Reigning champion is the class act on racedayTroy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was crowned king of Misano by popular vote and after trial by combat thanks to his wins in two action-packed 24-lap races, at what was a cauldron of heat and adrenaline for all the competitors.
Bayliss
jumped fully two places higher in the championship thanks to his 50 points today, and now sits second overall, 21 points behind the leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
RACE ONE
Bayliss was to end the first race almost unopposed, an unlikely scenario given the four-way fight for the lead for most of the race. An eventual three rider battle, featuring Bayliss, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), was decided when Biaggi collided with Haga on the second part of the Curvone corner, on lap 22, and each rider tumbled out of contention for any kind of points. The final result was Bayliss, from Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), with Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) third and Toseland fourth.
RACE TWO
In a more evenly spaced finish this time, Bayliss won the race from Haga, easing up to finish two seconds ahead at the flag, while third place was taken by a recovered Biaggi, who passed both his team-mate Kagayama and Corser later in the race. Toseland was sixth, but maintained his championship lead, now on a total of 260 points to Bayliss's 239. In third place Haga has 234 points and Biaggi 217.
OFF PODIUM PLACES HARD WON AT A STEAMY MISANO
Behind the fight for top places a tough weekend for Toseland became rock hard on Sunday, with fourth and a sixth his scant rewards. Behind him in each race, the points were equally hard won. His own team-mate Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was fifth in race one but down in eighth in race two, ending his day eighth overall in the series. Corser's fifth place overall on 182 points leaves him clear of sixth and ninth place race finisher at Misano,
Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox), who now has a total of 133 points. He had a strenuous battle for the status of second fastest Ducati rider of the weekend with Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda) who recorded an eighth place in race one and a seventh in race two, despite losing power in the Misano heat. Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) beat Xaus in race one, and took a 11th in race two, now mimicking the latter position in the championship table.
Kagayama's front group heroics placed him back into the overall top ten, on 89 points, one behind Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) who earned himself a ninth and a tenth at Misano. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) failed to finish either race at Misano.
WEST AGAIN FROM TEAM-MATE PARKES
A two-part WSS race at Misano went to Anthony West (Yamaha World SSP Racing), who won both ‘legs‘ and took an overall margin of victory of over four seconds. It was West's second win in succession in the WSS class, and his third consecutive podium since his first ride at Monza. In second place Broc Parkes (Yamaha World SSP Racing) was locked in a fight with championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and the Australian rider triumphed on the stopwatch.
Sofuoglu's 16 points, and a no-score after a collision with Craig Jones (Revè Ekerold Honda) suffered by his nearest championship rival Fabien Foret (GIL Motorsports Kawasaki) put Sofuoglu an impressive 61 points clear of Foret after eight rounds.
Eighth-placed Misano runner Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) is still third overall, on 77 points.
SBK Press Office
