Superbike: Double for Kawasaki at Donington in Race 1

Great emotions in Race 1 today at Donington Park, with World Champion Tom Sykes taking the top step of the podium after a spectacular comeback from eleventh place.

In dry track conditions, starting from seventh position on the grid, Sykes made a bad start which forced him into an attacking race.
Once he got into the rhythm he made up ground against the leading group, taking the lead at the end of the twentieth lap, with a decisive overtaking on Baz at Goddards, the left hairpin that leads onto the finishing straight.

The Frenchman, however, did not give up, trying to regain first position, successfully on a couple of occasions, until a small mistake at the Melbourne Hairpin (turn 11) gave free rein to Sykes, who took off towards the his seventeenth career victory, the third of the season after the double in Aragon.

Behind the official Kawasaki pair was Alex Lowes, taking his second podium of the season.

Fourth place for Marco Melandri, ahead of Chaz Davies, Jonathan Rea and Sylvain Guintoli, the latter author of a straight on the twelfth lap, at the Fogarty Esses (Turn 9-10), which caused him to lose several positions.

At the same point, four laps later, Davide Giugliano lost control of his 1199 Panigale R, with the crash putting an end to a promising race: he was in fact in second position, close to the then leader Baz.

The chicane dedicated to the four-time World Superbike champion, present at Donington Park this weekend, also proved to be the enemy of Eugene Laverty, who crashed in the initial stages of the race.

Completing the top 10 are Leon Haslam, Toni Elias and David Salom, tenth and first place among the EVO drivers.

At the end of the first race of the day, Sykes returns to the top of the standings and is now at 160 points, 11 more than Rea, with Baz third, -21 from the top.

Below is the order of arrival for Race 1:

1. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 23 laps
2. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +1.538s
3. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +6.394s
4. Marco Melandri ITA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +11.875s
5. Chaz Davies GBR Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R +14.514s
6. Jonathan Rea GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +14.708
7. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +18.482s
8. Leon Haslam GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +29.295s
9. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 +31.291s
10. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +46.953 (E)
11. Niccolo Canepa ITA Althea Ducati 1199 Panigale R +47.170s (E)
12. Fabien Foret FRA MAHI Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 02.583s (E)
13. Jeremy Guarnoni FRA MRS Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 06.195s (E)
14. Alessandro Andreozzi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 06.195s (E)
15. Claudio Corti ITA MV Agusta RC F4RR +1m 12.643s

16. Romain Lanusse FRA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 12.643s (E)
17. Aaron Yates USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX +1m 22.209s
18. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR +1 lap
19. Sheridan Morais RSA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R +2 laps (E)

Ayrton Badovini ITA Bimota Alstare BB3 (E) *
Christian Iddon GBR Bimota Alstare BB3 (E) *

* Ineligible to score points, removed from results (Badovini across the line 10th, Iddon DNF)

Not Classified

21. Davide Giugliano ITA Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R 15 laps completed
22. Eugene Laverty IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 4 laps completed

Did Not Start

Bryan Staring AUS IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R (E)
Leon Camier GBR BMW Italia S1000RR (E)
Peter Sebestyen HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR (E)
Geoff May USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX