Image: Andrew Gosling.

The official World Superbike test at Phillip Island concluded this afternoon with Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) fastest in the fourth and final session.

The Irishman was not however the fastest overall as the top 15 riders did not improve during the last two hours on track. After combining all four sessions it was reigning champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) who came out on top thanks to his super-fast lap set this morning of 1m30.239.

Sykes’ test was not without incident as his ZX-10R suffered a technical problem at the very end of the final session approaching turn one.

“I am happy with the results of these two days of testing at Phillip Island,” Sykes said. “In the last couple of days we have done a lot of laps to confirm the remaining test items, so to be fastest and be one of the most consistent riders as well, I have to be very happy with that.

“Phillip Island has never been our main event, so to speak, so to be up there for pace already is very good. I know the conditions have caught a lot of people out already but I know we can now go to the race weekend with more of a clear understanding of what to do.

“Now we will turn our focus more on performance, pure performance, over the race weekend. I will go away and have a couple of days winding down and relaxing and come back on Friday morning ready to go again.”

Laverty was classified second fractionally ahead of team mate and rookie sensation Alex Lowes. The 23-year-old Lincolnshire born rider, who rode for the first time at Phillip Island only yesterday, dropped 1.1 seconds off his session one best, which was an already impressive lap time.

Italians Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) and Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) were fourth and fifth respectively overall, just ahead of Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), who suffered two crashes during the test. The Frenchman was uninjured in both occasions.

Race one winner last year Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) showed no signs of discomfort from the injured shoulder that was surgically repaired twice during the off-season finishing seventh and completing 92 laps during the two days.

Pata Honda duo Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea both suffered a late test crash leaving them eighth and ninth, but they are taking to the first round some positives after closing to within half a second of the fastest time.

The EVO category saw Althea Racing’s Niccolo Canepa riding his Ducati 1199 Panigale to an encouraging 11th overall. The former STK1000 champion mixed it with some of the WSBK-spec machines to end the test on a high note.

Michel Fabrizio (Iron Brain Kawasaki SBK), who fell yesterday, is being kept at the hospital as a precaution despite x-rays revealing no signs of injury. Reigning STK1000 Champion Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team) was diagnosed with a micro fracture in his pelvis and he unlikely to take part in the opening round of the season.

Young Frenchman and WSBK rookie Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) ended the combined tests in 17th but suffered a fall at turn two in the first 20 minutes of the final session, resulting in a AC joint subluxation. No good news for Luca Scassa (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) as x-rays revealed a fractured pelvis.

Mahi Racing Team India’s Kenan Sofuoglu ended the World Supersport test on top courtesy of the 1m33.506 lap-time set during the very first session yesterday morning. The three-time Supersport World Champion did not manage to improve throughout the second day, whilst other riders significantly lowered their times to bridge the gap to the leader.

American WSS rookie PJ Jacobsen (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki) made the most of the near perfect weather conditions this afternoon to climb up to an impressive second position, lapping one second faster than yesterday on his first appearance at Phillip Island.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda) hung on to a top three position overall after matching his time from yesterday.

Former Australian Supersport Champion rider Bryan Staring (Rivamoto Honda) did well in his return to the Supersport class, ending the two day test in 12th position. Billy McConnell was 18th, Ryan Taylor 24th.

2014 Superbike World Championship
Test – Phillip Island, VIC

Superbike day two results:
1. Tom Sykes 1m30.239
2. Alex Lowes 1m30.528
3. Marco Melandri 1m30.579
4. Davide Giugliano 1m30.644
5. Sylvain Guintoli 1m30.766
6. Eugene Laverty 1m30.767
7. Leon Haslam 1m30.798
8. Jonathan Rea 1m30.813
9. Loris Baz 1m30.900
10. Chaz Davies 1m31.087
11. Niccolo Canepa 1m31.373 (EVO)
12. Toni Elias 1m31.441
13. David Salom 1m32.008 (EVO)
14. Fabien Foret 1m32.780 (EVO)
15. Sheridan Morais 1m32.895 (EVO)
16. Jeremy Guarnoni 1m32.897 (EVO)
17. Alessandro Andreozzi 1m33.205 (EVO)
18. Claudio Corti 1m33.547
19. Imre Toth 1m34.750
20. Geoff May 1m34.807
21. Luca Scassa 1m35.657 (EVO)
22. Aaron Yates 1m36.662

Supersport day two results:
1. Kenan Sofuoglu 1m33.506
2. PJ Jacobsen 1m33.787
3. Michael van der Mark 1m33.958
4. Jules Cluzel 1m33.984
5. Ratthapark Wilairot 1m33.987
6. Kev Coghlan 1m34.072
7. Fabio Menghi 1m34.233
8. Vladimir Leonov 1m34.295
9. Roberto Tamburini 1m34.301
10. Lorenzo Zanetti 1m34.591
11. Riccardo Russo 1m34.672
12. Bryan Staring 1m34.733
13. Florian Marino 1m34.747
14. Raffaele de Rosa 1m34.834
15. Kevin Wahr 1m35.152
16. Christian Gamarino 1m35.320
17. Graeme Gowland 1m35.324
18. Billy McConnell 1m35.351
19. Marco Bussolotti 1m35.533
20. Nacho Calero 1m35.564
21. Tony Covena 1m35.599
22. Roberto Rolfo 1m35.740
23. Fraser Rogers 1m36.956
24. Ryan Taylor 1m36.969
25. Alexey Ivanov 1m37.123