Two very different World Superbike races delivered two very different results at Monza, in front of a weekend crowd of 93,000. In race one World Championship leader Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) scored the win in his accustomed strong front-running form, but had to make do with third in race two, as his fellow Aussie countryman Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) took his first win of the year. It was also the first non-Suzuki success, and had Regis Laconi (Ducati Xerox) been able to hold onto his long-term race two lead, there may have been a hometown win for the Italian manufacturer.

In a pressurised race in windy but otherwise perfect conditions the eventual winner Corser had a real fight after his early lead was eaten into by first Yukio Kagayama and then Regis Laconi. The following James Toseland, having a resurgent ride, made up a four-second deficit to overhaul first Laconi, then Kagayama, before dropping back to finish a close third, behind Kagayama’s flying GSX-R. Laconi was fourth, with Yamaha Motor Italia rider Andrew Pitt dropping back to finish a lonely fifth.

With Corser unable to get a jump on the pack in his usual way, the 17-lap race (docked a lap because of a delayed start and a second sighting lap) grew from an eight rider battle for podium places to a pair of two-rider fights for the top honours. Race leader Laconi was hunted down by Vermeulen, who was to take the 25 points on the very last lap, with Laconi a safe second. Behind, it looked as if SBK class rookie Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) would score his first podium of the year, but Corser proved too strong in the final sector of the race.

Corser may have lost his near 100% record of wins in the last few races, but with his team-mate Kagayama running wide and then falling to retire in race two his championship lead remains, now 52 ahead. Third place is the property of Vermeulen, some 67 points behind Corser, but only 15 from Kagayama.

Karl Muggeridge scored a sixth and then fourth place today just missing the podiums but writing his name large in real race conditions, after some terrible luck in previous races. Both rides were personal highlights in his four round SBK career. For James Toseland, Monza was vindication of his true talents, and although finishing behind his team-mate in race two, he left Monza with points and pride from both his race performances.

Andrew Pitt won many plaudits for perseverance and hard riding on his Yamaha Motor Italia machine, running out fifth and sixth, just unable to stay with the leading groups in either race. His team-mate Noriyuki Haga had another tough weekend, 11th and 9th and not at all happy about his machine set up.

Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) had an eventful race two, when a fluid leak from his Honda on the startline began a series of events which would delay the start. He finished his Monza weekend without adding to his win total of four at the classic Italian circuit, but with two seventh place finishes. His team mate Max Neukirchner was ruled out of the weekend due to medical reasons, with Renegade Honda Koji rider Ben Bostrom finishing 18th on two occasions.

Chris Walker was once more the top Kawasaki rider, on the tail of the big starting group in race two. Two eighth places were his reward for another good display of the speed and prowess of the ZX-10. Just behind him in each race was the SC Caracchi Ducati 999 of stand-in rider Gianluca Nannelli, who was easily the top Ducati privateer on show with his ninth and tenth place finishes, despite race two’s start coming from pitlane.

Steve Martin and Garry McCoy had another tough day of racing, with Martin falling from race one and McCoy pulling in. In race two McCoy was lapped on his way to 21st place, while Martin retired.

An outstanding three-rider race for most of the 16-lap Supersport event was reduced to two in the final couple of laps, with Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Katsuaki Fujiwara holding off his team mate Sebastien Charpentier in an often-physical battle around this classic 5.793 km Monza circuit.

A mistake from Charpentier changing gear after a brave pass at the entrance to the last corner allowed Fujiwara to gain the final advantage.

Gianluca Nannelli (Ducati SC Caracchi) had a magnificent ride to third, only dropping off the leading pace in the last two tours. Another local, and regular in the championship, Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda) was fourth, after a mistake with gear selection on the start line dropped him below 20th place away from the line. Kevin Curtain was fifth on his Yamaha Motor Germany machine, immediately behind Fabrizio. In the championship, Fujiwara drew himself closer to the championship lead, with Charpentier on 90 points, Fujiwara on 83 and Curtain on 60.

The next rounds of the World Superbike and Supersport series take place at Silverstone, Great Britain, on May 27 - 29.