Source: Phillip Island Circuit.

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli has produced the best ever World Superbike lap of the Phillip Island Circuit in qualifying this afternoon for tomorrow’s round one of the 2014 Superbike World Championship.

The Aprilia-mounted Guintoli produced his scorching 1m30.038 lap with five minutes to go in the 15-minute Superpole session, with Italy’s Davide Guigliano (Ducati) also eclipsing Carlos Checa’s previous best lap of 1m30.234, set in 2013.

“I am happy to be on the bike and back on the pace,” said Guintoli. “The off-season was a nightmare with my injured shoulder, but I now feel good and am back in shape.

“It’s a shame to be so close to the 29-second mark around Phillip Island, but we’ll now have to leave that for next year. It’s no secret that this place, this circuit is one of my favourites.”

Guintoli – a race winner at Phillip Island in 2013 – and Guigliano will be joined on the front row of the grid by Marco Melandri (Aprilia) in tomorrow’s two 22-lap races, while the second row will comprise Eugene Laverty (Suzuki), practice pacesetter Alex Lowes (Suzuki) and Honda’s Jonathan Rea (Honda).

Next in line will be Kawasaki pair Loris Baz and world champion Tom Sykes, to be joined by Honda’s Leon Haslam.

Sykes was on a hot lap with just a few minutes to go when he crashed at Lukey Heights – certainly not the first rider to come unstuck at turn nine this weekend. He was unhurt and will be ready to begin his title defence tomorrow.

Top EVO rider Niccolo Canepa (Ducati), Chaz Davies (Ducati and David Salom (Kawasaki) will start from row four.

After a crash in final practice, Australia’s Glenn Allerton (BMW) didn’t make it out into Superpole and will start from 19th on the grid. Countryman Matt Walters has been forced out of proceedings following a practice crash on the Pedercini Kawasaki (click here for details).

The World Superbike races will be held at midday and 2:40pm respectively tomorrow.

In World Supersport, the seemingly peerless Kenan Sofuoglu has continued his stellar start to the 2014 season by claiming pole position for tomorrow’s 18-lap championship opener at Phillip Island.

The three-time world champion hustled his Kawasaki ZX-6R around the 4.45km circuit to uncork a best lap of 1m32.679 in the 45-minute session, well ahead of the Honda CBR600RR of Dutchman Michael van der Mark.

Italian Roberto Tamburini (Kawasaki) provided a minor surprise by annexing the final spot on the front row, and the second line of riders will be Kev Coghlan (Yamaha), American PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki) and Russian Vladamir Leonov on the MV Agusta F3 675. Jacobsen was second on the timesheets with five minutes to go before crashing at Turn 10.

Australia’s Bryan Staring (Honda) will start from 10th on the grid, and knows that a flying start will be critical in tomorrow’s race to stay in touch with the leaders during the frenetic opening laps.

Adelaide’s Billy McConnell (Triumph) is only two spots behind Staring in 12th, and Victoria’s Ryan Taylor (Yamaha) is 24th on the 25-rider grid. The World Supersport race will be held at 1:10pm.

2014 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round one – Phillip Island, VIC

Superbike Superpole results:
1. Sylvain Guintoli 1m30.038
2. Davide Giugliano 1m30.135
3. Marco Melandri 1m30.332
4. Eugene Laverty 1m30.385
5. Alex Lowes 1m30.421
6. Jonathan Rea 1m30.660
7. Loris Baz 1m30.796
8. Tom Sykes 1m30.835
9. Leon Haslam 1m31.138
10. Niccolo Canepa 1m31.274 (EVO)
19. Glenn Allerton (AUS) 1m33.605 (EVO)

Supersport qualifying results:
1. Kenan Sofuoglu 1m32.769
2. Michael van der Mark 1m33.021
3. Roberto Tamburini 1m33.290
4. Kev Coghlan 1m33.300
5. PJ Jacobsen 1m33.346
6. Vladimir Leonov 1m33.379
7. Raffaele de Rosa 1m33.542
8. Ratthapark Wilairot 1m33.755
9. Lorenzo Zanetti 1m34.100
10. Bryan Staring (AUS) 1m34.273
12. Billy McConnell (AUS) 1m34.392
24. Ryan Taylor (AUS) 1m36.253

Click here for detailed results