WorldSBK P.I. Test Day Two AM Wrap | Wagner Out

Kawasaki 1-2 on Tuesday morning at Phillip Island

Ducati quickest through the speed trap at 308.6km/h

Troy Herfoss quickest Aussie

Aiden Wagner rides but then rules out competing

Despite  1,100 less rpm than some of their competitors due to the new parity rules introduced for WorldSBK season 2018, it was still a Kawasaki 1-2 at Phillip Island this morning.

Jonathan Rea setting the benchmark at 1m30.598 despite a late crash at turn 10.

Rea’s time on race rubber is under the current race lap record of 1m30.949 set by Chaz Davies in 2014. However, it is still a long way from the outright WorldSBK Superpole record of 1m29.573 set by Rea on qualifying rubber last year.

Tom Sykes expects to have the stitches removed him from his hand tonight that still remain from surgeries that followed his massive crash at Portimao last year. Sykes is still not back to 100 per cent since that huge tumble.

Fallers this morning included Jonathan Rea, Michael Van der Mark and Xavi Fores.

Troy Herfoss was the fastest of the local wildcard entries who are all on lightly modified ASBK specification machines.

Herfoss was 18th quickest this morning with a 1m32.549 and also recorded the best trap speed of the locals at 293.5km/h.

Wayne Maxwell was marginally behind the Honda man on 1m32.651 and a 288km/h trap speed while his new YRT team-mate Falzon stopped the clocks at 1m32.823 and a speed of 285.7km/h. Falzon had a moment this morning at turn one but managed to stay upright and rejoined the circuit at turn two.

From what we have been able to ascertain the only major change to Herfoss’ machine is an engine with kit camshafts that are not permissible in ASBK. While the YRT machines of Maxwell and Falzon sport different fuel tanks in order to make the longer WorldSBK race distances, as does Herfoss’ Fireblade.

Marco Melandri had the highest trap speed on the Ducati Panigale R at 308.6km/h.

Tuesday Morning WorldSBK Practice Times

1. Rea – Kawsaki 1m30.598
2. Sykes – Kawasaki 1m30.804
3. Melandri – Ducati 1m31.053
4. Laverty – Aprilia 1m31.074
5. Van der Mark – Yamaha 1m31.320
6. Fores – Ducati 1m31.412
7. Camier – Honda 1m31.537
8. Baz – BMW 1m31.542
9. Savadori – Aprilia 1m31.537
10. Davies – Ducati 1m31.614
11. Lowes – Yamaha 1m31.815
12. Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki 1m31.822
13. Torres – MV Agusta 1m31.866
14. Mercado – Kawasaki 1m32.069
15. Gagne – Honda 1m32.402
16. Hernandez – Kawasaki 1m32.453
17. Ramos – Kawasaki 1m32.520
18. Herfoss – Honda 1m32.549
19. Maxwell – Yamaha 1m32.651
20. Jacobsen – Honda 1m32.663
21. Falzon – Yamaha 1m32.828
22. Jezek – Yamaha 1m33.143

Tuesday Morning Trap Speeds

1. Melandri – Ducati 308.6
2. Rea – Kawasaki 305.9
3. Camier – Honda 305.1
4. Lowes – Yamaha 305.1
5. Fores – Ducati 304.2
6. Laverty – Aprilia 304.2
7. Van der Mark – Yamaha 304.2
8. Davies – Ducati 304.2
9. Sykes – Kawasaki 303.4
10. Savadori – Aprilia 303.4
11. Gagne – Honda 302.5
12. Baz – BMW 301.7
13. Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki 300.0
14. Torres – MV Agusta 300.0
15. Mercado – Kawasaki 300.0
16. Hernandez – Kawasaki 299.2
17. Ramos – Kawasaki 295.1
18. Jacobsen – Honda 293.5
19. Herfoss – Honda 293.5
20. Jezek – Yamaha 292.7
21. Maxwell – Yamaha 288.0
22. Falzon – Yamaha 285.7

World Supersport

The Yamaha duo of Mahias and Caricasulo continued to hold sway this morning in the two-hour World Supersport session.  Mahias again the quicker of the two on 1m33.618 but his teammate was only seven-hundredths of a second in arrears.

Randy Krummenacher put in a flyer late in the session however to knock the Factory Yamaha pair out of top spot on his Bardahl Evans YZF-R6 entry.

Anthony West continued to show promising pace to be fifth quickest and the fastest non Yamaha in this morning’s session with a 1m34.052.

Tom Toparis was in P17 after recording a 1m35.490 on the Cube Racing ZX-6R. The Factory backed Puccetti Kawasaki Team have been helping the Aussie wildcard out with some gearing settings and advice. Toparis is also adapting back to the Supersport machinery after experiencing the delights of Moto3 late last year.

Aiden Wagner had his first trot this morning on the CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR after getting called up yesterday when Andrew Irwin was ruled out of this weekend’s event after fracturing his hand in a crash at Phillip Island.  This is Wagner’s first time back on a bike since a full knee reconstruction and shoulder surgery in November and the 23-year-old was visibly sore when he got off the bike this morning and was not on the circuit during the last half hour of the session. It now seems as though Wagner will not race this weekend as his lay-off following his recent knee reconstruction has left him with little strength in his legs and he does not have the power to hang on to the bike well enough with his legs on change of direction. Thus it is expected that Wagner will withdraw from the weekend.

Lachlan Epis struggled massively with set-up issues yesterday but started to make a little progress today before some engine problems cropped up. We believe they might change the engine before the final session later this afternoon.

Tuesday Morning World Supersport Practice Times

1. Krummenacher – Yamaha 1m33.499
2. Mahias – Yamaha 1m33.547
3. Caricasulo – Yamaha 1m33.643
4. Cortese – Yamaha 1m33.871
5. West – Kawasaki 1m34.052
6. Stapleford – Triumph 1m34.074
7. De Rosa MV Agusta 1m34.081
8. Sofuoglu – Kawasaki 1m34.228
9. Tuuli – Honda 1m34.555
10. Cluzel – Yamaha 1m34.760
11. Di Meglio – Yamaha 1m34.864
12. Smith – Honda 1m34.954
13. Badovini – MV Agusta 1m35.047
14. Hill – Triumph 1m35.056
15. Cresson – Yamaha 1m35.140
16. Okubo – Kawasaki 1m35.325
17. Toparis – Kawasaki 1m35.490
18. Gradinger – Yamaha 1m35.670
19. Van Sikkeler – Honda 1m35.672
20. Calero – Kawasaki 1m35.698
21. Canducci – Kawasaki 1m35.912
22. Soomer – Honda 1m36.191
23. Wagner – Honda 1m37.025
24. Epis – Kawasaki 1m37.360