2006 SBK CORONA EXTRA WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 Losail, Qatar, 25th Feb Race Report

  TOSELAND AND CORSER TAKE A RACE WIN EACH IN THE OPENING ROUND AT LOSAIL.

After two races that provided excellent entertainment for all present at losail, the previous two world superbike champions, James Toseland (WINSTON TEN KATE HONDA) Troy Corser (ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) scored one race apiece. The 18 lapswere conducted at a high pace, with the previous lap records beaten on successive occasions.

RACE 1. James Toseland, who had finished lap one in 10th position, scored his first race win in the Winston Ten Kate Honda team at his very first attempt, after a dramatic final lap. The 2004 World Champion capitalized on a crash between likely 1-2 finishersHori Haga and Yukio Kagayama, with only half a lap to go, and Toseland resisted sever pressure from former world champion Troy Bayliss ( DUCATI XEROX ) to take his first win. In third place, Andrew Pitt ( YAMAHA MOTOR ITALIA ) took his first career podium finish, after leading in the early stages . Fourth went to 2005 world superbike champion Troy Corser (ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) and a raft of SBK rookies scored impressive finishes, Alex Barros went sixth in his first ride on the KLAFFI HONDA, and Roberto Rolfo recovered from a midfield start to finish seventh on his SC CARRACHI DUCATI.

RACE 2. In the second race each rider in the front group made it to the finish with Corser and Bayliss battling over the final two laps, and Corser taking taking the win by over one second. A photo finish saw Nor Haga and James Toseland across the line by 1.6 centimeters, after Toseland mounted a late challenge. Lorenzo Lanzi (DUACTI XEROX), who crashed out in race one, scored sixth in race two, edging out Barros, with Fabrizio eighth. Haga took a new lap record, setting a 2'00.061 on lap two.