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Donington WSBK: Sykes takes charge in second practice

Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes topped the second World Superbike timed session at Donington Park this afternoon. The circuit record holder lapped a 1’28.574, going two tenths quicker than Aruba.it Ducati’s Davide Giugliano and Kawasaki team-mate, and title rival Jonathan Rea.

Initially after five minutes of being out on track Giugliano, Sykes, Rea and Davies all went quicker than MC Agusta’s Leon Camier’s best time from FP1. Sykes powered through the timing screens to head the sheets after fifteen minutes with a 1’28.574 time going two tenths quicker than the Ducati of Giugliano.

Voltcom Suzuki’s Alex Lowes had a mediocre opening session but found some extra pace to go third quickest on his seventeenth rotation. But no sooner did the Derby-based rider set his best lap, Camier came to join the party and with a 1’28.864 bumped Lowes down to fourth.

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Davies was on a hot lap and after thirty minutes out on the Leicestershire circuit pushed down Camier to fourth and bagged third on the sheets. Lowes was not giving up but pushed too hard and lost the front, crashing out at the Old Hairpin and was declared OK at the trackside.

Rea had a steady FP session, but at the flag lapped a 1’28.741 to go into third. But he was not the only rider to have a late surge, BMW Motorrad Italia’s Ayrton Badovini set a super quick time on his 33rd rotation – a 1’28.758. That time meant Davies, Camier and Lowes slipped down the timesheets to fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

All the riders were able to improve on their laps from the first free practice session, in warmer conditions. Crocked Red Devils Aprilia rider Leon Haslam managed to complete a total of 23 laps and even with two cracked ribs he was able to place his RSV4 RF in tenth on the sheets, just behind former MCE British Superbike rider Matteo Baiocco and Pata Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark. But Haslam did experience a technical problem at Melbourne but was able to rejoin the session on the 33 minute mark.

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