The scorching heat continued to blast down at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto with the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship Tissot Superpole session as 30 riders took part to try and claim pole position ahead of the two WorldSSP300 races at the Pirelli Spanish Round. In the end it was Meikon Kawakami (Team Brasil AD 78) who claimed pole position.

Brazilian rider Kawakami went to the top of the timesheets in the early part of the session as he set a time of 1’52.265, the only rider in the 1’52s bracket as he set a lap 0.863s faster than second placed Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing). Kawakami had an eventual session, however, as a crash at Turn 11 brought out the red flag due to gravel on the track with three minutes left in the session; Kawakami taken to the medical centre and declared fit following the incident.

Behind Orradre in second place was Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) who completed the front row of the grid, the highest placed rider riding a Kawasaki Ninja 400. Both Kawakami and Orradre are competing on a Yamaha YZF-R3; with Kawakami almost a second clear of Italian rider Ieraci as he claimed a dominant pole position on his WorldSSP300 debut.

2018 Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) made a last-ditch effort to move herself up to fourth place in Superpole to claim a spot on the second row ahead of Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) in fifth; the French rider now in his third year of WorldSSP300 competition. Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300), who set the pace in Friday practice, qualified on the second row with sixth.

Perez will line up ahead of his teammate, Thomas Brianti, who qualified in seventh on his WorldSSP300 debut, outqualifying Turkish rider Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WSSP300) in eighth. Nick Kalinin (Battley-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) rounded out the third row with ninth place; the Ukrainian qualifying 1.5s off Kawakami’s pace but just six tenths off second-place Orradre’s time, showing the domination Kawakami showed. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) will lined up in 10^th place.

Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) qualified in 13^th place, two places clear of Friday front-runner Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki). Felipe Macan, Kawakami’s teammate at Team Brasil Ad 78, was 17^th despite a crash late on in the session following the restart after the red flag.

The top six following Tissot Superpole, full results here:

1. Meikon Kawakami (Team Brasil AD 78) 1’52.265
2. Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) +0.863s
3. Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) +1.005s
4. Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) +1.182s
5. Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) +1.205s
6. Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300) +1.225s

You can following WorldSSP300 action throughout the Pirelli Spanish Round using the WorldSBK VideoPass!