Today’s World Superbike’s Superpole at Assen was declared wet, even if the track was more dry than damp with just a few spots of water crossing the tarmac making it tricky riding for everyone, especially in the first half of the session.
A wet Superpole changed the usual format of three stints to just two very exciting twenty minute ones, with the 16 qualifying riders heading out on with slicks or cut intermediate tires and only in the finale with a drier track, some riders used their Superpole qualifying tires to better their lap times.
The first stint saw the elimination Marco Melandri, David Salom, Chaz Davies, Leon Camier, Brett McCormick, Eugene Laverty, Maxime Berger and Ayrton Badovini.
These last two riders didn’t make the cut as Badovini suddenly lost rear grip on his BMW Italia and highsided, with Berger unable to avoid him and crashing into the downed machine.
Superpole 2 was dominated by an extraordinary and a blisteringly fast Tom Sykes who grabbed his third pole position of the 2012 season, with an impressive 1.
35.
399 lap that no one was even able to get close to.
Jonathan Rea who qualified second on his team’s home track, was more than a massive one second adrift from the Kawasaki rider.
Effenbert Liberty duo Jacub Smrz and team mate Sylvain Guintoli concluded the session in third and fourth, respectivelyOpening the second row will be reigning World Champion Carlos Checa, who couldn’t get his last qualifying tire to really make the difference.
Michel Fabrizio will be taking off in sixth ahead of BMW factory rider Leon Haslam and a rallying John Hopkins, who was 2.
5 seconds adrift from the top of the timesheets.
WSBK Assen Superpole results:1.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′35.
3992.
Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1′36.
4323.
Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1′36.
5664.
Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′36.
8755.
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′37.
1566.
Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1′37.
3117.
Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1′37.
5928.
John Hopkins (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′37.
9139.
Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1′40.
51610.
David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′40.
52311.
Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′40.
62712.
Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′40.
68113.
Brett McCormick (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1′41.
96214.
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′43.
94715.
Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′44.
02216.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1′44.
50017.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′40.
23118.
Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1′40.
85919.
Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1′41.
16120.
Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′41.
69321.
Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1′41.
76822.
Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1′43.
14423.
Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1′50.
808