Ireland’s Eugene Laverty has given his World Superbike Championship title hopes a significant boost after a lunge for the lead on the penultimate lap proved enough to not only deny Tom Sykes the double, but unsettle the series leader enough to leave him fourth at this 12th round of 14 in the series.

A frenetic end to a race that always looked destined to build to a thrilling conclusion, Sykes (pictured above) had looked on course for a double victory on American soil – one that would give him a substantial lead in the overall standings – after taking the lead on lap four.

However, with Sykes seemingly unable to maintain his pace in the closing stages, the close-following Laverty would plant a pass on the penultimate revolution at turn five to snatch a lead he would take to the chequered flag.

Perhaps more crucially, the overtake was also enough to interrupt Sykes’s rhythm, the Kawasaki man swiftly overtaken by Davide Giugliano and Marco Melandri before the end to cross the line in a somewhat unsatisfying fourth.

Though Sylvain Guintoli’s quiet run to fifth means Sykes has extended his lead in the standings to 23 points, it is Laverty that now heads up the title chase in second overall.

Race one results:

1. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 16m 55.703s
2. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +1.454s
3. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 +2.650s
4. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +2.650s
5. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +3.430s
6. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 +3.584s
7. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +9.134s
8. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 +11.252s
9. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +14.140s
10. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +17.830s
11. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +18.010s
12. Blake Young USA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +21.767s
13. Michel Fabrizio ITA Pata Honda CBR1000RR +22.087s
14. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +32.837s
15. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR +34.267s

16. Glen Allerton AUS Next Gen BMW S1000RR +50.167s

Did Not Start

Roger Lee Hayden USA Michael Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000
Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR
Niccolo Canepa ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R
Danny Eslick USA Michael Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000

Fastest lap
Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 23.803s

Race two results:

. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 36m 44.555s
2. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 +0.112s
3. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +2.051s
4. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +2.304s
5. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +2.959s
6. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +20.602s
7. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 +22.055s
8. Roger Lee Hayden USA Michael Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 +23.472s
9. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +24.118s
10. Michel Fabrizio ITA Pata Honda CBR1000RR +29.563s
11. Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR +32.565s
12. Blake Young USA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +51.777s
13. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 05.824s
14. Danny Eslick USA Michael Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1m 23.892s
15. Niccolo Canepa ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +1 lap

16. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR +34.267s
17. Glen Allerton AUS Next Gen BMW S1000RR +50.167s

Did Not Start

18. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R 19 laps completed
19. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 2 laps completed
20. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 0 laps completed

Fastest lap
Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Aprilia RSV4 1m 23.707s

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