Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Jonathan Rea set the fastest time on the second day of official World Superbike pre-season testing at Portimao in Portugal overnight.

On a day hit by bad weather and despite yesterday’s finger-damaging crash, the 22-year-old Northern Irishman made all the difference both on the wet track in the morning and in the afternoon’s damp session on intermediate tyres. Rea’s best lap today was 1:49.108, about seven seconds off yesterday’s dry lap times.

Behind Rea, second place went to Leon Haslam, who continues to settle into his Suzuki Alstare team after dominating yesterday. The surprise of the day however was Troy Corser, who took his BMW S1000RR to third with an excellent 1:49.606. Ruben Xaus also went well with seventh quickest time on the second BMW.

Cal Crutchlow continued his familiarization process on the Yamaha Sterilgarda machine in fourth, ahead of Tom Sykes who went well in the wet on his Kawasaki. Max Biaggi could only manage ninth today on his Aprilia as he focused on engine reliability. Both Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are currently slightly down the timesheets, the Italian still down with a virus and not exactly 100% fit.

In World Supersport, Michele Pirro continues to make a positive impression on his new Hannspree Ten Kate Honda mount, the Italian powering to the quickest time in day two of Supersport testing.

Pirro set a time of 1:47.168 on the damp track, four-tenths quicker than Spain’s Joan Lascorz, who was quickest in the dry on Friday. The Kawasaki Motocard.com man had a harmless crash in the early stages and failed to improve on a 1:47.527.

Eugene Laverty, who topped the timesheets in the wet morning run, then slipped down to third, followed by his team-mate Miguel Praia. Italian Paola Cazzola, a new face in Supersport this year, made some improvement to twelfth, one place behind the rookie American Jason DiSalvo (Triumph).

SUPERBIKE TIMES
Overall Times (Friday/Saturday): 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’42.778; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’42.960; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’43.033; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’43.364; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’43.378; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1’43.569; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1’43.574; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.711; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’43.870; 10. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’43.903; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’44.283; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’44.365; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.376; 14. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1’44.453; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.570; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’44.576; 17. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1’44.751; 18. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’46.444; 19. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’47.293; 20. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’48.317.

SUPERSPORT TIMES
Overall Times (Friday/Saturday): 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.292; 2. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.587; 3. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.834; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.909; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.988; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1’46.610: 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’47.164; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1’47.500