By Glenn LeSanto

Ben Bostrom won the second race at the Santa Monica circuit in Misano, San Marino this afternoon is spectacular fashion. Bostrom was locked in an exciting battle with Britain’s Neil Hodgson early in the race after Hodgson caught and passed Bostrom, the holeshot man and early race leader. The pair circulated at a scorching pace that proved too much for the rest of the pack, who gradually dropped further and further back. Bostrom fought his way past Hodgson who then succumbed to serious tire problems as his rear cover broke up in the final laps. Hodgson stayed on the circuit to finished 16th. Bostrom’s victory was his second of the season, he also won in Kyalami in South Africa.

It was a bad race for Colin Edwards, who was awarded third place in race one after a protest was upheld in his favor. The Castrol Honda team claimed that Lavilla had passed Edwards under a yellow flag in race one. The FIM upheld the decision and Lavilla was given a five-second penalty and demoted to fourth, with Edwards given third. Lavilla made amends in race two by storming to another podium place, third behind second-placed rider Troy Bayliss. With Edwards finishing down in 11th and Corser ninth, Bayliss now leads the World Championship by a 47-point margin and is beginning to look like the Champion elect.

It wasn’t a great day for the Benelli marque on its return to international racing. The Benelli Tornado Superbike failed to finish either race.

Revised First Race Results:
1. Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati) 40:23.410
2. Ben Bostrom, USA (Ducati) 40:23.892
3. Colin Edwards, USA (Honda) 40:34.796
4. Gregorio Lavilla, Spain (Kawasaki) 40:36.782
5. Akira Yanagawa, Japan (Kawasaki) 40:39.613
6. Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 40:39.744
7. Troy Corser, Australia (Aprilia) 40:39.747
8. Alessandro Antonello, Italy (Aprilia) 40:44.155
9. Tady Okada, Japan (Honda) 40:49.459
10. Ruben Xaus, Spain (Ducati) 40:57.514

Second Race Results:
1. Bostrom 40:20.677
2. Bayliss 40:28.224
3. Lavilla 40:33.160
4. Antonello 40:35.746
5. Okada 40:38.727
6. Xaus 40:47.589
7. Broc Parkes, Australia (Ducati) 40:50.265
8. James Toseland, GB (Ducati) 40:51.539
9. Corser 40:53.869
10. Pier-Francesco Chili, Italy (Suzuki) 40:59.171

World Superbike championship points after eight of 13 rounds:
1. Bayliss 250
2. Edwards 203
3. Corser 179
4. Chili 153
5. Bostrom 147
6. Hodgson 141
7. Lavilla 116
8. Yanagawa 110
9. Okada 100
10. Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) 80.

Manufacturers points:
1. Ducati 313
2. Honda 255
3. Aprilia 204
4. Kawasaki 194
5. Suzuki 165
6. Yamaha 25.

Next round: Laguna Seca, USA – July 8

Teuchert Battles For World Supersport Race Win In Misano

Reigning Supersport World Champion Jorg Teuchert had a race-long battle for victory in the heat at the Santa Monica circuit, in Misano today. In a battle that involved plenty of fairing bashing the Wilbers Suspension Yamaha rider took his R6 to a hard fought win. Pole sitter Iain MacPherson just lost out in the final stages of the race after holding the lead several times during the race on his Fuchs Kawasaki.

Championship leader, Paolo Casoli had also taken his share of time at the front of the race, but had to settle for third. Kevin Curtain pulled out of the race early on, he found it impossible to keep on the pace as a result of the injury to his left arm sustained earlier in the weekend. As a result Jorg Teuchert moves up to second in the title, 12 points behind Casoli, with Curtain slipping to third.

Behind the leading trio it looked like Pere Riba and Fabien Foret would finish fourth and fifth on their Ten Kate Hondas. But Riba crashed out on the last lap, handing fifth to Chris Vermeulen, his best result of the season.

World Supersport Championship Race Results:
1. Jorg Teuchert, Germany (Yamaha) 38:26.298
2. Iain MacPherson, GB (Kawasaki) 38:26.382
3. Paolo Casoli, Italy (Yamaha) 38:26.717
4. Fabien Foret, France (Honda) 38:28.758
5. Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Honda) 38:29.931
6. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 38:30.362
7. James Whitham, GB (Yamaha) 38:34.353
8. Andrew Pitt, Australia (Kawasaki) 38:44.829
9. Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Suzuki) 38:44.936
10. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Italy (Yamaha) 38:45.297

World Supersport Championship Points after seven of 11 rounds:
1. Paolo Casoli 100
2. Teuchert 88
3. Kevin Curtain, Australia (Honda) 81
4. Pitt 80
5. Muggeridge 64
6. Pere Riba, Spain (Honda) 53
7. MacPherson 49
8. Whitham 47
9. Bontempi 45
10. Vittoriano Guareschi, Italy (Ducati) 43.

Manufacturer Points:
1. Yamaha 140
2. Honda 114
3. Kawasaki 92
4. Suzuki 74
5. Ducati 45.

Next round: Brands Hatch, GB – July 29

World Superside Championship
Misano, San Marino, June 24

Webster Wins Again In Sidecar

Steve Webster’s dominance of the World Superside Championship isn’t reflected in the current point standings. But if you have any doubt of his capabilities as a rider, and those of his passenger Paul Woodhead, then glance over the results of the last few races. Yesterday, in Superpole, Webbo was a full two seconds faster than current Championship leader Klaus
Klaffenbock.

In today’s race he did another disappearing act, finishing 14 seconds ahead of Klaffenbock to claw back five more Championship points. But if Webster’s form, and luck, holds, and he wins every remaining race this season, and Klaffenbock finishes second, then Webbo will still fall short of the title by five points.

Sidecar Race Results

1. Webster/Woodhead, 38:50.739
2. Klaffenbock, Parzer, 39:05.684
3. Steinhausen/Hopkinson, 40:02.252
4. Hanks/Biggs, 40:06.718
5. Muldoon/Crone, 1 lap down
6. Schroder/Wafler, 1 lap down

Aprilia wins in action packed Superstock race

Spaniard Daniel Oliver kept his nerve to win what was a crazy and crash-infested European Superstock championship race in Misano. With bikes hitting the deck all around Oliver stayed on board and gradually hunted down race leader Mark Heckles to grab a brilliant win on the Aprilia in front of an ecstatic Italian crowd.

In a series that has so far been dominated by Suzuki GSX-R1000s, usually ridden by Ellison or Walter Tortoroglio, it made a welcome change to see a podium with an Aprilia and a Honda on it. Things might have been different if Tortoroglio and Ellison hadn’t got tangled up while fighting for the lead. Both riders went down, with Torto having to be taken off the track on a stretcher.

As the laps counted down Oliver gradually closed on Heckles, passing him on the last lap for a well-deserved victory.

European Superstock Race Result

1. Daniel Oliver, ESP, Aprilia, 20:19.359
2. Mark Heckles, GBR, Honda, 20:20.033
3. Giacomo Romanelli, ITA, Suzuki, 20:23.702
4. Benny Jerzenbeck, GER, Suzuki, 20:31.750
5. Dario Tosolini, ITA, Ducati, 20:33.617
6. Gianluca Battisti, ITA, Suzuki, 20:49.540
7. Raffaello Fabbroni, ITA, Honda, 20:53.329
8. Michael Weynand, BEL, Yamaha, 20:53.643