Round five of the series took place on the International circuit at Silverstone, in the United Kingdom. This track configuration takes in all of the full circuit from Abbey corner through the stadium and round to Becketts, then cuts across the infield with a fast run in to Abbey, which becomes a tight right-hand hairpin, and a good passing opportunity. The other difference is that the bikes have a very slow left-right chicane at Woodcote, before the start-finish. Otherwise the course is largely a speedy one.

Following two seasons in the British championship, Alstare Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama had plenty of knowledge of the short ciruit, and he secured the third pole position of his WSBK career. True locals James Toseland (Xerox Ducati) and Chris Walker (PSG-I Kawasaki) also did well, getting on the second half of row two, with seventh-placed James in his best starting position of the year to date.

Kagayama’s team-mate, Troy Corser, kept up his run of front row positions, but was separated from the lead Suzuki by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Italia) and Régis Laconi on the other Ducati. For Haga, second position was easily his best of the season, and of course he had been a winner on the full circuit in 2004. Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) and José Luís Cardoso (DFX Yamaha) slotted in ahead of Toseland and Walker, with the Spaniard looking to live up to his promise and open his scoring account.

Three Japanese bikes led the third row, with Andrew Pitt’s Yamaha heading Max Neukirchner (returning from injury) and fellow Honda man Karl Muggeridge. Garry McCoy was twelfth on the three-cylinder Foggy Petronas bike, and next came Frankie Chili (Honda) and track débutant Norick Abe (Yamaha).

Race one started fairly well for the Suzukis, but with Haga leading Corser and Kagayama at Copse, the turn one right-hander. Yukio had a ‘moment’ on the following run up to Maggotts, letting Walker, Laconi, Toseland and Vermeulen push him back to seventh. Behind came Muggeridge, Cardoso, Pitt, Neukirchner and Abe. Meanwhile, Sébastien Gimbert and Lorenzo Alfonsi came to grief on their Yamahas.

Corser was obviously out to add yet another race victory, and was already trying to go around the outside of Haga at Abbey. The Yamaha men held him back on that occasion, but by the time they exited the complex of corners leading to the Woodcote chicane, Troy was ahead. Corser, Haga and Walker led the field over the line for the first time, with Laconi, Toseland and Kagayama close behind, then Vermeulen, Muggeridge, Pitt, Cardoso, Neukirchner, Abe, Chili, McCoy, Bostrom, Bussei, Sanchini, Lanzi, Praia, Martin, Roccoli, Velini and Nickmans.

The early stages saw Corser start to ease away from Haga, with the Japanese rider also gaining ground over Walker. The Englishman came under attack from Laconi, with Toseland behind and both Kagayama and Vermeulen closing in on the group. The inevitable happened when Laconi finally got past Walker, moving to his inside at Copse, and this left Chris with James and Yukio threatening.

Toseland moved up to fourth on Walker’s left on the run into Abbey, with Kagayama trying to follow suit inside the Kawasaki at the hairpin. Chris held him off there, and the Suzuki man’s efforts proved in vain as he went on to suffer a front end fall at the chicane. Getting going again, Kagayama rejoined outside the top fifteen, and would continue to climb as high as eleventh by the flag.

By now the first four had spread out, with Corser, Haga, Laconi and Toseland each running on their own. But that state of affairs was not to last, and the leading trio were soon battling over first place again. Laconi just held onto second when he passed Haga at Abbey, and Régis would go on to attack Corser in the same place, but this time with his rival getting back ahead on the exit. Toseland was catching up to this trio, and he also passed Haga at Abbey.

The first four were together when Laconi had another go at Corser in the Abbey hairpin, but the successful pass came on the inside at Brooklands, a left-hander in the lap-closing complex. The race moved towards its conclusion, but with the lead group reduced to a trio again. This was due to some slow laps from Haga, with fuel pump problems resulting in the Yamaha touring out of the action altogether.

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Onto the final lap, Laconi, Corser and Toseland were a little spaced out but still in a group. Troy’s efforts got him close to Régis, enough to try and find an opening through the final section, but Laconi held the lead for the win. Behind Toseland, Vermeulen had held a solitary fourth after disposing of Walker, and Chili had got by Abe, Pitt, Neukirchner, Cardoso Muggeridge and Walker to emerge in fifth at the finish, with Walker, Neukirchner, Giovanni Bussei, Cardoso and Muggeridge completing the top ten.

Race two saw the same threesome get away up front, with Corser quickly passing Kagayama to run second to Haga. Laconi and Walker were next, until Toseland passed his compatriot at Abbey, with Vermeulen seventh, then Muggeridge, Cardoso, Pitt, Abe and Neukirchner. These last two would change places by the end of the lap, to be followed across the line by Chili, McCoy, Nieto, Bostrom, Lanzi, Roccoli, Clementi, Sanchini, Martin, Praia, Velini and Nickmans. Ahead, Vermeulen had also passed Walker, whilst Cardoso had done the same to Muggeridge.

Early drama came when race one winner Laconi went down at the chicane, to be joined by Cardoso and Neukirchner. Only the German’s machine was in a fit state to continue. Meanwhile, Haga and Corser were getting away at the front, with Troy going ahead on the inside at the Priory left-hander, following the fast downhill sweep through the right at Bridge. As the Australian put in some fast laps, so Noriyuki upped the pace to go with him, and he frequently threatened to move ahead again.

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With Vermeulen catching second and third riders Kagayama and Toseland, the champion made an impressive pass on the inside through the right-hand curve of Luffield, before Woodcote. James was then able to get clear and home in on the two ahead. The lead battle had continued, with Haga making a totally unexpected pass as he took the inside line from Corser into the chicance, but the order was immediately reversed going over the line.

Toseland joined in and took second at Abbey, and it was at the same corner that he would take the lead from Corser. Now this pair began to move clear of Haga, and by the final lap James also had a small enough margin from Troy to take his first win of the year, and complete the Ducati double. Haga took a secure third, whilst Vermeulen took another fourth as Kagayama had dropped to seventh, behind Chili - again up from outside the top ten - and Walker. Abe and Pitt were next home, having both triumphed over Muggeridge, then came Lanzi, Clementi, McCoy and Bostrom.

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The day had belonged to Ducati and the 999, and particularly James Toseland, with his first UK win in Superbike racing. Régis Laconi had let himself down in race two, but had joined his team-mate in proving that Suzuki were not unbeatable. Noriyuki Haga matched his race number with a 41st career podium, and the first for Yamaha in 2005, whilst two fifths marked the best meeting so far for Honda-mounted Frankie Chili. But through it all Troy Corser had kept up an admirable record with his two second places, and ten consecutive podiums have taken his lead to 78 points.

Standings after ten races: Corser 222; Kagayama 144; Vermeulen 141; Laconi 112; Toseland 97; Walker 74; Pitt 70; Haga 68; Chili 66; Abe 62; Neukirchner and Muggeridge 50; Bussei 39; Gimbert 26.

To buy the photographs shown above, visit Raceline Photography

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