Neil Hodgson’s record stands at 11 wins from 12 starts in this year’s World Superbike championship after back-to-back wins at Silverstone at the weekend.
Neil Hodgson’s record stands at 11 wins from 12 starts in this year’s World Superbike championship after back-to-back wins at Silverstone at the weekend.
Hodgson powered his Ducati Fila 999 to victory in race one – but only after an exhilarating dogfight which saw fellow Briton James Toseland take second and Spain’s Ruben Xaus third.
Later, Hodgson came back from a bad start in the second race of the day to take his 11th win ahead of Gregorio Lavilla and Xaus.
Hodgson had opened the season with nine straight wins before Toseland ended the sequence at Oschersleben in Germany, but the Isle of Man-based racer returned to winning ways from pole position in race one after seeing Yukio Kagayama lead on the Rizla Suzuki.
Spaniard Lavilla nipped ahead on the Corona Alstare Suzuki, only to slide out later in the proceedings. Hodgson re-asserted himself with five laps to go, holding on despite intense pressure from Toseland and Xaus.
Kagayama again started well in race two, but the Japanese rider was soon passed by Frenchman Regis Laconi. Hodgson’s bad start saw him slip to ninth, and Xaus was forced to take a detour across the infield after an incident with John Reynolds.
But Hodgson sliced through the pack… After five laps he was back in contention in fourth behind Lavilla, Laconi and Kagayama.
Hodgson fought his way to the front and Xaus reeled in the third-placed Kagayama, who was then overtaken by HM Plant Ducati’s Toseland. Suzuki rider Lavilla kept up the pressure right to the end, but Hodgson held on to win by 0,493 seconds.
Results:
Race one:
1 Neil Hodgson (Britain) Ducati 38:24,187
2 James Toseland (Britain) Ducati 38:24,627
3 Ruben Xaus (Spain) Ducati 38:24,786
4 Regis Laconi (France) Ducati 38:25,130
5 Yukio Kagayama (Japan) Suzuki 38:28,966
6 John Reynolds (Britain) Suzuki 38:29,272
7 Pierfrancesco Chili (Italy) Ducati 38:30,129
8 Michael Rutter (Britain) Ducati 38:30,558
9 Chris Walker (Britain) Ducati 38:31,416
10 Marco Borciani (Italy) Ducati 38:58,586
Race two:
1 Neil Hodgson (Britain) Ducati 38:13,944
2 Gregorio Lavilla (Spain) Suzuki 38:14,437
3 Ruben Xaus (Spain) Ducati 38:14,597
4 James Toseland (Britain) Ducati 38:17,379
5 Yukio Kagayama (Japan) Suzuki 38:18,061
6 Regis Laconi (France) Ducati 38:18,164
7 Pierfrancesco Chili (Italy) Ducati 38:21,190
8 Chris Walker (Britain) Ducati 38:25,766
9 Michael Rutter (Britain) Ducati 38:26,343
10 John Reynolds (Britain) Suzuki 38:52.443