Jacobsen pips Mahias to Imola Supersport pole

MV Agusta’s PJ Jacobsen snatched a third pole position of the season in front of his team’s home crowd in a tight Superpole session from Imola.

The American never looked a threat for qualifying after ending Friday’s running almost a second down on Puccetti Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu. And when SP2 got underway, it was a steady start for Jacobsen.

However, as the session drew to a close the MV rider upped his pace and snatched provisional pole with enough time left on the clock for one last effort. Jacobsen raised the benchmark further with a 1m51.611s on his final flying lap to cement top spot.

Championship leader Lucas Mahias put the American’s time under threat, but missed out by 0.112s at the chequered flag. Completing the front row on the Bardahl Evans Bros Honda was Christian Gamarino, who leaped up to third at the death.

Superpole was teed up to be a duel between Federico Caricasulo and Sofuoglu, the pair split by the tiniest of margins at the end of FP3. In the end, their battle was for top spot on the second row, Yamaha rider Caricasulo pipping Sofuoglu by just over a tenth.

Sheridan Morais put in a solid effort of 1m52.050 to put his Kallio racing R6 sixth on the grid, with Kyle Smith heading row three on his Lorini Honda from Jules Cluzel and Kyle Ryde. Hikari Okubo, Loris Cresson and leading European Supersport runner Alessandro Zaccone completed the top 12.

Profile Racing stand-in Jack Kennedy came close to progressing through to SP2, having sat top of the pile for much of the session. However, last-gasp efforts from Ryde and Cresson shuffled the Irishman back to 13^th.

Niki Tuuli will be disappointed to miss SP2 for the fourth time this season in 14^th, though the Finnish rider did come close. Rob Hartog, too, was not far off of a place in SP2 in 15^th, the Dutchman pipping Roberto Rolfo and ESS rival Hannes Soomers.

Luke Stapleford will be left puzzled at the half a second gap to temporary team-mate Kennedy in 18^th. Countryman Gino Rea will start from 19^th on his Go Eleven Kawasaki, whilst Ant West was resigned to 20^th after suffering a late technical drama.