Round 9: Laguna Seca
Sykes stretched his series lead despite the great form showed by the Aprilia duo.
The eni FIM Superbike World Championship touch down in the West Coast of the United States of America for what was the ninth round of the 2014 season, which took place at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With only the Superbike class on hand to attack the infamous Corkscrew corner, the Kawasaki/Aprilia rivalry heated up once again before the summer break.
2013 Champ Tom Sykes claimed the Tissot-Superpole trophy by setting the new outright best lap of the track, breaking the 1min 22s barrier for the first time in World SBK history as he did so. Despite the supremacy shown on the Saturday by the #1 ZX-10R, the factory Aprilia riders showed a better race pace, and claimed the first two steps on the podium in race 1 as Marco Melandri edged out teammate Sylvain Guintoli.
After a restart, race 2 turned into a sprint, with just seven laps to decide the winner. Given the much shorter distance, Tom Sykes was able to display a much better pace and, thanks also to Melandri crashing out while leading, he was able to win the second encounter and to stretch his lead to a significant 44-point margin.
KRT rider David Salom was the best classified EVO rider in both outings.
Remember to click on the links in this article to watch highlights and interviews of this round.
