Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies bounced back from a difficult opening day at the Aragon WorldSBK round to bag pole position for the first race this afternoon at one of the Welshman’s favourite tracks.
Davies was under Tom Sykes’ existing outright lap record despite Pirelli changing the qualifying tyres from this round onwards to ones that will last for three laps instead of the old, one-lap wonders. Davies set a 1’49.319 with his final lap to dethrone reigning champion Jonathan Rea from top spot.
The works Kawasaki man had taken charge with a 1’49.350 but Davies had 0.031s in his pocket and even though Rea was fastest in the first sector on his last lap, it went away from him at the second split and there was no time left for another go.
Sykes, who has been second in qualifying for both rounds so far this year, completed the front row with a 1’49.492 with Marco Melandri, on the second Aruba Panigale, in fourth but 0.654s in arrears.
Xavi Fores put his Barni Ducati in fifth place with a 1’50.347, just head of Jordi Torres in sixth, Michael Van Der Mark in seventh and Tati Mercardo the leading Aprilia in eighth. Eugene Laverty left pitlane at the same time as Rea on his last run and bounced up to fourth place but he slipped back down the order to ninth with Nicky Hayden, who came through Superpole one, completing the top ten.
Hayden’s Red Bull Honda team-mate Stefan Bradl had to abandon his bike when it caught fire while Alex Lowes’ engine blew right at the start of the session and he didn’t post a time, so the Pata Yamaha man starts from 12th place after a crash in free practice three.
Markus Reiterberger, Randy Krummenacher and Ondrej Jezek all crashed at turn two the same time in seperate Superpole one incidents. Leon Camier will begin from 15th place.
