Sykes domine la première journée du WorldSBK à Jerez / Spanish temperatures hamper further improvements at the top in FP2

Les chronos ont été un petit peu plus lents l’après-midi en raison de hautes températures.

Suite à une seconde séance d’essais lors de laquelle seuls deux pilotes du Top 10 ont amélioré leurs chronos, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) conserve l’avantage sur le classement combiné et devance son coéquipier Jonathan Rea, qui n’aura besoin que de six points pour être sacré Champion du Monde ce week-end, de 0.024s. 

Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) a de son côté réussi à gagner en rythme lors de la seconde séance pour se hisser à la troisième position devant Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), qui demeurait à 0.099s de la première place.

Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing) complétait le Top 5 devant Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), l’un des rares pilotes à avoir progressé l’après-midi, malgré être à nouveau tombé, dans le virage n°2, à quelques mètres de là où il avait chuté le matin.

Son coéquipier Leon Haslam, Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing), Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia), Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing), Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) et Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) complétaient quant à eux le Top 15 de la journée.

Suivez l’actu du WorldSBK en continu sur Twitter : @WorldSBK

Hotter temperatures prevent any of the leading riders improving this afternoon.

A single FP3 session tomorrow morning will decide which of the WorldSBK riders make it into Tissot-Superpole as an increase in track temperature this afternoon prevented many of the leading riders from improving. This means the current running order is mostly unchanged with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) heading team-mate and 2015 World Champion elect Jonathan Rea by 0.024s, the pair a fraction ahead of Alex Lowes. The Voltcom Crescent Suzuki rider elevated himself into the top ten with a time of 1.42.730s which despite a mid-session tumble bodes well for FP3 which will take place tomorrow at 0945 local time. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team) clung on to 4^th 0.099s behind Sykes after he too also failed to improve.

Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing) retains his 5^th position thanks to his efforts this morning while Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) did improve this afternoon, the Spaniard ending the day 6^th  after falling for the second time in two sessions, losing the front at turn 2, a few metres up the track from where he fell in FP1.

Torres’s team-mate Leon Haslam was 7^th ahead of Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing), Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), and Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).

11^th to 15^th positions were the most altered -  Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) will head into tomorrow 11^thahead of Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia), Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing), Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).

All of the action as it happens can be followed via Twitter: @WorldSBK

Sofuoglu en tête, Cluzel blessé et forfait / Sofuoglu on top as Cluzel crashes out of weekend

Le Français s’est fracturé le tibia gauche dans une lourde chute.

Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), le leader du Championnat du Monde Supersport, a mené les essais libres de vendredi à Jerez, où le Turc a signé le meilleur chrono le matin, en 1'43.660. À peine sorti de la pit-lane pour la seconde séance, Sofuoglu a percuté Kevin Wahr (SMS Honda) suite à ce que ce dernier lui ait fermé la porte sans avoir réalisé qu'il était juste derrière. Mécontent, Sofuoglu a pu revenir aux stands avant de repartir en piste un peu plus tard.

Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) a quant à lui chuté en fin de séance cet après-midi, dans le virage n°5, et s’est malheureusement fracturé le tibia gauche et luxé l’épaule droite. Forfait pour ce week-end, le Français ne pourra donc pas lutter pour le titre mondial.

Il avait signé le deuxième temps de la journée et fini devant Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda), Lucas Mahias (MG Competition) et Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team), qui n’avaient, comme Sofuoglu et Cluzel, pas pu améliorer leurs chronos matinaux l'après-midi.

PJ Jacobsen (CORE Motorsport Thailand), seul autre pilote encore en lice pour le titre après Cluzel et Sofuoglu, a fini sixième devant le Russe Vladimir Leonov (DMC Racing) mais aussi Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) et Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing).

Jacobsen, Zanetti et Faccani ont été les seuls pilotes du Top 10 à améliorer leurs chronos l'après-midi.

Les pilotes du Championnat du Monde Supersport auront une dernière séance d'essais samedi matin à 10h45 avant les qualifications qui auront lieu à 15h55.

Championship leader heads Day 1 as Frenchman’s title ambitions take big blow.

Three-time World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu has topped the opening day of World Supersport action at the 4.423km Jerez circuit after two closely fought 45-minute practice sessions.

Sofuoglu, who currently leads the championship standings lapped in 1.43.660s to head the field by 0.189s, his morning time setting the day’s best time. There was drama for the championship leader in the early minutes of FP2 however, as the Turkish rider collided with Kevin Wahr (SMS Honda) after just 6 minutes, the German closing the door on his rival without realising he was there. An unhappy Sofuoglu returned to the pits before making it back out for the final 30 minutes of the afternoon session.

Title contender Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), suffered a fast crash in the final seconds of the FP2, the MV Agusta rider going down at Turn 5. After being examined by the circuit doctors it appears that his title ambitions could be over as the diagnosis of an open fracture of the left tibia and a right shoulder dislocation means he is unfit to continue this weekend.

With none of the top 5 riders able to improve this afternoon the aforementioned Cluzel - now unfortunately ruled out of contention - and Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) remained in second and third overall, with the returning Lucas Mahias (MG Competition Yamaha), Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) and PJ Jacobsen (CORE Motorsport Thailand) completing the top 6.

Vladimir Leonov returns to the series with DMC Racing, the Russian who has stood on the podium in the past ended the opening day seventh despite suffering a technical problem in FP2.

Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK #25) and Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing) completed the top ten. Interestingly Jacobsen, Zanetti and Faccani were the only riders in the top ten to improve this afternoon.

The sole qualifying session for WSS takes place tomorrow at 15:55 local time although the riders will get one final practice session at 10:45.

Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 4

After a narrow escape from the clutches of Officer Buck 3 years ago, ICONs Ernie Vigil and Nick Brocha have fallen on hard times and are stunting on the Mexican circuit to make ends meet. Officer Dan Brockett meets up with the boys to help pull them out of their funk and leads them to a track where Russian drifting legend, Sugar Daddy, and is 1500 HP Mustang awaits.

WRT;24h de Spa by AUDI TOTAL