Sterilgarda Yamaha's Ben Spies cruised to the win in this afternoon's first World Superbike race at Donington Park after Aprilia's Max Biaggi looked to have a fuel problem on the last lap.
The American led from start to finish with Biaggi the only man to live with Spies' pace. The Italian kept to within half a second until both riders exited Foggy's and Biaggi began to shake his RSV4 from side to side, indicated a lack of fuel. He continued, however, finishing seven seconds in arrears.
Xerox Ducati's Noriyuki Haga had a lonely race for third while Stiffy Honda's Leon Haslam and Sterilgarda's Ducati Shane Byrne diced for fourth for most of the race. Haslam didn't get the best of starts but slowly clawed his way up to the fight for fourth and fifth.
Byrne looked to be holding the local man up as Haslam was trying to find a way past but when the Honda went by with seven laps to go on the entrance to Redgate, Byrne was able to match Haslam's pace.
Airwaves Yamaha's Leon Camier got a shocking start and dropped behind the MSS Colchester Kawasaki of Simon Andrews but managed to work his up through the pack, finishing 13th.
It hasn't been a greta weekend for Camier's team-mate James Ellison, who crashed out at McLeans with ten laps to go after passing Ten Kate Honda's Carlos Checa for 10th place.
Checa's team-mate Jonathan Rea crossed the line in seventh just ahead of a resurgent John Hopkins, while Tom Sykes crashed but re-joined with 17 laps to go. He eventually retired just before the end. Andrews ended race one in 20th.
