After winning a torrentially wet aggregate race at Assen last weekend, Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) played a waiting game to score his first dry weather win in his rookie full season. He stalked the long-term leader Kevin Curtain until lap 20, passing to score a narrow but confident race win and promote himself to fourth in the championship, only two points from third place with two rounds to run.

Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) like Sofuoglu, started the race from the front row but was overtaken in the early stages, and ran off track onto the turn one slip road on lap seven. While attempting to squeeze between the tyre barriers he made a sharp impact and suffered a fracture in his left hand. He carried on for a time, but retired on lap nine.

With Curtain second in the Lausitz race and now on a total of 171 points, and with Charpentier 27 points behind with two rounds to run, the 2005 World Champion is hoping to be fit to battle on in the next two rounds at Imola and Magny-Cours. Sofuoglu is fourth, on 117 points and is now the new Lausitzring lap record holder, having set a 1’42.090 lap time fourth time around.

Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) each retired from the race, Tiberio on lap 17 and Fujiwara - finally - on lap 22, after pitting for two laps and changing a rear tyre.

Sofuoglu was an impressive winner at one of his favourite tracks, and was particularly pleased to have won in dry conditions, after qualifying second on the grid.

“I am very happy because last weekend when I won in Assen it was in the rain but now in the dry I have won again and that is very satisfying,” said the new fourth place rider. “Now I have one race victory in each condition. I have to keep working like this; I have two races more and I should be on the podium. I would like to say thank you to Honda and Ten Kate because they have worked really hard with me for the second half of the year and now the results are coming. My career really started here in Germany, at this track in 2002, so it is fantastic to win a race here.”

Charpentier had no option to retire, and now hopes to be ready for the final season push to keep his championship hopes alive.

“When I ran off the track and then hit the tyre barriers I hurt my left hand a lot in the impact,” said Charpentier. “I simply had to retire from the race after that. It’s very disappointing to lose so many points today and they think my hand is broken, but I will try to race at Imola.”

Tiberio experienced problems with concentration and focus in the race, and eventually pulled in to retire, having qualified only 12th.

"The set-up of the bike was not bad, not perfect, but the problem was my own, not the bike,” said Tiberio. “I found it very difficult to concentrate on the race today and I never felt at ease even from the start. When I dropped out of the points I came in to retire.”

Fujiwara found the stress of racing on his frequently injured wrist difficult to bear in full race conditions, especially at a tight and twisty circuit like Lausitz.

"Very soon after the start my wrist started to give me great pain,” said Fujiwara. “I carried on but then it got too much and I pulled in. A new tyre was fitted and I went out again, but basically just to test the tyre.”

World Superbike Round 10 of 12

TOSELAND WINS SECOND LAUSITZ RACE IN DETERMINED STYLE

James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was made to rue his tyre choice in race one at Eurospeedway Lausitz, but he rode one of the best races of his career to score the win in race two. He dropped to third in the championship but the combined efforts of Toseland and second place championship challenger Noriyuki Haga mean that Troy Bayliss was not crowned champion at Lausitzring. Toseland’s team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the best raceday of the year, finishing sixth and fifth at a tight and twisty German circuit.

Race one saw a three rider Honda battle in the early stages, with Toseland, Muggeridge and Barros ranged from fifth to seventh. Toseland was to run off track after Barros had passed both he and Muggeridge, with Barros finishing fifth and top Honda rider. Muggeridge went 6th and Toseland ninth. Both Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) retired from the race.

In race two Toseland’s aggression saw him take the lead on lap one, one he would keep for all 24 laps, yet he was to fight with Haga throughout, holding on for an 0.210 second margin of victory, with Bayliss third.
Muggeridge had a lonely ride to fifth in the end, and Fabrizio had one of his best rides of the year, despite only finishing eight, as he had come through the field from 24th place on lap one. Barros fell on the 19th lap, failing to score but staying sixth overall. Chili once more retired and now sits 22nd overall.

Toseland’s tyre choice in race one was soon forgotten with an impressive race win in the second, with Toseland feeling it was overdue. The championship points are now Bayliss 357, Haga 270 and Toseland 264.

“I was frustrated after race one because I chose a particular tyre because of the temperature difference from Friday and Saturday and it was not the way to go,” said a regretful Toseland. “So we went back to what we knew - and I knew right away I would be in with a shout in the second. We have two rounds and four races to go and I’m third now, just in behind Nori. It’s been a great season racing with Nori all year and it’s about time I was up here on the top step after winning the first race of the year in Qatar, so I owe a big thank you to the team. I’m just happy to be back up here.”

Muggeridge was happy with his weekend’s work, but is shooting for more at the next round.

“This was my best race weekend of the year and my highest single finish so I have to be happy with that,” said Muggeridge. “In race one I wasn’t too satisfied with the set-up but I could ride consistently today. I’m now looking to the final two races of the year to score a podium finish and move up the table.”

Barros lost some points to Pitt and Corser after his fall in race two, but was certain of its cause.

“We made adjustments for race two, as I was having problems in some of the faster corners,” said Barros. “I also got stuck behind Toseland and Muggeridge for a bit, and it is difficult to overtake here. In race two the bike was a little bit better, I was catching the guys ahead lap by lap but then Bayliss put some grass onto the track with his knee at the final chicane section. I almost saved the front but the tyre gripped again and I was thrown over the bars. A pity, because I didn’t make a mistake.”

Fabrizio had no choice but to retire in race one, but his run through the field was another high point in his rookie SBK season.

“My lap times were very good in race two, so I am disappointed not to be further up,” said the young Roman. “I made a terrible start but a very good race after I got going.”

Chili could not get his machine settings to suit him, especially after a heavy practice fall, after which he had to undergo a scan to check for undetected injury. Cleared to race his lost practice time left him without a useable set-up.

“I didn’t find the settings to have a good race,” said Chili. “Every time I entered a long corner the bike wanted to run wide, and I made a mistake. I am happy for Michel because in race two I think we were the last two away and yet he came back strongly.”

The SBK series now goes to Imola, for the penultimate round on October 1, with the final round at Magny-Cours one weekend later.