WSBK : Tom Sykes wins Nurburgring race 1 in dramatic countback - Rea fractures leg / Chaz Davies wins redflagged race 2 at Nurburgring

Chaz Davies took his third victory of the 2013 World Superbike championship in a exciting race 2 at Nurburgring (where Davies took his first every SBK win) that like race 1 was red flagged with just two laps remaining in the race, and when Davies, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri (the other two podium finishers) were ready to rumble a few more times.

This time the oil on the track surface was promptly spotted, after wwildcard Matej Smrz violently highsided from his Yamaha R1 at turn 1, leaving a big puddle of oil right in middle of the track.

It was a battled race from start to the premature finish between Davies, Laverty and Melandri, with Tom Sykes marginally getting into the fray in the middle of the race, but his fourth place was good enough to take the lead of the standings by one single point over Sylvain Guintoli, who managed to finish 5th.

It was Marco Melandri who got the hole shot and trailing behind him were Tom Sykes and BMW team mate Chaz Davies, while Eugene Laverty shot up to 6th trailing his Aprilia counterpart, but one lap later the Nothern Irishman was already ahead of his team mate, as Davies took second from Sykes at turn 1 and began chasing after his team mate.

Laverty got past a lagging Sykes at the NGK chicane grabbing third - a big improvement from his first race when he hit his engine casing on the kerb that forced him to pit and return to finish 15th. On lap 7 Davies took the lead from Melandri and just a few minutes later Laverty would demote Melandri to third in his favourite braking spot, turn 1.

For a long while it seemed that the three were biding their times, studying each other until Melandri made two bold passes in the same lap, first eliminating Laverty and then Davies With just four laps remaining Davies dives back in front his team mate at the chicane and then Laverty passed Melandri again at turn 1 to take the second spot.

As the penultimate lap started, you could see the riders begin lining each other up for a last lap battle, only to have the red flag come out, giving Davies the victory.

Loris Baz was unable to take part in race 2 after being diagnosed with the fractured vertebrae. Leon Camier was was airlifted to the Stiffungs Klinicum in Koblenz for further observations on potential neck injury. Dr. Corbascio of the Clinica Mobile confirmed that Jonathan Rea suffered a fractured femur was also airlifted out.

2013 WSBK Nurburgring Race 2 Results:

1. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′36.933
2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′37.065
3. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′37.299
4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′38.122
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′38.554
6. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′40.166
7. Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 34′51.610
8. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′55.792
9. Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing) Ducati 1199 Panigale 34′59.058
10. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 35′00.761

RACE1 

World Superbikes race 1 at Nurburgring was run in dry and cool conditions and Tom Sykes was awarded the victory in a countback after a dramatic finale that caused the race to be red flagged on the penultimate lap, leaving Marco Melandri who had jsut taken the lead in second and team mate Chaz Davies completed the podium.

Ayrton Badovini had the pole position, but it was Tom Sykes who got the holeshot followed by Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies.

For almost the half race distance the three riders were separated by a few tenths as the rest of field lost contact, while Eugene Laverty who was rushing to try to catch the escaping group, crashed out. The Aprilia rider was able to remount, but was forced to pit with a crooked front rim, he would rejoin. but his race was over, but he was able to pick up a single point.

Davies would take the second spot from Melandri, but the Italian would return the favour just a few laps later as the two would continue their chase after Sykes as Jonathan Rea joined the three frontrunners.

On the penultimate lap Melandri lined up the Kawasaki and passed him and Rea was trying to line up Davies when disaster struck.

Federico Sandi crashed out and his Kawasaki lost oil on the track, and Rea arriving in fourth gear and at 200km/h was caught out by the oily substance at turn 10 and arrived like a missile against the barriers, and just moments later, Leon Camier was caught out. He smashed into the barriers like a bomb, with his Suzuki flying over the barriers. Rea has fractured his left femur. Camier has neck injury (the Suzuki rider is awake and moving) that has to be further investigated.

The red flag came out halting the race and the results were based on the countback giving Skyes the victory, his 11th of his Superbike career and he is now only one point from Sylvain Guintoli who couldn’t do better than fifth (fourth with the countback) and was never in contention for a podium finish.

Loris Baz was unable to take part in race 1 following his huge crash in this morning’s warm-up. The Kawasaki rider was shipped off the local hospital for further x-rays on his back.

2013 WSBK Nurburgring Race 1 Results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32′38.184

2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 32′38.453

3. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 32′38.898

4. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32′44.611

5. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32′46.710

6. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32′51.418

7. Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 32′52.002

8. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 32′56.910

9. Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 32′59.233

10. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 33′00.958