Xaus Scores Wins One and Two at Misano
22 June 2003
A magnificent double win from Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila
999 F03) put his season firmly back on the rails after the Spanish star
overcame some set-up issues in qualifying, ending a run of results which
did not accurately reflect his full talents. Starting from the third
row in each race, Xaus proved to be a guided red white and blue missile
on raceday, capitalising on a mistake from his team-mate Neil Hodgson
in race one and doing enough to head him off by 0.244 seconds in race
two.
Hodgson, still a clear leader on points even after his
Misano mishaps, went out of the opening race after crashing on lap two.
In second place James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) rode hard to secure
second, with Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1) falling on the very last lap,
just in front of the Englishman. French ace Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati
998RS) was the first privateer rider home in third place.
In the second 25-lap outing, Xaus and Hodgson shook off
the attentions of Chili on the final few laps, and enjoyed a dogfight
to the line. Making a pass at the favoured overtaking spot of Tramonto
corner, on the final lap, Xaus made himself fast and wide enough for
Hodgson to be just unable to pass, and thus Xaus doubled up his tally
of 2003 race wins in one day.
The intense 31°C heat and relatively high humidity
on raceday was a factory for most riders, the two-race format of SBK
proving to be particularly demanding.
Many thought that Toseland’s retirement from race
two was down to tiredness and pain after his big crash in free qualifying
on Saturday but unspecified mechanical problems were the real cause.
Laconi followed up his race one win with a fourth place,
mainly due to lowering tyre pressures between races, to try and improve
traction, only to find it counter-productive.
Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) was fourth
and then fifth, after a tough day in the Suzuki office, thanks to a
practice crash.
Chris Walker recovered well from a bad start in race one to finish sixth,
and followed it up with a fatigue affected ninth in race two, losing
grip from his front tyre on right hand corners, having changed rubber
on the startline.
Lucio Pedercini scored an eighth and a sixth on races
one and two respectively, but the ‘alternative’ Italian
star of race two was undoubtedly Vittorio Iannuzzo, running a kitted
Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 to seventh, ahead of some big names –
a pleasing recovery from a crash in race one.
Steve Martin rode almost as well in race conditions as
he did in the majority of the qualifying sessions, and finished his
day with a sixth and a ninth, on both occasions just place ahead of
one of his own countrymen.
Troy Corser put in an excellent display on the Foggy
Petronas FP-1, taking seventh place despite the intense heat, and even
tenth in race two was a degree of success in a race with far fewer top
name retirees than the opener – Toseland excepted.
The top ten in race one was completed by Mauro Sanchini
(Kawasaki Bertocchi), just ahead of his team-mate Ivan Clementi.
In the championship table overall, Hodgson is still handsomely
ahead of all his rivals, with his total of 315 points fully 107 points
more than new second place rider Xaus’ 208. Toseland slips to
third overall, with 185, Laconi is on 174 and Lavilla has secured a
grand total of 155.
See series calendar for SBK
World Superbike Championship 2003
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Action Guaranteed to be Red Hot
