Tetsuta Nagashima (JPN-Kalex) in Moto2™ and Carmelo Morales (SPA-Yamaha) in Superbike lead the starting grids of their respective categories in the fourth round of the FIM CEV Repsol this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where last week’s Grand Prix Monster de Catalunya was held.
In Moto2™, Tetsuta Nagashima (JPN-Kalex, in the photo) took his first pole this season after setting a time of 1’50.566 in a close qualifying session with Remy Gardner (AUS-Kalex) 0.181 behind and Steven Odendaal (RSA-Kalex ) just 0.022 behind the Australian. The AGR Team rider set the same time as Ricky Cardús (SPA-Transformers), riding a unique machine for team Promoto Sport, but Odendaal will start in front as he set a faster time than the Spanish rider in the first qualifying session.
With Jacopo Cretaro (ITA-Yamaha) absent, recovering from injuries sustained in the pileup of the last race of the Moto2™ European Championship at MotorLand Aragon, Ivo Miguel Paixao (POR-Kawasaki) set the fastest time of 1’54.039 in Superstock 600.
Carmelo Morales (SPA-Yamaha, in the photo) notched up his second consecutive pole with a time of 1’49.781, the only rider able to get under 1’50 in the Superbike European Championship. Ángel Rodríguez (SPA-Kawasaki) and team Kawasaki Palmeto PLRacing, who habitually dispute this event, broke the status quo of the first row of the grid established by Carmelo Morales, Maximilian Scheib (CHI- BMW) and Santiago Barragán (SPA-BMW) thus far this season, finishing second ahead of the Chilean Targobank Easyrace SBK Team rider.
Finishing fourth overall just behind Maximilian Scheib and in front of Santiago Barragán, Norwegian Ole Bjørn Plassen (NOR-Ducati), was the quickest privateer rider.
