World SuperSport 2001 - Round 5 - Donington - Race Report
| Guareschi got
the jump off the line. Some mid-field carnage in turn 1 saw a few
out of the race. Casoli in the lead now from Guareschi, Harris,
Muggeridge, Fujiwara.
Muggeridge through on Harris for 3rd on lap 2 and right with Guareschi. But Casoli has cleared out in front, nearly 2 seconds already. Whitham through on Fujiwara and challenging Harris for 4th. Race order - Casoli, Guareschi, Muggeridge, Harris, Whitham, Fujiwara, Cogan, Teuchert, Pirovano, Riba, Pitt, Bontempi, Foret, Iannuzzo, Curtain, Vermeulen, Llewellyn, Fergusson, MacPherson, Thomas, Hanson, Migliorati, Clementi Le Grelle, Smart, Barth, Johnson, Bulega. Muggeridge through on Guareschi for 2nd. Whitham has got past Harris for 4th. Casoli now has a 4 second lead so Muggas will have his work cut out for him if he is to chase him down. Whitham through on Guareschi now and will be challenging Muggeridge shortly. Harris and Fujiwara both through on Guareschi. Lap 6 - Race order - Casoli, Muggeridge, Whitham, Harris, Fujiwara ,Teuchert, Pirovano, Cogan, Bontempi, Riba, Pitt, Foret, Guareschi, Curtain, Llewellyn, Iannuzzo, MacPherson, Fergusson, Thomas, Migliorati, Smart, Clementi. Vermeulen has crashed out. Fujiwara through on Harris for 4th with 15 laps to run. Curtain in 13th, Fergusson 17th, Thomas 19th. Teuchert starting to challenge Harris now. Pitt fighting his way through the mid-field and is now up to 8th. These World SuperSport machines are the best sounding race bikes to be found anywhere. Muggeridge really sliding the Suzuki now to try to keep ahead of Whitham. Casoli has a 7 second lead out in front so the action is this battle for 2nd - Muggeridge, Whitham, Teuchert, Fujiwara. Karl Harris just tried an unreal move which was a you guys are going to have to let me in here or I am taking both of us out type move. Curtain up to 9th, Pitt has fell back a little to 11th. 8 laps to run - Casoli, Muggeridge, Whitham, Teuchert, Fujiwara, Harris. Teuchert is on a charge, the fight for this 2nd place has a new player and Teuchert looks as though he may well just have the goods in these late stages of the race. There it is, Teuchert through on Whitham and right on Muggas. Teuchert through on Muggas and Whitham forces his way underneath also in a move which made the Australian stand it up a little, 2nd to 4th in one foul swoop. Curtain 9th, Pitt 10th, Thomas 19th, Fergusson 20th, Johnson 24th. Muggeridge and Fujiwara now rubbing fairings, some nervous finger biting going on in the Alstare Corona Suzuki camp I would reckon. Teuchert makes a mistake which sent him back behind Whitham, Muggas and Fujiwara. Muggas through on Whitham for 2nd. Fujiwara went through one corner later, but then Whitham and Teuchert went back through on the Japanese rider in some extremely aggressive moves, fairing bashing at the extreme. 3 laps to run - Casoli a runaway leader, then Muggeridge, Whitham, Teuchert, Fujiwara all running virtually nose-to-tail. Teuchert through on Whitham with 2 laps to run. Whitham still on it hard but looks to be having some tyre trouble, he is leaving darkies that would put the SuperBike guys to shame. Teuchert through on Muggas as they commence the final lap but Muggas gets him back through Craner Curves. The German is aggressive but Muggas is not scared of a good dose of fairing bashing. Muggas holding him off though as Teuchert banged into the back of him mid-turn. He does it and even manages enough space to pull a quite stylish mono across the line. Casoli took the win by over 8 seconds but Muggas will feel as though he won after that race long battle for 2nd.
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