Carlos Checa who wants to break last year’s bad luck at Miller Motorsports Park, ended up being on the top of the timesheets during FP1, but was unlucky again.
First an engine problem his first bike sent him back to his garage at the beginning of the session and then he crashed his second bike after setting the fastest lap in practice.
Despite all his problems, the Althea Ducati rider was still 0.
653s faster than the rest of the field with a best lap of 1′48.
914, which left Leon Camier in second.
The British rider definitely didn’t have any of the usual technical problems that have recently plagued his Aprilia RSV4.
Third went to reigning World Champion Max Biaggi who was a tenth of second slower than his team mate and playing catch up with points leader Checa, after his ride-through penalty at Monza in race 2 that dropped him to third in the championship standings.
Jakub Smrz was fourth on Effenbert Liberty Ducati followed by an upbeat Michel Fabrizio who was the last rider to be within a second of Checa.
Jonathan Rea was sixth after his two days of testing at the Utah track earlier in the week, with Troy Corser in seventh.
Tom Sykes was eighth for Kawasaki Racing Team, while Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri (debuting at Miller for the first time) closed out the top ten with their R1’s.
Leon Haslam could only manage 14th on the factory BMW, while Ayrton Badovini on the satellite BMW was 12th.
Wild-card Josh Waters for Yoshimura Suzuki was fifteenth on his return to the WSBK championship, while James Toseland who is still chasing fitness after his hand injury was 19th.
WSBK MMP Free practice results:01- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – 1’48.
91402- Leon Camier – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
65303- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
75804- Jakub Smrz – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
90905- Michel Fabrizio – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 0.
97606- Jonathan Rea – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.
02307- Troy Corser – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 1.
13708- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.
20409- Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1.
45010- Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1.
59611- Ruben Xaus – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.
67512- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 1.
69013- Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 1.
91714- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 1.
94815- Josh Waters – Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 2.
05516- Joan Lascorz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.
28217- Noriyuki Haga – Pata Racing Team Aprilia – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 2.
53218- Maxime Berger – Supersonic Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 2.
56119- James Toseland – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 2.
68620- Roberto Rolfo – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 3.
57821- Mark Aitchison – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 3.
608
