CARL Fogarty clashed with bitter rival John Kocinski in a dramatic World Superbikes Championship eighth round - and for once came off second best.

The Blackburn ace won the opening race at the A-1 Ring in Zeltweg, Austria but lost ground overall after a collision that left him and the American in the gravel pit on race two.

Kocinski recovered and finished third after coming fifth in the first race.

But Fogarty lost control of his Ducati and was sent tumbling.

"It was my fault and, to make it even worse, I crashed out and didn't take Kocinski with me," blasted Fogarty, who fell seven points behind the Castrol Honda rider with four rounds to go in the championship.

"I went in hot but it's typical of my luck this year that Kocinski finished the race.

"I don't like following him but this time I had too much of the red mist in my eyes."

In the war of words that followed Kocinski responded: "I don't know what he (Fogarty) was thinking about.

"If I'm going to battle for the tile I want to do it on the track and not in gravel traps." New Zealander Aaron Slight was witness to the incident and said: "Fogarty tried to outbrake Kocinski but Kocinski was already committed and Fogarty ran into the side of him.

"It was as simple as that."

The crash happened with six laps remaining when Fogarty tried the daring move at the end of a 180mph straight.

It left the way clear for Japanese Kawasaki rider Akira Yanagawa to take the chequered flag ahead of Slight and Kocinski.

Earlier, Fogarty had thrown down the gauntlet with a blistering run from fourth position on the grid.

He was in a charging front trio before moving ahead of pole-man Pier Francesco Chili on the eighth lap to begin a duel with Yanagawa.

The lead changed frequently but Fogarty made the decisive move on the final lap to take his fourth win of the season.

After promising much, Burnley's Neil Hodgson could only manage eighth place in the opener and crashed out in the second race.

"The bike finished up looking a mess but I'm okay, though very disappointed," said Hodgson.

Race One result: 1 Carl Fogarty, GB (Ducati) 38m 11.804s, 2 Akira Yanagawa, Japan (Kawasaki) 38m 12.101s, 3 Aaron Slight, New Zealand (Castrol Honda) 38m 12.419s, 4 Pier-Francesco Chili, Italy (Ducati) 38m 12.894s, 5 John Kocinski, USA (Castrol Honda) 38m 13.285s, 6 Simon Crafar, New Zealdn (Kawasaki) 38m 14.940s, 7 Scott Russell, USA (Yamaha) 38m 27.750s, 8 Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 38m 39.302s, 9 Piergiorgio Bontemp, Italy (Kawasaki) 38m 44.960s, 10 Jamie Whitham, GB (Suzuki) 38m 46.519s.

Race Two result: 1 Akira Yanagawa, Japan (Kawasaki) 38m 18.104s, 2 Aaron Slight, New Zealdn (Castrol Honda) 3m 18.225s, 3 John Kockinski, USA (Castrol Honda) 38m 25.368s, 4 Scott Russell, USA (Yamaha) 38m 37.563s, 5 Piergiorgio Bontempi, Italy (Kawasaki) 37m 37.749s, 6 Jamie Whitham, GB (Suzuki) 38m 49.156s, 7 Mike Hale, USA (Suzuki) 38m 49.549s, 8 Andy Meklau, Austria (Ducati) 37m 50.711s, 9 Udo Mark, Germany (Suzuki) 39m 2.238s, 10 Chris Walker, GB (Yamaha) 39m 19.429s.

Championship points after eight of 12 rounds: Kocinski 273, Fogarty 267, Slight 223, Russell 172, Chili 147, Yanagawa and Crafar 145, Whitham 102, Hodgson 96, Bontempi 91.

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