World Super Bike - IMOLA (Spoiler)

[Micah / AF1 Racing]

1098R...they are not running the 1199 yet? Misprint?

[WadeS02]

1098R...they are not running the 1199 yet? Misprint?

The 1199 is scheduled to be used next year in WSBK. It is being campaigned in SS1000 this year though.

[ABN2nds]

Went to my first Moto GP there in 1983 while I was stationed in Vicenza Italy. The good old 2 stroke 500's!

[Chris_Mag]

The 1199 is scheduled to be used next year in WSBK. It is being campaigned in SS1000 this year though.

Yeah, not homologated for SBK for 2012.

[potere]

2 tenths of a second separate the first 7 guys, now that means we are in for some hot swapping at the front. That said, of the first 7 places only Maxine and Carlotta have proven staying power. This could be Max's year if he's a man-on-fire and can stay off the Italian emotional roller coaster this season. PMS= pussy Max syndrome. I hope he does it.

[Powerful Pierre]

The 1199 is scheduled to be used next year in WSBK. It is being campaigned in SS1000 this year though.

And there's 4 Panigale's running in BSB (not superstock) with works backing and a placed Ducati test rider (Polita).

[shanes]

And there's 4 Panigale's running in BSB (not superstock) with works backing and a placed Ducati test rider (Polita).

But BSB is Running EVO rules this year not the full blown superbikes of seasons past

[tasosm]

Sykes is on pole again,Guintoli,Checa,Haslam,Biaggi,Melandri,Lascor z,Rea.

Laverty starts 11th.

Rea had a huge highside.

[rx7tt95]

Free practice prior to Superpole. Eugene's mid-pack unfortunately. Looks like Biaggi was sand-bagging a bit in Qualifying.

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 47.391
2. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 47.475s
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 47.759s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1m 47.859s
5. Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 47.962s
6. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 48.049s
7. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 1m 48.063s
8. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 48.076s
9. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 48.338s
9. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 48.338s
9. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R 1m 48.338s
12. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 48.393s
13. Jakub Smrz CZE Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R 1m 48.444s
14. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR 1m 48.577s
15. Maxime Berger FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 1m 48.726s
16. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR 1m 48.898s
17. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R 1m 49.015s
18. John Hopkins GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 49.028s
19. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 49.527s
20. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 49.636s
21. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 50.008s
22. Brett McCormick CAN Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R 1m 50.094s
23. Leandro Mercado ARG Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 50.125s
24. Mark Aitchison AUS Grillini Progea BMW S1000RR 1m 50.270s

[Micah / AF1 Racing]

Interesting about the 1199. Aprilia and BMW developed their street bike supersports basically on track in SBK. Ducati develops what they hope will be a dominating race bike on the street. I am seeing something here. The 1098r is getting long in tooth but faster and faster. I suppose if the 1199 were simply raced in the same class and came up short of the now grey haired 1098 Ducati would not look so good. God, I need to get over being cheap and buy me SBK and GP online viewing logins.

[klowry]

Imola WSBK: Sykes murders lap record on way to pole
31/03/2012




Sykes made even Checa look slow in Superpole

By David Miller
Image by Paul Sturman

Superpole three
Tom Sykes 1'46.748
Sylvain Guintoli 1'47.221
Carlos Checa 1'47.423

Factory Kawasaki's Tom Sykes has murdered the outright lap record at Imola on his way to World Superbike pole position this afternoon and is the only man to break the 1'47s barrier all weekend, adding another Tissot watch to the one he gained at Phillip Island.

Sykes was half a second faster than the Effenbert Ducati of Sylvain Guintoli while reigning champion Carlos Checa, who is some 14kph down on top speed, put it in third while BMW's Leon Haslam parked his S1000RR on the outside of the front row with a 1'47.458 set on a race tyre.

Aprilia's Max Biaggi could only manage fifth place on the works RSV4, just ahead of Marco Melandri while Jonathan Rea walked away from a massive highside on the exit of Villeneuve and had to settle for seventh place while Joan Lascorz, on the second Kawasaki, rounds out row two.

