Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa put one hand on the 2011 World Superbike title this afternoon at Imola when Jonathan Rea's Castrol Honda expired from the lead with a faulty battery connector with five laps to go, and the Spaniard was there to pick up the pieces and increase his series lead to 97 points with only 100 left available.
The Irishman had been controlling the race from the front, building a substantial lead over Checa, Pata Aprilia's Noryuki Haga and Leon Camier on the factory RSV4 when his Fireblade slowed and he was forced to roll down pitlane.
Checa crossed the line nearly five seconds ahead of Haga while Camier was gifted a podium finish. Eugene Laverty ended the race just ahead of Leon Haslam in fifth while Marco Melandri had to fight his way back through the pack after running on at the chicane early on and re-joining in 12th place.
Liberty Ducati's Sylvain Guintoli was seventh, Joan Lascorz eighth, Mark Aitchison a brilliant ninth on the Pedercini Kawasaki and Ayrton Badovini completed the top ten. Tom Sykes retired after 15 minutes.
