World Superbike 2008 - Round Eight

World Superbike 2008 - Round Eight - Misano (Spain)

Superbike Race Two

Troy Bayliss scorched off the line ahead of Corser but Ruben Xaus slotted up the inside at turn one which baulked Bayliss and the Xerox Ducati man lost a number of a positions as a result. The order up front on lap one was Xaus, Corser, Biaggi.

Disaster for Fabrizio at the end of lap one when his Ducati snuffed it and the Italian was left to limp to the side of the circuit.

Noriyuki Haga looked to be making up for a disappointing race one effort by quickly working his way up to fifth place. A couple of laps into the race however the red flag came out after Karl Muggeridge’s Fireblade spilled its guts all over the Misano surface making conditions too dangerous to continue.

After a lengthy delay to clean up the oil spill it was away again and despite the whole front row leaving the line well it was yet again Troy Bayliss who arrived a turn one first. Giving earnest chase was Corser, Xaus, Biaggi, Lanzi, Nieto, Laconi, Fabrizio and Haga. Xaus squeezed past Corser for second place, the pair rubbing each other up the wrong way as they traded places. Race one winner Max Neukirchner suffered another dreadful start and was way down in 11th place and making things hard for himself in the process.

Corser got the better of Xaus again and was hounding Bayliss at every turn while Xaus and Biaggi gave chase.

Four laps into the race Corser put a forceful move on Bayliss to take the lead. Meanwhile Sterilgarda Ducati teammates Xaus and Biaggi were duffing each other up with the Italian increasingly eager to push past his Spanish teammate. A little further back Haga had been working his way through the pack and on lap eight got the better of Lorenzo Lanzi for fifth place. Haga was setting a very hot pace in his quest to close on the Sterilgarda teamsters in front of him.

Bayliss hit the lead with ten laps to run. Four laps later Xaus dispensed with Corser and was all over the back of Bayliss. Just when it looked as though Corser was out of the battle for the win he put a great move on Bayliss but then at the next turn screwed the power down a little too hard and had to take to the gravel, losing a number of positions as a result. From four it was now three and Biaggi’s challenged was revitalised, the Italian on a charge and all over Bayliss with four laps to run. Xaus out in front and looking hot to trot.

Biaggi’s pressure on Bayliss saw the Australian make a small mistake which allowed Biaggi through with ease and set up a Sterilgarda Ducati 1-2. Xaus the man in the lead and with a handy ten bike lengths over his teammate with three laps to run. Backmarkers were starting to come into play and it would take either a mistake from Ruben or a herculean effort from Biaggi to try and steal the limelight from the Spaniard at the last gasp.

It was not to be however and Xaus took the win ahead of Biaggi while Bayliss came home for third place ahead of Haga and Corser.

Two third places not quite the result Bayliss was expecting from his traditionally happy Misano hunting ground but the Australian still leaves Italy with a healthy 49 point lead in the series.

World Superbike reconvenes in three weeks at Brno in the Czech Republic.