Baz storms to first place on opening day
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was the biggest improver.
Loris Baz
Dave Dyer
Jerez (Spain), Friday 5 September 2014 – Temperatures soared into the 30s for Free Practice 2 leaving many to think that few riders would better their times from the morning’s session. This was looking the case until the final 6 minutes when several fast laps completely changed the running order.
After topping FP1 Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) was unable to improve but with only one rider bettering the Italian’s time from this morning he remained in a solid 2nd overall.
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was the biggest improver, jumping from 5th to the top of the timing sheet with a lap time of 1.42.677. The Frenchman is looking confident over a number of laps at the technical Spanish circuit and on today’s performance looks set to feature highly in the races on Sunday.
Behind Baz, Melandri and Sykes there was other significant improvers namely Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) who elevated himself into contention in 4th, ahead of Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and 2013 race winner Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) who completed the top 6.
Chaz Davies fell from his Ducati for the second time in as many session and dropped to 7th ahead of Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) who was 10th.
In the EVO fight Team Pedercini’s Alessandro Andreozzi closed to within 1.3s of the fastest time of the day with an impressive 1.44.031, the Italian claiming a 12th place overall.
Currently the final participant in Superpole 1 is the returning from injury Imre Toth (Team Toth BMW) but with FP3 still to come tomorrow morning there is still a chance for others to make it through.
Times: 1. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'42.677 average 155.077 kph; 2. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'42.768; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'42.813; 4. Haslam (Honda) 1'42.881; 5. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'42.896; 6. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'42.899; 7. Davies (Ducati) 1'42.916; 8. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'42.995; 9. Elias (Aprilia) 1'43.067; 10. Rea (Honda) 1'43.079; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 1'43.204; 12. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 1'44.031; 13. Barrier (BMW) 1'44.343; 14. Salom (Kawasaki) 1'44.363; 15. Canepa (Ducati) 1'44.389; 16. Morais (Kawasaki) 1'44.468; 17. Corti (MV Agusta) 1'44.860; 18. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 1'44.919; 19. Staring (Kawasaki) 1'45.133; 20. Toth (BMW) 1'46.087; 21. May (EBR) 1'46.614; 22. Rizmayer (BMW) 1'46.657; 23. Scassa (Kawasaki) 1'47.525; 24. Yates (EBR) 1'47.617.
WSBK
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