ROAD RACE
WORLD SUPERB/ICE
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
By Johan Vandekerckhove
Photos by Gold & Goose
NURBURG, GERMANY, JUNE 7
ou'll normally find the biggest
smiles on the faces of the riders
who stand on the top step pf the
podium. And while it is true that both
Castrol Honda's Aaron Slight and
Ducati Corse AD-VF's Pier-Francesco
Chili had their share of smiles after
splitting race wins on a rainy race day at
the Nurburgring in western Germany, it
was Chili's Ducati teammate Troy Corser who had the biggest grin of all. The
former World Superb ike Champion's
seventh and third on the day more than
doubled his lead in the season points
race.
For Chili, his race-two win capped
off a successful weekend, the most successful of the year thus far as he finished
the first race in a secure third, for two
podium finishes. Slight, meanwhile had
looked set to challenge Chili for the win
in the second race, but as he whittled
away at the Ducati rider's lead in the
late stages, Slight high-sided his Honda
into the gravel pit, ruining his bid for a
possible double win. He was able to
recover and finish the race, but secondplace points suddenly became fourthplace points.
Slight's Castro! Honda teammate
Colin Edwards II, beneficiary in the
New Zealander's untimely race-two
demise, had another successful weekend as he is obviously becoming com,- j
fortable on the RC45. Wet or dry, )
Edwards showed good speed throughout the weekend, carding the secondfastest time in the dry qualifying session, then setting the second-fastest time )
in a likewise dry Superpole hot lap.
When the rain came, Edwards continued to run at the front. In the first race, I
the "Texas Tornado" led the early going ;oJ
but was passed by teammate Slight,
who had made a better tire choice. Still,
Edwards hung on to finish a secure second. And in race two, he was again at
the front, looking set to finish third l
>
I
(Above) Race-two winner Pier-Francesco
Chili leads Colin Edwards II and Aaron
Slight. Edwards finished second both
times out.
8
(Left) Both race starts at the Nurburgrlng
..."""...._~...:...:~_!&:...:..:.:.:.,;,.::..;;;:....;..~..:...:~= ~....::::==
.......
...::=::=..__~~~~~....:.._.-J __....:I=-oo=-k:.::ed like this - soaking wet.
