Huddersfield racer Tom Sykes has opened up a 39 point lead as he defends his World Superbikes title.
The 28-year-old scored a ‘double’ success at Misano as he enjoyed a record-breaking and equalling meeting – and all this while nursing a damaged right hand and wrist.
Sykes laid down the marker in qualifying where he took his 21st Superpole of his career – equalling the record of four-time world champion Carl Fogarty.
In gaining that Superpole he also broke Troy Corser’s lap record around the tight an twisty Rimini circuit and come race time he won his first race at the Misano Adriatico and then added a second – the first wins for the Kawasaki Racing Team at the track for 20 years since Scott Russell was a winner.
The first race was almost a lights to flag victory, Toni Elias making the best start but failing to hold his ground, and the second race saw Sykes come through to complete a third ‘double’ of the season after his wins at Aragon and Donington Park.
“I wouldn’t say it was a comfortable,” said Sykes, still nursing the injury caused by teammate Loris Baz knocking him off his ZX10R Ninja in the first race at the last meeting at Sepang.
“In the end we won by a good margin, but that had to be worked for.
“In the first race we felt we had to dig deep to get the performance we wanted, but the bike was fantastic.
“We had made a few changes coming here and the work we did came good.”
Behind Sykes in race one there was an intense race long three rider fight for the places on the podium with Baz eventually grabbing second ahead of Aprilia Racing Team’s Marco Melandri – his teammate Sylvain Guintoli having to be content with fifth behind the Ducati Superbike Team’s Chaz Davies.
In race two the podium placings were repeated, as the competition was over before it had begun for the Ducati Superbike Team’s Davide Giugliano – trying to impress on home territory.
The Italian, who had finished eighth in the first race took the lead into turn one but was judged to have moved before the lights went out and was given a jump start penalty.
He eventually finished ninth after serving a ride through the pits for his mistake.
World Superbike Championship round seven, Misano, San Marino, Race One: 1 Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 33mins 46.932secs, 2 Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 33:51.944, 3 Marco Melandri (Aprilia) 33:53.349, 4 Chaz Davies (Ducati) 33:54.715, 5 Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) 34:03.180, 6 Toni Elias (Aprilia) 34:04.331, 7 Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda) 34:08.094, 8 Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) 34:13.325, 9 Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Suzuki) 34:13.774, 10 Leon Haslam (Pata Honda) 34:27.532.
Race Two: 1 Sykes 33mins 55.695secs, 2 Baz 33:58.778, 3 Melandri 33:59.108, 4 Guintoli 34:00.787, 5 Rea 34:14.670, 6 Elias 34:15.060, 7 Laverty 34:15.872, 8 Alex Lowes (Voltcom Suzuki) 34:16.134, 9 Giugliano 34:29.515, 10 David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) 34:37.851.
World Championship Standings: 1 Sykes 251pts, 2 Guintoli 212, 3 Baz 210, 4 Rea 199, 5 Melandri 179, 6 Davies 143, 7 Giugliano 111, 8 Elias 109, 9 Laverty 106, 10 Haslam 99.
Manufacturer: 1 Kawasaki 266pts, 2 Aprilia 244, 3 Honda 199, 4 Ducati 178, 5 Suzuki 156, 6 BMW 42, 7 MV Augusta 13.
Fenay Bridge racer Kyle Smith had to settle for 11th place as Team Pedercini‘s Lorenzo Savadori took the win, his first of the 2014 season, in the fourth round of the FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup.
Spanish-based Agro-On Racedays Honda CBR1000RR rider Smith now lies in tenth in the season’s championship standings.
Click here to take you back to more Sports news.
Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here, the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here
To follow us on Twitter click here
