particularly hot.”
Tom Sykes #66 – Kawasaki Racing Team – “Most importantly I am on the front row and we have also evaluated a couple of minor set-up things in Superpole. There is a new qualifying rear tyre for Superpole at this round and it seems good. We will speak again tonight and work on a couple of more aspects in time for race day. I think overall we have a good bike, a good package and the consistency is there. Davide Giugliano was just behind me and on some parts of the track that helps, so maybe I helped give him pole position – but that is racing. I have to accept that and he is a good guy, so no worries. I am relaxed and ready to go racing.”
Chaz Davies #7 – Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team – “I’m happy to have qualified on the front row of course. I feel that we’ve improved performance on the race tyre; I was able to complete two solid laps in Superpole on that tyre and felt more comfortable compared to this morning, so I think we’ve definitely taken a step in the right direction. We’ll continue to work on a couple of small things that I think are still causing me to lose a couple of tenths but overall we’re doing ok. We’re confident in our tyre choice for tomorrow and, although it won’t be easy, I hope to be able to complete two good races.”
Jonathan Rea: “I felt really confident for Superpole and maybe too much. I pushed over the limit and was quite a bit faster at the braking point, with 4 degrees more lean angle, and I lost the front. It was a fast crash but I am OK. In the afternoon practice session before Superpole we had a very good rhythm. My race pace is really good the only problem is starting from the third row and the guys with good pace are on the front row. For me tomorrow will be about the start and the first laps. I just have to make sure the opening laps are clean and that I can get through traffic. I think the race will be decided from the middle to the end but I have to make sure I am there at the middle point.”
Cluzel grabs WSS Pole Position with new best lap
The World Supersport Pole Position ahead of tomorrow’s 18-lap race at Portimao was taken in style by Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), the Frenchman getting the better of Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) with the fastest lap of the weekend in 1’44.554. For Cluzel it is his 15th career WSS Pole, the fifth so far in 2015.
Alongside Cluzel and Sofuoglu on the front row, PJ Jacobsen grabbed third on his debut for the CORE” Motorsport Thailand team despite a considerable 1.134s gap to the top.
Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) and Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) kept themselves very much in contention in fourth and fifth positions, as did Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) who completes the second row. Row 3 will see Fabio Menghi (VFT Racing Yamaha), who produced his best qualifying result of the year so far, joined by Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Roberto Rolfo (Lorini Honda).
Glenn Scott scored his best grid position for the year after riding the AARK Honda to 14th quickest.
The session was red flagged after 22 minutes following the technical problem sustained by Riccardo Russo (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda). Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) was also forced to pull out of the track due to an issue to his ZX-6R machine later on, while Kevin Wahr (SMS Racing Honda) and Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing) both crashed uninjured.
Tamburini smashes STK1000 best lap on his way to Portimao Pole
Roberto Tamburini (Team MotoxRacing BMW) smashed Danilo Petrucci’s old circuit best lap from 2011 to take his second consecutive STK1000 Pole Position in Portimao. After starting on Pole last time out at Donington, the Italian edged championship leader and compatriot Lorenzo Savadori (Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia) by 0.147s courtesy of the 1’44.554 set with ten minutes to go.
Ondrej Jezek (Triple-M by Barni Ducati) completed the front row (+0.504s) after improving in the final moments of the sole qualifying session. Florian Marino returned to racing action after injury on the MRS Yamaha, he too was underneath the old circuit best and will start tomorrow’s 14 lap race from 4th.
Alongside Marino, Raffaele de Rosa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Luca Marconi (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) complete row number two. Kev Coghlan (MRS Yamaha), Jeremy Guarnoni (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) and Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) qualified 7th to 9th respectively, the trio within a second of Tamburini’s Pole Position time.
Aiden Wagner impressed on his first outing onboard the Team Suzuki Europe entry, qualifying 14th and the first Suzuki in the 32 rider field.
FIM Superstock 1000 Cup Portimao – Qualifying
1 – Roberto Tamburini Team MotoxRacing BMW 1’44.522
2 – Lorenzo Savadori Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia +0.147
3 – Ondrej Jezek Triple-M by Barni Ducati +0.504
Razgatlioglu puts hand on title with Portuguese STK600 win
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) maintained his 100% winning record in the FIM Europe Superstock 600cc Championship with another victory in this afternoon’s 12-lap race at Portimao’s Autodromo do Algarve.
The Turk, who started the race from row number two was already third at Turn 1, ending the opening lap in second before starting the battle for the lead in what was the closest race of the season, which at times had 12 riders locked together. Razgatlioglu eventually won by 0.065s in a photo finish with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) with Federico Caricasulo (Pata Honda Junior Team) completing the podium (+0.252s).
Andrea Tucci (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) just missed out on a rostrum finish after a strong ride to fourth. The Italian finished ahead of the reigning EJC champion Augusto Fernandez (Pata Honda Junior Team) and Rob Hartog (MTM-HS Kawasaki), who were 5th and 6th at the flag.
Today’s win, the fifth of the season for the young Turk gives him a 64-point lead in the overall standings.
FIM Europe European Superstock 600 Championship Cup Portimao – Race
1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
2 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki +0.065
3 – Federico Caricasulo Pata Honda Junior Team +0.252
Standings (5 of 8 rounds completed)
1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing – 125
2 – Federico Caricasulo Pata Honda Junior Team – 61
3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi San Carlo Team Italia – 60
