[kropotkin thinks...] - Jerez WSBK Test, Day 1 Times: Kawasakis Dominate, Lowes Impre

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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While the Moto2 and Moto3 riders are busy in Almeria, the World Superbike teams are busy at Jerez. As usual, Tom Sykes is dominating proceedings, the newly-crowned WSBK champion circulating well under pole record pace at the Spanish circuit. Sykes lapped six tenths quicker than his teammate Loris Baz, and nine tenths faster than Marco Melandri, the Italian now riding the factory Aprilia.

Alex Lowes made a very strong debut, lapping Jerez at the same pace as Melandri on his first run out on the Voltcom Suzuki machine, while Jonathan Rea was the fastest of the Honda men. The teammates of Rea and Lowes were less fortunate: Leon Haslam's test was interrupted when his Pata Honda CBR1000RR caught fire, while Eugene Laverty only managed a handful of laps as the Voltcom Suzuki team worked to set up the Suzuki GSX-R1000.

The Jerez test also saw a large contingent of EVO class entries testing, giving a chance to compare the new bikes - basically, Superstock engines in WSBK-spec chassis - against the existing WSBK machines. Salom was fastest of the lot, 2.3 seconds behind Sykes, but only four tenths off the pace of Haslam, and ahead of Eugene Laverty and Claudio Corti, both of whom did not spend much time on track.

On Wednesday, the World Superbike riders will be joined by some of the MotoGP riders racing as Open entries.

Race Details 2014


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