World Superbikes 2006 - Round 9

Race 2 saw Troy Bayliss (Xerox Ducati) again return to the top of the podium, but this time on a virtually dry track! Bayliss was fastest in qualifying, but 'Mr. Superpole' Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Suzuki) again turned in a super quick lap to pip Bayliss for pole. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Italia) was second fastest, followed by Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Suzuki) and Bayliss.

RACE 1
Very wet conditions, bordering on unrideable, saw almost half the field, including championship leader Bayliss, crash out of the first race. But Walker perservered and put a smile on the big numbers of sodden British spectators who annually cross the Channel for this event with his first ever World Superbike win. The victory was also Kawasaki's first in six years. The result was even more impressive considering Walker had gone off the circuit at the first corner of lap one and rejoined the field dead last. As other riders fell or retired around him, Walker made his way through the field, taking the lead on lap 15 from Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Italia), the Brit holding off the Aussie rainmaster until the chequered flag. Both Corser and Bayliss took turns at the lead early before both also crashed out of the race, Corser after losing vision when his visor fogged up, Bayliss when he lost grip off the edge of the track.

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) was looking good for a podium position until he too fell on lap13, but managed to rejoin the race and finish ninth.

Steve Martin (Foggy Petronas) finally secured some points on the FP-1 with a 12th place finish, although almost two minutes adrift of the winner. The race of attrition threw up some unfamilar names near the top of the time sheets. Michel Fabrizio (DFXTreme Ducati) secured the final podium slot ahead of Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) and Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France).

Josh Brookes (Kawasaki Bertocchi) was one of the many to crash out, but had been running as high as fourth midway through the race.

Race 1: 1. Walker, 2. Pitt, 3. Fabrizio, 4. Nieto, 5. Abe, 6. Neukirchner, 7. Rolfo, 8. Lanzi, 9. Muggeridge, 10. Toseland.


RACE 2
Corser's wretched weekend - indeed, wretched season - continued in race 2, this time not even completing one lap.

Off the start line, Corser was nudged by Haga, the impact, unbeknownst to the Aussie, damaging his front wheel and brake disc. With no front brake, Corser went down when he tried to slow for the first turn, bringing down Haga and James Toseland (Ten Kate Honda) with him. While Toseland remounted to finish ninth, the damage was too bad for both Haga and Corser to continue.Bayliss avoided the tangle to lead from Kagayama and Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) in one of the Spaniard's best rides so far this season.

Kagayama snatched the lead from Bayliss on lap four, but Bayliss reclaimed it on lap 11. In the background, both Pitt and Nieto stayed in touch with the leaders in the early stages. As Bayliss pulled away, Kagayama fell back into the clutches of Pitt, Xaus and Nieto, the Aussie pushing his Yamaha to second ahead of Nieto by two seconds at the finish. In trying conditions, it was a great weekend for Pitt, who moves to third in the championship as a result. Out front, Bayliss romped to a 9+ second win to bring his championship a little closer.

Of the other Aussies, Martin secured more points for the weekend, finishing 11th, while Brookes also salvaged something from the weekend with a solitary point for 15th place behind Muggeridge in 13th.

Race 2: 1. Bayliss, 2. Pitt, 3. Nieto, 4. Kagayama, 5. Xaus, 6. Lanzi, 7. Barros, 8. Laconi, 9. Toseland, 10. Fabrizio.

Points after 9 of 12 rounds:
Bayliss 332, Toseland 232, Haga 230, Pitt 197, Corser 193, Barros 175, Kagayama 139, Walker 123, Lanzi 115, Fabrizio 112.


SUPERSPORT
Kenan Sofuoglu (Ten Kate Honda) rode the race of his life in a wet, two-part aggregate race that claimed as many riders through crashes as the first Superbike race. In part one of the race, Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) was leading from team mate Kevin Curtain and pole sitter Sebastien Charpentier (Ten Kate Honda) when he crashed heavily. The Aussie broke three ribs, punctured a lung and damaged his liver, but recent reports indicate Parkes is irecovering well. With Sofuoglu in the race lead from Kai Borre Andersen (Hoegee Suzuki) on lap 10, the crash of two other riders brought out the red flag.

At the restart, Sofuoglu again took the lead from Charpentier and Curtian, but Charpentier just snatched victory in the dying laps. However, Sofuoglu won the event on aggregate from Curtain, the runner up result giving the Aussie the championship lead.

Race: 1. Sofuoglu, 2. Curtain, 3. Andersn, 4. Charpentier, 5. Vos, 6. Veneman, 7. Vizziello, 8. Roccoli.

Points after 9 of 12 rounds:
Curtain 151, Charpentier 144, Parkes 119, Harms 94, Sofuoglu 92, Roccoli 86.