Rea sets lap record for Assen pole, clashes with Davies

Jonathan Rea has set a new lap record at Assen to take a dominant pole position but had a close moment with Chaz Davies on a fast lap.

29 Apr 2017

Jonathan Rea, Assen WSBK 2017
© Gold and Goose

Click here for full WorldSBK Superpole results from Assen

Jonathan Rea has set a new lap record at Assen to take a dominant pole position ahead of team-mate Tom Sykes with Chaz Davies completing the third row but had a close moment with Rea on his final qualifying lap.

Rea converted his impressive free practice pace into his 11th career pole position in World Superbikes and having set lap record pace he duly blitzed the outright lap record at the iconic Dutch circuit with a 1m 33.505s.

His Kawasaki team-mate Sykes hoped to respond on his final flying lap having claimed pole position in the Netherlands last year but he missed out by two-tenths of a second to settle for second on the grid.

The main flashpoint came from Davies on his final flying lap felt he was blocked by a slowing Rea and angrily reacted to the World Superbike championship leader by leaning over a pulling up the Kawasaki Racing Team rider.

With Davies forced to halt his final qualifying lap he will start third on the grid alongside the two Kawasaki factory riders but was evidently frustrated to miss out on his final flying lap.

Behind the front three, Lorenzo Savadori impressed on his comeback from injury sustained in Thailand with fourth place on the grid for Milwaukee Aprilia ahead of Aruba.it Racing Ducati's Marco Melandri.

Eugene Laverty made it two Milwaukee Aprilias on the second row by taking sixth place ahead of Superpole 1 graduate Xavi Fores on the Barni Ducati who nipped ahead of local favourite Michael van der Mark on the Pata Yamaha.

Jordi Torres grabbed the final spot on row three for Althea BMW with Red Bull Honda's Nicky Hayden giving his Ten Kate Racing team small comfort at its home round with 10th on the grid after a difficult start to 2017.

Leon Camier on the MV Agusta and Alex Lowes on the Pata Yamaha completed the Superpole 2 contenders in 11th and 12th respectively as Randy Krummenacher became the unlucky rider in 13th who just missed out from progressing through Superpole 1.