Superpole two
Tom Sykes 1'47.058
Carlos Checa 1'47.165
Max Biaggi 1'47.398

Sykes once again showed he could run with Checa even after taking to the grass on the exit of Tamburello, dipping underneath last year's fastest time with Biaggi coming out of the pits after an apparent front brake problem to take third place but some three-tenths slower than the Huddersfield man.

Guintoli was once again in the fray as was Haslam who set his 1'47.521 on a race tyre for fifth but it was bad news for Aprilia's Eugene Laverty, who was also in the garage until the final minutes and set out for a final lap but couldn't make it happen and he finished in 11th place for a third-row spot. Yesterday's fastest man Jakub Smrz was also relegated. Davide Guigliano, on the second Althea Ducati, was in the gravel twice and then crashed out.

ELIMINATED
Lorenzo Zanetti
Jakub Smrz
Eugene Laverty
Davide Guigliano

Superpole one
Carlos Checa 1'47.005
Sylvain Guintoli 1'47.158
Tom Sykes 1'47.251

Checa obliterated his outright lap record to set the fastest time ever for a Superbike around Imola with Guintoli also under the benchmark from last year while Sykes was easily quick enough to stay in the top three.

Haslam did one flying lap to secure his spot in the second session, putting in his quickest lap of the weekend and Biaggi went fourth with his final lap. It was bad news for Leon Camier who could only muster 1'48.415 and was in the pits when the chequered flag came out, putting an end to his Superpole session with the new-spec engine from Yoshimura after a big moment on the qualifying tyre. Laverty also scraped in to the next session after a fall earlier on today.

ELIMINATED
Maxime Berger
Nico Canepa
Leon Camier
Ayrton Badovini

[vtrandall]

Superpole

1 Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:46.748
2 Sylvain Guintoli Team Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 1:47.221
3 Carlos Checa Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1:47.423
4 Leon Haslam BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1:47.458
5 Max Biaggi Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1:47.611
6 Marco Melandri BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1:47.642
7 Jonathan Rea Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR 1:47.643
8 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:47.740
9 L. Zanetti PATA Ducati 1098R 1:48.108
10 Jakub Smrz Team Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 1:48.137
11 Eugene Laverty Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1:48.299
12 Davide Giugliano Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1:48.650
13 Maxime Berger Liberty Racing - Team Effenbert Ducati 1098R 1:48.267
14 Niccolo Canepa Team Ducati Roma Ducati 1098R 1:48.382
15 Leon Camier Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:48.415
16 Ayrton Badovini BMW Motorrad Italia GOLDBET SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 1:48.631
17 Chaz Davies ParkinGO Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1:48.857
18 Michel Fabrizio BMW Motorrad Italia GOLDBET SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 1:48.904
19 John Hop1:46.kins Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:48.790
20 David Salom Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:48.854

I wonder if Kawasaki's advancements will 'encourage' Honda and Suzuki (and Yamaha) to get the technicians back in Japan to start working a little harder on the next generation of their bikes.

[zvez]

NO need to bring in the 1199 when the current duc is doing so well. Let BSB and superstock be the test beds.

Interesting about the 1199. Aprilia and BMW developed their street bike supersports basically on track in SBK. Ducati develops what they hope will be a dominating race bike on the street. I am seeing something here. The 1098r is getting long in tooth but faster and faster. I suppose if the 1199 were simply raced in the same class and came up short of the now grey haired 1098 Ducati would not look so good. God, I need to get over being cheap and buy me SBK and GP online viewing logins.

[Diablo1]

The 1199 won't be a signficant improvement over the 1098R in WSBK.
The current rules modify the performance of the Ducati based on their performance relative to the four cylinders.
They'll add or remove weight and could change the size of the intake restrictors.
Even if the 1199 has the capability of producing more HP at higher rpm than the 1098R, the WSBK rules (and current restrictor size) will make sure the 1199 is neutered on the top end and won't benefit from the short stroke and increased valve area.

[Powerful Pierre]

But BSB is Running EVO rules this year not the full blown superbikes of seasons past

Not strictly Evo, somewhere in between, and they're still factory bikes......