BAYLISS THE UNTOUCHABLE THEN PITT THE IMPERIOUS Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) rode to his eighth straight win of the 2006 season, before falling in race two, during an exceptionally dramatic race; deservedly won by Yamaha Motor Italia rider Andrew Pitt. With James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) second but Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) suffering a fall and retirement in the opener, Bayliss extended his championship lead significantly at that point.
Corser was to also fall while leading race two, and drop from second in the table to fourth. Bayliss scored only four points for 12th in race two but still commands a handsome lead. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) is now second, with Bayliss on 254, Haga 160, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 157 and Corser an unchanged 149.
RACE ONE The first of two 25-lap races was held in temperatures of 28°C, and was taken in eventually convincing style by Bayliss, running clear of early leader and eventual second place man Toseland on lap 11. The winning margin was almost seven seconds. Toseland's shadow, Corser, fell out of contention on lap 16, losing the front once more. Yukio Kagayama's strong third place on his Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra machine was his first podium finish of the 2006 season.
RACE TWO The second race saw all three of the previous race winners in 2006 so far, Corser, Bayliss and Toseland, either crash or run off the track while in podium positions. None could do much about the race long pace of Pitt, who scored his first ever World Superbike win in fine front-running style. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) was the best Honda rider in race two, second, despite an atrocious start, in contrast to his slick start in race one. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) had to give his all to beat Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) to the final podium slot after a classic man-to-man battle in the latter stages. Corser fell again, on lap eight, while leading Pitt.
HOT COMPETITION AROUND THE MISANO MELTING POT With air temperatures into the low thirties and 25 lap races to complete all the riders knew that Misano would be a challenge, but this time round the formbook was consumed by fire. Barros scored fourth in race one, ahead of Haga and 2005 double race winner Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) one of a few riders who used a smaller width race tyre.
Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) went seventh, with the top ten rounded out by Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), Ducati privateer Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) and Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) who recovered well from a disastrous qualifying.
In the second race, littered with incident for the top riders, Kagayama scored fifth, with race one retiree Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda) sixth, one up on Lanzi, Toseland's excursion off track left him eighth, with Xaus ninth and Alstare Engineering Suzuki rider Fabien Foret, a former Misano Supersport race winner, tenth.
SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) saw his lead diminished a little after he was forced to miss the Misano race, but in the reigning champion's absence the remaining Supersport riders served up a sizzling competition, with the top prize finally awarded to WSS rookie Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia). He won by only 0.2 seconds from Simone Sanna (Megabike Honda) who was standing-in for the injured Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda). Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) took a new Supersport lap record (1'37.628), and third place on the podium, promoting himself to overall third in the championship chase.
Second in the table, but only sixth today, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) fought off pre-race illness and and far-from ideal machine set-up to take sixth place. In the championship, Charpentier is on an unchanged 116, Curtain is on 86, with Parkes on 74, tied with Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda), who was fifth at Misano.
SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki) extended his lead in the 1000cc Superstock division by scoring his third win of the year, taking his total points to 95. His win, over Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) and Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) was another masterful display of riding, and he took a new lap record to boot, 1'37.526, on lap two. Badovini now sits on 68 points, with Scassa on 51. British-based Australian, Brendan Roberts, was fourth on his HP Racing Suzuki.
