Be Wiser Ducati’s Scott Redding continues to defy naysayers and keyboard warriors, finishing the Monteblanco BSB test at the top of the timesheets with a two-tenth gap over Jason O’Halloran with McAMS Yamaha team-mate Taz Mackenzie in third.
Redding, who swerved WorldSBK for BSB in 2019, just improved on his morning time on his last run with a 1’36.291 and it was enough for him to claim bragging rights after three days in the Spanish sunshine.
O’Halloran ended 0.193s back of the Gloucestershire rider on a 1’36.484 while Mackenzie was a further four-tenths in arrears on the big R1.
Honda’s Xavi Fores did manage to up his pace in the afternoon and scraped the 1’36 mark with a 1’37.083. There was not much other movement in the top ten save for Andrew Irwin, on the second works Fireblade, who moved up to seventh with a 1’37.372.
Buildbase Suzuki’s Brad Ray and Glenn Irwin relied on their times from this morning to hang on to fifth and sixth while Luke Mossey took ninth and rookie Ryan Vickers tenth. Irwin’s time from yesterday afternoon put him fourth on the combined sheet.
Luke Stapleford, Tommy Bridewell, Claudio Corti, Josh Elliott and Danny Buchan rounded out the overall BSB top 15 while Richard Cooper was top of the Superstock riders. He was followed by Billy McConnell and road specialist James Hillier.
Former MXGP rider Graeme Irwin was the sixth-fastest Stock rider - not bad as this will be his debut season on tarmac.
In terms of pace from today's sessions, Redding put in eight 1'37s laps and three 36s in the morning with seven 37s and three 36s after lunch.
O'Halloran managed 13 37s and four 36s in the morning with four 37s and three 36s in the afternoon. Mackenzie did five 37s and one 36s in the morning with four 37s in the afternoon session.
