TOSELAND AND CORSER SCORE WINS IN SEASON OPENER - EXCITEMENT APLENTY AT LOSAIL

After two races that provided excellent entertainment for all present at Losail, the previous two World Superbike champions, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) scored one win apiece. The 18-lap contests were conducted at a high pace, with the previous lap records beaten on successive occasions.

RACE ONE

James Toseland, who had finished lap one in 10th position, scored his first win in the Winston Ten Kate Honda team at the very first attempt, after a dramatic final lap. The 2004 World Champion capitalized on a crash between likely 1-2 finishers Noriyuki Haga and Yukio Kagayama, with only half a lap remaining, and Toseland resisted sever pressure from Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) to take the win. In third place, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) took his first career podium finish, after leading in the early stages. Fourth went to 2005 Losail race winner and eventual World Champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) and a raft of SBK rookies scored impressive finishes just behind. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda) was an assured fifth, Alex Barros went sixth in his first ride on the Klaffi Honda, and Roberto Rolfo recovered from a midfield start to finish seventh on his SC Caracchi Ducati.

RACE TWO

In the second race each rider in the front group made it to the finish, with Corser and Bayliss battling over the last two laps, and Corser taking the win by just over a second.

A photo finish saw Noriyuki Haga beat Toseland across the line by 1.6 centimetres, after Toseland mounted a late challenge. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox), who crashed out in race one, scored sixth in race two, edging out Barros, with Fabrizio eighth. Haga took the new lap record, setting a 2’00.061 on lap two.

CHILI EIGHTH THEN A FALLER

Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda) rode strongly to eighth in race one, but almost took out Alex Barros in race two as he fell in the infield. He is beaten up, but otherwise uninjured. Marco Borciani (Sterilgarda Berik) scored a strong ninth in the opener (14th in race two), with Max Neukirchner (Pedercini Ducati) rounding out the top ten in race one. Top scoring Kawasaki rider in race one was Regis Laconi (PSG-1), 13th, as his team-mates Chris Walker and Fonsi Nieto were both forced to retire. In race two, Nieto scored 12th, with Walker out of the points in 16th and Laconi a faller. Karl Muggeridge struggled after riding a machine which appeared to hide invisible problems after a Superpole crash. He finished 12th and ninth, with his countryman Steve Martin (Petronas) down in 18th in each race. He was unable to make up ground after being boxed in during both starts. Craig Jones (Petronas) suffered two crashes.

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE HEADS TO AUSTRALIA WITH BAYLISS LEADING

Bayliss (40 points) will return to his native country with a mere two point championship lead over Corser and Toseland (38 each) with Pitt fourth, on 27. Fabrizio and Barros have 19 points each, in equal fifth.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

In the Supersport World Championship race, of 18-lap duration, Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) scored the race win, to start his title defence on a strong footing. Always in the lead, he nonetheless battled with Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) until he set a new lap record in the 13th tour, with a 2’03.921. Charpentier’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Honda Ten Kate) took third after an often tactile battle with Curtain ended in the Turkish rider easing up for an impressive third place finish.

In fourth place, Javier Fores was a strong entrant for the SLM Yamaha team, despite the closing Johann Stigefelt, who had to settle for fifth place. Christian Zaiser had a fight on his hands to finish top Ducati, ending up 8th on his LBR twin. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda) crashed out while running in the wake of the leaders, breaking his scaphoid.

Superbike and Supersport classes return to action at Phillip Island next weekend, with raceday on Sunday March 5.