Max Biaggi takes an easy win by seven seconds after Checa crashes out of the lead in Race One; Checa does the same in Race Two after Biaggi runs off the track on first lap
Aprilia’s Max Biaggi took an easy win in Race One at the season-opening Phillip Island round of the 2012 World Superbike Championship, running away to win by 7.104 seconds over BMW Motorrad rider Marco Melandri and Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati’s Sylvain Guintoli. Early leader Tom Sykes headed the field on his Kawasaki for the first two laps before being overtaken by Althea Racing Ducati’s Carlos Checa; the reigning World Champion began to pull a slight lead while Sykes was soon passed by Biaggi, with Guintoli and Melandri in hot pursuit. It all came unraveled for Checa on lap five when he highsided at high speed the last turn before the front straight, handing the lead to Biaggi, who soon began to build a lead that the Italian would never relinquish.
Sykes held second until the 12th lap when Guintoli moved past, followed by Melandri two laps later. The charging Melandri soon got by Guintoli three laps later, and the duo began to pull a couple of seconds on Sykes. Guintoli kept Melandri honest however, staying glued to the BMW rider’s tailsection all the way to the end, coming up a couple of tenths short at the finish. Sykes had a couple of seconds over fifth-placed Jakub Smrz.
Photo Gallery: World Superbike Phillip Island race results - Sport Rider Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment