Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio has taken provisional pole in the first World Superbike qualifying session at Kyalami this afternoon, setting a 1'38.103 laptime which was almost half a second faster than second-placed man Jonathan Rea.
Fabrizio topped the timesheets for most of the session, setting a 1'38.801 with just a few minutes gone and it wasn't until Rea's Ten Kate Honda put in a 1'38.506 that it was bettered. The Italian then went out with ten minutes to go and set his provisional pole lap which was 0.401 faster than the Irishman.
Yamaha's Ben Spies was third quickest with his last lap of the session and Leon Haslam rounds out the front row after spending most of the hour in or around the top four. The Stiggy Honda man had been second but was bumped down by the end.
Aprilia's Shinya Nakano heads the second row with a lap of 1'39.998 set on the half hour while countryman Noriyuki Haga on the second Xerox Ducati is sixth, just under a second slower than his team-mate. Guandalini Ducati's Jakub Smrz is seventh while Tom Sykes rounds out the second row.
Local man Sheridan Morais, who is standing in for the injured Makoto Tamada at Kawasaki, is at the foot of row three behind Max Biaggi, Ruben Xaus and Carlos Checa while former British Superbike Champion Gregorio Lavilla is in 13th, just ahead of reigning champ Shane Byrne. Althea Honda's Tommy Hill is 21st.
DFX Ducati's Regis Laconi didn't take part after a first-lap crash in free practice this morning.
