Marco Melandri was the fastest on Friday in World Superbike's debut at Aragon.

Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) was the clear front-runner from the first day of action at the Motorland Aragon circuit, the Italian taking the provisional pole from home favourite Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati).

Having been the fastest man in free qualifying this morning once again Melandri was the only rider to set a sub two-minute, stopping the clocks at a new circuit record of 1:59.726.

Melandri has tested here in the recent past but many other riders have also taken advantage of the chance to lap this exquisite new WSBK racing facility because it has already proven to be a popular designated test track for several teams.

Checa was three-tenths off Melandri’s pace, just a fraction ahead of Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia), who crashed halfway through the session but then came good at the end to take the third slot.

The Misano podium finisher has clearly had a new lease of racing life in his satellite Aprilia team, improving in the hot conditions of the afternoon qualifying session.

Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) were each on terrific form, the two Brits just within a tenth of Haga.

The other top championship contender Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) registered sixth quickest on the timesheets, with all three Aprilia vee-four riders clearly liking the heat of early competition at Motorland.

Max, the reigning champion, was followed by fellow Italian Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) and an increasingly incisive Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK).

Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) impressed in tenth place on his privateer Ducati, ending day one tenth and only 0.783 seconds from the provisional pole time.

The two factory BMW Motorrad Motorsport machines of Troy Corser and Leon Haslam still appear to be in difficulty, setting 12th and 14th quickest times respectively, while Pedercini Kawasaki’s Mark Aitchison was 15th.

The lone Castrol Honda of local star Ruben Xaus was 13th, just over a second from the best pace of the day while recent returnee rider Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) was 19th.

Misano winner Broc Parkes was the man to watch in Supersport qualifying as the expert Australian set the quickest time of 2:02.773 seconds, three-tenths ahead of his Kawasaki Motocard.com teammate David Salom. It was a good day all round for the Spanish team as they dominated the timesheets at their home track.

Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) made a late move up into third place, half a second adrift from the poleman’s time, but the British rider did well to put some clean air between himself and the Yamaha ParkinGO duo of Chaz Davies and championship returnee Luca Scassa.

Both Parkes and Scassa had crashes during the session. The top 10 also sees Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) well up in sixth place, with Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) completing the overnight second row.