Vd Mark tops FP4 - Bayliss highsides

Michael Van Der Mark tops hot WSBK FP4 as Troy Bayliss highsides at Lukey Heights

The final free practice session for the World Superbike riders at Phillip Island today saw a track temparature exceeding 50-degrees celsius, more than ten-degress warmer than they saw in testing here earlier in the week and it is causing plenty of grip problems across the 24-rider field. FP4 is an untimed 30-minute practice session ahead of the afternoon Superpole sessions, the field for which had already been decided after FP3.

Alex Lowes has been fastest much of this week but disaster struck the Briton at turn one this afternoon. Immediately after setting his fastest lap of the session, a 1m31.842 he threw it away at turn one. He bounced up uninjured but his Suzuki burst into flames! Under the no spare bike rule introduced in 2012 this could be a massive blow for Lowes who was fastest throughout Friday and slipped to third overall after this morning’s FP3.

Another rider to experience misfortune this afternoon was Troy Bayliss. Bayliss was 12th quickest in the session but in the dying minutes suffered a huge high-side crash at turn nine. It looked quite strange, perhaps even the result of a nip-up seize, gearbox issue or some mechanical problem. He was launched high into the air instantaneously but got up and walked away seemingly unhurt.

Jordie Torres went down very heavily at turn 11 quite early in the session, he was taken to the medical centre for a check over but looks to be fine.

Matt Walters crashed at turn six but was unhurt.

Leon Camier watched his mechanics work feverishly on his MV Agusta for most of the session, possibly an engine change for the Italian machine. Camier did get out in the dying minutes of the session to put down 1m33.209.

World Superbike Free Practice 4 (30-minute session does not count towards Superpole)

Vd Mark 1m31.721
Sykes 1m31.733
Haslam 1m31.770
Lowes 1m31.842
De Puniet 1m31.953
Rea 1m32.073
Davies 1m32.110
Salom 1m32.256
Terol 1m32.425
Guintoli 1m32.438
Mercado 1m32.671
Bayliss 1m33.190
Camier 1m33.209
Torres 1m33.287
Metcher 1m33.434
Canepa 1m33.442
Walters 1m33.501
Baiocco 1m33.538
Barrier 1m33.544
Ramos 1m33.558
Barragan 1m34.334
Pegram 1m34.421
Ponsson 1m35.263
Toth 1m37.273

Bayliss was 12th quickest in the session but in the dying minutes suffered a huge high-side crash at turn nine

The top 20 riders on combined times across the opening three practice sessions (as listed below) progress to the Tissot-Superpole sessions with 10 places on offer for the fastest ten riders from the three free practice sessions to automatically progress to the Pole Position Superpole 2 shootout. The second ten, positions 11 through 20, compete in a 15-minute Superpole 1 session with the top two of that group then granted access to join the top ten and make a top 12 shootout for Pole Position in the Superpole 2 session. Superpole 1 is scheduled for 1500 this afternoon and Superpole 2 for 1525.

World Superbike 2015 – Round One – Phillip Island
Free Practice 3 Combined Times All Sessions – Counts towards Superpole