From the WSBK Pressoffice
World Superbike Championship leader Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) had a remarkable day in front of 64,000 fans at Silverstone on Sunday, despite not expecting to be in full contention before arriving in the UK.
In winning the first race Checa became the rider who gave Ducati 300 race wins in this championship, and added one to the total when he took his second win in a few hours. His race two victory was his 10th of the season.
Checa is something of a century man, as he notched up 100 WSBK races in the second encounter and he was also the rider to give Honda its 100th win in WSBK, at Miller Motorsports Park in 2008.
"I didn't know it was my 100th race, but it's most important I'm not 100 years old," Checa said. "It was also Ducati's 300th win, a fantastic weekend, and I will remember it for these many reasons. You never know, there are still many races to go and it's easy to lose points but now we arrive at some tracks where I feel more comfortable.
"I expected to have more trouble at Silverstone but we worked, planned and adapted well to make a perfect result. For sure now we go on holiday quite relaxed."
He missed out on a Superpole victory but controlled the pace in each race, making a break away from early leader Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) each time.
"I've got to be happy with 40 points," Laverty said. "It's not a victory but two seconds are going to have to do. I was pushing for the win, in particular for my brother John who's laid up in hospital. It was a better second race for me, after Carlos rode away in the first one. For race 2 I changed the rear tire, there was an improvement but every time I closed in on Carlos he reacted. The Yamaha has been working well around here, last year it did the double and me and Marco are on the podium this time round."
Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) was third in each race, moving closer to overall second place rider Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) who had a terrible opener but a much-improved second race.
"It's been a good race," Melandri said. "I changed the tire for race 2 to get better grip on the left side, but the lap time at the beginning was faster so it was tricky for me to follow the leaders. After 10 laps I started to get a better feeling with the bike and started to go faster than the guys in front of me. I caught Camier and Max was behind me but I really wanted this podium; a big thanks to all of my team."
Behind the riders in the front positions John Hopkins delivered on his Superpole status for much of raceday, only fading towards the end of each contest, as a wildcard rider arrived with interest at this round.
A brace of sixth places for Sylvain Guintoli put another privateer well in the mix, while local rider Leon Haslam worked hard for his race finishes in the points.
For the other main regulars, Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) had a high of ninth in race two, and Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was seventh in race one, having started 19th on the grid.
Stand-in rider Alex Lowes (Castrol Honda) did not finish either race, Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) was 10th on each occasion and his team-mate James Toseland battled hard in each race to finish 12th and 13th. Another comeback rider, Troy Corser, was ninth in race one.
Checa took the total of Ducati race wins in WSBK history to 300 in race one. Early race leader Laverty was second and Melandri third.
Local hero Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was fourth, while pole man and wildcard rider Hopkins ending up fifth and well in the points. Guintoli got into the top six ahead of Lascorz, after early fast Pedercini Kawasaki rider Mark Aitchison crashed out.
Aprilia Alitalia rider Biaggi was a disappointed 11th, his team-mate Leon Camier distraught at losing a podium place as his bike suffered a problem that held him back in 15th place.
Points leader Checa made it 10 wins in 2011 and in his 100th WSBK race no less, when he won the second 18-lap race at Silverstone, moving further ahead in the championship chase.
Laverty took his four-cylinder bike to second, with his fellow Yamaha man Melandri was third but only after a tough battle. Biaggi was with Melandri in the final few corners but could not work a way past at the flag, taking a fighting fourth place.
Biaggi's team-mate Camier was fifth, having been in a podium spot for most of the race. Wildcard Hopkins was pushed to seventh by the impressive privateer Guintoli.
Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) held off the race long challenge of David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) to take his fourth World Supersport win of the season and extend his championship lead to 42 points. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) finished third, 2.449 seconds from Davies, but the late challenge of the luckless Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) ended in the gravel as he ran on trying to pass Foret, and he finished 11th.
Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service R.T. Yamaha) put memories of a big Silverstone crash last year behind him with fourth place, one position up on Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki). Broc Parkes, Salom's team-mate was sixth.
Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) fell after a collision early in the race with Rea.
Davies is now leading the championship with 141 points, Salom is second on 104, Foret has 101 and Parkes is fourth with 95.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati) won a ten-lap Superstock 1000 race by over three seconds from the warring duo of Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) and Niccolo Canepa (Lazio Motorsport Ducati).
The fight for the lead was eventually contested by Petrucci and championship leader Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) until Giugliano crashed out of contention on lap nine, leaving Petrucci a clear run to the flag.
In the championship fight, Giugliano has an unchanged 115 points, Zanetti 104 and Petrucci 94.
The European Superstock 600 race win went to American Joshua Day (Revolution Racedays Kawasaki), who became the sixth different winner this year. In a sprint finish to the line Day got the edge on Australian Jed Metcher (MTM-RT Motorsports Yamaha) and Italian Riccardo Russo (Trasimeno Yamaha). Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France) again failed to score a win but held off the challenge of Daniele Beretta (Trasimeno Yamaha) in the last few metres to keep his points lead intact.
Superbike Race 1 Results
1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 38:06.477 (167.266km/h)
2. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF-R1 +3.304
3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +4.782
4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +7.116
5. Hopkins J. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +11.057
6. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +21.899
7. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R +22.308
8. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +22.734
9. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000RR +25.491
10. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000RR +25.725
11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +25.844
12. Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +45.578
13. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +51.650
14. Kirkham J. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +57.310
15. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +1:36.457
RET. Lai F. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR
etc.
Pirelli BEST LAP Award: Carlos Checa (Althea Racing), 2:06.045 (Lap 5)
Superbike Race 2 Results
1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 38:03.361 (167.494km/h)
2. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF-R1 +2.274
3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +3.675
4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +3.960
5. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +4.405
6. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +10.958
7. Hopkins J. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +11.387
8. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +11.496
9. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +12.247
10. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000RR +19.705
11. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R +19.753
12. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +21.582
13. Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +27.235
14. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +30.702
15. Kirkham J. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +42.579
16. Lai F. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR +43.420
etc.
Pirelli BEST LAP Award: Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), 2'05.525 (Lap 2)
World Superbike Points
(after 9 of 13 rounds)
1. Checa 343
2. Biaggi 281
3. Melandri 272
4. Laverty 208
5. Haslam 158
6. Camier 146
7: Fabrizio 141
8. Badovini 118
