YOSHIMURA ON TOP IN JAPAN
 Yoshimura
Suzuki continues to dominate the All Japan Superbike Championship
following Atsushi Watanabe's third position at the weekend's
second round at Suzuka in front of 30,000 fans.
The GSX-R1000-mounted rider, who claimed overall victory
at the opening race at Twinring-Motegi two weeks ago, was
unlucky not to have finished higher after being hit by another
rider in the final chicane on the final lap.
Watanabe, who qualified fourth fastest on Saturday, started
the race well and held off Rizla Suzuki MotoGP rider Kousuke
Akiyoshi (Wins Suzuki) and Honda riders Tatsuya Yamaguchi,
Kazuki Tokudome and Takashi Yasuda for several laps before
being reeled in a passed mid-race by slow-starter Chojun Kameya
(Honda).
Kameya took the lead and held it to the end of the race as
Nakasuga dropped out with machine problems. Then, just as
Watanabe looked set for the second step of the podium, he
was hit by another rider which allowed Yasuda through just
before the finish line.
Said Watanabe: "I planned to follow
Nakasuga in the first part of race and watch what his Dunlop
tyres were doing then catch up to the leaders towards the
end, but my GSX-R was feeling sensitive and I couldn't push
too much. In the middle of the race I stayed with the second
group of riders to save my tyre as I was planning to go faster
towards the end of the race. I feel a bit disappointed not
to take second position but to take a second consecutive podium
is not so bad for me and the team as we are still leading
the championship!"
All Japan Superbike Results:
1: Chojun Kameya (Sakurai Honda CBR1000RR)
2: Takashi Yasuda (HarcPro Honda CBR1000RR)
3: Atsushi Watanabe (Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000)
4: Tatsuya Yamaguchi (Moriwaki Honda CBR1000RR)
5: Kazuki Tokudome (Dream Honda CBR1000RR)
6: Shogo Moriwaki (Moriwaki Honda CBR1000RR)
7: Kousuke Akiyoshi (Wins Suzuki GSX-R1000)
8: Norick Abe (Yamaha YZF-R1)
9: Nobuyuki Ohsaki (SpTadao Yamaha YZF-R1)
10: Yusuke Teshima (HRC Honda CBR1000RR)
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