News 23 Feb 2018

Rea rises as Friday WorldSBK practice wraps up

Second WorldSSP session of the day headed by Sofuoglu at Phillip Island.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s three-time champion Jonathan Rea emerged fastest in the final Motul Superbike World Championship practice on Friday at Phillip Island, completing off the expanded schedule introduced for 2018.

Rea posted a 1m30.972s to go top of the times ahead of Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda) in a session that saw the top 11 riders lap within a second of each-other.

Australian duo Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) and Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) were in formation for P17 and 18, both lapping at 1m32.9s, while Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) opted to sit out the session.

Overall however it was Milwaukee Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori who was fastest on Friday with his time in FP2, topping Camier and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) on combined times. Only Rea – fifth overall – improved in the final outing.

In World Supersport it was multiple-champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Pucetti Racing Kawasaki) who went quickest in the second session of two today at 1m33.576s, from Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) and Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha), who was fastest overall from his FP1 time.

Queensland’s Anthony West (EAB West Racing Kawasaki) was seventh in this afternoon and overall, while Tom Toparis (Cube Racing Kawasaki) and Lachlan Epis (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) ended up in places 17 and 18 since neither went quicker in FP2.

Detailed results

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