Checa takes double at Miller

From worldsbk.com

Carlos Checa powered to a sensational double win in the sixth round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Miller Motorsports Park circuit on Sunday. The race, watched by 51,000 spectators, marked World Superbike's return to the United States for the first time since 2004.

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Spanish rider scored the first double win of his career and set fastest lap in both races to add to his Superpole win on Saturday, and in so doing gave Honda its 100th victory in the Superbike World Championship.

With the wins, Checa has reduced the gap to leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) to 28 points after the Australian left the USA with zero on his scorecard, the result of a crash and a technical problem in the two races.

The first race was reduced by one lap after a problem for Michel Fabrizio on the grid and a subsequent restart. Rookie Checa took his first SBK win after starting from pole, moving into the lead on lap 4 and having an untroubled run until the flag.

"This is a fantastic moment, we've been looking for it for so long," Checa said. "It was not easy because when I went out with the first bike, there was some problem then I changed to the other bike, which worked well, and I'm completely satisfied.

"I've felt quite comfortable with this track all weekend, the bike and the tires have worked well, but we've improved overall and that helped me to win this race."

Second place went to an on-form Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), who had not finished on the podium since Valencia, while Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) powered his way up to third after concluding the opening lap in 14th place. The Italian passed Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) three laps from the end.

"It got pretty tight at the start because all of us went into the first corner a bit too fast," Corser said. "I ended up hitting Carlos in turn 2 and nearly went down and lost ground at the beginning of the race. I knew I had the pace so just picked my way through then with five laps to go, pushed really hard and secured second place."

Fifth place went to Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) ahead of the surprising Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati) and Karl Muggeridge (DF Racing Honda).

Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) could only finish ninth. The Italian, third at the end of the opening lap, went off the track after contact with Noriyuki Haga and lost time.

Championship leader Bayliss had a nasty crash on lap 5 at the final turn while battling for second, and so did Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), who was racing with a broken right collarbone.

Once in the lead on lap 9 of race two, Checa cruised to his second win of the day, and his first double victory.

"Well, I didn't have to wait 10 years for another win, it was just two hours," Checa said. "After the first one we had to concentrate on the second, but now I'm free and can celebrate. For sure it's a special day today, but after all the tough work we did until now, the two victories came and this is one of the happiest days for me in this moment. For sure I was less laps alone in the second race but in the end it was the same feeling, two victories in America is fantastic."

Neukirchner led the early laps but once passed by Carlos, he settled for second, consolidating his third place in the championship.

"I worked really hard, in the first race we had some problems in the corners and for entry it was not possible to go in the corners," Neukirchner said. "We changed something on the front forks and in the second race things were much better."

The final podium place went to Fabrizio, who again had a poor start, 12th at the end of lap 1, but the Ducati Xerox rider was the quickest man on the track in the final stages.

Biaggi had a good run to fourth after holding on to third for much of the race, the Italian finishing ahead of Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) and a heroic Haga, who will undergo a collarbone operation Monday to be fit for Nurburgring in two weeks time.

Ninth place went to Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Corse), the first Kawasaki to the flag.

Bayliss was out of the points in race 2 after returning to the pits to fix a loose gear shifter, while Corser was again heading for the podium in third but he crashed out on lap 17.

Results - Race 1
1. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 37:04.991 (158.789 km/h)
2. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 +2.809
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 +6.546
4. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.764
5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +16.475
6. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +17.126
7. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR +17.284
8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +17.416
9. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +18.117
10. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR +20.467
11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +21.742
12. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR +27.533
13. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +32.609
14. Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +33.165
15. Holland R. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR +34.182
16. Nakatomi S. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 +34.500
17. Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +36.155
18. Gimbert S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +41.685
19. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R +43.579
20. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR +54.195
21. Pridmore J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR +1:00.388
22. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1:02.104
23 Jensen S. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 +1:09.953
24 Napoleone L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:12.258
RET Aoyama S. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR
RET Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF-R1
RET Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1
RET Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08
RET 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R

Results - Race 2
1. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 38:44.105 (159.618 km/h)
2. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +3.547
3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 +6.613
4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +7.878
5. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +10.568
6. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 +11.539
7. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR +18.381
8. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +20.646
9. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +21.264
10. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +24.863
11. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR +25.672
12. Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +31.711
13. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R +35.628
14. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR +42.816
15. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +45.034
16. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR +50.220
17. Gimbert S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +50.653
18. Pridmore J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR +51.188
19. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1:04.533
20. Jensen S. (USA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 +1:12.049
21. Napoleone L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:19.221
22. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08
RET Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1
RET Aoyama S. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR
RET Nakatomi S. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1
RET Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08
RET Holland R. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR
EX Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08