WSBK Assen; Race 1 and 2 Results: A Good Day for Britian

What Happens When Everything Is Driven to the Race

3:26pm EST — Jonathon Rea won both World Superbike races in Assen, after fighting it out from pole with a pack of riders all chasing the win, though he won Race 1 by a second and Race 2 by nearly two seconds, it was a day of close racing.  James Toseland, the former WSBK champion, podiumed for each race, second in Race 1 and third in Race 2.  It was all-Britian, all the time on the podium for each race, with Leon Camier third in Race 1, and Leon Haslam second in Race 2.  Full results follow:

WSBK Valencia Race 1 & 2: Haslam Wins, Haga Wins Red-Flagged Aggregate Race 2

What Happens When It’s a Hard Fight From the Back

1:52pm EST —

Race 1: At a warm and sunny Valencia, it was Leon Haslam who won the first race with a comfortable margin, after Carlos Checa lost the lead with a technical issue about halfway through.  Max Biaggi could not catch him up, instead fighting off James Toseland for second, while the Briton finished third.  Noriyuki Haga fought from an eleventh place start to finish fifth, just behind Troy Corser.  Pole sitter (see here for the starting grid) Cal Crutchlow finished seventh.

Race 1 Results (courtesy of the official WSBK site):
1. 91 Haslam L. Suzuki
2. 3 Biaggi M. Aprilia +1.757
3. 52 Toseland J. Yamaha +3.621
4. 11 Corser T. BMW +4.209
5. 41 Haga N. Ducati +4.378
6. 65 Rea J. Honda +9.834
7. 35 Crutchlow C. Yamaha +10.466
8. 57 Lanzi L. Ducati +16.080
9. 50 Guintoli S. Suzuki +18.382
10. 96 Smrz J. Ducati +18.589
11. 66 Sykes T. Kawasaki +22.903
12. 111 Xaus R. BMW +25.203
13. 76 Neukirchner M. Honda +25.676
14. 99 Scassa L. Ducati +26.606
15. 88 Pitt A. BMW +43.797
16. 95 Hayden R. Kawasaki +48.094
17. 15 Baiocco M. Kawasaki +48.190
18. 17 Andrews S. Kawasaki +52.863
RET 31 Iannuzzo V. Honda
RET 2 Camier L. Aprilia
RET 84 Fabrizio M. Ducati
RET 67 Byrne S. Ducati
RET 7 Checa C. Ducati
RET 123 Resch R. BMW

Race 2: An aggregate race after a L4 crash by Simon Andrews and Vittorio Iannuzzo on the front straight brought out the red flags.  He was diagnosed with fractures in his left foot and heel.  The race was decided by the combined times from the frist three laps (before the red flag) and the times posted in the second twenty-lap race.  On the re-start, it was Checa leading Rea, while Noriyuki Haga had already fought his way close to the front.  In the end, Haga beat Checa by .025 with Biaggi .0299 back from Haga for third.

Race 2 Aggregate Results (courtesy of the official WSBK site):
1. 41 Haga N. Ducati
2. 7 Checa C. Ducati +0.025
3. 3 Biaggi M. Aprilia +0.299
4. 91 Haslam L. Suzuki +10.100
5. 65 Rea J. Honda +12.811
6. 50 Guintoli S. Suzuki +13.459
7. 52 Toseland J. Yamaha +14.845
8. 67 Byrne S. Ducati +14.861
9. 35 Crutchlow C. Yamaha +15.202
10. 96 Smrz J. Ducati +18.071
11. 111 Xaus R. BMW +25.179
12. 11 Corser T. BMW +26.116
13. 57 Lanzi L. Ducati +30.189
14. 99 Scassa L. Ducati +30.387
15. 66 Sykes T. Kawasaki +35.741
16. 88 Pitt A. BMW +43.244
17. 76 Neukirchner M. Honda +43.540
18. 123 Resch R. BMW +47.145
19. 95 Hayden R. Kawasaki +48.502
20. 15 Baiocco M. Kawasaki +51.838
RET 84 Fabrizio M.
RET 2 Camier L. Aprilia
RET 17 Andrews S. Kawasaki
RET 31 Iannuzzo V. Honda

