Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Edwards on a roll

Colin Edwards kept up his winning ways with another win in the first World Superbike race at Oschersleben.

The Texan led the race from start to finish on his Honda and never really came under any real pressure, finishing the race almost 2 seconds up from second-place-finisher Troy Bayliss. It seems the parts Edwards’ Honda received after the Suzuka 8-hour race are working! The win is Edwards’ fourth in a row and closes the title gap by another 5 points. Edwards is now 34 points back from Bayliss with a maximum of 125 points available in the last five races.

Behind Edwards a race-long battle between Bayliss and Neil Hodgson gave the spectators some action in what was otherwise a fairly quiet race. Bayliss got the better of the fight when he passed Hodgson in the closing stages.

Ruben Xaus, who had been catching Hodgson, threw it away in the final turn at the end of lap 23. Behind him Frankie Chili had been overhauled by Ben Bostrom. James Toseland and Nori Haga were also enjoying a race-long scrap. Toseland won the fight to claim sixth with a very brave last-lap, last-turn pass, diving up the inside of Haga.

Gregorio Lavilla was the first man on a 4-cylinder machine, taking eighth place on the Suzuki just ahead of Chris Walker on the Kawasaki.

Peter Goddard had his best result of the season so far, finishing 12th on the Benelli Tornado, a result that will give a much needed boost to the team.

Oschersleben World Superbike Race One Results:

1. Colin Edwards, Honda RC51, 28 laps, 40:55.744
2. Troy Bayliss, Ducati 998F02, -1.741
3. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 998F01, -4.317
4. Ben Bostrom, Ducati 998F02, -23.715
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -26.523
6. James Toseland, Ducati 998F01, -30.228
7. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia RSV1000, -30.358
8. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R750, -42.526
9. Chris Walker, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -42.727
10. Broc Parkes, Ducati 998RS, -48.833
11. Hitoyasu Izutsu, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -59.381
12. Peter Goddard, Benelli Tornado 900, -82.101
13. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -85.033
14. Serafino Foti, Ducati 996RS, -90.080
15. Mark Heckles, Honda RC51, -1 lap
16. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -1 lap
17. Yann Gyger, Honda RC51, -1 lap
18. Thierry Mulot, Ducati 996SPS, -1 lap
19. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -3 laps, DNF
20. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 998F02, -6 laps, DNF, crash
21. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, -7 laps, DNF
22. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 996RS, -21 laps, DNF
23. Alessandro Antonello, Ducati 998RS, -28 laps, DNF


More, from a press release issued by HM PLant Ducati:

HM Plant Ducati on form at Oschersleben

Neil Hodgson finished third in race one at the 11th round of the Superbike World Championship at Oschersleben behind championship leaders Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss. The 28-year-old HM Plant Ducati rider battled throughout the 28-lap race with reigning champion Bayliss in an epic dice for second place, while Colin Edwards maintained a consistent advantage at the front of the field.

“My plan was to put Colin Edwards under as much pressure as I could in the early stages of the race when he beat me off the line into the first corner,” explained Hodgson. “I didn’t know who was behind me, so I relaxed and kept riding as quickly as I could.

“I put any thought of pressure to the back of my mind and so I was able to concentrate on my own race. Troy got past me on the way into turn three. I was probably a bit weak into that corner on lap 22 and paid the price. It was a clean move and I was unable to make up the ground that I lost over the closing six laps after we got caught up in traffic.”

Meanwhile the other HM Plant Ducati rider James Toseland was involved in his own private battle for sixth place with Noriyuki Haga. The 21-year-old Sheffield rider passed the Japanese star on lap 13, only for Haga to regain the advantage with six laps remaining. It was left to Toseland’s amazing last-corner out-braking technique to clinch a hard-earned top six position.

“I’ve felt good all weekend and I was determined to make a big impression here,” said Toseland. “I didn’t get off the line that well, but I was soon up to Haga and was able to get past him. However, I wasn’t able to make a break and he got me back in the closing stages of the race.

“After he had pulled out a short gap, I sat back, took a deep a deep breath and moved back onto his rear wheel. He bottomed out on the penultimate corner and I decided to go for it. I guess it was an all-or-nothing move, but I didn’t want to come back into the pits without giving it my best shot.”



More, from a press release issued by Benelli:

Best ever WSB finish for Benelli

Benelli Sport enjoyed their best ever World Superbike Championship finish today when Peter Goddard powered the Benelli Tornado to twelfth place in race one at Oschersleben.

“We found some good settings on Saturday,” commented Goddard. “Unfortunately just a little too late as I reckon that if we had used them earlier in qualifying we would have made it into Superpole.”

Goddard had qualified back in eighteenth so he had his work cut out in the race. “I got a great start in race one,” said Goddard, “and then lost a couple of places and settled into twelfth. I was able to hold Pedercini off for the entire race and kept twelfth place to the flag. That’s our best-ever finish and I’m really happy about that.”

Race two was a different story, “I didn’t get such a good start but I reckon I still would have finished well. But, on lap 22, while I was chasing down Pedercini the bike stopped and that was that.”

The team now pack away for the journey to Holland for the Assen round next weekend. “I hope that some of the improvements we made this weekend will put us in good stead for the last two meetings,” said Goddard. “A top ten finish before the end of the season would be great!”