TOSELAND TAKES RACE ONE AND BAYLISS MAKES IT A DOZEN WINS Two incredible 23-lap races at Magny-Cours delivered a suitable finale to an outstanding season of racing in World Superbike, and it was in some way fitting that the riders who took the race wins were the riders who finished the season first and second overall; race two winner and champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) and James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda). In beating Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) in each French race, Toseland finished his year ten points clear of the talented Japanese rider, in second position. A resurgent Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) battled to third and second today, and thus edged out Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) in the overall championship battle, 254 points to 250, with Corser fourth.
RACE ONE A spectacular first race of the day had four riders fighting for the lead, and after a delayed start (due to a crash and oil spill from Ivan Goi's machine) a 23-lap slug-out went the way of Toseland, from Haga and Corser, with Bayliss just behind. Toseland's determination to score one more win shone through but Haga was the one with most work to do, as he was only 14th off the startline, setting a new lap record in his progression through the field. One of the best races of this, or any other SBK season.
RACE TWO The second race was hardly less dramatic or thrilling than the first, as Bayliss pushed through late in the race, and the warring Corser scooped second, as Toseland finally eased off from the brink to take safe points and secure his overall second in the rankings. Haga could not stay on terms with the leading group in race two, and finished some 8 seconds down on Bayliss, despite showing strongly in the early laps. It was Bayliss's 12th race win in 2006. Bayliss also scored the lap record in race two, the new best in race conditions, 1'40.370.
KAGAYAMA THE NEARLY MAN IN RACE ONE AND PITT CLOSE IN RACE TWO Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) looked like he would join the race one battle for the podium places but had to slow in the latter stages, finishing four seconds behind Bayliss, who was himself fourth. Bayliss, who had the bit between his teeth in the later stages of race two, eventually battered his way into the lead, but Kagayama dropped off to finish ninth, and seventh overall, on 211 points. In a disappointing day for Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) he finished race one seventh and race two, in tenth, having had to change engines shortly before the start of race one. He missed an overall fifth place by four points - and fourth by eight points - in his rookie SBK season.
WALKER FINISHES TOP KAWASAKI RIDER AS LANZI ENDS SEASON IN THE TOP EIGHT Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) underlined his class by finishing the season as the best Kawasaki rider in the championship, in ninth, 19 points ahead of his team-mate Fonsi Nieto. Walker was sixth in race one, and eighth in race two. He could not overhaul Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) in the championship itself, despite outscoring him in race one, and Lanzi goes overall eighth, on 169 points.
NIETO INSIDE THE TOP TEN WITH FABRIZIO 11th AND MUGGERIDGE 12th With Nieto the last rider in the top ten, after two DNFs at Magny-Cours, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda) made up ground to him but was 14 points shy of a top ten finish, after an 11th and a 13th. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was only two points from Fabrizio. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) scored a season best 11th in race two, his team-mate Shinichi Nakatomi was an impressive tenth in race one. Alstare Suzuki's private rider Max Neukirchner was 12th and 14th. Local favourite Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) was a fighting ninth in the opener, 18th and last in race two.
CHILI SAYS GOODBYE WITH A SINGLE POINT Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) scored a point in his final SBK race, after greetings and hugs from all his competitors on the startline at Magny-Cours. His 15th in race two was his first point since Brno, and the ever-popular Chili was given a rousing send-off to his new career in team management, from fans and paddock personnel alike.
SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP An unscriptable drama decided the final shape of the World Championship table in France, as Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) won the race and the championship, after the pre-Magny-Cours points leader Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) fell from his machine and scored no points. With Charpentier only needing to finish second or better to take the championship win, he rode to a solid sixth win of the 2006 season, and scored his second successive championship - a unique experience in WSS history. Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was second in the race from Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) and fourth place rider was Gianluca Nannelli (SC Caracchi Ducati). In the championship, the final points read Charpentier 194, Curtain 187, Sofuoglu 157 and Parkes 145.
SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) secured the last race of the year, after an early scrap with new champion Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki). Massimo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) was third, some 2.7 seconds down on Corti. Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) retired from the race while Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) crashed out. The final championship points now read Polita 177, Corti 156, Badovini 122, and Scassa 118.
SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) won the final race of the year, heading off Alessandro Antonelli (Junior Team Italia Honda) by over four seconds, with Domenico Colucci (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) third. The final points in the 600 class are Simeon 221, Davide Guigliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki) 145 and Colucci 91.
