end to the final tests of the pre-season.
Lack of pace in most areas is his main
issue, rather than one over-arching
problem.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia)
placed himself fourth, a great improve-
ment on some 2017 places, but still
almost half a second from Rea.
Top independent rider Xavi Fores
(Barni Racing Team Ducati) was a strong
fifth, ahead of both the official Yamahas
of Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha
Official WorldSBK) in sixth and Alex
Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK)
seventh.
Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World
Superbike Team) made some progress
at these tests, in eighth place, but is still
missing half a second or so to be in with
the real leading fight on race weekend.
Loris Baz (Gulf Althea BMW Racing
Team) took his lone BMW to ninth, and
Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) was
10th.
With Davies 11th, young Turkish talent
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puc-
cetti Racing) was 12th, Jordi Torres (MV
Agusta Reparto Corse) 13th, Leandro
Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ka-
wasaki) 14th and Jake Gagne (Red Bull
Honda World Superbike Team) 15th.
For PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda
World Superbike Team) 20th was his final
placement after two days of testing, only
just over two seconds from Rea.
In WorldSSP, series returnee Randy
Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros.
WorldSSP Team) led the timesheets
overall with a 1:33.499 from World
Champion Lucas Mahias and his fellow
works Yamaha rider, Federico Caricasulo
(GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team).
Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yama-
ha) was a strong novice in the class with
fourth, and local hero in Australia Antho-
ny West (EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki)
piled in with fifth, and Sofuoglu struggled
to go eighth on his official machine. CN
VOL. 55 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 21, 2018 P25
(Above) Rules,
crashes and
Ducatis still
couldn't stop
Rea from topping
WorldSBK
testing.
(Right) Randy
Krummenacher
is back in
WorldSSP and
already on race-
winning pace.
