(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ducati's Davide Giugliano won the first-ever floodlit Superpole of the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) yesterday, but Kawasaki Racing Team's Loris Baz and defending champion Tom Sykes will also start from the front-row grid of the Losail International Circuit here today.
Today's two 17-lap encounters will decide whether reigning champion Sykes is able to retain his World Superbike title.
Only 12 points separates Sykes from Guintoli, with 34 laps deciding the 2014 victor in the season finale in Qatar.
Superpole 1 saw Marco Melandri of Aprilia Racing Team and EVO leader David Salom of Kawasaki Racing Team progress, joining the already automatically seeded riders after the combined three practice sessions on Friday.
The pair was separated by 0.086s at the end of an exciting 15-minute session.
Sylvain Barrier of BMW Motorrad Italia suffered a huge highside in the final moments of the first Superpole session, bringing out the red flag. The Frenchman was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks and if declared fit, he will start from 13th on the grid today.
The second row for the season's final races will see Chaz Davies of the Ducati Superbike Team, Sylvain Guintoli of Aprilia Racing Team and Leon Haslam of Pata Honda World Superbike Team.
Best-classified EVO rider David Salom will start from the fourth row in 12th position.
Wildcard rider Alex Cudlin of Pedercini Kawasaki will make his WSBK debut starting from 16th on the grid while Geoff May, who put the Team Hero EBR machine into Superpole for the very first time, will start 19th.
Jonathan Rea of Pata Honda World Superbike Team and Alex Lowes of Voltcom Crescent Suzuki both crashed and will start from 7th and 11th respectively.
Meanwhile, in the World Supersport (WSS) category, Jules Cluzel of MV Agusta Reparto Corse secured the 10th Pole Position of his WSS career.
Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti of Pata Honda World Supersport Team complete the front row.
Row two comprises Ratthapark Wilairot (Core PTR Honda), Jack Kennedy (CIA Insurance Honda) and Magny-Cours Lucas Mahias (DMC-Panavto Yamaha).
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