Grand masters share WSBK wins

Spain’s Aragon circuit has produced a stunning eighth round of the 2012 World Superbike title, with the two 20-lap races won in exceptionally tight circumstances by veteran Italian duo Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Marco Melandri (BMW) respectively.

Biaggi, 41, has now extended his lead in the championship to 48pts, while Melandri has vaulted up two spots into second place and on current form is the only rider who can seemingly deny his countryman a second world title in three years.

Both races at Aragon were won by a combined winning margin of 0.320 seconds, with Melandri (2-1) claiming the overall spoils and a new lap record on his S 1000 RR.

“It is just amazing. To win here is beautiful. I just want to say thanks to my guys, because we made another small step with the bike,” said Melandri. “In race one I just missed a little bit of speed in the end to try to beat Max, so in race two I put all my effort to get the win.

“For the last lap I had no plan, because when racing against those guys you cannot think about a plan because they try to pass you at every corner so I just tried to find a good place for braking at the end of the straight.

“To win was so amazing. Now we will try some more things in the test tomorrow and keep working in this direction for the next races.”

After polesitter Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) made brief forays in the lead, race one quickly developed into a two-rider battle between Melandri and Biaggi as they pulled well clear from the main pack.

The pair took turns in claiming the upperhand, but it was Biaggi who snuck his nose in front on lap 18 and stayed there, winning by 0.278 seconds, with reigning world champion Carlos Checa (Ducati) scoring an improbable third position after Italian Ayrton Badovini (BMW) crashed on the last lap and took out Sykes with him.

Chaz Davies (Aprilia) and Laverty were fourth and fifth.

The intensity lifted in race two, with Melandri, Biaggi, Laverty and a fast-finishing Davies swapping positions with regularity, and the potential for paint-swapping lurking at every corner.

But it remained a clean but hard-fought affair, which saw Laverty hold sway into the last lap before Melandri made his move and celebrated his third win of the year – victory by just 0.042 seconds.

Davies was third, his first WSBK podium, followed by Biaggi and Jonathan Rea (Honda), who finished out of the points in race one after being caught up in a turn one accident.

Rea (183pts) dropped back to third spot in the title at Aragon, behind Biaggi (248.5) and Melandri (200.5) and ahead of Checa (175.5) and Sykes (172.5).

Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu crossed the line first but was dropped four places in the final results because of an incident involving himself and Fabien Foret (Kawasaki).

The final race winner was Sam Lowes (Honda) ahead of Foret and Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki). Melbourne's Jed Metcher (Yamaha) was eighth.

In the championship, Sofuoglu has 117pts, ahead of Lowes (101), Jules Cluzel (Honda, 84), Foret (83) and Parkes (66).

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP
Perth’s Bryan Staring (Kawasaki) was Australia’s biggest success story at Aragon when he totally outclassed the field to win his first Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race. Staring won by eight seconds and also set a new lap record.

ARAGON WORLD SUPERBIKE RESULTS
Race one: 20 laps
1 Max Davies, Italy, Aprilia
2 Marco Melandri Italy, BMW +0.278
3 Carlos Checa, Spain, Ducati +9.462
4 Chaz Davies, Great Britain, Aprilia +10.827
5 Eugene Laverty, Great Britain, Aprilia +15.708
6 Michel Fabrizio, Italy, BMW +27.597
7 Leon Haslam, Great Britain, BMW +29.032
8 Davide Giugliano, Italy, Ducati +39.374
9 Leon Camier, Great Britain, Suzuki +40.887
10 Maxime Berger, France, Ducati +41.440

Fastest lap and new record: Melandri – 1:58.251

Race two: 20 laps
1 Melandri
2 Laverty +0.042
3 Davies +0.446
4 Davies +0.484
5 Jonathan Rea, Great Britain, Honda +6.611
6 Haslam +7.491
7 Checa +9.325
8 Tom Sykes, Great Britain, Kawasaki +10.444
9 Ayrton Badovini, Italy, BMW +10.828
10 Giugliano +10.925

Fastest lap: Melandri – 1:58.950

Next round: Brno, Czech Republic, July 20-22