WSB 2014: Laguna Seca race 1 results

Aprilia team-mates Melandri and Guintoli battle it out

STARTING from pole position didn’t help reigning WSBK Champion Tom Sykes as Marco Melandri took the win followed by his Aprilia team-mate Sylvain Guintoli.

25-laps of the Laguna Seca circuit saw Tom Sykes take the lead from the start, however it was the Aprilia Racing team-mates that pushed their way to the front as Sykes made a mistake at the Corkscrew.

Unfortunately Chaz Davies crashed out of fourth on lap two allowing the front three to breakaway as Pata Honda’s Leon Haslam inherited fourth position, but couldn't hold onto it. 

Guintoli started to push Melandri in the latter half of the race whilst Sykes was left to watch in third position, but it was Melandri who made the break taking his third win of 2014 as his team-mate was forced to settle for second.

Despite Davies’ crashing out, his Ducati team-mate Davide Giugliano finished in fourth with Toni Elias and Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

Race one results:

1. Marco Melandri ITA Aprilia Racing
2. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing +0.905 
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing +6.627
4. Davide Giugliano ITA Ducati Superbike Team+13.574
5. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia +13.855
6. Jonathan Rea GBR PATA Honda World Superbike +15.575 
7. Leon Haslam GBR PATA Honda World Superbike +18.820
8. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki +20.184
9. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing +34.479
10. David Salom* ESP Kawasaki Racing +37.463
11. Niccolo Canepa* ITA Althea Ducati +45.550
12. Sylvain Barrier* FRA BMW Italia +47.538
13. Bryan Staring* AUS IRON BRAIN Kawasaki +49.750
14. Jeremy Guarnoni* FRA MRS Kawasaki +49.750
15. Leon Camier GBR MV Agusta +55.420
16. Alessandro Andreozzi* ITA Pedercini Kawasaki +58.449
17. Gabor Rizmayer HUN Team Toth BMW  +1:08.922
18. Geoff May USA Team Hero EBR +1:17.853
19. Chris Ullrich USA GEICO Honda +1:18.084
20. Larry Pegram USA Foremost insurance EBR +1 lap 

DNF. Sheridan Morais* RSA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki
DNF. Peter Sebestyen* HUN Team Toth
DNF. Aaron Yates USA Team Hero EBR
DNF. Eugene Laverty IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
DNF. Chaz Davies GBR Ducati Superbike Team

Ayrton Badovini* ITA Bimota Alstare**
Christian Iddon* GBR Bimota Alstare** 

*= EVO class

**= Subject to homologation