From a press release issued by BMW Motorrad: Almost 70,000 spectators saw Roberto Panichi ride to his third victory of the season with a lead of 1.3 seconds. The rider from the Dream Car Team in Ravenna came in first ahead of Sebastien Legrelle from the BMW Motorrad Belgium/Herpigny Team, Thomas Hinterreiter from the BMW Motorrad Austria Team, Brian Parriot from the BMW Motorrad Team USA as well as Peter Öttl from the Karl Maier Team Witec. In the second-to-last race Panichi managed to move the leading trio closer together. Andy Hofman of the Senger Racing Team leads with 136 points ahead of Sebastien Legrelle with 130 points and Roberto Panichi with 120 points. Panichi started from pole position. The starting grid behind him looked as follows: Brian Parriott, Peter Öttl and Sebastien Legrelle. In the Kodak bend, Markus Barth of the BMW Group Niederlassungen Racing Team managed to sensationally squeeze himself in front of Peter Öttl of the Karl Maier Witec Team and headed into the first round of the race behind Panichi. This duo was closely pursued by Cooper, Legrelle , Hofmann and Hinterreiter. The approximately 20 BMW R1100 S thundered over the demanding 3.429 km Sachsenring Grand Prix race-track as if they were being pulled on a string. In the fourth round Öttl launched his attack. First of all he outbraked Markus Barth after the long down-hill stretch at the Sternquell bend. Then, highly motivated, he took Panichi in the Kodak bend on his BMW R1100 S. The 20-lap race was into its sixth round, when Markus Barth grabbed for the lead coming into the Sternquell bend. Behind him Legrelle overtook Parriott to take fourth place and managed to close up to the leading group. In the ninth lap he went for Panichi. Side by side the second and third placed riders in the BoxerCup headed into the Kodak bend to the great delight of the raving fans and took the lead. Markus Barth was now in third position. The Swabian fell spectaculary coming out of the Besico bend due to a technical problem. He had to quit the race which had begun so well for him uninjured. Now Panichi rode ahead. Closely pursued by Legrelle and Öttl he managed to overtake all the lapped riders on the short GP race-track. Behind the leading trio came Parriott and Catalunya winner Hinterreiter. They managed to close the gap and now were directly behind the leaders. In the last three laps some hard attacks were launched. The leading BMW R1100 S was riding at its utmost limit. Panichi then managed to extend his lead to 1.3 sec. While Parriott briefly pushed past Legrelle into 2nd place which, one bend later, he had to hand over to Hinterreiter. The black and white flag then came down first for Panichi followed by Legrelle, Hinterreiter, Parriott and Öttl, who crossed the line within 5/10ths of a second. “What a race”, said Panichi, the happy winner, after the race, “My aim today was to win the race. Hofman is now leading with 16 points. But the excitement remains. I’m already looking forward to our last race in three weeks at the Grand Prix of Brno in the Czech Republic.”