Heading into round seven of the 2012 World Superbike Championship at Misano, Aprilia Racing Team's Max Biaggi held an 18-point advantage over BMW Motorrad's Marco Melandri. But Biaggi cleaned up before his home crowd at Misano, Italy on Sunday, extending his points lead.
Melandri DNf'd in race one, while Haslam could only manage 12th. The second race was better for BMW, with Haslam third and Melandri fourth.
Race one started with pole-sitter Tom Sykes taking the early lead aboard the Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R, but the Brit was soon passed by Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea aboard the Honda World Superbike CBR1000RR. Rea held over a two-second lead at one point, but was pressured by Althea Racing's Davide Giugliano, who had passed Sykes and BMW Motorrad's Leon Haslam for second. By mid race, the Italian took the lead from Rea.
Then World SBK champions Biaggi and Althea Racing Ducati's Carlos Checa came storming through the field. Biaggi started from 10th on the grid and Checa 16th. Biaggi and Checa eventually got pass Giugliano, and Biaggi held off Checa by just over 0.305 of a second, with third going to Giugliano. Sykes was fourth, and Rea took fifth. BMW's Haslam was 12th while teammate Milandri DNF'd.
In race 2, Sykes and Rea were out front first, but Biaggi made his way to fifth from 10th after two corners, and was third by the end of the first lap. On the second lap, Biaggi took Rea for second, and a few turns later Sykes for the lead. Biaggi would immediately open a gap on the field, and finish 5.344 seconds ahead of Rea. Haslam took the final podium position, with his BMW Motorrad teammate Marco Melandri in fourth, and BMW Italia's Ayrton Badovin in fifth.
As for the other race-1 podium finishers, Checa and Giugliano both crashed out of race 2, losing valuable points.
With World Superbike at the halfway point, Biaggi now leads with 210.5 points, 38.5 ahead of Rea (172). In third is Sykes, 46 behind Biaggi. Melandri is in fourth with 155.5 points (-55 behind Biaggi), and Checa in fifth with 150.5 (-60 behind Biaggi).
The 2012 World Superbike Championship resumes at Motorland Aragon in Spain July 1. ––Paul Duchene
2012 Misano World Superbike Results:
Race 1
1. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) RSV-4 38'58.471
2. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) 1198R +0.305 seconds
3. Davide Giugliano (Althea Ducati) 1198R +4.503
4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing) ZX-10R +8.858
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike) CBR1000RR +11.627
6. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) RSV-4
7. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) RSV-4
8. Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert Liberty Ducati) 1198R
9. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Effenbert Ducati) 1198R
10. Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) GSX-R1000
11. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Italia Goldbet) S1000RR
12. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) S1000RR
13. Maxime Berger (Effenbert Liberty Ducati) 1198R
14. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Italia Goldbet) S1000RR
15. Matteo Baiocco (Barni Ducati) 1198R
16. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike) CBR1000RR
17. John Hopkins (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) GSX-R1000
18. Niccolo Canepa (Red Devils Ducati) 1198R
19. Leandro Mercado (Pedercini Kawasaki) ZX-10R
20. Federico Sandi (Grillini Progea BMW) S1000RR
DNF Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad) S1000RR
DNF Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing) ZX-10R
DNF David Salom (Pedercini Kawasaki) ZX-10R
DNF Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Ducati) 1198R
Race 2
1. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) RSV4 Factory 39'01.869
2. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) CBR1000RR 39'07.224
3. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) S1000 RR 39'07.600
4. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) S1000 RR 39'08.873
5. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) S1000 RR 39'09.790
6. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) S1000 RR 39'19.160
7. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) ZX-10R 39'19.220
8. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) ZX-10R 39'19.499
9. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) 1198R 39'20.080
10. Matteo Baiocco (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) 1198R 39'30.000
11. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) 1198R 39'30.276
12. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) CBR1000RR 39'39.929
13. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma Ducati) 1198R 39'50.872
14. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) GSX-R1000 39'53.750
15. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) GSX-R1000 39'57.371
16. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) ZX-10R 40'08.230
17. Federico Sandi (Grillini Progea Superbike Team BMW) S1000 RR 40'31.787
DNF Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) RSV4 Factory 32'16.723
DNF Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) RSV4 Factory 24'34.477
DNF David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) ZX-10R 11'39.370
DNF Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) 1198R 8'12.161
DNF Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) 1198R 4'58.038
DNF Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team Ducati) 1198R 3'23.618
DNF Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) 1198R 1'43.649
2012 World Superbike Point Standings (After seven of 14 rounds):
1. Max Biaggi Aprilia Racing 210.5 points
2. Jonathan Rea Honda WSBK 172
3. Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing 164.5
4. Marco Melandri BMW Motorrad 155.5
5. Carlos Checa Althea Ducati 150.5
6. Leon Haslam BMW Motorrad 123
7. Sylvain Guintoli Effenbert Liberty Ducati 103
8. Eugene Laverty Aprilia Racing 95
9. Davide Giugliano Althea Ducati 80
10. Jakub Smrz Liberty Effenbert Ducati 75.5
11. Michel Fabrizio BMW Italia GoldBet 58
12. Ayrton Badovini BMW Italia GoldBet 50
13. Leon Camier FIXI Crescent Suzuki 49.5
14. Chaz Davies ParkinGO MTC Aprilia 49
15. Maxime Berger Effenbert Liberty Ducati 38.5
16. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda WSBK 34.5
17. Niccolo Canepa Red Devils Roma Ducati 28
18. Lorenzo Zanetti PATA Ducati 25
19. Loris Baz Kawasaki Racing 19
20. Joan Lascorz Kawasaki Racing 17
21. John Hopkins Crescent Fixi Suzuki 10
22. Leandro Mercado Pedercini Kawasaki 9
23. David Salom Pedercini Kawasaki 9
24. Peter Hickman FIXI Crescent Suzuki 7
25. Matteo Baiocco Barni Ducati 7
26. Bryan Staring Pedercini Kawasaki 6
27. Mark Aitchison Grillini Progea BMW 3
28. Josh Brookes FIXI Crescent Suzuki 1
2012 World Superbike Manufacturer Standings:
1. Ducati 222.5 points
2. Aprilia 221
3. BMW 197
4. Honda 176
5. Kawasaki 1170.5
6. Suzuki 56.5
