News

World Superbike and Supersport riders took to the track this morning for the first session of the official two-day test at Phillip Island, ahead of the season opener, scheduled for February 21-23. Despite cloudy skies conditions were near perfect with riders and teams making the most out of the time available to them. After some encouraging winter testing Voltcom Crescent Suzuki's Eugene Laverty posted a very competitive lap-time just outside the circuit best lap (set by Carlos Checa on a Ducati last year) to top the WSBK times. Second and third places were taken by the Kawasaki pairing of Loris Baz (who crashed uninjured) and reigning Champion Tom Sykes.

Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) improved throughout the session to finish an eventual fourth ahead of Aprilia Racing Team duo Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli. His new team mate Chaz Davies also climbed up the timesheets in the final minutes to secure 7^th place, whilst Alex Lowes continued to impress on his very first visit to the Australian venue by finishing just over a second off the fastest time of the morning.

In the new EVO class former STK1000 Champion Niccolò Canepa showed good pace with 11^th overall.

WSBK Monday – 1^st session: 1. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'30.513 average 176.912 kph; 2. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'30.757; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'30.863; 4. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'30.984; 5. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'31.392; 6. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'31.468; 7. Davies (Ducati) 1'31.469; 8. Lowes (Suzuki) 1'31.642; 9. Haslam (Honda) 1'31.816; 10. Rea (Honda) 1'31.851; 11. Canepa (Ducati) 1'32.204; 12. Salom (Kawasaki) 1'33.006; 13. Corti (MV Agusta) 1'33.087; 14. Barrier (BMW) 1'33.470; 15. Scassa (Kawasaki) 1'34.047; 16. Elias (Aprilia) 1'34.127; 17. Foret (Kawasaki) 1'34.228; 18. Fabrizio (Kawasaki) 1'34.314; 19. Morais (Kawasaki) 1'34.396; 20. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 1'34.511; 21. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 1'34.562; 22. Toth (BMW) 1'36.655; NC. May (EBR) 1'38.152; NC. Yates (EBR) 1'39.656; NC. Sebestyen (BMW) 1'42.242.

World Supersport
Three time WSS Champion Kenan Sofuoglu  (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) dominated the opening session for Supersport machines by lapping only two tenths off his own lap record, set last year. Last year's revelation Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team claimed second place just ahead of an impressive Vladimir Leonov (MV Agusta Reparto Corse – Yakhnich Motorsport). An equally impressive Fabio Menghi (VFT Racing Yamaha) made it four manufacturers in the first four places.

WSS Monday – 1^st session: 1. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1'33.521 average 171.221 kph; 2. Vd Mark (Honda) 1'34.203; 3. Leonov (MV Agusta) 1'34.360; 4. Menghi (Yamaha) 1'34.402; 5. Russo (Honda) 1'34.550; 6. Kennedy (Honda) 1'34.554; 7. Coghlan (Yamaha) 1'34.833; 8. Zanetti (Honda) 1'34.860; 9. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 1'35.027; 10. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 1'35.137; 11. Marino (Kawasaki) 1'35.468; 12. Wilairot (Honda) 1'35.513; 13. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 1'35.544; 14. Calero (Honda) 1'35.688; 15. Staring (Honda) 1'35.775; 16. De Rosa (Honda) 1'35.896; 17. Wahr (Yamaha) 1'35.900; 18. McConnell (Triumph) 1'36.186; 19. Bussolotti (Honda) 1'36.443; 20. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 1'37.323; 21. Taylor (Yamaha) 1'37.358; 22. Coveña (Kawasaki) 1'38.274; 23. Gowland (Triumph) 1'38.283; 24. Rogers (Honda) 1'39.087; 25. Ivanov (Yamaha) 1'39.339.