Monza Superpole

World Superbike 2013

www.motorcycle-usa.com By Byron Wilson

Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes now has three pole positions out of four rounds in the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship following his commanding Superpole performance at Monza. The British rider outpaced Aprilia Racing's Eugene Laverty in the final minutes of SP3 with a lap time of 1’41.223. Laverty’s teammate and current points leader, Sylvain Guintoli, rounds out the front row. Conditions on track were greatly improved compared to soggy day riders faced during Friday’s qualifying practice, and lap times dropped across the board as a result.

Sykes qualified easily from SP1 with the third-fastest time and then topped the timesheet for the rest of the day. In SP3 the Kawasaki rider needed just one lap to best the competition. Laverty and Guintoli each logged four laps, the Irishman notching his best effort on his first time around the circuit in the session while Guintoli secured his front-row starting postion on his final lap.

Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea heads-up the second row and is joined by BMW Motorrad GoldBet’s Marco Melandri in fifth and Althea Racing’s Davide Giugliano in sixth. FIXI Crescent Suzuki’s Jules Cluzel earned a third-row start in seventh and is followed by his teammate, Leon Camier, in eighth. Melandri’s teammate, Chaz Davies, joins the Suzuki duo on Row 3 in ninth.

Red Devils Roma’s Michel Fabrizio just missed a bid for SP3 and will start Sunday from the top of the fourth row. Sykes’ teammate, Loris Baz, and Team Ducati Alstare’s Ayrton Badovini join Fabrizio on Row 4 in 11th and 12th respectively.

Badovini will be the only rider competing in Monza from Team Ducati Alstare as Carlos Checa was declared unfit to race. Checa has an osseous edema on the humerus of his left shoulder and overnight inflammation and pain worsened, prompting the Spaniard to seek medical attention Saturday morning. Doctors and Ducati Alstare management decided that Checa should sit out the current round to avoid any further issue and focus on preparation for the next round at Donington Park.

World Superbike Monza Superpole Results 2013:
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’41.223
2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 1’41.301
3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) 1’41.542
4. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1’41.798
5. Marco Melandri (BMW) 1’41.819
6. Davide Giugliano (Aprilia) 1’41.926
7. Jules Cluzel (Suzuki) 1’42.680
8. Leon Camier (Suzuki) 1’42.808
9. Chaz Davies (BMW) 1’42.955
10. Michel Fabrizio (Aprilia) 1’42.469
11. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) 1’42.726
12. Ayrton Badovini (Ducati) 1’43.801
13. Max Neukirchner (Ducati) 1’44.246
14. Fabrizio Lai (Kawasaki) 1’44.883
15. Federico Sandi (Kawasaki) 1’44.889
16. Mark Aitchison (Ducati) 1’46.523
17. Kosuke Akiyoshi (Honda) 1’46.631
18. Vittorio Iannuzzo (BMW) 1’46.827