Simone Sanna used his pole position to good effect to lead the pack through turn one but he was quickly overhauled by Vermeulen, Fujiwara and Jurgen Van Der Goorbergh. Vermeulen immediately started to streak away and set a new lap record on the second time around.

Broc Parkes was trying hard to get past Sanna for 4th but Parkes backed it in a little too far in to one of the right handers and he just managed to gather it up as the bike snapped extremely sideways.  To his credit he came back at Sanna a few corners later and made a pass stick.  Muggeridge took up where Parkes left off by being the next rider to pressure Sanna for position.

Fujiwara was not letting Vermeulen go too easily this time and closed on to the back of Vermeulen after re-setting a new lap record to break the one Vermeulen set a lap before. Muggeridge must have had a 'moment' somewhere around this stage of the race as he lost a few positions, just after I typed that he went off in to the kitty litter and out of the race.

Chris Vermeulen then made a rare mistake and lost the front at exactly the same spot as Karl Muggeridge had gone off the lap previously.  This left Fujiwara to inherit the lead with Goorbergh a few bike lengths behind in 2nd place.  Vermeulen and Muggeridge both jumped on the back of a marshal's scooter to go 3-up and get a lift back to the pits. 

Broc Parkes was maintaining 3rd position around a second behind the race leaders but still within striking distance considering there was still 13 laps left in the 23 laps race.  Pere Riba went out at this stage of the race losing the front at the same spot as Muggas, Vermeulen and also the corner that Hodgson dropped it in Superbike race 1.

Van Der Goorbergh got Fujiwara for the lead on the next lap around, Broc Parkes had started to close on the leading duo a little.

Jurgen Van Der Goorbergh then had to give his position away as his R6 failed him. That left Fujiwara out in front with Parkes now only a few bike lengths behind and in 2nd position.  Foret 2 seconds down in 3rd place but on a late charge.

Foret then closed right on to the tail of Parkes but Broc got the message from his pit board and decided to make his move on Fujiwara to put a bike between himself and the Kawasaki pilot.

That was a good move as Foret went past Fujiwara a couple of corners later, Fujiwara got him back, Foret then again, then Fujiwara again, then Foret again as the Suzuki and Kawasaki duked it out at every turn. This had given Broc Parkes a little breathing space as he managed to eke out a couple of bike lengths on Foret after the Frenchman finally got away from Fujiwara.

With 6 laps to run Foret closed right on to the back of Parkes and dragged Fujiwara with him.  Foret put a pass on Parkes but ran wide which allowed the Aussie to get him back but Foret got him again at the next turn to take the lead, the top 3 running nose-to-tail.

But then on the next lap Foret pulled half a second on Parkes and Fujiwara to give the new Kawasaki it's first ever taste of a healthy lead. Fujiwara got Parkes for 2nd place.

With 2 laps to run Foret had pulled 1.5 seconds over Fujiwara while Parkes looked to have decided to settle for 3rd place and just try to bring it home for a podium position.

Foret took Kawasaki's first win with their all new ZX-6RR machine, Fujiwara 2nd, Parkes 3rd.