MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

The last World Supersport race of the year was eighteen laps off Phillip Island and the grid lined up for a dry race. Niki Tuuli was ruled unfit after stomach pains. Leonardo Taccini would start from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure infringement. 

World Superbike's last ten lap Superpole race of the year had a delayed pitman opening due to a downpour that appeared just as riders were about to get out to the grid. Puddles on the grid meant tyre choice would be important and the race was declared wet with the wind and sun adding to the unpredictability of the conditions. 

Rain stopped but everyone bar one was on wet tyres. Philipp Oettl was the lone rider on an intermediate rear. Ducati needs fourteen points over Yamaha to claim the manufacturer title.

After qualifying, the rain returned, putting standing water on the track for the first World Supersport Saturday race at the track. The race would be declared eighteen laps of a wet race; It's raining.

Fifteen minutes of World Superbike Superpole qualifying benefitted from World Supersport trying the track out enough for slick tyres. 

World Supersport Superpole qualifying, the last of the year, started on a damp track that promised to dry out. 

Rain hampered Free Practice 3 giving riders opportunities to test wet and intermediate tyres. Jonathan Rea came out on top with second and third quickest Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alex Lowes holding the top spot at various points throughout the session. Alvaro Bautista was fourth quickest ahead of Axel Bassani and Honda stand-in Tetsuta Nagashima. 

Full results to follow:

Phillip Island wouldn't be Phillip Island without some bird-related japes. The session was red-flagged under five minutes into the session as some Cape Barren geese wandered onto the track, but after the session resumed, Jonathan Rea set the quickest time ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Alex Lowes. Toprak Razgatlioglu, unable to improve on his morning's time was fourth-quickest. Tetsuta Nagashima, replacing injured Iker Lecuona, was sixth-quickest in his debut World Superbike weekend. 

Results: