Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) had never raced at Aragon before today, but qualified sixth in Superpole for the Spanish round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship, before his race day fortunes changed somewhat.

A first corner crash in race one, after a collision with other riders, saw him fall, then restart and eventually finish 16th.

In race two Jonathan battled through from ninth at one stage to go fifth at the flag, the first rider behind a leading group of four that contained race one winner Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and race two victor Marco Melandri (BMW).

The two 20-lap races were held in windy conditions, with relatively moderate temperatures compared to the opening day on Friday when it was in the high 30s. Down in 14th in the first qualifying session on that day Rea moved to 11th in combined qualifying, shortly before Superpole. He finished up on the second row, showing good improvements in machine set-up and rider experience around the 5.344Km circuit in northern Spain. With two good starts better results could have come along for a rider who has scored two race wins in 2012 so far.

In the championship rankings Biaggi has 248.5 points, Melandri 200.5 and Rea 183.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) missed Superpole by two places, qualifying 18th from 23 riders. On race day he scored points in each 20-lap contest, in 14th and 15th places respectively. He is still trying to find an optimum set-up for his needs and looks forward to finding improvements for the next round, at Brno in the Czech Republic, on Sunday 22 July.

Lowes Wins As Cluzel's Luck Deserts Him

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) won his second Supersport World Championship race in peculiar fashion at Motorland Aragon, as he crossed the line in second place after 18-laps of close and combative racing, but was awarded the race win when the leader Kenan Sofuoglu was punished with a drop of position to fifth. Lowes and the other riders in the original top five moved up one place as Sofuoglu was demoted.

Lowes was aware the situation and the likely penalty Sofuoglu faced for not making the required drop in track positions before the end of the race and Sam reduced his pace near the end to take the 25 points and move back to second in the championship table, now only 16 points behind leader Sofuoglu. Lowes had been only fifth in qualifying, but found improvements in race pace at the right time and was in determined mood throughout, moving up from seventh on lap one to the lead before Sofuoglu re-passed him.

For Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) an impressive pole sitter, a fall on lap three put him out of the points, dropping from second to third behind Lowes. At the top of the championship Sofuoglu has 117 points, Lowes 101 and Cluzel has an unchanged 84.

The first attempted running of the Supersport race was started on time then almost immediately halted for a serious looking accident when Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda) and Yves Polzer (Yamaha) collided on the start line. Scholtz suffered a concussion, but walked away while Polzer was immobilised on track then taken to hospital for checks, with no serious injuries finally resulting from the collision.

The restarted race, getting underway half an hour behind schedule, went on for all 18 planned laps and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) secured an eventual fourth place, after Sofuoglu’s penalty was taken into account. The Australian rider was sixth in qualifying and is fifth in the championship rankings, the third highest ranked Honda rider as the 13 round season crossed over the halfway point.

Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) had one of his better days in 2012, finishing sixth after qualifying only 11th. He is now eighth in the championship and confident he can move up again. Gabor Talmacsi (PRORACE Honda) was a determined ninth today, easily his best finish in the two races he has competed in so far in 2012.

Raffaele de Rosa (Lorini Honda) and his team-mate Roberto Tamburini (Lorini Honda) were 13th and 15th respectively; the last Honda points scorers on show today. Tamburini is now tenth overall, on 39 points.

Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth Honda) retired in the pits while his team-mate Balazs Nemeth fell when moving through the field. Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda) was unable to ride after falling in practice, aggravating existing injuries and being prevented from starting. Valentine Debise (SMS Racing Honda) did not complete the first lap in the attempted first race start. Pawel Szkopek had to retire with clutch issues on his Bogdanka PTR Honda as he continues to recover from leg injuries.

Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team):
Race result: 16th / 5th - Championship position: 3rd

“In race one I was taken out. Unfortunate, but I want to make that clear because I have just watched the footage back and the some TV guys said I made a mistake, which was completely not the case. I could have come in because there was no chance of making points, but I stayed out to find a rhythm because I still did not have a good rhythm going into the race. We found some things out just by riding around, which was good. So we made some changes for race two, the temperature increased and I was able to run at a much better case. There were just two riders who were so difficult to pass. It was clear that when I did get past I would be able to go, but their only mission was to ride defensively so I wasted quite a lot of time passing, but I could go forward when I had clear track and I could get my head down. The bike was working pretty good, but I had some braking issues. But he front end is really good and I have a lot of confidence.”

Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team):
Race result: 14th / 15th - Championship position: 16th

“I came here with a lot of motivation because we are in the half point of the season. We struggled a lot in the first half of the year and I wanted to have a good rhythm ever time on track, but it was another difficult weekend for me. Until now I have never felt full confidence with the bike. If it was easy we would have found it by now, but it is proving not so easy to fix. I think if we can get things going well then we can follow that direction. The team works a lot to thanks to them and I hope soon now we can find a solution for the races.”

Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda):
Race result: 1st - Championship position: 2nd

“I'd like to say a massive thank you to my team. It was difficult in the end because I knew Kenan had a penalty and I was actually in first position, but I rode my race and it was good. Already yesterday I knew I had a good race pace and just needed to get a good start from fifth and then hang in there. I just put my head down and got into my rhythm. I took my time because I knew it was going to be a long race. We're back in second overall, and I'm looking forward to fighting for more victories and the championship. We've got Brno next which I like a lot and Silverstone which is my second home race, so I'm really looking forward to that.”

Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda):
Race result: DNF - Championship position: 3rd

“I am really disappointed because I lost points on a day it was possible to take points from Sofuoglu. We had good pace and before the race I felt good on the bike. I was surprised to lose the front and now we must understand why. It may have been windy or the fuel load; I will work with my team to discover the cause so we can learn from this. Anyway, this is racing and it happens sometimes, now I will focus on the next round and doing well there!”

Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda):
Race result: 4th - Championship position: 5th

“I struggled a bit today. I tried to stay with the front guys the whole race, but I could only just keep it there at the beginning. When I caught back up they’d group again and just go. It was disappointing because I couldn’t attack anywhere. Unfortunately we didn’t get the result we wanted because I was here to battle for a podium, not fourth or fifth, but that’s racing. I think we need to work on where we put the power in the engine because we’re not getting the best out of it at the moment. I want to be back battling at the front, so we’ll work hard during the test tomorrow and prepare as well as we can for the next race in Brno.”

Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda):
Race result: 6th - Championship position: 8th

“I am happy with sixth. I just had to ride controlled and think about what I was doing for the whole race. Well done to my PTR Honda team on helping me this weekend. I find this track difficult and struggled right from the off but this is a much better result than last year and we can go to Brno with a bike that is handling very well indeed.”

Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda):
Race result: DNS - Championship position: 37th

“I am disappointed not to race, but I just knew it wasn't possible. I gave it a go in warm up, but couldn't move or tuck I on the bike so there was no way I was able to ride. I woke up stiffer than yesterday - my coccyx is really sore. There is a three week break before Brno so I will be back and fighting fit for that.”

Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda):
Race result: DNF - Championship position: 33rd

“The bike cut off at the start and I tried to warn everyone at the back, but one rider didn't see me and hit me from the back. Luckily I don't have any broken bones. I'm in a bit of a pain, but I'll be fine for Brno. It's a track I know and I've actually won in another class there in the past so I'm really looking forward to the next round.”

Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka Honda PTR):
Race result: DNF - Championship position: Not classified

"We had a problem with the clutch which meant I had to pull in after three laps. It's a pity because only 19 riders finished the race and we could've got some points today, but that's racing. More importantly, it was a good return to action following my injury. I got up to speed pretty quickly and was competitive all weekend long, which is a big confidence boost ahead of my home race at Brno. We have a bit of a break now and I'll be working hard on getting back to full fitness."

World Superbike and World Supersport 2012
Round 08: Aragon – Spain

Superbike Race 1

Rank	Rider (Team)
1	M. BIAGGI (Aprilia Racing Team)
2	M. MELANDRI (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
3	C. CHECA (Althea Racing)
4	C. DAVIES (ParkinGO MTC Racing)
5	E. LAVERTY (Aprilia Racing Team)
6	M. FABRIZIO (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet)
7	L. HASLAM (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
8	D. GIUGLIANO (Althea Racing)
9	L. CAMIER (FIXI Crescent Suzuki)
10	M. BERGER (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing)
11	N. CANEPA (Red Devils Roma)
12	S. GUINTOLI (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing)
13	L. ZANETTI (PATA Racing Team)
14	H. AOYAMA (Honda World Superbike Team)
15	J. HOPKINS (FIXI Crescent Suzuki)

Superbike Race 2

Rank	Rider (Team)
1	M. MELANDRI (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
2	E. LAVERTY (Aprilia Racing Team)
3	C. DAVIES (ParkinGO MTC Racing)
4	M. BIAGGI (Aprilia Racing Team)
5	J. REA (Honda World Superbike Team)
6	L. HASLAM (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
7	C. CHECA (Althea Racing)
8	T. SYKES (Kawasaki Racing Team)
9	A. BADOVINI (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet)
10	D. GIUGLIANO (Althea Racing)
11	M. FABRIZIO (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet)
12	M. BERGER (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing)
13	S. GUINTOLI (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing)
14	L. ZANETTI (PATA Racing Team)
15	H. AOYAMA (Honda World Superbike Team)

Supersport

Rank	Rider (Team)
1	S. LOWES (Bogdanka PTR Honda)
2	F. FORET (Kawasaki Intermoto Step)
3	S. MORAIS / RSA / Kawasaki Lorenzini)
4	B. PARKES / AUS / Ten Kate Racing Products)
5	K. SOFUOGLU / TUR / Kawasaki Lorenzini)
6	R. QUARMBY / RSA / PTR Honda)
7	V. IANNUZZO (Power Team by Suriano)
8	J. METCHER / AUS / Rivamoto Junior Team)
9	G. TALMACSI / HUN / PRORACE)
10	J. DAY (Team GOELEVEN)
11	R. LANUSSE (Kawasaki Intermoto Step)
12	L. MARCONI (VFT Racing)
13	R. DE ROSA (Team Lorini)
14	F. MENGHI (VFT Racing)
15	R. TAMBURINI (Team Lorini)