Carlos Checa is the new 2011 World Superbike champion.
The Althea Ducati needed just three points to take the title, but he did it in his usual style, by dominating race 1 at Magny Cours and taking his 13th victory of the season.
When the lights went out in race 1 pole sitter Jonathan Red looked like he got a jump start which caused him to wheel back slightly and then take off late letting Eugene Laverty, Leon Camier and Carlos Checa get ahead of him, while further back in the field Pedercini’s Mark Aitchison had a horrific highside, that left him limping off track.
While Laverty and Camier took off distancing themsevlves from the rest of the field, Checa was embroiled in a fierce battle with Tom Sykes, after managing to shake off the Englishman he began hunting down the Aprilia and Yamaha riders.
Camier began to lose contact with a faster Laverty, when Checa caught him and attempted his first pass he hit Camier’s rear wheel, however at the Adelaide turn he made his pass stick and was second.
Behind the leading riders, on lap four saw Jakub Smrz crash out while Marco Melandri became embroiled in a battle with Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes, a first error let Leon Haslam through and then Jonathan Rea and a further error let Noriyuki Haga past, Melandri was now in eighth, but he inheritated seventh after Sykes overshot the track and Rea lost the front of Honda and crashed out, while Checa was putting in the fastest lap of race catching up to Laverty as Ayrton Badovini also crashed out.
Checa made his move on Laverty on lap 10 which didn’t stick, but at turn 15 he sailed right past him and started immediately to pull away, as Leon Haslam, Marco Melandri and Leon Camier began their three way battle for third.
Laverty began to fade with excessive tire wear on the right side of rear tire, as the threesome began closing in on him.
Melandri first disposed of Haslam and then of Laverty to take second, while Haslam held off Camer for third, while further back Michel Fabrizio dropped out of his 11th spot when he ran into the wheel of Tom Sykes’ Kawasaki, he was able to rejoin and finish 12th.
Checa won the race with a comfortable 2.
2 second margin and the 2011 championship all in one swoop.
WSBK Magny Cours Race 1 results.
01- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – 22 laps in 38’16.
46502- Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 2.
20103- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 3.
21804- Leon Camier – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 3.
79605- Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 5.
60206- Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 9.
63407- Noriyuki Haga – Pata Racing Team Aprilia – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 9.
81408- Joan Lascorz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 11.
38709- Troy Corser – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 17.
14310- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 24.
52311- Javier Fores – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 34.
53212- Michel Fabrizio – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1’19.
74213- Roberto Rolfo – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 1 lap
