Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea led a Kawasaki clean sweep in the second free practice at Donington Park, improving his overall laptime to a 1’27.740 but nearly replicating his crash from this morning as he had to run on at the Melbourne loop on his last lap.
Rea put in his usual race simulation at the start of this afternoon session, not dropping out of the 1’28s over 19 laps and then pitting for a new rear before coming out and increasing the pace at the front. Team-mate Tom Sykes ended in second with a 1’27.862 and MCE British Superbike leader Leon Haslam jumped up to third with a couple of minutes left with a 1’28.139.
Sykes was close to Rea in terms of consistency while title rival Chaz Davies upped his game in the second session, dropping his time to a 1’28.139 but wasn’t able to vault Aruba Ducati team-mate Marco Melandri on the combined sheets, ending fifth overall on the day and and four-tenths in arrears.
Davies is able to lap consistently in the 1’28s while Melandri looks a little slower, dropping into the 1’29s more often and is on same kind of pace as Haslam.
Alex Lowes bounced back from a crash at Melbourne to bag sixth place, improving his pace by half a second from this morning and he pushed team-mate Michael Van Der Mark back a place with his 1’28.374. The Dutchman couldn’t find more pace this afternoon so remained on the 1’28.404 he set this morning.
Lorenzo Savadori was the fastest of the Aprilia riders, ending in eighth, one place ahead of Leon Camnier’s MV Agusta. The Briton also wasn’t able to increase his pace the afternoon but this morning’s 1’28.681 was enough for ninth and a place in Superpole two. Tati Mercado, who went down at Coppice, completes the automatic Superpole two men.
Eugene Laverty missed out on SP2 by two-tenths, finishing just behind Roman Ramos in 12th place with Xavi Fores in 13th. Alex De Angelis and Jordi Torres complete the top 15.
Jake Dixon found half a second over lunch on his BSB-spec RAF Reserves Kawasaki and ended in 18th place.
