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Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts

Sunday 5 August 2012

Track - WSBK Silverstone Race 1 - Baz takes first win


After a rain drenched superpole session, Loris Baz (Factory Kawasaki) took his first win in WSBK, becoming the second youngest winner ever.  Drafted in hastily after Joan Lacorz's terrible accident at the beginning of the eyar, Baz showed his wet weather prowess on a drying track to beat the BMW Italia bikes of Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini.  Badovini and Jonathan Rea (fourth) took the battle right up to the line and came together at the chequered flag, leaving their bikes on the track for other finishers to dodge. 

Reigning champion Carlos Checa was fifth, and championship leader Max Biaggi was a late faller.

Track - WSBK Silverstone Race 2 - Red flag sees Guintoli revenge


As if there wasn't enough drama during race 1, the start of race 2 was delayed as the officials changed the race status to wet, which should have given us an indicatino of what was to come.  Massively trecherous conditions rewarded those willing to risk the limits of grip, with many falling victim to the heavy showers and aquaplaning through multiple sections of the track.  The race belonged to Sylvain Guintoli, who was dumped from the Effenbert Ducati squad just 2 weeks ago for 'poor performance'.  How a race win earlier this year qualifies as 'poor performance' is beyond me.  Anyway, now riding for PATA Ducati, Guintoli, a wet weather master stayed upright and won when the red flag was brought out with a few laps to go.  Sweet revenge for the rider, particulary given he beat former Effenbert team-mate Jakub Smrz in 3rd.  Following up a great race 1 victory, Loris Baz one again proved his wet weather mastery to take second and 45 points for the round.

Important to note however, that the final results were taken from before when the red flag was put out, with Carlos Checa, Tom Sykes, David Guigliano etc. all falling to prompt the red flag.