World Superbike 2008 - Round Five

World Superbike 2008 - Round Five - Monza

Supersport Race

Broc Parkes started from pole position but his countryman alongside him was the holeshot king and took the advantage into the first turn. Josh Brookes capitalised on that pole position to quickly pull away from his pursuers. Left back on the track involved in a first trap melee was Chris Walker, Garry McCoy and a number of other riders that would take no more part in the 16 lap encounter.

It looked as though Brookes might have scored enough of an advantage to pull away from the field but Parkes clawed back a bike length at nearly every turn over the next lap to get back on terms and then in front of the Stiggy Motorsport Honda. Behind that pair some serious machinations were unfolding with Foret smashing elbows and fairings with all comers as he fought his way through to third.

With 11 laps to run Foret made it a Yamaha 1-2 after getting the better of Brookes. Parkes had a full second over his pursuers at that stage but only three laps later the Frenchman took the lead and immediately began to inch away from the two Australians.

Brookes got the better of Parkes as the race entered its second half to take second place but neither man looked to have the speed to challenge Foret for the lead. A heady battle was being waged over fourth place a further seven seconds behind that leading trio with Andrew Pitt looking to have the upper hand over Harms, Jones, Roccoli and Lagrive.

Josh Brookes put in a great last couple of laps to narrow the margin back down to 1.2 seconds but the race was Foret’s. Parkes home for a podium and the victor in that titanic tussle over fourth place went to Pitt from Harms, Jones, Roccoli and Lagrive. Lascorz and Rodriguez rounded out the top ten with Mark Aitchison bringing the Triumph 675 home for 11th.