Carlos Checa was the favorite heading into Miller Motorsports Park, but will the Spaniard's Althea Ducati hold up in 2011?
Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa kicked off World Superbike track time at Miller by topping Saturday’s Free Practice session. The Aprilia duo of Leon Camier and Max Biaggi followed in second and third, with Effenbert-Liberty Ducati’s Jakub Smrz fourth and Alstare Suzuki’s Michel Fabrizio fifth.
So topping the timesheets is the good news for Checa. The bad news is the title points leader was sidelined twice during the session with technical glitches to his Althea mount – the second time a reputed engine issue. Checa scored a pair of notorious DNF results last year at Miller, retiring from both races while leading due to two non-related technical problems.
Camier topped the sheets briefly, between Checa’s mid-session woes, and after Castrol Honda’s Jonathan Rae led the opening laps – the Irishman going on to lap sixth-fastest. A tenth behind his English teammate, Biaggi managed to log the fastest trap speed down Miller’s straightaway at 312 kpmh, 194 mph.
Also hitting the 312 marker was Biaggi rival Marco Melandri, though the Yamaha man was relegated to 10th on the timesheet. One position ahead of Supermarco was Yamaha teammate and Monza double victor Eugene Laverty.
Biaggi and company arrive at Miller looking to close the gap on Checa. The Roman ran the fastest trap speed in the morning free practice session at 312 kmph.
A wild card entry at Miller, former Australian Superbike champion debuted at MMP with a 15th in the opening practice aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki.
Tom Sykes led the Kawasaki charge in eighth. As for BMW, Troy Corser turned the fastest lap on the S1000RR. The multi-SBK champ was seventh-fastest, meanwhile teammate Leon Haslam is slogging away in 14th and nearly two seconds adrift of the leader. One position behind Haslam is former Australian Superbike champion Josh Waters, making his MMP wild card debut on a Yoshimura Suzuki.
2011 World Superbike Saturday Free Practice Results:
1. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1'48.914
2. Leon Camier (Aprilia) 1'49.567
3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 1'49.672
4. Jakub Smrz (Ducati) 1'49.823
5. Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki) 1'49.890
6. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1'49.937
7. Troy Corser (BMW) 1'50.051
8. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'50.118
9. Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) 1'50.364
10. Marco Melandri (Yamaha) 1'50.510
11. Ruben Xaus (Honda) 1'50.589
12. Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 1'50.604
13. Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) 1'50.831
14. Leon Haslam (BMW) 1'50.862
15. Josh Waters (Suzuki) 1'50.969
16. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1'51.196
17. Noriyuki Haga (Aprilia) 1'51.446
18. Maxime Berger (Ducati) 1'51.475
19. James Toseland (BMW) 1'51.600
20. Roberto Rolfo (Kawasaki) 1'52.492
21. Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki) 1'52.522
