WSB Misano Race Two

So while we realize it's a few hours late, some would say it's better late than never, and definately worth checking out. And don't go thinking our own AMA races are the only ones with organizational problems -- Honda's Colin Edwards might disagree with you about that one...

Ben blitzes the opposition

Ben Bostrom won the second race at the Santa Monica circuit in Misano, SanMarino this afternoon is spectacular fashion. Bostrom was locked in anexciting battle with Britain's Neil Hodgson early in the race after Hodgsoncaught and passed Bostrom, the holeshot man and early race leader. The paircirculated at a scorching pace that proved too much for the rest of thepack, who gradually dropped further and further back. Bostrom fought his waypast Hodgson who then succumbed to serious tyre problems as his rear coverbroke up in the final laps. Hodgson stayed on the circuit to finished 16th.Bostrom's victory was his second of the season, he also won in Kyalami inSouth Africa.

It was a bad race for Honda's Colin Edwards, who was awarded third place in race oneafter a protest. The Castrol Honda team claimed that Lavilla had passed himunder a yellow flag in race one. The FIM upheld the decision and Lavilla wasdemoted to fourth. Fuchs Kawasaki rider Harald Eckl was furious with thedecision, "How do they expect a rider to see a yellow flag when they aregoing 260kmh in a slipstream when the flag is positioned at ninety degreesand thirty metres from the track? Both lead riders commented to mepersonally that they hadn't seen the flag. The marshal's position was in thewrong place. It's disappointing for Gregorio and for Superbike racing."

Lavilla made amends in race two by storming to another podium place, thirdbehind second placed rider Troy Bayliss. With Edwards finishing down in 11thand Corser ninth, Bayliss now leads the championship by a 47 point marginand is beginning to look like the champion elect.

The new Benelli Tornado failed to finish in either race, but the team werestill happy with their progress, "Peter Goddard was climbing up the orderwhen a mechanical problom stopped him in race one," said a team spokesman,"In the second race he ground the fairing on a kerb and crashed, but he wasalso improving his position at the time. We have learned many things here atMisano and we are even more confident for the future now."