SuperBike Magazine

June 26, 2009 - Kenny Pryde

WSB wild card Leon Camier and Brit WSB regulars Crutchlow and Laverty were well to the fore at Donington park ... Scroll down for the full story

Yamaha supersport rider Cal Crutchlow finally got to a circuit he was familiar with and made good use of his track knowledge by posting the fastest time in WSS free practice at Donington park on Friday - and this after crashing before he had even completed a lap.

Crutchlow was followed home by Joan Lascorz (Motocard Kawasaki) and his recent shadow Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) with the usual suspects lining up behind this trio. Brit wildcard James Westmorland (JW Racing Triumph) ended the one hour session in 13th slot, 1.925 behind Crutchlow's table topping 1-33.323.

And in the first qualifying session for the superbike class, a wet then damp then drying track made the one-hour session more than usually fascinating as the times tumbled as the track dried. At various points in the session Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki), Leon Haslam (Stiggy Honda) and Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) topped the timing sheets.

In the end it was on-form Michel Fabrizio (Xerox Ducati) who ended up fastest (with a 1-30.775 that's a tenth off Troy Bayliss 2007 lap record) ahead of Haslam, Spies and former BSB champion Gregorio Lavilla on the Guandalini Ducati.

But with Shane Byrne (Sterligarda Ducati) in fifth and Camier in sixth, the Brits (or those we can claim a bit of) showed that they hadn't been BSB champions for nothing. Apart from Ryuichi Kiyonari on his Ten Kate Honda. Kiyo had the fastest bike through the speed trap (270kph) but was stranded in 23rd slot, two and a half seconds off the pace. Rubbish, as far as he's concerned.