Guigliano tops final European WSB test

Davide Guigliano has taken Ducati to the top of the time sheets on the final day of European pre-season testing before the World Superbike championship kicks off next month in Australia.

The Italian set an incredible 1:39.332 lap time in the closing minutes of the day – setting the fastest ever superbike lap of the Spanish track with a pace that would have been good enough for a third row start in last summer’s Grand Prix.

A flurry of fast lap times at the end of the day using qualifying tyres saw Tom Sykes also dip under the 1:40 mark, but the Yorkshireman had been consistently near the front all day as he continued development of the new specification engine of his KRT Kawasaki.

Teammate Jonathan Rea was third, as he continues to find his confidence in his new machine, while Chaz Davies ensured the top four continued to be locked out by Kawasaki and Ducati, with the two manufacturers holding the top spots for most of the two days.

Leon Haslam also had a good day in fifth, completing some 75 laps on his Red Devils Roma Aprilia as he continued to make up for yesterday’s technical problems, while Alex Lowes rounded out the top six on the Crescent Suzuki.

With European testing now concluded, the paddock now has a final two days at Philip Island before the season opener there next month.

Jerez Test Day 2

1. Giugliano 1’39.332
2. Sykes +0.362
3. Rea +0.413
4. Davies +0.730
5. Haslam +0.737
6. Lowes +0.827
7. vd Mark +1.258
8. Terol +1.433
9. de Puniet +1.645
10. Baiocco +2.080
11. Torres +2.651 
12. Barrier +2.672
13. Salom +2.852
14. Mercado +3.245
15. Canepa +3.411
16. Sofuoglu +4.102 
17. Faccani +5.148 1
18. Noyes +5.798
19. Pegram +7.664