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DARK DOG rider Leon Haslam triumphs once again
at Superbike World Championship:
Sensational win at race in Valencia (Spain) extends his lead in the series
Valencia, Spain:
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam stormed his way to victory in the first race at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo last weekend and then followed it with a hard-fought fourth place in the second. With these superb two results, he increased his series lead to eighteen points!
The Circuit Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo is a tight, twisty track and has mainly favoured twin cylinder bikes in the past, so it was no big surprise to see six of them in the top eight after practise and qualifying last Friday. Among them was DARK DOG rider Leon Haslam recording the fifth fastest time. His team mate Sylvain Guintoli ended the day with eleventh fastest time, but was confident of improvement during Superpole.
Superpole qualifying was just frantic with the lead changing hands several times during the three sessions, but Leon stuck to his task and was rewarded with a front row place.
His team mate Sylvain was going well also, but ended up one tenth of a second adrift of a front row place and sixth overall.
The pair of 23-lap races on Sunday was successful for Team Suzuki Alstare as Leon Haslam delivered what he promised and gained a victory in race one and a fourth place in race two - meaning the increase of his series lead with eighteen points ahead of Max Biaggi from Aprilia.
Unfortunately, Leon's team mate Sylvain Guintoli was forced to take to the run-off area at the end of the back straight in order to avoid Camier's crash and lost several places as he regained the track. In the end, he finished ninth. In the second race (run in two parts, because of a crash and subsequent red flag), Sylvain improved his position to finish sixth and currently counts a seventh position overall.
DARK DOG congratulates Team Suzuki Alstare for leading the overall standing and is already looking forward to the next race taking place on 25th April 2010 in Assen (Netherlands).
Results / Race 1
1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare)
2 Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia)
3 Toseland (GBR-Yamaha)
4 Corser (AUS-BMW)
5 Haga (JPN-Ducati)
6 Rea (GBR-Honda) ...
9 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) ...
Results / Race 2
1 Haga
2 Checa (ESP-Ducati)
3 Biaggi
4 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare)
5 Rea
6 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) ...
Overall standing
1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare) 123
2 Biaggi 105
3 Checa 80
4 Haga 79
5 Rea 60
6 Toseland 50
7 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 50 ...
Leon Haslam
Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 4th
"I made a reasonable start and was fourth at the end of lap one and then just worked my way up to first by lap five. Once I was in the lead, I realised that the pace was not great and it all felt pretty easy for me. I expected that I would come under attack, but my pitboard signals showed that my lead was increasing! I kept a good pace and felt comfortable enough to ease the pace at the end.We made some small changes to the bike for race two - because of the hotter conditions - and managed to pass about five riders quite quickly despite not making a very good start. Then the race was stopped and we had to start again. We put a bit more preload on the front, but I began having brake problems before too long. [...] I didn't feel confident braking and after three or four laps I was praying that the race would come to an end or that somebody in front would stop and I would get another podium. I am happy to be leading the series, delighted that I have increased the lead and really looking forward to Assen - a circuit where I think our bike will go really well."
Sylvain Guintoli
Race 1: 9th, Race 2: 6th
"I made a good start in race one and everything was going according to plan until Camier crashed right in front of me! I had to take to the run-off area to avoid hitting him or the bike and then had to do a bit of a three-point turn to get back on the track and that cost me time and places. I had fallen to fourteenth (from sixth) but had some good battles before finally finishing ninth. We didn't make any changes to the bike for race two, but the hotter temperature meant that the tyres didn't work as well as they had done in race one and I had many slides. Sixth was not so bad, but I'm not happy because I think we can do better. I feel better here than I did in Portimão because I have got my rhythm back. Now we just have to keep on progressing and improving and, with a little bit of luck, the results will come."
