FIM Superbike World Championship Nurburgring, Germany September 4 Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Carlos CHECA, Spain (Ducati 1098R), 20 laps, 38:59.779 2. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1.855 seconds 3. Noriyuki HAGA, Japan (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -2.322 4. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Yamaha YZF-R1), -7.789 5. Leon HASLAM, Great Britain (BMW S1000RR), -9.727, ran off track 6. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Ducati 1098R), -10.113 7. Joan LASCORZ, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -17.226 8. Leon CAMIER, Great Britain (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -17.228 9. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -18.166 10. Jonathan REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR), -19.457 11. Tom SYKES, Great Britain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -22.136 12. Mark AITCHISON, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -25.346 13. James TOSELAND, Great Britain (BMW S1000RR), -31.617 14. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -31.796 15. Troy CORSER, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -33.320 16. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -38.149 17. Makoto TAMADA, Japan (Honda CBR1000RR), -76.143 18. Jakub SMRZ, Czech Republic (Ducati 1098R), -8 laps, DNF, retired 19. Maxime BERGER, France (Ducati 1098R), -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 20. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -20 laps, DNS More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Nürburgring (Germany), Sunday 4 September 2011 World Championship leader Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) once again showed the reasons why he is out front in the points standings with three rounds to run, after posting an assured win in race one and then holding his nerve in atrociously wet conditions in race two to score points for eighth place all on a day when his main championship rival was ruled out. A new rider also took his place at the top table of WSBK race-winning riders today, and on a new machine in the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Tom Sykes won for the Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike squad in a race in which only 13 riders finished in treacherous track conditions. Sykes is the sixth individual race winner of the 2011 season so far, with three rounds and six races left to run. Title challenging Aprilia Alitalia rider Max Biaggi missed out on raceday altogether after the injury to his left foot he picked up on Friday proved too difficult to overcome, but the new second ranked rider, Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) showed real fighting qualities in dry and wet conditions, scoring second in race one and splashing his way to sixth in the second race, which was shortened because of the rains. A great start to the day for Noriyuki Haga (Pata Aprilia) saw him third ahead of the factory Yamaha of Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) in race one, but then fall from a winning position in race two, caught out by an increase in the intensity of the rain. An excellent day for the privateers saw not one but two Effenbert Liberty Racing Team Ducati riders on the race two podium when Sylvain Guintoli was second and Jakub Smrz third. Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) had a good comeback weekend in many ways, topped of by fourth in race two, but his fellow Briton James Toseland (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK) fell out of contention in race two and suffered a bruised right elbow and a cut on his left elbow. Michel Fabrizio”ƒ(Suzuki Alstare) suffered with a painful right hand after a collision in race one, and finished 16th in the opener, and a retiree in the second. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team). Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) had a fifth and a ninth in BMW’s home races. Race 1 Checa posted a superb opening win, holding off early aggression from eventual podium man Haga before gapping all his pursuers in clinical style. Second was Melandri, Haga was third and then – in an eventually lonely fourth – Melandri’s team-mate Laverty. Haslam had been fifth early on then ran off track, climbing back from 14th place at one stage to re-take fifth. Guintoli was a confident top six finisher, some seven seconds ahead of top Kawasaki man Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) who recovered from a bad start to take Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) over the line. Carlos Checa: “It was a special race for many reasons, and I’d like to dedicate the win to Claudio Castiglioni on behalf of myself, the team and Ducati because this person was a part of this world and thanks to him we are racing with these bikes here. As for me it was a very good race, and it’s one step in front for the championship. I know that I had to make a gap in the early laps, because I was suffering a little on the straight. At the end I was struggling a little with the tyres but the difference was good enough for me to win.” Marco Melandri: “It was a difficult race for me. I had a good start but for the first few laps I wasn’t very fast against Nori and Carlos. I made a small mistake and lost the front under braking, going off the track and coming back fourth. I fought with Eugene, tried to catch Nori, but am very happy to be second today. We did a good job.” Noriyuki Haga: “I really like this track. I was looking for success but at the beginning of race 1 Carlos was very fast. I know how the Ducati works here and I tried to catch up with him. In the race I was at 120% but couldn’t catch him, but I was happy with third at the end. I showed all the world that at over 35 years of age I still have performance!” Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 38’59.779 (158,077 kph); 2. Melandri M. (ITA)Yamaha YZF R1 1.855; 3. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2.322; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 7.789; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 9.727; 6. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 10.113; 7. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 17.226; 8. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.228; 9. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 18.166; 10. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 19.457; etc.