Today’s World Superbike’s Superpole at Assen was declared wet, even if the track was more dry than damp with just a few spots of water crossing the tarmac making it tricky riding for everyone, especially in the first half of the session. A wet Superpole changed the usual format of three stints to just two very exciting twenty minute ones, with the 16 qualifying riders heading out on with slicks or cut intermediate tires and only in the finale with a drier track, some riders used their Superpole qualifying tires to better their lap times.
The first stint saw the elimination Marco Melandri, David Salom, Chaz Davies, Leon Camier, Brett McCormick, Eugene Laverty, Maxime Berger and Ayrton Badovini. These last two riders didn’t make the cut as Badovini suddenly lost rear grip on his BMW Italia and highsided, with Berger unable to avoid him and crashing into the downed machine. Superpole 2 was dominated by an extraordinary and a blisteringly fast Tom Sykes who grabbed his third pole position of the 2012 season, with an impressive 1.35.399 lap that no one was even able to get close to. Jonathan Rea who qualified second on his team’s home track, was more than a massive one second adrift from the Kawasaki rider.
Effenbert Liberty duo Jacub Smrz and team mate Sylvain Guintoli concluded the session in third and fourth, respectively. Opening the second row will be reigning World Champion Carlos Checa, who couldn’t get his last qualifying tire to really make the difference. Michel Fabrizio will be taking off in sixth ahead of BMW factory rider Leon Haslam and a rallying John Hopkins, who was 2.5 seconds adrift from the top of the time sheets.
WSBK 2012 Assen Superpole results
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’35.399
2. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.432
3. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1’36.566
4. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’36.875
5. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’37.156
6. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1’37.311
7. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1’37.592
8. John Hopkins (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’37.913
9. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1’40.516
10. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’40.523
11. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’40.627
12. Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’40.681
13. Brett McCormick (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R 1’41.962
14. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.947
15. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’44.022
16. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.500
17. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’40.231
18. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1’40.859
19. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’41.161
20. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’41.693
21. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1’41.768
22. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1’43.144
23. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 1’50.808
