2008 HANNSPREE SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP®
VALENCIA – OFFICIAL TEST - 13th and 14th MARCH
FIRST DAY
Xaus on top form on day 1 of Valencia test
Ruben Xaus smashed the lap record on the first day of official
Superbike testing at Valencia in preparation for the third
round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship here on
April 6th. Ducati Sterilgarda Go Eleven’s Spanish rider,
a winner here last year, lapped in a time of 1m34.265s, the
best performance ever by a Superbike on this track.
Second quickest today was Max Neukirchner who continued his
good form on the Suzuki Alstare machine. The German was followed
by Yukio Kagayama, back in action again in record time after
breaking his collarbone in the opening round in Qatar in February.
Another Spanish rider Carlos Checa was also up at the front
on the new CBR RR of the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team, posting
fourth quickest time of 1m35.395s, ahead of Honda’s
Ryuichi Kiyonari.
In excellent weather conditions (air 23°C, track 32°C),
Régis Laconi made good progress for the Kawasaki PSG-1
Corse squad, the Frenchman setting sixth quickest time ahead
of round 1 winner Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki).
In the afternoon session Ayrton Badovini (Kawasaki) had a
harmless crash and Laconi finished off the track.
Ruben Xaus will not be taking part in tomorrow’s second
and final day of testing.
Ducati Xerox (Bayliss-Fabrizio), Yamaha Italia (Corser-Haga)
and Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati’s Max Biaggi are absent
from the tests.
Day 1 Times: 1. Xaus (Ducati) 1m34.265s;
2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1m35.313s; 3. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m35.368s;
4. Checa (Honda) 1m35.395s; 5. Kiyonari (Honda) 1m35.797s;
6. Laconi (Kawasaki) 1m35.910s; 7. Nieto (Suzuki) 1m35.993s;
8. Lanzi (Ducati) 1m36.018s; 9. Tamada (Kawasaki) 1m36.047s;
10. Rolfo (Honda) 1m36.182s; 11. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m36.211s;
12. Nakatomi (Yamaha) 1m36.600s.
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