WSBK: Sykes Paces Magny-Cours QP

World Superbike title contender Tom Sykes got his season finale weekend off to a strong start on Friday at Magny-Cours.

Media Release | Posted October 05, 2012 Magny-Cours (FRA)

Kawasaki Racing Team's Tom Sykes (Photo: Kawasaki Racing)

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Superbike World Championship season finale from Magny-Cours, France will air on SPEED on Sunday, October 7th at 4:00pm and 6:00pm ET.

After first qualifying of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship season finale one of the potential champions, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), leads the field, with a lap time of 1 minute 38.200 seconds. He was 0.448 seconds ahead of the next best qualifier at this early stage of proceedings.

The English rider heads the outgoing champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati), with another of this year’s potential champions, Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) third quickest. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) was the second fastest Ducati rider in the official session this afternoon, fourth overall.

This morning’s quickest man, Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was fifth after first qualifying. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) was one place up on seventh place rider – and clear championship leader – Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) completes the top eight riders on day one, in a field of 21.

Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team Ducati) was ninth and therefore the top local rider at Magny-Cours, his French compatriots Maxime Berger (Red Evils Roma Ducati) and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) fourteenth and fifteenth respectively. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) went tenth in first qualifying, after a strong showing in the morning free session.

Results: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'38.200 average 161.707 kph; 2. Checa (Ducati) 1'38.648; 3. Melandri (BMW) 1'38.742; 4. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'38.962; 5. Rea (Honda) 1'39.014; 6. Fabrizio (BMW) 1'39.139; 7. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'39.144; 8. Haslam (BMW) 1'39.149; 9. Guintoli (Ducati) 1'39.186; 10. Camier (Suzuki) 1'39.285; 11. Laverty (Aprilia) 1'39.382; 12. Badovini (BMW) 1'39.530; 13. Zanetti (Ducati) 1'39.709; 14. Berger (Ducati) 1'39.842; 15. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'39.945; 16. Davies (Aprilia) 1'40.084; etc.

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