Team Guandalini Racing - Sudafrica – Kyalami - Superpole - 15 May 2009
Today starts the World Superbike Championship on South African track in Kyalami. Situated on the plateau surrounding South Africa's biggest city of Johannesburg, it has always been the scene for some spectacular racing, with a prestigious list of winners over the years. In the five editions held there from 1998 to 2002, Colin Edwards has been the most successful rider with three wins to his name. He is followed by Pierfrancesco Chili, Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss, the last winners of 2 each, and one for Ben Bostrom. The layout of the track, measuring 4.246 metres, is technically challenging. It has 11 left-hand curves and 6 right, and a difference in elevation between the various sections that makes it difficult for riders and forces them to remain fully-focused throughout the entirety of the lap.
In the first round of free practice, an excellent Gregorio Lavilla is in eighth position with his Ducati 1198, only 0.447 seconds from the first ranked Michel Fabrizio. Jakub Smrz, although he has never ridden on this track, has finished the turn at a promising sixteenth place, which reflected his approach to the circuit rather than his absolute performance. During the first round of Qualifyng Practice in the afternoon, Jakub on his 22 total laps gradually increased his pace, ending the final round at 1.39.230. Gregorio in the twentieth of twenty laps, had his best time at 1.39.389 . The riders occupy respectively the seventh and the thirteenth position absolute.
“In Free Practice I spent time more or less going around and learning the track. There are many bumps so I was trying to look for the best line. For Qualifyng Practice we changed something on the bike which made it definitely better and time came quite easily. I am happy about today but there is a lot we can improve on the bike and in riding my last lap I was 0.3 under my best lap on 1st split, but met slower riders so for sure I wasn't on limit.”
Jakub Smrz
“All in all I would say that the result of the first day is pretty positive considering the fact that we leave here completely free of data while several teams have already made 2 days of tests last December. Gregorio for several months was not that serious about riding a bike in a competition and in spite of what happened today has done well with dignity. If we consider that his time has been obtained without the use of soft tires, the signs are certainly positive. Tomorrow we’ll work at his bike to try to give him a step forward. As for Kuba we are happy because into ideal time his time could potentially be much better than 4 tenths of a second. "
Pierfrancesco Chili