Leon Haslam set all the headlines with pole position in the opening round of the World Superbike Championship in Australia. With a time of 1.31.229 around the Phillip Island race track, he edged out the Ducati of Fabrizio and fellow Brit, Crutchlow.
A successful day for the British boys, with four riders in the front two rows of the grid, for tomorrow’s eagerly awaited races.
Toseland on his return to WBSK after two years in the Moto GP, qualified in 8th which was a good effort after an accident on Friday morning which left him with a damaged wrist. It was clearly causing the double WSBK Champion discomfort as he was holding his arm after the session was over.
Jonathan Rea on the Honda qualified in 7th.
Biaggi and Haga were the two noticeable absentees from the front two rows on the grid so will have to work hard from the start tomorrow.
It had been Carlos Checa on the Ducati who had been the pace setter until the Superpole when Haslam was comfortably the quickest man on track in each session. This was the first time he had ridden a full factory bike in the championship and made an impressive display. This was despite a massive crash he had on Saturday morning at 135 mph which left him a “bit battered and bruised”.
A tough two races in store for the World Superbike boys’ finest in the sunshine and heat of Phillip Island and on a seemingly more bumpy track than last year. Will the sun shine on the Brits tomorrow? Lets wait and see!
Leandra Graves
27th February 2009
Saturday 27 February 2010
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