2011 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 11, Imola, Italy, Sept 25th Race Report

  JOHNATHAN REA AND CARLOS CHECA DOMINATE IMOLA 

In front of 75,000 race fans Johnathan Rea (Castrol Honda) and Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) took a victory each at the Italian circuit of Imola for the 10th round of 2011 World Superbike Championship. Rea proved yhat his injured wrist was behind him as he stormed to victory in race one. In the second race of the day Carlos Checa took one step closer in taking the title after a dominant performance, which now leaves the Spaniard just needing three points next time out at the penultimate round at Magny-Cours.

Race One. Johnathan Rea got his usual lightning start to take his second win of the season after an epic battle with Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia), which saw the Northern Ireland racer hold Haga to take the win and set a new lap-record at the Imola circuit. Behind the leading two, by some nine seconds, Carlos Checa scored an important podium but had to wait until the final lap to get the better of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing). the first four across the line where all front row starters. Rookie Eugene Laverty (Yamaha WSBK Team) finished two seconds clear of Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati's of Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz to take fifth, while his Yamaha team-mate Marco Melandri was clearly disappointed with eighth. Another rookie having a good run was local man Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) in ninth with Loan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing) round out the top ten.

Race Two. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) took one step closer to becoming 2011 World Superbike Champion after winning the second 21-lap race at Imola, after race one winner Johnathan Rea (Castrol Honda) crashed out while leading. Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia) proved that despite a difficult season, there still plenty of fight in him after taking the runner-up spot. Britain's Leon Camier gave the Italian fans plenty to cheer about after taking his factory Aprilia Alitalia to third ahead of Eugene Laverty (Yamaha WSBK Team) and Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad). Marco Melandri had a better race this time out by finishing in sixth, while Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati) did well to hold of Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing) for seventh. Mark Aitchison (Pedercini Kawasaki) took ninth with Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) in tenth.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Britain's Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) will have to wait for the next round to be crowned 2011 World Supersport Champion after his machine blew-up resulting in him having to retire from the race whilst holding a nine second lead. The eventual winner was veteran rider Fabion Foret (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) who finished one second clear of former British Supersport Champion Sam Lowes Parkalgar Honda). The battle for third saw Foret's young team-mate Florian Marino lose out to the vastly experianced Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) on the final lap.