After a scorching second day, with track temperatures often over 50 degrees centigrade, the World Superbike top teams got to try some new Pirellis, rather than the known quantities they used on day one.
Despite the hot track, times improved almost throughout, but at the peak of the day, between 2 and 4 p.m., few made up ground until the track cooled towards the five pm finish.
The fastest rider on show was once more Michel Fabrizio, setting a best of 1:40.256, as his main day one rival for ultimate speeds, Ben Spies, crashed and damaged his best bike. Rider and team opted to sit out the rest of the day, even the part when the track had gotten cooler again, as he had already put in a lot of laps. Spies’ other bike was not quite the same spec as the one he crashed, so they opted to pass until Friday. Spies was unhurt in his fall, finished eighth fastest on the day, and will be back on day three.
After an eventful three falls on day one, Noriyuki Haga was third fastest and a non-crasher today, wearing distinctive camouflage leathers for most of the session.
Jonathan Rea, a rookie in World Superbike but experienced in British Superbike before he went to Supersport in 2008, was fourth fastest on the official figures, with Yukio Kagayama fifth on the new Suzuki.
Shinya Nakano, working on engine settings as Max Biaggi worked on chassis set-up, secured sixth place, one up on Carlos Checa, who was reported to have done a fourth best time, but was officially classified as seventh.
Behind Spies, Biaggi was ninth, Ryuichi Kiyonari (working through set-up options almost endlessly) just behind, while the BMWs of Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus 11th and 12th, respectively. Tom Sykes, ill on day one, started out the same way on day two, but battled on, improving his condition to record a 1:42.993, with the English rider only able to do six laps at a time.
In Supersport, Kenan Sofuoglu set a 1:43.755 and Andrew Pitt managed a 1:44.101, despite falling. He did a long run of 23 laps at one stage, leaving him drained but happy to have made a good tire evaluation on one of Pirelli’s new World Supersport fronts.
Day Two Times
1. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1:40.256
2. Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) 1:40.688
3. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1:40.709
4. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:40.842
5. Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) 1:40.959
6. Shinya Nakano (Aprilia Racing) 1:40.968
7. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:40.725
8. Ben Spies (Yamaha Motor Italia) 1:41.049
9. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) 1:41.077
10. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) 1:41.412
11. Troy Corser (BMW) 1:41.986
12. Ruben Xaus (BMW) 1:42.438
13. Tom Sykes (Yamaha Motor Italia) 1:42.933
