PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
Qualifying tires made a huge difference to the top riders in the World Superbike class at Motorland Aragon with three of the top riders going into the 1:49 bracket, led by first time Aprilia pole winner Leon Haslam for the Aprilia Racing Red Devils squad. This was only Haslam’s second career pole position, his first being taken on a Suzuki at Phillip Island way back in 2010.
Haslam set the new best on the new-look World Superbike Aragon circuit with a 1:49.664, just .033 of a second ahead of Chaz Davies on the Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
“We have been playing catch-up this weekend with us not testing here, but some of the other guys having done it,” Haslam said. “But the guys have worked great again and session by session we have been getting quicker. We have had a few grip issues earlier but with the qualifying tire we did not have those issues. To see that lap time was good. I have had a third a second and then a first place start so far this season so I am not sure where we can go now, but as long as it continues I will be pretty happy.”
Tom Sykes was third fastest on his KRT (Kawasaki Racing Team) four-cylinder, edging out his teammate Jonathan Rea and creating another all-British top three at the Superpole ceremony.
Davies new temporary teammate Xavi Fores was fifth, BMW Motorrad Italia’s Ayrton Badovini a remarkable sixth in his first ride of the year after replacing Sylvain Barrier at this round.
Badovini had lit up Superpole 1 on his BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR, setting a time of 1:51.215 that was just under .3 of a second from Chaz Davies’ previous best in regular qualifying.
He was joined in Superpole 1 by Alex Lowes, who put in a late lap to squeeze himself into another session and finish 8th in Superpole overall. Along with Althea Racing Ducati’s Matteo Baiocco, Lowes kept 2014 World Champion Sylvain Guintoli out of it and 14th off the grid.
2015 World Superbike
Aragon Superpole Results
1. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) 1:49.664
2. Chaz Davies (Ducati) 1:49.697
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:49.863
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1:50.053
5. Xavi Fores (Ducati) 1:50.449
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 1:50.670
7. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) 1:50.735
8. Alex Lowes (Suzuki) 1:50.924
9. Nicolas Terol (Ducati) 1:51.146
10. Leandro Mercado (Ducati) 1:51.243
