Jerez WSBK test day two: Giugliano sets the pace

ITALIAN rider Davide Giugliano topped the timesheets on the concluding day of the private pre-season WSBK test.

Giugliano set an impressive time of 1:39.332 at Circuito de Jerez in Southern Spain. The Ducati Superbike Team rider was almost a second quicker than the current outright lap record set by Loris Baz last year.

The Italian set a fast time early on in the morning, but Giugliano’s track time decreased after a crash and technical issues wiped out the middle of the day. He completed 41 laps in comparison to 87 by Aprilia Racing Team Red Devils’ Leon Haslam.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes and Jonathaan Rea finished second and third respectively just ahead of Chaz Daviez, who crashed his 1199 Panigale R around the same time his team-mate Giugliano did.

Haslam primarily focused on race pace with his new team Red Devils Aprilia and finished fifth fastest followed by fellow Briton Alex Lowes, riding for Crescent Suzuki.

World Superbike rookie Nico Terol improved on the second day, placing him 1.4s slower than Giguliano’s fastest lap. Randy de Puniet crashed his Yoshimura powered GSX-R1000 twice but finished ninth overall.

The official World Superbike test is on February 16–17 at Phillip Island, only a few days before the 2015 season opener at the same venue on February 22.

Jerez test times – Day 1:

1. Giugliano 1’39.332  
2. Sykes +0.362
3. Rea +0.413
4. Davies +0.730
5. Haslam +0.737
6. Lowes +0.827
7. vd Mark +1.258
8. Terol +1.433
9. de Puniet +1.645
10. Baiocco +2.080
11. Torres +2.651
12. Barrier +2.672
13. Salom +2.852
14. Mercado +3.245
15. Canepa +3.411
16. Sofuoglu +4.102
17. Faccani +5.148
18. Noyes +5.798
19. Pegram +7.664