Carlos Checa took a firmer grip on the 2011 World Superbike championship today even before the race began, as title contender and reigning World Champion Max Biaggi had to withdraw from the 10th round at Nurburgring sidelined with a fractured left foot.
With Biaggi out of the running, the Althea Racing rider who was already leading the championship by 62 points, took another dominating and solitary ride in race 1 and his 11th victory of the seasonWhile the first place podium was already decided after lap three, the battle for second went down between Marco Melandri and Noriyuki Haga, which saw the Yamaha rider who despite a mistake at the halfway mark end up more than three seconds behind Haga, but Melandri regrouped and overtook the Pata Aprilia rider with five laps to go and kept the position while keeping the fighting Japanese rider at bay to take second.
Haga’s third place gave him his second podium finish of the season.
Eugene Laverty crossed under the chequered flag in a solitary fourth, after battling with his team mate and mid track run off, but he just couldn’t match the Italian’s place.
Leon Haslam put in one of his most impressive rides this season.
After running off track while he was in running in fifth he dropped back to 14th, but he clawed his way back to retake his fifth spot, pipping Sylvain Guintoli for the spot on the last lap.
Kawasaki’s Joan Lascorz literally grabbed seventh and he slipstreamed past Leon Camier at the finish line.
Ayrton Badovini finished in 9th while Jonathan Rea closed out the top ten.
WSBK Nurburgrin Race 1 results:01- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – 20 laps in 38’59.
77902- Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1.
85503- Noriyuki Haga – Pata Racing Team Aprilia – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 2.
32204- Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 7.
78905- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 9.
72706- Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 10.
11307- Joan Lascorz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 17.
22608- Leon Camier – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 17.
22809- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 18.
16610- Jonathan Rea – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 19.
45711- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 22.
13612- Mark Aitchison – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 25.
34613- James Toseland – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 31.
61714- Roberto Rolfo – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 31.
79615- Troy Corser – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 33.
32016- Michel Fabrizio – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 38.
14917- Makoto Tamada – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1’16.
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