Aprilia’s Marco Melandri eased to his first career win at the Laguna Seca circuit in the opening World Superbike race. The former MotoGP rider, who has masses of experience at the Mazda Raceway proved unbeatable after only the first lap, and edged on ahead to beat his team-mate and Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes - who completed the rostrum in third after an early uncharacteristic error while leading allowed the Aprilias through.
Initially it was Sykes got the hole-shot on the opening lap followed by Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli. On the same lap Sykes made a mistake going into the Corkscrew and went wide and into the dirt, allowing the duelling Aprilia bikes to go into the lead, with the small Italian leading the way.
Ducati’s Chaz Davies was closing in on Sykes in third, but had a fast crash approaching the Corkscrew, ending his chances of a podium finish, and the Welshman hobbled away to be checked out by medical staff.
On lap six the Pata Honda pairing of Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea were fighting for fifth, and the Northern Irishman did make a move on his team-mate to take back a place – but it wasn’t to last as he ended up going wide and slipped back to tenth, undoing all his hard work.
Voltcom Suzuki’s Eugene Laverty was progressing well in sixth, after his first second row start since Phillip Island, but with 18 laps remaining went wide at turn two, after his bike experienced a technical problem – and the Irishman retreated to the pits.
On lap 14 the Aprilia’s had a one second advantage over Sykes, with Ducati’s Davide Giugliano five seconds behind the current champ. Haslam was a further ten seconds behind the leading trio in fifth, who was followed by Red Devils Roma rider Toni Elias and Voltcom Suzuki’s Alex Lowes.
The reigning MCE British Superbike rider had a super fast crash during warm up this morning, which left him a bit battered and bruised. But his team were able to get his bike fixed in time for the start of the first race. But a lap later Elias got the better of Haslam to go into fifth coming out of turn one.
Rea was quietly working his way pack through the pack, and picked off Kawasaki’s Loris Baz and Lowes to go into seventh with 9 laps to go, and soon had his colleague as his next target. Elsewhere on lap 19 Melandri was beginning to pull away from Guintoli – and the former MotoGP rider had a 1.7 second lead at the front of the pack.
On the back straight Rea finally made his move on Haslam on turn one – and it stuck and he went into sixth, behind Elias on lap 21 of 25. On the final lap Melandri extended his lead by 0.9 seconds, with his team-mate close behind. Six seconds later Sykes crossed the finishing line in third, with Giugliano and Elias completing the top five.
Rea won the battle of the Pata Honda’s to snatch sixth off Haslam, with Lowes and Baz rounding up the top nine. Kawasaki’s David Salom won the Evo class, finishing in tenth. Circuit newbie, Christian Iddon on his Alstare backed Bimota BB3 Evo machine ended the first race in 13th. Reparto Corse’s substitute rider, Leon Camier came from 19th to finish in 16th.
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