WSBK Valencia Quali: Crutchlow on Pole, Again, with Checa and Biaggi Close Behind

What Happens When It’s Better Late Than Never (or so is written each time WSBK quali is posted)

12:02am EST — Cal Crutchlow will start on pole for both World Superbike races in Valencia, with faster-for-most-of-the-session Carlos Checa next to him, and Max Biaggi and Leon Haslam completing the front row.  Continuing their poor qualifying effort, the factory Ducatis of Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga will start tenth and eleventh, respectively. American transplant and WSBK rookie Roger Hayden will start twenty-second with inferior Kawaski machinery.

Starting Grid for WSBK, Valencia Round (courtesy of official WSBK website):
1. 35 Crutchlow C., Yamaha, 1:33.615
2. 7 Checa C., Ducati, 1:33.840
3. 3 Biaggi M., Aprilia, 1:33.860
4. 91 Haslam L., Suzuki, 1:33.961
5. 11 Corser T., BMW, 1:34.059
6. 50 Guintoli S., Suzuki, 1:34.073
7. 65 Rea J., Honda, 1:34.235
8. 57 Lanzi L., Ducati, 1:34.261
9. 52 Toseland J., Yamaha, 1:33.988
10. 84 Fabrizio M., Ducati, 1:34.021
11. 41 Haga N., Ducati, 1:34.100
12. 67 Byrne S., Ducati, 1:34.246
13. 2 Camier L., Aprilia, 1:34.273
14. 96 Smrz J., Ducati, 1:34.280
15. 99 Scassa L., Ducati, 1:34.730
16. 76 Neukirchner M., Honda, 1:34.934
17. 111 Xaus R., BMW, 1:34.756
18. 66 Sykes T., Kawasaki, 1:34.894
19. 88 Pitt A., BMW, 1:36.088
20. 32 Morais S., Honda, 1:36.072
21. 15 Baiocco M., Kawasaki, 1:36.104
22. 95 Hayden R., Kawasaki, 1:36.117
23. 17 Andrews S., Kawasaki, 1:36.329
24. 31 Iannuzzo V., Honda, 1:36.524
25. 123 Resch R., BMW, 1:36.639

WSBK: Philip Island Race 1 & 2, Close Racing and Closer Wins for Haslam and Checa

What Happens When Time Zones Wreak Havoc on Viewing

1:02am EST — Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa started out the World Superbike season with a win apiece at Philip Island.  Haslam barely beat Michel Fabrizo to the line in a photo finish for the first race, while Checa beat Haslam by three tenths over Haslam, with Fabrizio starting off this season’s championship hunt with a third in the second race.  For Race 1, Haslam added his first race win to this weekend’s first pole position (the starting grid can be seen here at On Any Sunday, These Days).  2009 championship runner-up Noriyuki Haga started tenth, but finished third.  The close racing that the series is known for did not disappoint, as Jonny Rea, Max Biaggi, Sylvain Guintoli, and Carlos Checa all fought for fourth position at the end. Former MotoGP riders Chris Vermeulen and James Toseland did not finish the race, as did 2009 Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow.

The final positions at the end of the first race were (courtesy of the official WSBK website):
1.  91 Haslam L.
2.  84 Fabrizio M. + .004
3.  41 Haga N. +.769
4.  65 Rea J. +10.201
5.   3 Biaggi M. +10.782
6.  50 Guintoli S. +11.079
7.   7 Checa C. +11.208
8 . 96 Smrz J. +16.522
9 . 11 Corser T. +20.291
10.  57 Lanzi L. +26.352
11.  2 Camier L. +29.775
12. 76 Neukirchner M. +30.155
13.  66 Sykes T. +31.951
14.  67 Byrne S. +31.957
15.  88 Pitt A. +55.082
16.  31 Iannuzzo V. +1:10.932
17.  15 Baiocco M. +1:11.237
18.  95 Hayden R. +1:17.357
19.  25 Brookes J.
RET  35 Crutchlow C.
RET  77 Vermeulen C.
RET  52 Toseland J.

