Sykes on pole at Imola
Added on Saturday, September 25th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Sykes on pole at Imola
Tom Sykes conquered a wet track to steal pole position ahead of the Imola World Superbike double tomorrow.
Having not had a pole position since 2007, Kawasaki will head the front row for the first of tomorrow’s races, as rain affected the qualifying session, giving a mixed up grid for race one. After storming to pole position with a time of 2m07.341s, SYkes fended off a late charge from Jakub Smrz to head the field.
With the championship title at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now, championship contender Leon Haslam secured the third fastest time, just ahead of Luca Scassa in fourth.
The second row of the grid will be headed by Lorenzo Lanzi, with Troy Corser, Haslam’s chief rival and championship leader Max Biaggi, and Ruben Xaus alongside him. The remainder of the top ten sees Carlos Checa and Michel Fabrizio each make an appearance, qualifying ninth and tenth, respectively.
It was a difficult day for the rest of the Brits, with Cal Crutchlow qualifying twelfth, Shane Byrne thirteenth, Jonathan Rea fourteenth and James Toseland seventeenth.
With the end of the season fast approaching, tomorrow’s showdown at the infamous Imola circuit is set to be a thrilling adventure.
Qualifying Positions, WSB, Imola:
Pos Rider Nat Team Time
1 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2’07.341
2 Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’07.392
3 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’08.273
4 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2’08.427
5 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2’08.490
6 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 2’09.842
7 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’09.924
8 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 2’10.482
9 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 2’11.117
10 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2’11.130
11 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 2’11.150
12 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 2’11.271
13 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 2’11.395
14 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2’11.558
15 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 2’11.601
16 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’11.706
17 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 2’13.823
18 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2’15.026
19 Lai F. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 2’15.268
20 Sandi F. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 2’20.464
21 Lowry I. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’52.248
22 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’52.315
