Laconi tops Imola practice

Regis Laconi has topped this morning’s practice session at the penultimate round of the World Superbike championship in Imola, Italy.

The NCR Ducati rider took his 998 to a fastest lap of 1:50.540, beating the Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Gregorio Lavilla to the top spot by 0.119 seconds. But his time was still well outside the circuit’s fastest qualifying lap of 1:48.336, set by Colin Edwards last year.

Newly-crowned champion Neil Hodgson finished the hour-long session in third place, 0.536 seconds down on Laconi, with HM Plant Ducati rider Chris Walker just 0.071 seconds back in fourth.

Steve Martin made a surprise appearance in fifth place with a time of 1:51.318 followed by James Toseland on the HM Plant Ducati and highest placed Italian rider Frankie Chili in seventh.

Hodgson’s team-mate Ruben Xaus took his Ducati 999 to a 1:1:51.625 to finish the opening practice session in eighth.

Times:

1 Régis Laconi 1:50.540, 2 Gregorio Lavilla 1:50.659, 3 Neil Hodgson 1:51.076, 4 Chris Walker 1:51.147, 5 Steve Martin 1:51.318, 6 James Toseland 1:51.507, 7 Pierfrancesco Chili 1:51.569, 8 Ruben Xaus 1:51.625, 9 Juan Bautista Borja 1:51.724, 10 Lucio Pedercini 1:52.673, 11 Mauro Sanchini 1:52.858, 13 Ivan Clementi 1:52.904, 14 Marco Borciani 1:53.050, 15 Troy Corser 1:53.235, 16 David Garcia 1:54.808, 17 Sergio Fuertes 1:55.248, 18 Alex Gramigni 1:55.539, 19 Horst Saiger 1:56.022, 20 James Haydon 1:56.101, 21 Luca Pini 1:56.384, 22 Walter Tortoroglio 1:56.391, 23 Giuseppe Zannini 1:57.519, 24 Simone Conti 1:57.652, 25 Gianmaria Liverani 1:57.975, 26 Luca Pedersoli 1:58.726, 27 Lorenzo Mauri 1:59.225, 28 Jiri Mrkyvka 2:01.174.

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