World SuperBikes | Toseland and Haga share Donington Wins

WorldSBK: Toseland and Haga share Donington wins

(Kawasaki Release) A DAY OF TWO HALVES AT DONINGTON James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored the first race win after race leader and Superpole winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) crashed out at Coppice, injuring his right little finger badly enough to require immediate surgery. Bayliss still took a new lap record of 1’31.575, on lap four of race one, and it survived race two. In the second race of an incident-strewn day, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) won a thrilling last corner battle with Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) after early leader Toseland’s machine stopped on lap four. Toseland still leads the series, however, 115 points to Biaggi’s 110, with Haga third on 88.

RACE ONE James Toseland’s chase of eventual faller Troy Bayliss left him on his own when Bayliss went out, and Toseland rode with a clear head to finish the race 1.3 seconds up on Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), with Biaggi a slow starting, fast finishing third. 51,000 spectators witnessed the action at Donington this weekend, despite cold temperatures and rain on Friday.

RACE TWO With Toseland out, the second 23-lap race settled into a fast rhythm (eventually two seconds faster than race one), which was punctuated by the occasional flurry of overtaking attempts by Haga and Biaggi. On the final corner, leader Biaggi ran wide and Haga zipped past to secure his first win of the year, making him the fourth rider on the top step of the podium in only six races. Corser, a close third almost throughout, was third in the final analysis and now sits fourth overall, with 81 points.

XAUS AND LANZI FIGHT IT OUT Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) may have fallen in race one but he did secure a fine fourth in race two, beating the factory machine of Lorenzo Lanzi, who had been fifth behind Haga in race one. A war between the Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse riders Fonsi Nieto and Regis Laconi went the way of Nieto in race one (sixth) but Laconi scored that finishing spot in race two, with Nieto falling out of contention. The second race gave Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) a seventh place, but Jakub Smrz (Caracchi SC Ducati) was the most impressive privateer of the day, scoring eighth in race two - after an almost equally good tenth in race one.

NEUKIRCHNER EIGHTH AND TENTH Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) scored eighth and tenth places at Donington to edge out some even more experienced riders again. Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) and Josh Brookes, his team mate, each scored points in two races for the first time this year.

WORLD SUPERSPORT - SOFUOGLU WINS AFTER AGGREGATE RACE A two part 22-lap World Supersport race saw long term race leader and championship top man Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) the eventual winner on aggregate, leading over the line in each of the two halves of the race. A clutch problem in the opening leg could have made the outcome very different for Sofuoglu, in a race with many problems for some top riders. Second place went to aggressive Dane Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) with Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) third and local man Craig Jones (Reve Ekerold Honda Racing) a fine fourth.

Gil Kawasaki riders Pere Riba and Fabien Foret had bad luck on raceday, with Riba punished for a jump-start and finishing 15th overall instead of on a possible podium, while Foret retired in leg one with an engine problem.

In the championship, Sofuoglu is well clear on 70 points, with Fujiwara second on 43 and Harms third on 39.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP - CANEPA GIVES DUCATI 1098 A WIN FIRST TIME OUT

Niccolo Canepa and his Ducati Xerox 1098 were first time winners in the Superstock class of 2007, but only after a series of dramatic incidents. The race was shortened to eight laps, after a crash in the first start caused dirt to be deposited on the circuit. Michele Pirro (Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) led that contest but while lying second in the second leg, he crashed with just over a lap left, and took out the leader, Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) in the process. Claudio Corti went second, with Didier Van Keymeulen (TTSL MGM Racing Yamaha) third.

SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP - MIGNONI THE WINNER Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Yamaha) scored his first win in the smaller Superstock class, from Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Domenico Colucci (Ducati Xerox Junior Team).