For Chaz Davies, Nürburgring's 'green hell' became a genuine 'paradise in blue and red', the colours of his team ParkinGo, supported technically by Motul.
At the twelfth round of the Superbike championship, on 8 and 9 September, the Welsh rider indeed clinched unhoped-for results. To begin with, he climbed the podium already after race one, taking 3rd place. And the following day, as if on a cloud, he won the race after the two leaders, Biaggi and Melandri, fell! It's ParkinGo's first win in Superbike, ahead of all the factory teams. Chaz Davies established a three seconds lead that he managed to keep for the last twenty laps, without losing his concentration. By the same token, he moves up three places in the championship whose standings have also been upturned for the leaders since Biaggi passes in front of Melandri, who also suffered a fall in race one. 'We could never have imagined a day like this,' said Davies. 'Things didn't go as easily as it seems, but I had excellent sensations. Thanks to my team for having prepared such a good machine for me! (...) I realised it was easy to make a mistake and fall, and that's what happened to many riders.' For Giuliano Rovelli, team manager, 'We have achieved a dream by getting a non-factory motorcycle to win ahead of the factory teams. The team pulled off a fabulous performance.'
Two races remain before the end of the season: on 23 September at Portimao, Portugal, before the final on 7 October at Magny-Cours. The suspense remains absolute...
Superbike standings
01// Max Biaggi - Aprilia - 318 pts
02// Marco Melandri - BMW - 308,5 pts
03// Tom Sykes - 291,5 pts
08// Chaz Davies - Aprilia - 156,5 pts - Motul
15// Jakub Smrz - Ducati - 92,5 pts - Motul
16// Maxime Berger - Ducati - 74 pts - Motul
Photo credits: Stan Perec
