WSBK : Tom Sykes flies to another record breaking Superpole at Donington

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Tom Sykes had previously lead Q1, Q2 and FP2 and as highly expected he took his fourth consecutive pole position of the 2013 season at Donington Park. This 15th career pole position puts him even with Colin Edwards in 6th place for the number of Superpoles.

Mister Superpole as the British rider is known, was untouchable with his flying laps, topping all three Superpole stint and breaking his own 2012 lap record during SP2 with a 1′27.560 lap, and then in SP3 he then went on to lower it twice and finish the final stint in 1.27.378, and take home another Tissot watch.

Taking off on the front row with the Kawasaki riders will be the two Aprilia factory riders Sylvain Guintoli and Eugene Laverty who were 0.338s and 0.636s adrift respectively, and first and second in the standings.

Jonathan Rea took his Honda CBR1000RR to fourth (he won at Donington last year) with his last flying lap and just ahead of Fixi Crescent Suzuki’s Leon Camier in his best qualifying session of the season. BMW Goldbet’s Marco Melandri couldn’t do better than sixth, unable to use his two qualifying tires to improve his lap times and he posted his SP3 time on new race tires.

Chaz Davies will open the third row with two Italian by his side. Davide Giugliano and Niccolò Canepa in 8th and 9th. The wildcard rider out-qualified both regular Ducati Alstare riders Charlos Checa who will
be forced to start from 10th while Ayrton Badovini will be taking off in 14th.

Recovering Leon Haslam will start in 13th and he just missed SP2, after being demoted by Jules Cluzel in his last run.

2013 WSBK Donington Superpole results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′27.378
2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′27.716
3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′28.014
4. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 1′28.139
5. Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′28.252
6. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1′28.280
7. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1′28.644
8. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′28.779
9. Niccolò Canepa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1′29.318
10. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1′28.454
11. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′28.844
12. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′28.850