Gordon Ritchie | March 23, 2018
After three free practice sessions, the Chang International Circuit Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) finally ended up on top after a tempestuous FP3 session, setting a lap of 1:33.327.
Thailand WorldSBK and WorldSSP Friday Wrap
He led his own team-mate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) as the top riders got dialed in but Sykes had earlier been on top of the rankings. His first really fast time was docked for a yellow flag infringement, but a second fast lap was within 0.057 seconds off Rea’s final best.
Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was third quickest, and on top for some time himself, before the Kawasaki riders made their final marks.
Championship leader Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth fastest, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) fifth, and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) sixth. The top six were covered by 0.204 seconds.
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) was top Yamaha rider on day one, seventh, with the unfortunate Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) going from potential fastest man to eighth, after a clash with Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) as they both went for the same apex and fell. Fores was taken away for medical checks despite getting back to the pits, and could not go for a better lap time in the last session.
Laverty would end up ninth fastest, with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) the final automatic qualifier into Superpole 2 on Saturday, in tenth place.
Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) was 11th, Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) 12th. Baz was only 0.684 seconds from Rea.
Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was 14th fastest and PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) 17th of the 19 riders.
WorldSSP: Mahias Fastest In Thailand
2017 champion Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) relied on his morning free practice session time to lead the field after the opening day of action at Buriram.
Mahias edged out consistent second session challenger Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) despite several attempts by the Swiss rider to take the top spot. Krummenacher ended up just 0.034 seconds behind Mahias.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) made it two GRT Yamahas in the first three places, while Jules Cluzel (NRT Yamaha) made it four R6 machines in the top four places.
Privateer Anthony West (EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki) and official rider Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) broke up the seeming Yamaha dominance in fifth and sixth places respectively. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was not riding at Buriram, after re-injuring himself in his recent Phillip Island fall, and being advised not to by medical staff.
Malaysia’s Aslan Shah Kamaruzaman (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took Kenan’s ride and finished 11th today.
Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) placed seventh in his second WorldSSP event before the three-cylinder riders made their mark in the shape of eighth-placed Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) and ninth-placed Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing Triumph).
First of the local wildcards was Thitipong Warokorn (Core Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team), in tenth place.
Aussie riders Lachlan Epis (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) and Ted Collins (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) were 23rd and 26th today.
Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini Honda) was 14th and Irishman Jack Kennedy (Profile Racing Triumph) 16th, despite a small crash.