2016 Misano World Superbike Results – Race 1
For the fifth-straight year, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes earned the pole at Misano World Superbike, the 2013 WSBK Champion earning the top qualifying position by 0.220 of a second ahead of teammate Jonathan Rea, and 0.586 ahead of Barni Racing Team Ducati’s Xavier Fores.
Following his double two weeks at Donington – his fourth-straight double at his home UK track – the 30-year-old Sykes was a favorite ahead of Misano. Saturday’s Superpole helped amp some additional favoritism, but he wouldn’t capitalize on it.
Sykes gave it all he could, but settled for second by an extremely slim margin; Sykes finished the 21-lap race at the Misano Circuit Marco Simoncelli by a mere 0.090 of a second behind teammate and reigning World SBK Champion Jonathan Rea. As for the Northern Irishman Rea, this was his 15th-straight top-third finish of the season for a perfect podium record, and his sixth win.
Earning the final podium position was Honda World Superbike Team’s Michael van der Mark, who finished just over three seconds behind the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja duo.
Race one of round 8 in Italy began with drama. Rea, who qualified second, took the holeshot, and was followed to the line by Sykes, Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Davide Giugliano, Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes, and van der Mark.
First to crash was IodaRacing Team Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori, the Italian competing in his first World Superbike race. He slid off into the gravel trap after getting tied up with others, and suffered a DNF on his opening SBK race. This allowed van der Mark pass Lowes to jump into fourth.
Giugliano’s time up front was short lived; at the end of lap one, he crashed, allowing van der Mark to slip into third. Giugliano would rejoin, and eventually finish 14th after restarting dead last.
Shortly afterwards the man who led Friday’s Misano SBK practice sessions, the 2006 MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden on the Honda World Superbike CBR1000RR SP, also crashed, sliding into the gravel trap. Unlike Giugliano, the American suffered a DNF.
For the remainder of the race, Rea stayed in first, leading every lap. Sykes remained in second for the entire race, and van der Mark in third from lap two-20.
The man who claimed fourth – Ducati Team’s Chaz Davies – had the most impressive run. He was in 20th by the end of lap one, but fought his way to fourth by lap 14. The Welshman finished over 10 seconds ahead of the man who earned fifth, Althea BMW’s Jordi Torres, and sixth-place finisher Markus Reiterberger on the other Althea BMW S1000RR.
Niccolo Canepa earned seventh as he rides for the recovering Sylvain Guintoli on the Pata Yamaha YZF-R1. Rounding out the top 10 were MV Agusta Reparto Corse’s Leon Camier, Team GoEleven Kawasaki’s Roman Ramos, and Pedercini Racing Kawasaki’s Anthony West.
Following race one, Rea has extended his lead to 318 points, 61 ahead of Sykes, and 74 ahead of Davies.
The 24-rider grid will return to the Misano circuit Sunday for the second 21-lap race, which begins at 1 p.m. local time.
2016 Misano World SBK Results, Race 1:
1. Jonathan Rea, GBR, Kawasaki ZX-10R 21 laps
2. Tom Sykes, GBR, Kawasaki ZX-10R +0.090 seconds
3. Michael van der Mark, NED, Honda Racing CBR1000RR +3.093
4. Chaz Davies, GBR, Aruba.it Racing Ducati 1199R +5.878
5. Jordi Torres, ESP, Althea BMW S1000RR +15.955
6. Markus Reiterberger, GER, Althea BMW S1000RR +18.200
7. Niccolò Canepa, ITA, PATA Crescent Yamaha R1 +19.385
8. Leon Camier, GBR, MV Agusta RC F4 RR +19.918
9. Roman Ramos, ESP, GO Eleven Kawasaki ZX-10R +26.272
10. Anthony West, AUS, Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +32.593
11. Josh Brookes, AUS, Milwaukee BMW S1000RR +36.825
12. Alex de Angelis, RSM, IodaRacing Aprilia RSV4 +37.084
13. Alex Lowes, GBR, PATA Crescent Yamaha R1 +38.181
14. Davide Giugliano, ITA, Aruba.it Racing Ducati 1199R +41.201
15. Pawel Szkopek, POL, Team Toth Yamaha R1 +80.992
16. Peter Sebesteyen, HUN, Team Toth Yamaha R1 +81.783
17. Dominic Schmitter SUI, Grillini Kawasaki ZX-10R +84.623
18. Fabio Menghi, ITA, VFT Ducati 1199R +85.068
19. Saeed al Sulaiti, QAT, Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +91.041
20. Gianluca Vizziello, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-10R +1 lap
DNFs
Xavi Fores, ESP, Barni Ducati 1199R, 4 laps
Karel Abraham, CZE, Althea BMW S1000RR, 12 laps
Lorenzo Savadori, ITA, IodaRacing Aprilia RSV4, 20 laps
Nicky Hayden, USA, Honda Racing CBR1000RR, 21 laps
2016 Misano World Superbike Race 1 Results – Photo Gallery