2010 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 3, Valencia, Spain, 9th April Race Report
HASLAM AND HAGA SHARE THE WINS AT VALENCIA
In bright sunny conditions for round three of the Hannspree Superbike World Championship at Valencia in Spain saw Alstare Suzuki's Leon Haslam take victory in race one with Ducati Xerox rider Nori Haga in race two. Each race could not have been more different, with Haslam a clear winner ahead of Aprilia Alitalia's Max Biaggi and Sterilgarda Yamaha's James Toseland taking his first podium since Imola 2007. Race two saw Haga win on aggregate by by 0.025 seconds ahead of Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi.
Race one. Alstare Suzuki rider had an easy win in the end, after early race leader Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa was forced to retire after a techincal problem leaving Sterilgarda Yamaha's James Toseland and Aprilia Alitalia's Max Biaggi to fight it out for second, which resulted In Biaggi just getting the better of Toseland in the later stages. None the less the former two times World Champion was happy with his first podium on his return to WSBK. Troy Corser earned BMW their highest placing in fourth since they entered the championship in 2009 with Xerox Ducati's Nori Haga just getting the better of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea for fifth. Sterilgarda Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow could not capitize on his pole postion start took seventh, eighth DFX Ducati's Lorenzo Lanzi, ninth Haslam team-mate Sylvain Quintoli with the PATA B&G Racing Ducati of Jakub Smrz in tenth.
Race two. Xerox Ducati rider Nori Haga took his first win of the season after a close intense battle with Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa and Aprilia Alitalia's Max Biaggi. A two-part aggregate race was required after Simon Andrews who was replacing the injured Chris Vermeulen at the Factory Kawasaki team was hit from behind by Vittorio Iannuzzo at over 170mph on the fourth lap which required the red flags to come out. Once the race was re-started Haga would go onto to win by just 0.025seconds ahead of Checa and Biaggi. After getting caught up in traffic race one winner Leon Haslam took fourth ahead of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea and Alstare Suzuki team-mate Sylvain Guintoli. The three way battle for seventh would eventually fall to Sterilgarda Yamaha's James Toseland as fellow Englishmen Althea Ducati's Shane Byrne and Sterilgarda Yamaha team-mate Cal Crutchlow pushed the former double world champion all the way to the chequred flag. PATA B&G Racing Ducati's Jakub Smrz would end his weekend by taking his second tenth place on the day.
SUPERSPORT WORLDCHAMPIONSHIP
Motocard.com Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz took victory on home soil and now leads the championship ahead second place rider Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Kenan Sofuoglu while Britain's Chaz Davies gave the ParkinGO BE1 Racing Triumph team cause for celebration by giving them their first podium of the year in third. The battle for fourth would eventually fall to Davies team-mate David Salom who passed Parkalgar Honda's Eugene Laverty at the end of the 23-lap race.