In the second race, Checa passed Haslam for the lead and the win in the final section of the last lap, while Fabrizio finished third and Sylvain Guintoli and Haga rounded out the top five.  There was yet another scrimmage for sixth, with Rea ending the race in that position.  Again, Vermeulen did not finish in his home race, while rookie American Roger Hayden (brother to MotoGP champion Nicky) finished eighteenth in both races of his WSBK debut.

The final positions at the end of the first race were (courtesy of the official WSBK website):
1.   7 Checa C.
2.  91 Haslam L. +.307
3.  84 Fabrizio M. +.434
4.  50 Guintoli S. +.837
5.  41 Haga N. +3.453
6.  65 Rea J. +11.530
7.  11 Corser T. +12.026
8.   3 Biaggi M. +13.068
9.  35 Crutchlow C. +14.401
10.  52 Toseland J. +14.707
11.   2 Camier L. +14.743
12.  67 Byrne S. +14.851
13.  57 Lanzi L. +15.143
14.  25 Brookes J. +30.947
15.  88 Pitt A. +41.855
16.  76 Neukirchner M. +48.844
17.  31 Iannuzzo V. +1:06.866
18.  95 Hayden R. +1:07.751
RET  15 Baiocco M.
RET  66 Sykes T.
RET  77 Vermeulen C.
RET  96 Smrz J.

WSBK: Haslam on Pole as Action Begins Down Under

What Happens When the Two-Wheel Season Truly Begins

1:08am EST — In a set of qualifying sessions that had experienced riders all over the timesheets, Leon Haslam set the fastest time, 1:31.229, to start on pole for the season opening World Superbike race at Philip Island.  According to the official WSBK website, “close final competition sorted out the leading riders.”  Reigning champion Ben Spies is off to MotoGP, but runner-up Noriyuki Haga has remained, with his teammate Michel Fabrizio out-qualifying him for this first race, starting second as compared to Haga’s tenth.  The following qualifying times are courtesy of the official WSBK website:

1  91 Haslam L., Suzuki, 1:31.229
2  84 Fabrizio M., Ducati, 1:31.245
3  35 Crutchlow C., Yamaha, 1:31.642
4   7 Checa C., Ducati, 1:31.671
5  50 Guintoli S., Suzuki, 1:31.696
6  96 Smrz J., Ducati, 1:31.757
7  65 Rea J., Honda, 1:31.912
8  52 Toseland J., Yamaha, 1:32.019
9  57 Lanzi L., Ducati, 1:32.205
10  41 Haga N., Ducati, 1:32.229
11   3 Biaggi M., Aprilia, 1:32.293
12  66 Sykes T., Kawasaki, 1:32.398
13  11 Corser T., BMW, 1:32.430
14  77 Vermeulen C., Kawasaki, 1:32.561
15 111 Xaus R., BMW, 1:32.842
16   2 Camier L., Aprilia, 1:32.895
17  76 Neukirchner M., Honda, 1:32.782
18  67 Byrne S., Ducati, 1:32.823
19  88 Pitt A., BMW, 1:33.207
20 123 Resch R., BMW, 1:33.390
21  25 Brookes J., Honda, 1:33.901
22  31 Iannuzzo V., Honda, 1:34.248
23  15 Baiocco M., Kawasaki, 1:35.297
24  95 Hayden R., Kawasaki, 1:35.614

While the time difference makes for some awkward calculations, and American SPEEDtv coverage will not show the races until 3pm Sunday afternoon, the first and second race will begin at 9pm Saturday and 12:30am Saturday night/Sunday morning for those residing in the US Eastern time zone.