The FIM Sportbike World Championship have hit the ground running at MotorLand Aragon as they kicked off the fourth of their eight-round weekend in the Aragon Round. Home hero David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) sealed the deal late in the Tissot Superpole session to claim his second WorldSPB pole, half a second faster than Italian speedster Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) and his compatriot Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing). Ieraci will revel in the fresh air in front of him in Race 1 as it is his first front row start, while Vannucci will ride with a vengeance as it is his second consecutive Superpole session, shuffled to second place.
SALVADOR STRIKES LATE AGAIN
David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) came out swinging on his second stint, setting the field’s second lap in the 1’59s range, his time half a second faster than Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) to send the Spaniard to P1. His blazing lap time held for his second pole position in WorldSPB. Vannucci was fixing to land his second pole of the season from the start of the session as he sent himself to an early P1, which he held with 15 minutes to go, before the #38 raised the bar, leaving the Italian in P2. Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) finished third fastest on the day to keep the ball rolling from his first podium of the season last round, to his first front row here on Friday. His time clocked in just seven hundredths slower than the Aprilia rider.
FIVE MANUFACTURERS IN THE TOP SIX
Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) laid down a late 2’00.088s time to climb up to P4 and lead the second row. Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) finished as the only Suzuki in the top 20, his time of 2’00.170 just eight hundredths off the pace from P4. Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) enjoyed his second top ten qualification in a row as he continues to increase his speed atop his Yamaha R7. The Australian’s 2’00.197s was just under eight tenths off from P1.
VENEMAN TO LEAD ROW THREE
Loris Veneman's (MTM Kawasaki) 2’00.234s time wasn’t quite fast enough to fight for the first two rows, but he set a solid base for the weekend from P7, from which he will start Race 1. Elia Bartolini (CM Triumph Factory Racing) was riding with a knife between his teeth as he sat in an early P2; however, as the session wore down, he fell down the order to finish in P8, with a 2’00.259s still, however, earning him his best Superpole qualification of the season so far. Despite his P8, he will have to conduct a Ride-Through penalty handed to him by FIM WorldSBK Stewards for Irresponsible Riding in Race 2 at Most. Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) landed P9, less than a tenth behind the Italian, and fellow Spaniard Alvaro Fuertes (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) finished P10 for his first start on the front four rows of the season.
The top six from the WorldSPB Tissot Superpole session, full results here!
- David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) 1’59.433s
- Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) +0.523s
- Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) +0.599s
- Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) +0.655s
- Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) +0.737s
- Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) +0.764s
WorldSPB returns on Saturday for their Race 1! Tune in with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 30% off!