Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn Le Santo

At the start Ivan Clementi ran onto the grass on the inside of the track as the pack ran into turn one after being bumped by Troy Corser. Unable to brake properly for turn one as he was by now riding on the grass, Clementi rode straight across the track going into turn one. Clementi broadsided Corser, who was now tipping into the turn, and the pair went down in front of Chris Walker and Frankie Chili. Both Chili and Walker crashed and several riders had to take to the grass to avoid the melee.

Some riders assumed that the crash, which had dragged dirt onto the track, would bring out he red flag. Ruben Xaus actually sat up in the saddle and backed off the throttle. The crash served to split the pack into essentially two parts. In the front pack Hodgson, Toseland and Atsushi Watanabe were pursuing Laconi, who had taken the lead going into turn one.

Hodgson overhauled Laconi on lap four and from there on out there was no holding him back as he powered away to his fifth win in five races.

“I passed Regis on the main straight purely because my bike is so fast, there was no skill in it but I was relieved to get by him,” admitted Hodgson after the race.

Laconi pushed hard to keep on Hodgson’s tail pipes, but a mistake convinced him that second was better than nothing. “I got a good start but when Hodgson went by I tried a little too hard to keep up and made a mistake. Then I decided second was possible and first wasn’t so I calmed down and tried to stay smooth.”

James Toseland took third, someway ahead of Xaus who was himself ahead of a titanic scrap between Gregorio Lavilla and Hitoyasu Izutsu. They traded places a few times, but Lavilla managed to clinch it at the end of the race despite riding on a pair of thoroughly overcooked tires.

The result means Hodgson extends his lead at the front, to 32 points. Toseland meanwhile leaps up from sixth to third place ahead of Lavilla and Laconi.

World Superbike Results
Race One
Sugo Sportsland, Japan

1. Neil Hodgson, UK, 999F03, 37:57.829

2. Regis Laconi, France, Ducati 998RS, 38:04.996

3. James Toseland, UK, Ducati 998F02, 38:12.682

4. Ruben Xaus, Spain, Ducati 999F03, 38:26.128

5. Gregorio Lavilla, Spain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 38:30.211

6. Hitoyasu Izutsu, Japan, Honda RC51, 38:30.413

7. Lucio Pedercini, Italy, Ducati 998RS, 38:58.444

8. Atsushi Watanabe, Japan, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 38:59.983

9. James Haydon, UK, Petronas Foggy FP1, 39:05.261

10. Juan Borja, Spain, Ducati 998RS, 39:09.275

11. Mauro Sanchini, Italy, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 39:15.183

12. Giovanni Bussei, Italy, Yamaha YZF-R1, 39:16.799

13. Marco Borciani, Italy, Ducati 998RS, 39:25.675

14. Kenichiro Nakamura, Japan, Honda RC51, 39:25.877

15. Steve Martin, Australia, Ducati 998RS, 38:00.830

16. Walter Tortoroglio, Italy, Honda RC51, 18 laps, DNF

17. Noriyasu Numata, Japan, Ducati 996 RS, 16 laps, DNF

18. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 0 laps, DNF

19. Troy Corser, Australia, Petronas Foggy FP1, 0 laps, DNF

20. Chris Walker, UK, Ducati 998F02, 0 laps, DNF

21. Pierfrancesco Chili, Italy, Ducati 998RS, 0 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: Hodgson, 1:29.999