Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea has taken his first World Superbike pole position for Kawasaki at Phillip Island in a session that was cut short when David Salom crashed heavily at turn 12 and was taken to the medical centre.
Nearly four minutes of Superpole two was left when race direction called a halt to proceedings for the air ambulance so Rea’s 1’31.212, set on a race tyre, was enough for top spot and he leads an all-British front row as he is joined by Ducati’s Chaz Davies and Leon Haslam. Salom didn’t require the helicopter and officials are reporting he is conscious and ok.
Welshman Davies was only 0.026s behind Rea and had set an even faster time as Salom went down but that 1’30.800 was cancelled as it was set under red flag conditions. Haslam, on the Red Devils Aprilia, was 0.0295s behind his 2014 team-mate and also set it on a race tyre as he hadn’t taken a qualifier.
Class rookie Michael van der Mark starts the head of row two on his Pata Honda and he has Voltcom Suzuki’s Alex Lowes for company in fifth place. The former British Superbike Champion set a 1’32.042.
Althea Ducati’s Nico Terol was the biggest loser of the session as, like Davies, his fastest time was disallowed and he dropped from second to the outside of row two. Haslam’s Spanish team-mate Jordi Torres is seventh and Mr Superpole Tom Sykes ended in eighth after waiting in the garage and getting caught out by the stoppage.
Reigning champion Sylvain Guintoli was ninth with Mattio Baiocco, Salom and Tati Mercardo, the surprise qualifier from Superpole one, completing the top 12. Leon Camier finished in 15th, one place behind Troy Bayliss, who crashed at Lukey Heights in fourth practice.
