Leon Haslam has claimed just the second pole position of his World Superbike career after snatching top spot from under the nose of Chaz Davies at Aragon. The Aprilia rider struck with just over a minute of Superpole remaining to deny Davies, who had set the pace in free practice, with the Kawasakis of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea third and fourth.
A number of big names found themselves in trouble following the three practice sessions with defending champion Sylvain Guintoli forced to take part in SP1 along with the Voltcom Crescent Suzukis of Alex Lowes and Randy de Puniet. Guintoli would have started as favourite to book his place in the pole position shootout but Ayrton Badovini sprung a surprise to top the session aboard his BMW while Lowes put in a last-gasp flyer to take second with Matteo Baiocco relegating Guintoli to fourth and fourteenth on the grid.
The second session got off to a sensational start with Jonathan Rea immediately setting the quickest lap time of the weekend, a 1:50.740. Chaz Davies soon put that into perspective with a 1:50.299 and as the riders returned to fit their qualifying tyres, the Welshman held provisional pole.
Davies was the first to use the softer rubber and broke straight into the 1:49s despite an error at turn one, extending his lead at the top to almost a second, but Ayrton Badovini had tucked himself into the slipstream of the Panigale and towed his way onto the front row in third. Haslam soon changed that with a 1:49.664, three hundredths quicker than Davies’ flyer, while Tom Sykes secured his place on the front row despite a difficult final sector which potentially cost him a shot at pole.
Championship leader Jonathan Rea will line up fourth after failing to break into the 1:49s with Ducati substitute Xavi Fores qualifying a fine fifth. Badovini was demoted to sixth with Jordi Torres taking seventh on the second Aprilia, just ahead of Alex Lowes and Nicolas Terol.
ARAGON ROUND: SUPERPOLE CLASSIFICATION
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