2010 World Superbike Season Begins With Closest WSBK Finish Ever

0.004 seconds

That's the span which ultimately separated Suzuki's Leon Haslam and Ducati's Michel Fabrizio at the end of Sunday's WSBK season opener at Philip Island. Race 1 was so close that Michel was presumed winner during the cool-down lap. Upon further review, Haslam was handed his first-ever World Superbike victory. After a valiant chase, the race came down to a full-throttle, full-tuck drag race.

Austrlian fans also witnessed MotoGP veteran and former factory Honda man Carlos Checa heroically piloting his privateer Althea Ducati to a race 2 victory, making a spectacular final-moments pass on race one's winner, Haslam.

It was a tough day for some other Moto GP converts, including ex-Rizla Suzuki pilot Chris Vermuelen and former WSBK champion James Toseland, both of whom were forced to retire.

In the supersport class, Laverty made a profound statement early in the season with a dominant win at the Philip Island circuit.

Full Results:

Superbike Race 1:

1 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34'13.435 (171,442 kph)
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 0.004
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 0.769
4 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 10.201
5 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 10.782
6 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 11.079
7 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 11.208
8 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 16.522
9 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 20.291
10 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 26.352
11 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 29.775
12 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 30.155
13 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 31.951
14 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.957
15 88 Pitt A. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 55.082
16 31 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'10.932
17 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'11.237
18 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'17.357
19 25 Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1

Superbike Race 2:

1 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34'16.428 (171,192 kph)
2 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 0.307
3 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 0.434
4 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 0.837
5 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 3.453
6 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 11.530
7 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 12.026
8 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 13.068
9 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 14.401
10 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 14.707
11 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 14.743
12 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 14.851
13 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 15.143
14 25 Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 30.947
15 88 Pitt A. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 41.855
16 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 48.844
17 31 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'06.866
18 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'07.751
RET 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R

Supersport:

1 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 33'37.836 (166,536 kph)
2 26 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 4.359
3 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 4.500
4 25 Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 11.779
5 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 17.266
6 55 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 25.034
7 127 Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 27.834
8 40 DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 30.102
9 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 31.931
10 4 Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 31.991
11 37 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 40.552
12 7 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 40.556
13 16 Charpentier S. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'28.553
14 33 Cazzola P. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR
15 9 Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR
RET 51 Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR
RET 5 Lundh A. (SWE) Honda CBR600RR