out on track on the two sched-
uled test days, given the nature
of the track conditions.
It was that kind of "test."
Others, big names and teams,
did go out, of course, even in the
rain, with HRC Honda seeing new
signing Jake Dixon and test rider
Tetsuta Nagashima set several
laps. Dixon was the first ranked
behind the two official Aruba.it
Racing Ducatis on the final fully
wet day.
Nicolo Bulega was the fast-
est second-day rider, setting a
1:59.144, with his new teammate
Iker Lecuona just 0.039 of a sec-
ond adrift.
Dixon actually set the fourth
fastest recorded time as well,
on a different Honda machine.
This being testing, there were no
"second bike" restrictions to be
obeyed.
New Motocorsa Racing Ducati
rider Alberto Surra set the fourth-
fastest day-two time.
With so few regular WorldSBK
riders on board by the time the
tests finished, the non-WorldSBK
riders were able to make more of
a literal and figurative splash.
There was a Team ERC BMW
out on track, while MotoAmerica
rider Cameron Beaubier (War-
horse Ducati) and BSB rider
Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Ad-
vocates Racing UK) also braved
the wet track conditions.
There were some WorldSSP
riders on show, with returning
double champ Dominique Ae-
gerter out before the two official
days but also finding bad weather
on his Kawasaki WorldSSP Team
Ninja.
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing SSP)
rode in a test that was actually or-
ganized by his Feel Racing crew.
With few conclusions to be
drawn from either of the pretty
well washed-out Iberian winter
tests, the importance of the of-
ficial preseason tests at Phillip
Island (scheduled for January
16-17) will be immense.
Gordon Ritchie
WIND
IN THE
P50
The factory BMW squad ditched
Portimao altogether and went to Jerez…
where it rained there, too.
