2011 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 10, Nurburgring, Germany, Sept 4th Race Report

  Carlos Checa and Tom Sykes share the spoils at the Nurburgring

Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) posted a superb win in race one at the tenth round of 2011 World Superbike Championship in Germany after holding off an attack from Noriyuki Haga who had to eventually settle for third behind Marco Melandri (Yamaha WSBK). Checa also had the comfort from Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) with drawing from race day due to injuring his ankle in qualifying. In wet torrid conditions Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing) took his maiden win in World Superbikes, giving Kawasaki it's first win since 2006.

Race One. Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa stormed to victory by five seconds at the Nurburgring in Germany, but the Spaniard didn't have it all his own way early on in the twenty lap race after coming under attack from Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia) who was eventally dropped by Checa and had to settle for third behind Marco Melandri (Yamaha WSBK). Melandri's team-mate Eugene Laverty had a lonely race in fourth ahead of Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) who ran off track early on, had to climb back from fourteenth where he re-took fifth from Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert-Liberty Ducati). Joan Lascorz was the fastest of the Kawasaki's in seventh ahead of Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) with Johnathan Rea (Castrol Honda) completing the top ten.

Race Two. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) secured Kawasaki's first win since 2006, and his own first ever WSVK race victory, when he headed up a shortened thirteen lap race. Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia) had led for virtually the whole race, which was held in wet conditions that ranged from merely wet to completely soaking. When Haga fell, Sykes took the lead and when the rain got worse the race was stopped, Sykes was declared the winner ahead of the two Effenbert-Liberty Ducati riders Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz. Fourth was Johnathan Rea (Castrol Honda) who despite a high speed crash remounted to score good points ahead of fifth placed Eugene Laverty (Yamaha WSBK) and team-mate Marco Melandri. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) was seventh ahead of Carlos Checa who opted for the safe option of gaining extra points. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) ninth with Maxime Berger (Supersonic Ducati) rounding out the top ten.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Chaz Davies can wrap up the 2011 World Supersport Championship next time out at Imola in Italy after claiming his fifth win of the season at the Nurburgring in Germany. Davies recovered from a poor start that left him down in tenth position, where he quickly fought his way back in to the lead before resisting the attentions of James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) to the chequred flag. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) made it an all British affair by taking the final spot on the podium in third. Chaz Davies needs just a third place finish at Imola to take the title for Yamaha, after Cal Crutchlow done it back in 2009.