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Race 1 results.
Corser got away first, but was soon overtaken by Edwards on the Honda. Noriyuki Haga and Frankie Chili who did not want not to let Edwards get away followed him.
By the 2nd lap the leading trio opened a good lead on the rest of the field. Haga climbing all over Edwards with Chili right behind waiting for the mistake that might happen.New Infostrada Ducati rider Troy Bayliss got into fourth and set out to catch the first three
The lead changed again when Haga finally got through on lap four, but Edwards quickly took it back
.
Baylis made up time each lap to bridge the gap and then it was a four way fight.
Yanagawa, Slight, and Corser battled over the next three places. But at the front the lead changed constantly sometimes 3 times a lap, as all the riders made use of each other to slipstream. Fast and furious, no holds barred racing, coming down the straight up to four abreast , searching for advantage.
Bayliss got to the front on lap 8 and as the leaders fought each other Yanagawa started the creep forward to join the leading bunch, leaving Corser and Slight , to fight over the next two places. The front five on five different bikes, It was going to be anybody\'s race. Any mistakes were going to be paid for by a loss.
Two laps out, Yanagawa took the lead, the sixth different leader of the race. He was still out in front going into the last lap but had Bayliss, Haga, Edwards and Chili right on him in a freight train, Chili suddenly dropped of the pace, his tyre shredded, a piece flying up and removing the back part of his seat . He did exceptionally well to keep the bike upright.
But Bayliss so close to his first ever superbike victory was having none of it and in a do or die effort he passed Yanagawa and got his first superbike win, the first also for the Infostrada Ducati team this season they were followed home by Haga, and Edwards
Slight on his Honda got 5th, Crafar on Lavilla\'s Kawasaki was 11th. Of note further down the field Bostrom thumbed his nose at Ducati management who downgraded him from the factory team to the NCR Ducati team by beating his replacement home. He finished in 10th place with Borja in 13th.
1st leg results
1) 21 BAYLISS Ducati
2) 4 YANAGAWA Kawasaki
3) 41 HAGA Yamaha
4) 2 EDWARDS Honda
5) 111 SLIGHT Honda
6) 13 MEKLAU Ducati
7) 3 CORSER Aprilia
8) 33 ULM Ducati
9) 30 ANTONELLO Aprilia
10) 155 BOSTROM Ducati
11) 5 CRAFAR Kawasaki
12) 45 HAYDON Ducati
13) 19 BORJA Ducati
Race 2 Results
Bayliss got a great start, with Yanagawa, Corser, and Edwards close behind. But as they started lap two Yanagawa went into the lead with Edwards and Corser using the draft advantage to get ahead of Bayliss pushing him back to forth place.
Then Edwards passed Yanagawa to take the front position. Edwards then went all out to leave the long line of bikes behind. Knowing he had to get far enough away so that the following riders could not get an advantage from slip streaming him and getting a tow.
It was a good try but Bayliss with one victory under his belt wanted a second, and he caught Edwards, they slowly opened a gap on Haga,Yanagawa, Chili, Slight, and the rest, but as the two leaders dueled the latter four stalked them and caught them.
Yanagawa took the lead briefly until his motor let go in a big way- smoke and oil pouring from behind the fairings
Haga moved into second and he and Edwards tried another breakaway move. Not wanting to left out of the fun Bayliss and Chili closed back in started to harass Haga, on the last lap all were in a position to win, with Edwards in front.
Haga made a brave move around the outside at Sachs curve, only to be shut out by Edwards. With true Japanese courage he tried again on the inside, and when Edwards went to lean into the next corner he found Haga underneath him, he had to stand the bike up for a fraction of a second to avoid touching and that was all it took. Haga had the advantage and the win.
.Edwards took second followed by Chili and Bayliss had to settle for fourth. Slight got fifth. Crafar came in fourteenth, Bostum raised his middle finger again to Ducati by beating his replacement for the factory bike home. He was 11th, Borja 12th, Ducati maybe rethinking this move already. If not, they should be.
Second leg results:
1. Noriyuki Haga, (Yamaha)
2. Colin Edwards, (Honda),
3. Pier-Francesco Chili, (Suzuki)
4. Troy Bayliss, (Ducati),
5. Aaron Slight, (Honda),
6. Troy Corser, (Aprilia),
7. Alessandro Antonello, (Aprilia),
8. Andy Meklau, (Ducati)
9. Robert Ulm, (Ducati)
10. Katsuaki Fujiwara, (Suzuki)
11. Ben Bostrom, (Ducati)
12 Juan Borja Ducati
14 Simon CRAFAR Kawasaki
Championship points after six of 13 rounds:
1. Colin Edwards 202
2. Pier-Francesco Chili 162
3. Noriyuki Haga 137
4. Troy Corser 120
5. Akira Yanagawa 99
6. Gregorio Lavilla 71
7. Troy Bayliss 63
8. Aaron Slight 58
8= Ben Bostrom 58
10. Andy Meklau 54
Special Note: Aaron Slight has been awarded an Order of Merit of New Zealand this is the replacement NZ honour equivalent to an MBE under the old Royal honour system, and it is bloody well deserved.
Writers Note:It must be said also that Sky TV here in NZ didn\'t win any friends by switching the coverage from there normal service to the digital service which costs more money to view. I would have thought that Sky would have some consideration, and moral obligation to keep a series to the one channel for the duration of the series. I\'m sure if your as annoyed as I was at this ploy to make you sign up to their digital service you will let them know what you think.I have.
LR
