Fabrizio's day one hot streak

Italian privateer Michel Fabrizio (Aprilia) has produced the first minor tremor in the season-opening 2013 World Superbike round at Phillip Island by setting the fastest time in today’s opening qualifying session.

The 28-year-old didn’t put a foot wrong as he stopped the clock at 1m31.317s, enough to edge out factory Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty (1:31.392) and BMW’s world No. 3 Marco Melandri (1:31.539). And Fabrizio also went faster in morning practice again, when he unleashed a sizzling 1:31.238.

 “We are working very well, but I’m not fully satisfied yet because we can’t find the right grip we’re looking for on a race distance,” said Fabrizio. “If we can find the right set-up, then we’ll be ready for the races.”

Fabrizio held the aces on day one, but it was certainly a tight affair behind him with only 0.567s back to Honda’s Jonathan Rea (1:31.884) in 10th position. In between, all the remaining top brass have set themselves up nicely for final qualifying tomorrow, including Aprilia’s Leon Camier, BMW’s Chaz Davies, Honda’s Leon Haslam, Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes, and Aprilia’s Sylvain Guintoli.

Laverty and team-mate Sylvain Guintoli were the fastest riders down Gardner Straight in qualifying, hitting 313km/h on their potent V-fours.

Checa -- alongside Haslam the only two Phillip Island WSBK race winners in this weekend’s 21-rider field -- could only manage the 12th fastest time on his Ducati Panigale 1199RS after a big crash in this morning’s practice. Immediately in front of Checa was Australian wildcard Jamie Stauffer (Honda), the Kurri Kurri (NSW) rider dipping into the 1:31 bracket for the first time ever at Phillip Island with a brilliant late burst of speed.

“As we get the motorcycle better, our tyres look better, and they are lasting longer,” said Stauffer.  “We did that time today on a soft race tyre, so tomorrow with qualifiers we could find more.

“But we’re a bit down on speed.  This afternoon I did 293km/h on my Honda, and those (factory) Aprilias hit 310km/h…”

Australia’s second wildcard, Wilton’s (NSW) Glenn Allerton (BMW), was 14th as he continues to fine-tune his setup for Sunday’s two 22-lap WSBK races.

Second qualifying and practice sessions will be held tomorrow at 9:45am and 12:30pm respectively, before the final run for grid positions in the Superpole format, which begins at 3:00pm.

Meanwhile, British Yamaha rider Sam Lowes has put the field on notice for the opening round of the 2013 Supersport World Championship by setting the best ever lap of Phillip Island in opening qualifying this afternoon.

Lowes scorched around the 4.445km layout in 1m32.545s on his Russian-backed machine, over one second ahead of reigning world champion Kenan Sofouglu (1:33.664). The previous circuit best for a World Supersport bike at Phillip Island was 1:33.847, set by Spaniard Joan Lascorz in 2010.

MV Agusta’s Roberto Rolfo (1:34.081) and Michael Van Der Mark (Honda, 1:34.106) were third and fourth in the 45-minute session, while Lake Macquarie (NSW) rider Kevin Curtain (1:34.789) was the leading Australian in 15th, three spots ahead of Honda’s Josh Hook (1:34.944).

Hook wasn’t even expected to take part in qualifying after a massive crash at turn nine in opening practice, but his team was able to cobble together a makeshift replacement just in time – a marriage between his Honda Racing Corporation-sourced engine and the chassis from his Australian-spec Supersport bike.

West Wyalong (NSW) teenager Matt Davies (Honda) and Wollongong’s Mitchell Carr (Triumph) – both full-time World Supersport riders in 2013 – were 25th and 27th respectively in the 31-bike field. Carr also crashed this morning and badly damaged the front end of his bike.

There will be a second World Supersport practice session tomorrow morning before final qualifying at 4:05pm.

For for results, visit www.worldsbk.com/en/season.html.