Superbike – Imola Test – Cal Crutchlow closes with the record

The Infront Motor Sport and Pirelli tests reserved for the Superbike, Supersport and Superstock 1000 teams concluded on the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” International Autodrome. During the second day – characterized like the first by very high temperatures – they took to the track the drivers of the seven official teams and the "customer" teams Althea Racing and Echo-CRS. At the end of this long session (over eight hours) the best was Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda), a flying lap specialist, as demonstrated by his three superpoles of the season. The Englishman beat both the official and unofficial records with a race tire with a time of 1'46"478, ahead of Michel Fabrizio in the overall ranking - drawn up across all four sessions - by just under four tenths. (Ducati Xerox), who performed his performance in the morning.

“We worked hard today,” he said Crutchlow. “A lot of work was done and we put together a series of fast laps, even covering 30 consecutive laps with one of the new tyres. Now we look ahead with confidence and we will see what we can do in the next races.”

Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), third overall, was unable to improve on the first day, having been busy testing some parts brought by the team to Imola. Behind him we find Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) and a rediscovered Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) who constantly improved in all four sessions. The Japanese preceded Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea Racing), who set his time in the final session. Ruben Xaus (BMW) did not lap in the last session, while Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) stopped in ninth place.

Thrill almost at the end of the two days of testing due to the accident involving Leon Haslam and Shane Byrne. In the very fast downhill stretch before the Rivazza curve the Suzuki Alstare rider found himself in front of his compatriot from Althea Racing who was proceeding relatively slowly and was unable to avoid him, despite all of Haslam's attempts to avoid the impact. Byrne suffered a cut on his left hand with a suspected fracture of the second metacarpal (he was taken to Imola Hospital for a check-up), while there was no physical damage to Haslam.

In Supersport, Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) was the best at the end of the two days with a time of 1'51"572, while Ayrton Badovini (BMW) was the best in Superstock, lapping on the first day in 1'52 ″375.

SBK Press Office