WSBK: Close Racing in Race 1 at Monza

World Superbike racing was back again this weekend with a stop in Monza, Italy. The Italian circuit played host to a very fast group of riders, which helped shed the course’s former lap record and top speed with little effort. With Max Biaggi and his Aprilia RSV4 at the top of the heap, all eyes were on them for a hometown victory. Check after the jump to see how Biaggi et al fared, and for the full race results.

Max Biaggi took another win in what’s becoming a dominate season for the Italian rider and the Italian manufacturer. In control for most of the race, Biaggi lead many of the laps of Race 1 at Monza. With Toseland, Crutchlow, and Haslam close in tow, only Haslam was able to take the reigns of the race away from the veteran Biaggi. The superior speed of the Aprilia RSV4 was too much for the pack, and Biaggi was able to steal away a victory from a closing Toseland towards the end of the race.

Noticeably absent from the front group was Johnny Rea who crashed halfway through the race. Also absent was any sort of pressure from the Xerox Ducatis. While Michel Fabrizio was able to mount some sort of redemtion for the team early in the race, his efforts waned quickly, seeing the Italian finish 7th, while teammate Noriyuki Haga finished a disappointing 11th. While Race 1 wasn’t kind to the Ducati hopefuls, it proved to be a good session for BMW fans as Xaus finished 6th, with Corser not far behind in 8th.

World Superbike Highlights from Race 1 at Monza, Italy:

Results from Race 1 of World Superbike at Monza, Italy: