World Superbikes at Monza
Monday 13 May: Monza's Autodromo Nazionale was drama-a-plenty and not because of the weather.
Superbikes - Race 1: Melandri wins an incredibly close race
Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet)
is the winner of a thrilling and ultra-close Race 1 at Monza's Autodromo
Nazionale, following a spectacular and highly entertained battle
throughout the 18 laps.
The 11th race win for the home
rider - his maiden on the Italian track - was a perfect display of
racecraft, as Melandri entered the final lap in 3rd position and
immediately overtook Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) at Turn 1, then
made a successful move on Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) for the
lead. The works Aprilia Rider regained first position at the "Ascari"
chicane, but the eventual winner was not happy with second place and got
along the inside of the Irishman at the last turn, while Sykes tried to
take advantage to snatch the victory over both rivals.
The three riders crossed the line
side by side, with Melandri winning by 0.085 seconds over Tom Sykes and
by 0.107 seconds on Eugene Laverty. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing
Team) was part of the contention for the win but lost ground in the
closing stages to finish 4th. The Frenchman is still the Championship
leader, 21 points ahead of Sykes and 25 on Laverty.
5th place for Chaz Davies (BMW
Motorrad GoldBet), ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) -
who made his way up to sixth position following a difficult start - and
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team).
Race 1 saw a new average speed
record for the Superbike World Championship (201,814 km/h): the previous
one was set in 2000 at Hockenheim (Race 1 - 201,330 km/h).
Superbikes - Race 2: Laverty takes race win to close on Championship lead
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team)
has taken revenge over Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) after first
race defeat for the win to achieve a crucial victory in Eni FIM
Superbike World Championship Race 2 at Monza. The Irishman grabbed the
lead on the penultimate lap and defended the position from a competitive
Melandri, who set the fastest lap of the race right before the
chequered flag in 1'42.379.
With his 3rd race win of 2013,
Laverty equals the same number of victories achieved in the past two
seasons to close the gap on the Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli
(Aprilia Racing Team) to 13 points, with Tom Sykes 3rd at 18 points from
the top.
The Kawasaki Racing Team rider
completed the podium ahead of Guintoli, as both riders were part of the
4-way battle that characterised most of the 18-lap race.
5th place for Michel Fabrizio (Red
Devils Roma Aprilia), after a close battle with Davide Giugliano
(Althea Racing Aprilia). Both riders had to face a strong Chaz Davies,
up until the Welshman lost the front at Turn 5 during lap 12, and a
fierce Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki), 7th at the flag.
Supersport: Heroic win by Sam Lowes
Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha)
did an almost impossible overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap of World
Supersport race to get his 2nd win of the season and becoming the new
Championship leader. The 23 year old from Lincoln had a fantastic drive
out of Turn 4 to pass all three riders ahead of him at the following
chicane.
Lowes got quickly a small margin
on the chasing pack to cross the line in 1st place ahead of Florian
Marino (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki), Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda
World Supersport) and Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki). The
top-5 in today's race, completed by Kev Coghlan (DMC-Racing Kawasaki)
put up an outstanding battle throughout all 10 laps.
Reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu
(Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) lost the front at Turn 8 during the
4th lap of the race, while he was on the lead. Team mate Fabien Foret
didn't take part to the race after being involved in the multiple crash
at Turn 1 that brought to a third red flag - and eventually led to the
decision of postponing the Supersport race after World Superbike race 2.
Similar misfortune for "Rookie" Michael van Der Mark (Pata Honda World
Supersport) who - like Foret's - is currently undergoing medical checks.
Superstock 1000: Lorenzo Savadori winner of STK1000 race
Lorenzo Savadori won today's FIM
Superstock 1000 Cup race at Monza, that was reduced to 7 laps following
the crash by Greg Gildenhuys (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) and the collision
between team mate Sylvain Barrier and Argentinean Leandro Mercado (Team
Pedercini) on the opening lap after the first start. Savadori showed
again the affinity with his home track, getting a small margin in the
last two laps over the fierce followers to secure a crucial victory
after his difficult start of the season.
The race saw at times a 7-way
battle up front, but the challenge for the two remaining podium places
was a matter between Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Kawasaki) and Niccolò
Canepa (Barni Racing Team Ducati) on the last lap. The 2007 Champion had
a successful overtaking at the last turn, but the Frenchman managed to
regain the position before the finish line.
4th place for Eddi La Marra (Barni
Racing Team Ducati) - who got the holeshot at the restart and was
leader at some point during the race - followed by wild-card Michele
Magnoni (G.M. Racing BMW) and Matthieu Lussiana (Team Aspi Kawasaki).
