2013 WSBK Imola: Tom Sykes on pole postion again

Mr Superpole did it again and for the sixth consecutive this season and take home another Tissot watch.

Tom Sykes will start in pole position for the seventh round of the 2013 championship at the circuit of Imola with a stunning lap of 1’45″981 breaking the lap record that he had set last year.

Not even a red flag caused by his own Kawasaki team mate Loris Baz during SP3, could stop Sykes who headed the timesheets during the first two stints.

Sykes was already on his way of taking a record braking lap, only for SP3 to be red flagged because Baz at the Rivazza had a spectacular crash. The Frenchman walked away unharmed, but his Kawasaki was literally destroyed and leaving fluids on the track, that necessitated a 15 minute clean-up.

When the pit lane re-opened Sykes was back out and went even faster than before and take his 17th WSBK pole position of his career. Not even Jonathan Rea who is having an excellent weekend so far had an answer for Kawasaki rider and he would end up more almost sixt tenths adrift, but the Pata Honda rider scored a second place start and his best qualifying session this season.

Taking off on the front row with the two and in third will be Althea’s Davide Giugliano, who is also is performing very well, as he out qualified standing’s leader and factory Aprilia rider Sylvain Guintoli who will open the second row with his team mate Eugene Laverty alongside. Leon Camier with his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 took 6th but unable to break the 1.46 barrier but he was ahead of Marco Melandri who suffered a crash in the earlier FP2.

Ayrton Badovini took his 1199 Panigale R to 8th afte Baz’ crash dropped him down to 9th. Chaz Davies closed out the top ten with Leon Haslam in 11th and Michel Fabrizio will have to start in 12th after suffering technical issues, while Carlos Checa had two crashes, one in FP1 and a second during SP1 at the Variante Tamburello that left him down in 13th.

2013 WSBK Imola SP3 results:

01- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 1’45.981
02- Jonathan Rea – Pata Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 0.575
03- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.732
04- Sylvain Guintoli – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.876
05- Eugene Laverty – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.950
06- Leon Camier – FIXI Crescent Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1.184
07- Marco Melandri – BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team – BMW S1000RR – + 1.240
08- Ayrton Badovini – Team Ducati Alstare – Ducati 1199 Panigale R – + 1.415
09- Loris Baz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – senza tempo

2013 WSBK Imola Starting Grid:

01- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R
02- Jonathan Rea – Pata Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR
03- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory
04- Sylvain Guintoli – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory
05- Eugene Laverty – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory
06- Leon Camier – FIXI Crescent Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 1000
07- Marco Melandri – BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team – BMW S1000RR
08- Ayrton Badovini – Team Ducati Alstare – Ducati 1199 Panigale R
09- Loris Baz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R
10- Chaz Davies – BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team – BMW S1000RR

from Twowheelsblog