NEIL Hodgson tightened his grip on the World Superbike Championship today with a double win at Sugo in Japan to take his tally this season to a perfect six out of six.
Ducati Fila rider Hodgson blotted his copybook yesterday when he missed out on pole position for the first time this season but made up for it in fine style today with victories in both races to stretch his lead at the top of the title standings to 46 points.
The Burnley-born rider believes his epic battle with Alstare Suzuki's Gregorio Lavilla in race two proves he has improved tactically.
He said: "Gregorio gave me a hard time today. He kept the pressure on and his Suzuki and my Ducati were pretty evenly matched.
"Five laps to go I picked up the pace deliberately and that was enough. The old Neil Hodgson wouldn't have done that but I'm starting to use my head a bit now and administer the races better."
Hodgson's team-mate and nearest challenger in the championship, Ruben Xaus, saw his record of four consecutive second places end with a brace of fourth positions today, allowing Hodgson to stretch his lead in the title race.
The Spaniard blamed his inability to post competitive times during the first sector of the lap for his poor display.
He said: "I was really slow in the first split and it was here that I lost the race and the whole weekend. That was the only reason - between the second corner entry and third corner exit, everyone was faster than me."
In race one Hodgson eclipsed surprise pole position man Regis Laconi to win by seven seconds from the NCR Ducati man with Sheffield's James Toseland scoring a fine third place for HM Plant Ducati.
Toseland's team-mate Chris Walker, from Nottingham, was taken out of the race in a first-corner accident - which also claimed Foggy Petronas Racing's number one rider Troy Corser and PSG Ducati's Pierfrancesco Chili - and suffered a broken bone in his foot.
Walker, who also broke a toe in a crash yesterday, said: "It didn't feel like I had made a mistake. I went into the corner as normal and the front end just went from beneath me. My feet are in agony after the crashes I've had this weekend."
There was better news for Corser's team-mate James Haydon, with the Englishman claiming a season's-best ninth place.
Hodgson was pushed all the way in race two and won by less than a second from Lavilla with Chili bouncing back from his first-race crash to take the last podium place.
Toseland claimed fifth place while team-mate Walker again failed to finish, this time retiring after just two laps.
Carl Fogarty's team suffered another mixed race with Haydon retiring as Corser dusted himself down to take 12th place.
In the World Supersport Championship, Christian Kelner won for Yamaha Germany with local rider Ryuichi Kiyonari second on a Dark Dog Honda.
Title rivals Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki) and Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) - who were neck and neck going into the race - finished 15th and fifth respectively.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article