Biaggi battles to another double
Added on Monday, May 31st, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Biaggi on top again
Max Biaggi enjoyed his third double victory of the year at Miller Motorsports Park today, picking up the pieces from Carlos Checa’s misfortune.
As the lights went at the start of race one, the fast starting Biaggi launched into the lead, leaving the remainder of the field to follow behind. Biaggi’s Aprilia Alitalia Racing teammate, Leon Camier leapt up to second from eighth, whilst Checa was demoted slightly from his pole position start.
The first lap saw Jakub Smrz, early pace setter of the weekend, hit retirement, as smoke bellowed from the rear of his Team Pata B&G Racing Ducati.
As Smrz’s race was ending, Checa was fighting his way back to the front, muscling his way through to second, demoting Camier to third. WSB veteran, Troy Corser enjoyed a flourishing start, firing from fifteenth to fourth within the opening laps. Further adrift, Leon Haslam was paying for a difficult start down in ninth, whilst James Toseland progressed from fourteenth to tenth at the start.
By the second lap, Checa was back in control when he managed to work his way passed Biaggi for the lead. From here the duo immediately began to stretch out their advantage over the rest of the field.
Lap two also saw Michel Fabrizio’s race end abruptly, when he slipped from his Ducati Xerox machine. The Italian had never finished off of the podium in the three years of WSB visiting the Miller Motorsports Park, until this incident.
After suffering a crash during yesterday’s Superpole session, Jonathan Rea again experienced the same fate, when he fell from his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda just three laps into the race. As a result Cal Crutchlow was forced wide, meaning he was soon demoted down the order. Rea was able to rejoin the race, however the Ulsterman was pushed back down the order.
Now back on the pace, Haslam launched a come back, determined to minimise the points gap to chief rival Biaggi. Latching onto the rear of Corser and Noriyuki Haga, Haslam wasted little time in passing both to elevate him to fourth place. Before long, the championship leader was pressuring the rear of Camier’s Aprilia, eager to jump up to third. Determined as ever, Haslam found a way passed the reigning British Superbike Champion, and set about closing the gap to Biaggi and Checa.
With just three laps remaining, Checa suddenly slowed and pulled off the track, handing the lead back to Biaggi. From here, the Italian eased across the finish line in a comfortable number one spot, with Haslam second. Haga squeezed through to third, leaving Camier to accept fourth, whilst Corser held onto fifth and Shane Byrne sixth.
Luca Scassa fought his way up to seventh by the chequered, managing to find a way passed Toseland, with Sylvain Guintoli eighth, Toseland ninth and Ruben Xaus tenth. Crutchlow managed to work his way back to eleventh, whilst Rea stormed through after his crash, to gain two points, finishing fourteenth.
Race two saw Checa as the fast starter, as the pole sitter immediately jumped out in front, leading Biaggi whilst Corser enjoyed another strong start to slot into second.
Cructhlow was a man on the move, after sitting in seventh for much of the opening laps, as he soon began to move forward, firstly making a move on Rea before passing Xaus to move up to fifth.
Again suffering a slow getaway, Haslam gave himself some work to do, but as the opening laps developed he was back on the pace and started picking off his rivals one by one.
Lap seven was when the drama struck, as Checa again seemingly suffering the same fate as race one, as he suddenly slowed into retirement from the lead of the race for the second time today. Championship charger Haslam was the next to suffer, as he crashed from his Suzuki bike just seconds later.
During the closing stages, The battle for second stole the show, as Corser, Camier and Crutchlow were running nose to tail. Camier made a brave move for second, sliding passed Corser, whilst Crutchlow followed one lap later.
Luck got worse for the Brits as Toseland crashed from his Sterilgarda Yamaha on lap fourteen, ending his race immediately.
As the chequered flag fell for the second time today, it was Biaggi who snatched another double victory, with teammate Camier making it an Aprilia Alitalia one-two with his best finish of the season. Crutchlow followed his fellow Brit into the podium, with Haga in fourth and Corser fifth.
Guintoli enjoyed another strong showing finishing sixth at the flag, with Byrne seventh, Rea eighth and Fabrizio recovering from a tough first race to finish ninth. Scassa completed the top ten, and also his second top ten finish of the weekend.
Biaggi has now inherited the championship lead with 257 points to Haslam’s 242. Rea is still third in the standings with 151 points.
With a bit of a break until the next round, Haslam will be keen to get back on track to steal back his place at the top of the championship table.
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