VOL. 52 ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 1, 2015 P25
TOM SYKES LEAVES JEREZ FASTEST
T
he last day of the
final 2015 season
group World Super-
bike tests at Jerez on
November 27 saw the
top World Superbike
riders lap as fast if
not faster than the
top GP riders, with
Tom Sykes (Kawasa-
ki) posting a 1:39.316
lap that was easily
the best Superbike
time of the tests and
the previous records
from last Septem-
ber's race weekend.
Just behind the
English rider was
his teammate from
Northern Ireland,
Jonathan Rea (Ka-
wasaki), who set a 1:39.524
lap, but had to stop early when
he crashed going into the last
hairpin in the final afternoon and
wrecked his lone 2016 bike.
Both riders had used a qualify-
ing rear tire to set their best laps.
Behind, Xavier Fores was
quick on his Barni racing Ducati,
earning a 1:40.148 as he takes
the step up to full-time World
Superbike racing in 2016.
American rider Nicky Hayden
was next best man running a
transponder on his bike, as
his CBR1000RR lapped to a
1:40.193. He ran qualifiers to
get to that lap time but worked
through a lot of material and
settings, with his teammate Mi-
chael van der Mark still missing
from the scene.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Rac-
ing—Ducati World Superbike)
was next fastest, only using race
tires as he had so many things
to check and verify before
the winter break. He posted a
1:44.774. Davide Giugliano, his
teammate, got to 1:41.152 on
his Ducati, with the MV Agusta
of Leon Camier working on to a
1:41.219.
As on the previous days no
times were given for the lone
remaining Yamaha WSBK rider,
Sylvain Guintoli, but he was
credited with a 1:40.9 that was
set on Thursday, as he worked
on more major suspension and
setting changes on the final day.
Patrick Jacobsen (Ten Kate
Honda) was at lap record pace
on his CBR600RR, even faster
than Kenan Sofuoglu had gone
on his Kawasaki earlier in the
week, with his 1:42.8 time.
Surprisingly, he was then given
command of the injured Michael
van der Mark's CBR1000RRSP
Superbike, to help Hayden in
his work of evaluating the latest
test material. He got down to
a 1:42.292, but then fell as he
lost feel and feedback at a slow
hairpin.
Gordon Ritchie
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
Tom Sykes was impressive in World
Superbike testing in Jerez.
