WORLD SUPERBIKE
WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 1/FEBRUARY 23, 2014
PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT/PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
P38
here and I am normally strong here," said
Guintoli from the top of the table after win-
ning race two. "But before race one I had
not done more than five laps in a row."
The reason for the stoppage of the
race was the spectacular engine blow up
suffered by Laverty, who saw his luck go
from four-leaf clover to race two over.
It happened right in front of eventual
second place rider Loris Baz.
"I have to thank the team because we
had the worst week ever in testing and
then we arrived for the race today it was
the best," said Kawasaki's Baz. "I wanted
to go home on Friday, but now I can go
home with the second place in the cham-
pionship."
The compact race day brought in for
the Australian round was tough on teams
and the track was, as always, tough on
tires.
Part of the reason that Laverty could
win is that he was one of few riders not
to have trouble with a blistered or prema-
turely worn tire.
The track eats the left side of tires,
which left some people – like new lap re-
cord holder Chaz Davies (with a 1:30.949)
down in eighth, some 25 seconds from
Laverty as Ducati's tire grew holes and
lap times simultaneously.
Davide Giugliano had a more effec-
tive race Down Under on the second
Ducati, finishing fourth in race one and
convinced at one stage that he could win.
In race two he was fourth again and only
a tad over two seconds from the winner
Guintoli.
