Voltcom Suzuki’s Alex Lowes has continued his Phillip Island World Superbike testing form into the opening free practice today, setting the session’s quickest time of a 1’30.855 but had to fend off late charges from both Tom Sykes and Jordi Torries.
The Derby-based rider put in his time on only his fourth lap of 25 while both Sykes and Torres, Kawasaki and Aprilia respectively, lapped at 1’31.214 and 1’31.403 late on but both were in the ballpark for most of the period.
Torres held second for the duration after opening flurries while Sykes moved into third after nine minutes. Leon Haslam, on the second factory-backed RSV4, held on to fourth place with his 1’31.520.
Kawasaki new-boy Jonathan Rea spent a good portion of his time in the garage but came out swinging with a 1’31.541 to pip Moto2 exile Nico Terol on the Althea Ducati, himself less than a tehtn ahead of Chaz Davies’ factory Aruba Panigale.
Last year’s Evo champ David Salom put his Pedercini Kawasaki in eighth ahead of the crocked Randy De Puniet, who ended in ninth and just a second off the pace despite still suffering with injuries sustained in a whopping testing highside on Monday.
Leon Camier hopped into tenth place with his last lap on the MV Agusta, bringing all the Brits into the top half of the field. Troy Bayliss also made his return but put in only two laps before pitting in for some revisions to the sister Aruba Ducati. His time of 1’34.060, set on lap two, was still good enough for 18th place.
Fastest laps
72 L. PEGRAM USA Team Hero EBR EBR 1190 RX 11:47’06.403 1’50.921 144,265
40 R. RAMOS ESP Team Go Eleven Kawasaki ZX-10R 11:47’08.004 1’47.485 -3.436 148,877
77 J. METCHER AUS Race Center - Demolition Plus Kawasaki ZX-10R 11:47’43.704 1’45.523 -1.962 151,645
21 T. BAYLISS AUS Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team Ducati Panigale R 11:48’42.888 1’35.165 -10.358 168,150
81 J. TORRES ESP Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils Aprilia RSV4 RF 11:48’51.401 1’33.106 -2.059 171,869
7 C. DAVIES GBR Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team Ducati Panigale R 11:48’58.962 1’32.649 -0.457 172,716
22 A. LOWES GBR VOLTCOM Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 11:49’11.896 1’31.413 -1.236 175,052
22 A. LOWES GBR VOLTCOM Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 11:50’43.133 1’31.237 -0.176 175,389
22 A. LOWES GBR VOLTCOM Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 11:52’13.988 1’30.855 -0.382 176,127
