2012 FIM World SuperBike Championship Round 1, Phillip Island, Australia, Feb 26th Race Report

  BIAGGI AND CHECA TAKE A WIN EACH AT THE SEASON OPENER

After the long winter break the whole of the World Superbike paddock headed to the southern hemisphere for the opening round of the 2012 season at Phillip Island in Australia. After the official test at the same circuit a week earlier both teams and riders were ready for the long season ahead. Britain's Tom Sykes would take the first pole-position of 2012 for the Provec Kawasaki Team, while Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and new world champion Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) would take a win apiece in front of the 65,000 strong Australian crowd.

Race One. Pole-sitter Tom Sykes got his Kawasaki off to a flying start and procceded to lead the 22-lap until he was passed by both Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and world champion Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) on the third lap. Biaggi would continue to badger Checa over the next couple of laps forcing the world champion to make a costly mistake as he high-sided his machine at over 120mph coming out of the fast left hand corner onto the start/finish straight. Luckily for Checa he was able to walk away unscathed leaving Biaggi to go in pursuit his maiden World Superbike at Phillip Island. Biaggi crossed the finish line some seven seconds clear of Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad) who came through from thirteenth on the grid to claim second while the Effenbert-Liberty Racing team had plenty to celebrate as their man Sylvain Guintoli to a well earned third. Tom Sykes managed to snatch back fourth from the second Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati of Jakub Smrz on the line with Michel Fabrizio (BMW Italia GoldBet) to sixth ahead of the two Honda WSBK riders Johnathan Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama. Reigning European Superstock 1000 champion Davide Giugliano done himself proud with a solid ninth on his debut as did local rider Bryan Staring aboard the Pedercini Kawasaki in tenth.

Race Two. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) recovered from his huge race one crash to claim his first win of the year but arguably the best performance came from race one winner Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) who ran wide on the opening lap only and restarted last, then fought his way through to take second and lead the championship with a total of 45 points. Tom Sykes (Provec Kawasaki) managed to hold off Johnathan Rea (Honda WSBK) for third, while Leon Haslam rode through the pain barrier of a broken foot to beat his BMW Motorrad team-mate Marco Melandri to fifth. Maxime Berger (Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati) had a race long battle with Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) to take seventh, with rookies Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda WSBK) and Niccolo Canepa (Red Devils Roma Ducati) completing the top ten.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

After a tough season away in Moto2, two-times Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Deltafin) returned to the class he loves as a race winner. After an epic battle with veteran rider Fabian Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) the Turkish star took his first win since 2010. Pole-sitter Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) gave his home fans something to celebrate after holding off Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) for third. Sam Lowes (Bogdanka Honda0 was the highest ranked Brit in fifth while Martin Jessops (Riders PTR Honda) debut in the 600cc class ended down in seventeenth.