World number two Eugene Laverty has set the fastest time in the opening session of the official two-day world superbike test at Phillip Island ahead of the opening round of the championship this weekend (February 21-23).
The lap record holder and last year‰Ûªs race two winner set a best time of 1min30.513sec on his Suzuki GSX-R1000, to complete the two-hour hitout ahead of promising Frenchman Loris Baz (Kawasaki, 1:30.757), world champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki, 1:30.863) and new factory Ducati signing David Guigliano (1:30.984).
All four riders eclipsed Laverty‰Ûªs current lap record of 1:31.168, and weren‰Ûªt far off the best ever world superbike lap around Phillip Island ‰ÛÒ 1:30.234, set by the now retired Spaniard Carlos Checa in 2013.
Laverty was riding the Suzuki for the first time around Phillip Island, after he was replaced in the factory Aprilia team by Italian Marco Melandri at the end of 2013.
Melandri (1:31.392) was fifth in the first session ‰ÛÒ as well as having the fastest bike down Gardner Straight -- from world No. 3 Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia, 1:31.468). Guintoli was also a race winner at Phillip Island in 2013.
World superbike newcomer and reigning British champion Alex Lowes (Suzuki, 1:31.642) made an impressive Phillip Island debut in eighth, ahead of fellow Britons Leon Haslam (1:31.816) and Jonathan Rea (1:31.851) on the factory Hondas.
The fastest EVO machine was Niccolo Canepa‰Ûªs Ducati Panigale 1199R in 11th position (1:32.204). Of the new world superbike entrants, EBR (Erik Buell Racing) was well down the pack as Geoff May and Aaron Yates began dialling in the 1190Rx twin-cylinder machines, while Claudio Corti showed some late speed on his MV Agusta F4 RR to finish the session in 13th.
In world supersport testing this morning, Turkey‰Ûªs Kenan Sofuoglu was fastest with a 1m33.521 time on his Kawasaki. Australia‰Ûªs Bryan Staring, who has just signed for Rivamoto Honda, was 15th quickest (1m35.775) while wild cards Billy McConnell (Triumph) and Ryan Taylor (Yamaha) were 18th and 21st on the morning time sheet.
The opening round of the Superbike World Championship will be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit this weekend, February 21-23, 2014.
Top Image: Eugene Laverty Fastest In First Phillip Island Hitout
Credit: Supplied
