Superbike Imola
The 20th pole for Kawasaki was obtained by Tom Sykes, the Japanese manufacturer has had to wait three years for a pole, since the previous one was recorded by Fonsi Nieto in the 2007 Lausitzring race, held in September as well.
The pole position carries another milestone for Kawasaki: their 100th front row start;
Tom Sykes is the 55th rider in history to score a pole, the eleventh from the UK. The British school seems to be the prevailing one, since five of the eleven pole scorers are current riders (Sykes, Crutchlow, Toseland, Leon Haslam and Rea);
First front row appearance for Luca Scassa, at his 48th race start;
The fifth grid spot is the best qualifying result for Lorenzo Lanzi in nearly three years, as he was fifth for the last time in the 2008 Valencia race;
For the first time in his SBK career, after 28 straight races, Cal Crutchlow didn’t manage to start from the top-10;
Imola World SBK Race Notes
For the second time in his career Carlos Checa scored the double after the 2008 Miller round. The Imola ones were the fourth and fifth wins for the Spaniard;
Lorenzo Lanzi scored his seventh podium, he has been waiting for it since his win in the first Valencia race of 2008;
In scoring points in both races, Max Biaggi recorded the new all-time streak of races in the points: 34. Max has always been classified in the top-15 since last year’s Brno race 1. The first race at Imola (Biaggi finished eleventh) was the only one in which Max didn’t finish in the top-10. The previous all-time sequence was recorded by John Kocinski thirteen years ago: 33 races;
Sylvain Guintoli has also recorded a relevant points finish streak: 25 races after Imola.
Some statistical notes about Max Biaggi winning the 2010 Superbike Championship
At 39 years, 3 months and 7 days (age referred to the upcoming Magny-Cours round, the last race of the season), Max has established the new age record to claim the first championship, beating Raymond Roche, who was 33 years, 8 months and 28 days old in 1990. Biaggi however is not the oldest champion overall: Troy Bayliss in 2008 won his last crown at 39 years 7 months and 3 days.
Biaggi is the first Italian to claim the championship, these are the other Italians who went close to the crown:
- Fabrizio Pirovano and Davide Tardozzi, second and third in the 1988 championship won by Fred Merkel;
- Pirovano was then fourth in 1989 and again second in 1990;
- A long podium drought then followed for Italian riders, who were not able to post a podium in sixteen years: it was Max Biaggi who ended this period with a third in 2007.
- Michel Fabrizio conquered the same spot in 2009;
Aprilia won their first riders title, last year also Yamaha won their first crown. In the last four years four different manufacturers have won the riders title as in 2007 it was Honda’s turn and in 2008 Ducati’s.
Max is the second rider in history to claim both the 250cc title and the Superbike one, after John Kocinski, who won the 250cc title with Yamaha in 1990 and the Superbike one in 1997 with Honda.
Notes on the other motorcycle racing championships
Maiden win for Michele Pirro in the Supersport championship. An Italian hasn’t won in Supersport since the Misano race of four years ago (Massimo Roccoli). Italy reached Great Britain in the wins chart at 26 wins. Australia is leading with 35 wins;
Maiden pole and podium for Giuliano Gregorini in Superstock 600, maiden fastest lap for Leandro Mercado and maiden podium for Fabio Massei;
In the Superstock 600 championship for the 40th straight race a Yamaha bike was present on the podium;
Jeremy Guarnoni won the title and confirmed that Superstock 600 is an all-French affair as Jeremy is the third Frenchman to clam the crown after Maxime Berger and Loris Baz.
