2012 Aragon WSBK Race One - Horses, Horses, Horses

Submitted by Jared Earle on Sun, 2012-07-01 11:08
in

A tailwind on the back straight meant teams were overgearing their bikes to take advantage of the increased top speed potential of the more powerful bikes, with Chaz Davies managing 339kmh in the morning's warm-up.

Tom Sykes led the race into turn one, but Jonathan Rea bogged at the start and overcooked the first turn, skittling a few bikes and sending Jakub Smrz to the medical centre and putting Rea out of the points. Eugene Laverty took the lead for a few laps until Max Biaggi charged to the lead, setting the fastest lap in the process. Marco Melandri and Laverty scrapped for second place while Biaggi eked out a lead, in what looked set to be a Biaggi demonstration of Aprilia power. Melandri set the fastest lap while trying to catch Biaggi. Four laps later, Melandri closed the gap to Biaggi as Sykes caught Laverty, five seconds behind them while Carlos Checa settled into fifth place.

Biaggi and Melandri kept the fight reasonably clean at the front while the second pack swapped places, pushing Laverty to seventh, while Checa, Chaz Davies and Ayrton Badovini duked it out.

On the last lap, Melandri's tyre was visibly worn out on the right hand side, while Biaggi's tyre seemed to last just a little bit longer. The two Italians fought to the bitter end with Max Biaggi taking the win on a worn tyre, while Melandri tried everything to take the win, he had to settle for second place. Third place was a certainty for Tom Sykes, but Ayrton Badovini overcooked the sweeping left handed turn four, he lost the front and slid his bike into Sykes's rear, knocking him off the bike and gifting Carlos Checa with the third place on the rostrum.

With Biaggi winning, he extends his lead in the championship over Jonathan Rea who, in sixteenth place, scored no points. Melandri's second place in the race promotes him to second place in the title chase.

Update: After review, Jonathan Rea and Jakub Smrz's accident on turn one wasn't Rea's fault at all. I will be clarifying this in my evening's round-up. 

Results:

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff
1 3 BIAGGI M Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'58.391  
2 33 MELANDRI M BMW S1000 RR 1'58.251 0.278
3 7 CHECA C Ducati 1098R 1'58.954 9.462
4 19 DAVIES C Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'59.115 10.827
5 58 LAVERTY E Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'58.946 15.708
6 84 FABRIZIO M BMW S1000 RR 1'59.993 27.597
7 91 HASLAM L BMW S1000 RR 1'59.933 29.032
8 34 GIUGLIANO D Ducati 1098R 2'00.193 39.374
9 2 CAMIER L Suzuki GSX-R1000 2'00.564 40.887
10 121 BERGER M Ducati 1098R 2'00.577 41.440
11 59 CANEPA N Ducati 1098R 1'59.720 42.056
12 50 GUINTOLI S Ducati 1098R 2'00.375 42.369
13 87 ZANETTI L Ducati 1098R 2'00.025 42.669
14 4 AOYAMA H Honda CBR1000RR 2'00.831 48.010
15 21 HOPKINS J Suzuki GSX-R1000 2'00.581 49.752
16 65 REA J Honda CBR1000RR 2'00.280 54.590
17 64 BRIGNOLA N BMW S1000 RR 2'04.556 1'59.653
RET 66 SYKES T Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'59.159 1 Lap
RET 86 BADOVINI A BMW S1000 RR 1'58.982 1 Lap
RET 44 SALOM D Kawasaki ZX-10R 2'01.353 8 Laps
RET 36 MERCADO L Kawasaki ZX-10R 2'01.562 10 Laps
RET 76 BAZ L Kawasaki ZX-10R 2'00.154 12 Laps
RET 96 SMRZ J Ducati 1098R    
           

 

Round Number: 
8
2012

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