News 19 Feb 2013

Checa tops close pre-season World Superbike test at Phillip Island

Australian wildcards Allerton and Stauffer make impressive progress in lead-up to their debuts.

Carlos Checa was quickest in final World Superbike testing at Phillip Island. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Carlos Checa was quickest in final World Superbike testing at Phillip Island. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Spaniard Carlos Checa has vaulted up the time sheets on day two to conclude the World Superbike official test at Phillip Island with the fastest time on his Ducati, ahead of Italian BMW rider Marci Melandri and Briton Leon Camier on a Suzuki.

Checa, a four-time WSBK race winner at Phillip Island over the last three years, set a best lap of 1:31.059s on his new Panigale 1199RS to prove that he’ll be ready to circulate at the front of the pack when the 2013 title commences at the recently resurfaced 4.445km grand prix circuit from this Friday to Sunday.

And based on the sizzling times set over the last two days on the new track, this Phillip Island WSBK round is shaping up to be the fastest on record, with the current lap record of 1:31.785 of Max Biaggi set to be dismantled in Sunday’s pair of 22-lap races.

Melandri wasn’t far behind Checa with a 1:31.237, while Camier (1:31.243), Kawasaki’s world number two Tom Sykes (1:31.261) and impressive privateer Michel Fabrizio (Aprilia, 1:31.350) have also taken to the resurfaced Phillip Island track.

There was less than one second between the top 12 riders over the two days, with title heavyweights such as Jonathan Rea (Honda), Eugene Laverty (Aprilia), Leon Haslam (Honda) and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) all producing times which will ensure they also give Sunday’s races a big shake.

Australia’s wildcard, Sydney’s Glenn Allerton (Next Gen Motorsports BMW) was 13th fastest in the test, going nearly two seconds faster on day two to stop the clock at 1:32.159, while Team Honda Racing’s Jamie Stauffer was right behind in 14th with a 1:32.231.

Twenty-one riders made it out onto the track today, including Checa’s teammate Ayrton Badovini for the first time since a big crash in private testing at Phillip Island last Friday.

In Supersport it was Yamaha’s Sam Lowes who ranked fastest with a 1:33.076, narrowly ahead of world champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) and Frenchman Fabien Foret (Kawasaki).

Of the Aussies, it was again Josh Hook (Team Honda Racing) who set the pace in 11th with a 1:34.607, while Kevin Curtain climbed the order with Yamaha to 14th with a 1:34.708.

Australian champion Mitchell Carr posted a 1:35.225 on his Triumph to finish up 24th, as PTR Honda rookie Matt Davies went 27th with a 1:35.429.

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