Steven Odendaal (RSA-Kalex) in Moto2™ and Maximilian Scheib (CHI- BMW) in Superbike will head tomorrow’s grids in their respective categories in the sixth round of the FIM CEV Repsol this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez.
In Moto2™, Steven Odendaal (RSA-Kalex, photo1) earned his third pole of the season. The reigning champion of the Moto2™ European Championship put up the best time in QP1 of 1:44.194 to head the grid along with Tetsuta Nagashima (JPN-Kalex) and Alan Techer (FRA-NTS T Pro). Each of these riders took part in the last Movistar GP in Aragón and have returned to Jerez to stake their claim to victory or a podium finish.
Eric Granado (BRA-Kalex) rode strongly to post a time just 43 thousandths behind Alan Techer, while Dimas Ekky (INA-Kalex) set the fifth fastest time and was the last rider to lap under 1:45.
Iker Lecuona (SPA-Kalex) didn’t have such a good day: the Valencian rider, who has already ridden in the World Championship substituting for the injured Dominique Aegerter, fell and could only set the twelfth fastest time, leaving himself a lot to do in tomorrow’s race.
Ivo Lopes (POR-Kawasaki) was again fastest in Superstock 600, which saw the return of Jacopo Cretaro (ITA-Yamaha) after his serious accident in the FIM CEV Repsol in MotorLand Aragón.
The Superbike race looks very promising. Maximilian Scheib (CHI-BMW, photo2) took his first pole of the season, breaking Carmelo Morales’ (SPA-Yamaha) streak of three consecutive poles. The Targobank EasyRace SBK Team rider stopped the clock in 1:43.161 in the first session, leaving the Spanish Yamaha Laglisse rider just over a tenth adrift; Anthony Delhalle (FRA-Suzuki) will close out the first row of the grid.
With two races scheduled on Sunday, the Superbike poleman will be looking to cut back Carmelo Morales’ 16-point lead at the head of the classification; if after tomorrow’s two races Morales leads by 25 or more points, then the Yamaha Laglisse rider will retain the Superbike European Championship title with only one race remaining in Valencia to finish the championship.
In the Superbike Privateers class, Marcos Andrés Solorza (ARG-BMW) was the fastest with a time of 1:45.433 which puts him fifth in the second row of the starting grid.
