WSBK: Smrz holds sway in Q2

Jakub Smrz has retained the initiative heading into Superpole at Donington Park after going fastest once again in Q2. The Czech rider was quickest during provisional qualifying with a 1min 29.336secs, but more favourable track conditions this morning ensured every rider improved on their Friday efforts. Nonetheless, Smrz was still the man in charge as his last flying lap denied Kawasaki's Tom Sykes, the Effenbert Liberty rider taking a best of 1min 28.740secs into Superpole later today. An exciting session characterised by an ever-changing leaderboard and a timesheets that sees less than a second cover the top 15, Sykes continues to look strong aboard the ZX-10R, while Carlos Checa made fairly stealthy progress up the order to end the session third. Improvements at BMW would see local favourite Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri progress to fourth and fifth respectively, while Leon Camier was again impressive on the little fancied Suzuki in sixth position. Michel Fabrizio shrugged off a minor tumble to go seventh quickest, ahead of British pair Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies, the latter making arguably the biggest improvement to end the session as the quickest RSV4 rider. Indeed, the factory Aprilia riders could only manage 10th and 14th in the order of Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty, the latter only just saving himself in the closing minutes having dropped as low as 17th. Joining them in Superpole will be Davide Giugliano, Sylvain Guintoli, Ayrton Badovini, Niccolo Canepa and Maxime Berger, the Frenchman scraping through by less than a tenth. Sitting out this afternoon's action will be Hiroshi Aoyama, who looked on course to crack Superpole for the first time when he was demoted in the final seconds, Loris Baz, Peter Hickman, Lorenzo Zanetti, Mark Aitchison, Leandro Mercado and Gary Mason.