2012 World Superbike Testing
After posting the second-quickest time Monday in the private testing at Phillip Island, Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa got down to some serious work Tuesday, posting the quickest lap time around the Australian circuit.
Checa’s best time Tuesday was a 1:32.2, over a second quickest than his Monday time. The reigning World Superbike Champion suffered from an early health scare, but was able to make it onto the track to put in a top performance.
Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati 1198 Superbike) says: “I did not have a good night last night, suffering from indigestion, and I lost time in the morning. We continued with our plan later in the day and we found a good set-up with front suspension, which I like probably better than our standard. We took more time than normal to confirm that the feeling was right and we did the job today that we planned yesterday.”
Following Checa a second behind was the man who topped Monday’s test, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes. The Brit was trailed a second behind by Aprilia Racing’s Max Biaggi.
Taking the fourth- and fifth-fastest times Tuesday during the World SBK private test were Biaggi’s teammate Eugene Laverty and Sykes’ teammate Joan Lascorz; both riders posted lap times of 1:32.5
The BMW Motorrad Motorsport duo of Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri were sixth and seventh fastest, respectively. Effenbert-Liberty Ducati’s Sylvain Guintoli wasn’t on the track Tuesday, the Spaniard suffering from a bout of the flu.
The riders will return to the Phillip Island circuit Wednesday for the third and final day of private testing ahead of next week’s official World Superbike test.
World Superbike Phillip Island Private Tests: Day 2 Times:
1. Carlos Checa 1’32.1; 2. Tom Sykes 1’32.2; 3. Max Biaggi 1’32.3; 4. Eugene Laverty 1’32.5; 5. Joan Lascorz 1’32.5; 6. Leon Haslam 1’32.6; 7. Marco Melandri 1’33.0; 8. Jakub Smrz 1’33.2; 9. Maxime Berger 1’33.3; 10. Ayrton Badovini 1’33.6; 11. Davide Giugliano 1’33.7; 12. Michel Fabrizio 1’33.9; 13. Leon Camier 1’33.9; 14. David Johnson 1’34.7; 15. David Salom 1’34.9; 16. Lorenzo Zanetti 1’35.2; John Hopkins (absent with injury); Sylvain Guintoli (no time)
