Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Broc Parkes came within a few laps of winning the twice delayed and once restarted WSS race at the Nürburgring in Germany, as the Australian rider led for 15 of the 19 laps, running a pace none could match for long periods.
He was forced to slow in the final few minutes of the race, and went from a win to a third place finish as a result. His team-mate Fabien Foret, who had started tenth on the grid, ran out a comfortable fourth after a fight with Craig Jones, having lost contact with the leading group in the early laps.
In the championship standings the German race weekend has brought all the top contenders for the crown within a few points of each other. Foret is second behind race winner Andrew Pitt, only four points adrift, while Parkes is now equal fourth, only seven points from Pitt.
Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) crashed at post five on lap 16 and David De Gea (Yamaha Spain World Supersport) could not make the race restart as he was hurt in the first corner crash that caused the main delay to the start of the race.
De Gea has re-broken his lower leg in the same place as recently and will undergo surgery as soon as possible. Jeremy Crowe (Yamaha Spain) scored a point as a stand-in for regular rider David Salom, in 15th place.
Broc Parkes (3rd - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"I set a very good pace through the race and I felt I could have had something in reserve at the end but we had two starts on the clutch today and it just started to give a bit in the end and I couldn't get come of the corners as strongly. I was happy to finish and settle for third and the points that go with it."
Fabien Foret (4th - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"My start was just OK and I did my best to push in the race. I think I lost a bit of feeling on Saturday after my fall and this weekend maybe fourth was the best I could do. If I had a better start them maybe I could have been with the guys at the front, but I am not sure.
The weekend could have been better but it really could have been worse. The championship is very close and good for the spectators. I don't mind the pressure now we are all so close."
Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"We are of course a little disappointed to be leading the race and then having to finish third with Broc, but there were some technical problems on the last few laps and he couldn't ride then as he wanted to do. The speed was there but he lost some feel going into the corners and on the exit, so he couldn't keep up the pace for the last few laps.
We were third and fourth, so it was a good team performance. I'm disappointed not to win here but the championship is so close now it is almost like starting the season again. We didn't win the race but we didn't really lose anything either."
Massimo Roccoli (DNF - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)
"The bike felt better today compared to the first two days of qualifying and I was able to lap well. I was making up ground to the riders in front but I just pushed my luck a little too far trying to catch some of them."
Circuit Length: 4556
Temp: 16
Crowd: 41000
Weather: Dry
2008 WSS Germany - Nürburgring 15/06/2008 Race 1 - 19 Laps
1 Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 38'26.584
2 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'387.000
3 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 0'1.379
4 Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 0'10.279
5 Craig Jones Honda GBR 0'11.624
6 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'19.211
7 Didier Van Keymeulen Suzuki BEL 0'28.775
8 Arne Tode Triumph GER 0'28.890
9 Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 0'28.990
10 Vesa Kallio Honda FIN 0'37.853
11 Katsuaki Fujiwara Kawasaki JPN 0'43.101
12 Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 0'51.843
13 Miguel Praia Honda POR 0'54.459
14 Gianluca Vizziello Honda ITA 0'54.653
15 Jeremy Crowe Yamaha AUS 0'54.705
Rider Standings 15/06/2008
1. Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 88
2. Fabien Foret Yamaha FRA 84
3. Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 83
4. Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 81
5. Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 81
6. Craig Jones Honda GBR 60
7. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 51
8. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 39
9. Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 28
10. Gianluca Vizziello Honda ITA 28
11. Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 27
12. Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 25
13. Gianluca Nannelli Honda ITA 20
14. Mark Aitchison Triumph AUS 20
15. Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 19
23. David Salom Yamaha ESP 8
Manufacturer Standings 15/06/2008
1. Honda 140
2. Yamaha 112
3. Triumph 38
4. Kawasaki 31
5. Suzuki 28
- Yamaha Racing, Amsterdam -
photos on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - MOTOSPORT
