Laverty Ends Test Best

Paul Carruthers | January 24, 2010

Team Parkalgar Honda’s Eugene Laverty didn’t get it done until the very end, but last year’s World Supersport Championship runner-up definitely got it done today in Portugal. After three days of testing at the Portimao circuit, Laverty finally moved to the top spot, knocking Joan Lascorz off at the end of today’s final session.Laverty lapped the circuit in 1:45.104, just a fraction quicker than Lascorz’s lap record that was set in the final round of last year’s championship in October. Laverty, however, holds the outright lap record for Supersport with his 1:44.836 set during qualifying for last year’s finale.The Irishman was the only one of the top men to improve on the final day as the track finally got up to speed after yesterday’s rain.Lascorz ended the test second best, but just a 10th of a second behind Laverty. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Michele Pirro ended up third with a time of 1:45.587 with the Italian doing the bulk of the work for the team in the absence of Kenan Sofuoglu, who is at home in Turkey recovering from a broken left ankle.Miguel Praia left the team with the fourth best time over the three days, marginally better than Kawasaki’s Katusuaki Fujiwara. Sixth fastest was Brit Chaz Davies, the man who rode an Aprilia in the AMA series last year. Davies was the best of the four-man Triumph squad.American Jason DiSalvo ended up ninth overall on his ParkinGO Triumph, lapping at 1:47.773 on his debut on the bike, in the series and on the Portimao racetrack. DiSalvo took almost a second an a half off his time from the first day on Friday.

Overall Times

1. Eugene Laverty (Honda) 1:45.104

2. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1:45.292

3. Michele Pirro (Honda) 1:45.587

4. Miguel Praia (Honda) 1:45.834

5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki) 1:45.988

6. Chaz Davies (Triumph) 1:46.610

7. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) 1:46.836

8. David Salom (Triumph) 1:47.054

9. Jason DiSalvo (Triumph) 1:47.773

10. David Dell’Omo (Honda) 1:48.098