2011 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 12, Magny-Cours, France, Oct 2nd Race Report

  CARLOS CHECA CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION AT MAGNY-COURS THRILLER

Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) came to the penultimate round of the 2011 World Superbike Champion at Magny-Cours in France needing just three points to wrap up the title. Checa not known for his fast starts steadily made his way through the field to take victory and the 2011 title with long time race leader Marco Melandri (Yamaha WSBK Team) taking the runner-up spot ahead of Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) third. Not resting on his laurels, Checa came out fighting in race two to show the rest of the field why he's world champion by taking his second win of the day ahead of the hard charging factory Yamaha's of Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty.

Race One. All eye's were on one man in the first of the two 23-lap races as Carlos Checa just needed three points to wrap up the championship, but in true style the Spaniard eventually took victory after trailing Eugene Laverty who led for most of the race. Checa's closest rival in the championship Marco Melandri (Yamaha WSBK Team) took second with Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) taking a much needed podium in third for the German team. Fellow Brit Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) did well to pass Eugen Laverty for fourth with local man Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati) fifth. Noriyuki Haga (PATA Aprilia) crossed the line a solid seventh ahead of Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing) and Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad) with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing) in tenth.

Race Two. Carlos Checa the new 2011 World Superbike Champion took a convincing win in the second race of the day at Magny-Cours in France to take his 14th win of the season. The battle for the remaining places on the podium came down between a fierce battle between Yamaha team-mates Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri, but the vastly experianced Melandri was able to dive under his team-mate on the final lap where he was able to hold him off all the way to the chequred flag. Leon Haslam, who lost pace to the Yamaha's in the final laps crossed the line in fourth ahead of local man Sylvain Quintoli and fellow Brit Leon Camier. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing) put in a strong performance to finish ahead of some of the big names took seventh, Ayrton Badovini took his privateer BMW to eighth ahead of the factory BMW of Troy Corser with PATA Aprilia's Noriyuki Haga completing the top ten.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) took the overall victory in the Supersport World Championship after finishing sixth at Magny-Cours, in a race won by his team-mate Luca Scassa. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) was second with long-time leader Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) just holding off his rapidly advancing team-mate David Salom for third.