• Peg It on GarageMonkey
WSBK: Smrz Comes Out Swinging
Jakub Smrz snatched up the provisional pole on Friday at Donington Park
Media Release  |  Posted May 11, 2012   Donington (GBR)
Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati's Jakub Smrz (Photo: Infront Motor Sports)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 5 of the Superbike World Championship from Donington Park, UK will air back-to-back on SPEED Sunday, May 13 starting at 4:00pm ET.

Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) loves Donington Park and today it loved him right back as he took provisional pole after posting the fastest lap in the opening qualifying session. After the rain flags came out momentarily at the start of the 45-minute session track conditions improved and a flurry of fast times in the last few minutes of qualifying put Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) second, Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) third and true home boy Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) fourth. Rea had two falls today, one shortly after the start of this morning’s free session and one at the end of this afternoon’s qualifying run, without injury.

British riders were, predictably, to the fore, as Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) was fifth and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing team) sixth. Sykes had headed up the first unofficial practice session in the morning.

The overnight second row was completed by Michel Fabrizio’s BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet machine, and the first Aprilia Racing entry in the rankings, ridden by 2010 champion Max Biaggi.

Two local riders were given the opportunity to run as wildcards at Donington, with Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) in 17th place and Gary Mason (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) 23rd. New Kawasaki Racing Team rider Loris Baz was 20th in his first ever SBK qualifying session.

One more regulation qualifying session remains tomorrow, before the top 16 riders move on to Tissot-Superpole.

Times:

1. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'29.336
2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'29.394
3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'29.507
4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.604
5. Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'29.614
6. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'29.719
7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.918
8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'29.973
9. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'29.977
10. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'29.986
11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'30.225
12. Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'30.245
13. Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'30.392
14. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'30.522
15. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'30.539
16. Laverty E. (IRL) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'30.577; etc.
Page 1 of 2
Prev
12
Next
media_release's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Media Release

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.