Race 1 got off to a dramatic red-flag start. Kawasaki's Makato Tamada made contact with Ducati privateer Branden Roberts as the riders compressed into the tight first chicane. Robert’s Ducati then skipped across the grass and through the chicane, hitting Max Neukirchner's Suzuki and putting the German on the ground. BMW's Troy Corser, and Honda's Tommy Hill were also taken out.