The riders prayers were answered during today’s Superpole at Miller Motorsports Park, the rain held off for the 36 minute session and the track went from full wet in SP1 to patchy dry in SP3 and consequently lap times improved.
It was in this last part of the Superpole that Carlos Checa came through again, but it wasn’t easy for the points leader who had to make a last lap lunge to grab the pole position from wet specialist Jakub Smrz and doing it by just 0.
075s.
The front row will also see Marco Melandri take off in third on his debut at the Utah track with Yamaha team mate and Monza winner Eugene Laverty right next to him.
An impressive Sylvain Guintoli on the other Effenbert Liberty Ducati took the fifth spot followed by Troy Corser and reigning World Champion Max Biaggi, who drove off track at the Right Hook in the last seconds of the session and ended up tipping over in the mud when his Aprilia finally got stuck.
The only BMW rider who made into SP3 was Ayrton Badovini who’ll take off in the eighth spot on tomorrow’s starting grid.
Noriyuki Haga will open the third row with his ninth spot, followed by Tom Sykes in 10th.
Leon Camier who had been fast both in the dry and wet, lucked out when he lost the rear of his Aprilia in the opening minutes of SP1, but he managed to re-enter with his spare bike and qualify for the second stint, but couldn’t make the cut beyond that and will start down in 11th.
Leon Haslam was another rider who had a mud bath and he’ll start in 12th.
Incredible bad luck for both Castrol Honda riders, Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus who didn’t could make it past SP1, despite spending two days of testing on the track and in mixed weather conditions and they start 13th and 14th respectively.
WSBK MMP Superpole results and starting grid:01.
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’58.
31502.
Jakub Smrz (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’58.
39003.
Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 1’58.
60904.
Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 1’58.
86005.
Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’59.
06906.
Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.
26207.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’59.
73608.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 1’59.
82709.
Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’00.
30310.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’00.
47711.
Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’00.
64312.
Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 2’01.
12713.
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 2’03.
23214.
Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 2’03.
38215.
Michel Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’03.
39716.
Joshua Waters (Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’04.
15617.
Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’50.
19518.
James Toseland (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 1’50.
30619.
Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’50.
64620.
Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1’50.
71721.
Roberto Rolfo (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’51.
586