Big Ben strikes in World Superbikes

13 April 2012

American Ben Bostrom took his first victory of the season in the second round of the World Superbike Championship in South Africa.  

Bostrom, fourth in race one at Kyalami which was won by fellow American and defending champion Colin Edwards, was handed a race two win when the Honda rider was forced to pull out after taking the lead from Ducati-mounted Bostrom.

Australian Troy Corser held onto his lead in the world championship but the Aprilia rider is under pressure from countryman Troy Bayliss who took his race tally to four second places in as many outings this season.

Edwards took a dominant victory in the opening race after lying third into the first corner and completing the opening lap in second place.

Edwards hit the front on the third lap before easing away to victory, crossing the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Ducati's Bayliss.

"That was about as perfect as a race can get," said Edwards.

"Michelin have given us a really good race tyre and there was no way I was going to waste it on the first few laps in a rush to get to the front and get away.

"I had the perfect machine set-up and tyres and was happy to watch my pit board and not go too fast too soon. After winning the first race of the year at Kyalami last year I'm so happy to have repeated that," added Edwards who also set a new lap record on the sixth lap, with a time of one minute 43.101 seconds.

Corser, winner of the first two races at round one at Valencia in Spain, fought off the attentions of Bostrom who had got away slowly from pole position.

Britain's Neil Hodgson (Ducati) dropped back from fifth to seventh but had just retaken sixth from Italian Pier-Francesco Chili (Suzuki) when the Briton retired from the race at half distance as his GSE Ducati developed an oil leak.

Hodgson's team-mate James Toseland had a mixed race, dropping back early on when given a 10-second stop-go penalty before climbing back into 14th place after by-passing Italian Marco Borciani (Ducati) on the final lap.

Bostrom took only his second World Superbike race victory in the second leg but only after Edwards had first taken the lead off him and then been forced to pull out with a mechanical problem.

Bostrom had taken the lead on the fourth corner of lap one when he passed Bayliss but Edwards worked his way into second before harrying Bostrom for several laps.

But just as the Honda rider passed his fellow American his bike developed a problem and he was forced to tour in and retire from the race.

Edwards' demise allowed Bayliss to move up and claim second. Corser had to settle for third and Hodgson had his best result of the season in fourth.

Toseland was 10th before he was forced out with a mechanical problem.

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