Gordon Ritchie | February 20, 2017
Xavi Fores goes fastest at the Island
The WorldSBK Championship riders had a changeable day of testing action to negotiate as the final track sessions before the start of the season begins at the magnificent Phillip Island circuit in Australia.
Regular interruptions for rain abated to some degree in the afternoon, with a largely completely dry track only affected by some late – and light – sprinkles.
Xavi Fores (Barni racing Ducati) scored the best time of the day, a 1’31.412, even after a late red flag caused by wild birds standing on the active track surface. A final red flag, with two minutes of the final sector remaining, halted the session with Fores out front – and only a tenth or so from the existing race lap record.
Reigning champion Rea was second overall, 0.411 seconds from the privateer Ducati runner. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati WorldSBK) was third and just over 0.8 seconds from Fores after a somewhat messy first day.
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) pushed on to go fourth in what will be his first Yamaha season. Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) scored fifth best time in a late shake-up of the running order; with former champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) completing a varied top six.
Early leader on the timesheets, Alex De Angelis (Pedercini Racing SC Project Kawasaki) was a strong privateer rider in seventh, ahead of serial race winner from 2016, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati WorldSBK) Top Aprilia rider was Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) and last man inside the top ten was the second Pata Yamaha rider on show today, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK). The Honda duo of Nicky Hayden (Red Bull Honda WorldSBK) and Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda WorldSBK) placed 11th and 12th and the top BMW rider proved to be Jordi Torres (Althea Racing BMW) in 13th place. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) scored 14th place. Local wild card rider Josh Brookes (ERMotorsport Yamaha) was 16th.
Cluzel Hits Early Honda High
After a return to Honda power on the CIA Landlord Insurance CBR600RR Jules Cluzel proved the most potent of the World SSP riders on day one of the official Dorna tests at Phillip Island.
With extreme rains punctuating periods of dry weather the track conditions were not at their best even in the short-lived dry morning period that let Cluzel set a 1’36.365 (just over two seconds from the fastest race lap pace).
In second place was the veteran Robby Rolfo, on his Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta, 0.194 seconds from Cluzel but almost half a second faster then the next best rider Kyle Smith (Gemar Team Lorini Honda). Despite snapping a ligament in his right knee in an Enduro racing accident a few days before the tests, Spanish-based Englishman Smith had a strong start in his new team for 2017.
Honda riders fared well over the day with Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) fourth fastest. The top Kawasaki rider was Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in fifth, with the recently operated Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) sixth, despite a lack of strength from his recent thumb and hand injuries. Sofuoglu only set five laps on day one.
The first of the new Yamaha R6 riders was championship contender Lucas Mahias (GRT Official Yamaha WorldSSP Team) who posted 24 laps, only three less than another rider in a new team, Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven). The top ten was rounded out by American PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Spain’s Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). Nikki Tuuli (Kallio Racing Yamaha) posted 11th fastest lap. Young British rider Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 14th, from 26 riders on show on the first of two days of testing. The quickest of the Aussie runners proved to be second year WorldSSP runner Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki), in an impressive 7th place.