If the Superstock and Supersport races were battled and also controversial, World Superbikes race 2 at Silverstone was just as spectacular and battled, but with none of the controversy.
In mixed conditions once again, Loris Baz after his disappointing fifth in race 1, battled to the front to take his second victory in World Superbikes, and once again at the British circuit.
The Frenchman – who may lose his ride at the end of the season – was aggressive and fighting for the win with almost everyone who lead the race, while the other Frenchman, Jules Cluzel, took his Suzuki on the podium (the second for the English team today) – even if he crashed out at a wet Stowe corner, but with the red flag halted the proceedings on the 17th lap, the countback gave him his first podium of the season, as he brought his bike to the pits.
A disappointed, Eugene Laverty took the final spot on the podium.
Eugene Laverty once again got the holeshot, but it was Baz that overtook him just a few corners in as the two exchanged positions but the Frenchman prevailed at the end of the lap followed by Laverty, Sykes and Davies as Rea was shuffled back to 6th.
During the second lap, first Sykes and then Davies overtook Laverty, as Guintoli joined the tightly packed five front runners as Baz tried to break away leaving the rest of the field a little more than four tenths adrift as Guintoli broke Cal Crutchlow’s previous lap record at Silverstone trying to stay out of trouble, remembering the standings lead, but also his injured shoulder.
The Aprilia rider dropped to 7th after the white flag indicating rain was deployed as both Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel overtook him, as Chaz Davies passed Sykes at the Stowe for second on the 10th lap and the Kawasaki rider was then in the clutches of Camier, Laverty and Cluzel.
Davies then grabbed the lead from Baz, but the combative Frenchman wasn’t having any as he took it back at the complex, and Guintoli raced back up to fifth after Laverty pushed Sykes wide, as the two Suzuki riders moved into 3rd and 4th, as Sykes fell to 6th with Rea fastly closing in on him Up front Davies regained the lead from Baz, but the two Suzuki riders were men on a mission as Camier passed the BMW rider and then it was Cluzel who grabbed the lead, as Davies was to force to pull over as his engine went up in a puff of smoke and that was the third time this weekend, that the team lost an engine.
With just two laps remaining Baz took the lead from Cluzel as Jonathan Rea overtook Guintoli for fourth, but disaster struck Cluzel as he crashed out trailing the Kawasaki rider and then the hapless Leon Haslam, still recovering from his fractured leg – highsided out, as the rain began falling more heavily prompting the red flag.
Rac one winner Jonathan Rea would claim fourth, while Leon Camier would end up fifth, as Sylvain Guintoli came home sixth and moved further ahead in the standings.
It was another black weekend for Tom Sykes as he ended up seventh.
Ayrton Badovini took the 8th spot, while Marco Melandri had a trying weekend as he finished 9th after moving up to to 8th on the grid from his 15th grid place start, but a ride off track pushed him back to 13th, and having to restart all over again.
Carlos Checa who was almost invisible during the entire race, closed out the top ten.
2013 WSBK Silverstone Race 2 results:1.
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33′46.
6222.
Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 33′47.
2313.
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 33′47.
4914.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 33′48.
7675.
Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 33′48.
8516.
Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 33′48.
9967.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33′52.
4138.
Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 34′06.
7489.
Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′06.
83110.
Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 34′07.
25111.
Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′07.
39112.
Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 34′08.
02913.
Federico Sandi (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′31.
63714.
Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′32.
56015.
Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′32.
65816.
Vittorio Iannuzzo (Grillini Dentalmatic SBK) BMW S1000 RR 35′08.
829RT.
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 34′06.
566RT.
Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 29′33.
669
