Sofuoglu leads day 1 of 2014 Supersport pre-season test
At the end of day 1 of the two-day test, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) was the standout with a 1'33.521 best lap. This was well ahead of Michael van der Mark (Honda), whose best on day 1 was a 1'33.918, and Russian Vladamir Leonov (MV Agusta), who was unable to dip below the 1 minute 34 second mark, his best a 1'34.360.
Irishman Jack Kennedy (Honda) was fourth overall with a 1'34.393, but crashed at turn two later in the session and was transported to Melbourne for scans on a suspected broken right ankle.
Fabio Menghi (Yamaha) completed the top five, followed by Riccardo Russo (Honda), Kev Coghlan (Yamaha), American series debutante Patrick Jacobsen (Kawasaki), Lorenzo Zanetti (Honda) and former European Superstock 600 class runner-up, Florian Marino (Kawasaki).
Australia's Bryan Staring, in his first hitout with new team Rivamoto Honda, was 16th overall, with fellow Aussies Billy McConnell (Triumph) and Ryan Taylor (Yamaha) 19th and 22nd in the 25-bike pack.
Somewhat surprisingly, experienced and successful riders, like Roberto Rolfo (Kawasaki) and Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta) were well down on the timesheets, but the latter is debuting all-new machinery.
Both the World Superbike and World Supersport riders will have two further session on Tuesday, February 18, with World Superbike the first on track at 9am.
World Supersport Monday 1st and 2nd sessions combined
Results:
1. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 1'33.521 average 171.221 kph;
2. Vd Mark (Honda) 1'33.918;
3. Leonov (MV Agusta) 1'34.360;
4. Kennedy (Honda) 1'34.393;
5. Menghi (Yamaha) 1'34.402;
6. Russo (Honda) 1'34.550;
7. Coghlan (Yamaha) 1'34.619;
8. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 1'34.723;
9. Zanetti (Honda) 1'34.860;
10. Marino (Kawasaki) 1'34.944;
11. Wilairot (Honda) 1'35.102;
12. De Rosa (Honda) 1'35.114;
13. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 1'35.137;
14. Calero (Honda) 1'35.370;
15. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 1'35.544;
16. Staring (Honda) 1'35.651;
17. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 1'35.750;
18. Wahr (Yamaha) 1'35.900;
19. McConnell (Triumph) 1'35.917;
20. Bussolotti (Honda) 1'36.084;
21. Coveña (Kawasaki) 1'36.896;
22. Taylor (Yamaha) 1'37.358;
23. Gowland (Triumph) 1'37.366;
24. Rolfo (Kawasaki) 1'37.870;
25. Ivanov (Yamaha) 1'38.232;
26. Rogers (Honda) 1'39.020.
Images: courtesy of IRPR
