World Superbike
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WSBK: Smrz Claims Imola Provisional Pole
Jakub Smrz threw down a fast lap late to claim provisional pole by just 0.030 seconds and prevent a Kawasaki 1-2 on Friday at Imola.
Media Release  |  Posted March 30, 2012   Imola (ITA)
Liberty Racing Effenbert Ducati's Jakub Smrz (Photo: Infront Motor Sports)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 2 of the Superbike World Championship from Imola, Italy will air back-to-back on SPEED Sunday, April 1 starting at 2:00pm ET.

Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Effenbert Ducati) took provisional pole position in the first qualifying session at Imola, right at the very end of the day, displacing the potential Kawasaki 1-2 of Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and his teammate Tom Sykes. Smrz’s time of 1 minute 48.146 seconds was only 0.030 faster than Lascorz after a day characterized by extraordinarily close competition.

Fourth in the early rankings was the perennially competitive Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) had a strong Friday and ended up fifth, his fellow Briton Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) sixth and best BMW rider. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati), defending his championship crown this year, was seventh in timed qualifying.

Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati’s Sylvain Guintoli held off the push of Eugene Laverty’s Aprilia Racing works bike in eighth place, with the top ten being rounded out on day one by Leon Camier and his Crescent Fixi Suzuki. The top ten riders were covered by a remarkable 0.410 seconds, the top 15 by only 0.813 seconds.

Althea Racing’s second rider Davide Giugliano was 11th today, one place up on this morning’s fastest man Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia Gold Bet).

Times:

1. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'48.146
2. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'48.176
3. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'48.246
4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.247
5.. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'48.321
6. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.328
7. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'48.375
8. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'48.555
9. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.555
10. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'48.556
11. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R; 1'48.728
12. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.741
13. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'48.762
14. 33 Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.773
15. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'48.959
16. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'49.343; etc.
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