Melandri leads the chasing pack on day one

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Portimao (Portugal), Friday 21 September 2012 – Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) proved the fastest rider on day one at Portimao, with a 1 minute 43.196 second lap taking him ahead of Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing). Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was third, and completing a sequence of different machines in the top four places, Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was fourth.

Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) posted a time to get him into the top five, while Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) continued his run of good form in sixth place. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) was seventh and 2011 World Champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) eighth in a field of 23 riders. Checa was 0.803 seconds from Melandri’s best time.

Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) scored ninth on the provisional grid, while Nürburgring race winner Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) secured tenth place. Fabrizio’s team-mate Ayrton Badovini was 11th and Ducati privateer Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing) completed the top 12 places. Gorgeous sunshine bathed the first day qualifying sessions, with temperatures almost reaching 30 degrees.

Times: 1. Melandri (BMW) 1’43.196 average 160.192 kph; 2. Laverty (Aprilia) 1’43.580; 3. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’43.731; 4. Rea (Honda) 1’43.886; 5. Haslam (BMW) 1’43.921; 6. Camier (Suzuki) 1’43.949; 7. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’43.996; 8. Checa (Ducati) 1’43.999; 9. Fabrizio (BMW) 1’44.373; 10. Davies (Aprilia) 1’44.390; 11. Badovini (BMW) 1’44.429; 12. Guintoli (Ducati) 1’44.499; 13. Baz (Kawasaki) 1’44.542; 14. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’44.552; 15. Giugliano (Ducati) 1’44.602; 16. Zanetti (Ducati) 1’44.790; etc.

 

World Supersport

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) eased away to the overnight provisional pole position at Portimao, setting a 1 minute 46.080 seconds lap time to lead his PTR team-mate Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda).

A close third behind Cluzel was Fabien Foret (Intermoto Step Racing Kawasaki) the top Kawasaki rider in the rankings, with another Honda rider Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products) fourth. A great ride from MSD R-N Racing Team India Kawasaki rider Florian Marino put him fifth, with championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) inside the top six.

Times: 1. Lowes (Honda) 1’46.080 average 155.837 kph; 2. Cluzel (Honda) 1’46.374; 3. Foret (Kawasaki) 1’46.399; 4. Parkes (Honda) 1’46.522; 5. Marino (Kawasaki) 1’46.827; 6. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1’46.965; 7. Linfoot (Kawasaki) 1’47.027; 8. Roccoli (Yamaha) 1’47.230; 9. Morais (Kawasaki) 1’47.289; 10. Iannuzzo (Triumph) 1’47.332; etc.

 

Superstock 1000

Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) led the field home in the first qualifying session at Portimao, with the remaining championship contenders packing out the top places. Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) was second fastest, Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) was third, with Christoffer Bergman (BWG Racing Kawasaki) completing the early top four. Championship leader Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) was fifth, 0.839 seconds from the leading position.

Times: 1. Barrier (BMW) 1’46.700 average 154.932 kph; 2. Staring (Kawasaki) 1’47.133; 3. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 1’47.237; 4. Bergman (Kawasaki) 1’47.328; 5. La Marra (Ducati) 1’47.539; 6. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 1’47.616; 7. Massei (Honda) 1’47.792; 8. Barragan (Kawasaki) 1’47.831; 9. Savadori (Ducati) 1’47.986; 10. Mercado (Kawasaki) 1’48.169; etc.

 

Superstock 600

Warm and dry conditions helped the top three UEM European Superstock 600 Championship riders make an early impact in the first qualifying session, with Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) posting the fastest time, Adrian Nestorovic (Team MTM Racing Yamaha) going second and Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team) third. These three were separated by only 0.088 seconds, as van Der Mark and Russo continue their fight to see which one of them will be champion this season. MTM rider Mike Jones (MTM Racing Team Yamaha) was fourth in first qualifying, just over a second from Russo.

Times: 1. Russo (Yamaha) 1’48.357 average 152.562 kph; 2. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 1’48.438; 3. Vd Mark (Honda) 1’48.445; 4. Jones (Yamaha) 1’49.431; 5. Cecchini (Honda) 1’49.701; 6. Calero Perez (Yamaha) 1’49.780; 7. Davies (Kawasaki) 1’49.832; 8. Chesaux (Honda) 1’49.912; 9. Vitali (Yamaha) 1’49.988; 10. Schacht (Honda) 1’50.076; etc.