2007 Superbike World Championship
Circuit: 4.411 kms. Crowd: 75,000 (3-day) Conditions: Overcast
at first, sunny later.
PODIUM FOR MAX IN THE FINAL RACE OF THE YEAR.
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi ended the
year a with a podium and finished his ‘rookie’
year in the Superbike World Championship in third place. In
race one, he fought his way up to sixth place after ending
the first lap fifteenth after luckily avoiding a first corner
incident involving Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) and James Toseland
(Honda). In race two, he took a superb runner-up spot after
a tremendous battle with Troy Corser (Yamaha).
Max Neukirchner, deputising for the injured Yukio Kagayama,
was on course for a podium in race one, until he was forced
wide after tangling with Troy Bayliss (Ducati). He recovered
to take fourth position. In race two, he was beginning his
charge up the field, but crashed out on the sixth lap. Both
races today were won by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), but James
Toseland held on to take the title by just two points!
MAX BIAGGI
It has been a bit of a strange day all round. In race one,
I was lucky not to get caught up in Lanzi’s crash, but
I lost a lot of places avoiding the mess and was only 15th
at the end of the first lap. I fought as hard as I could,
but it was impossible to catch the leaders. I was very disappointed
with my sixth place, because I knew it should have been much
better. Race two was a hard race, but at least I was fighting
with the leaders. Troy (Corser) and I had a great fight, and
touched a couple of times, but that is normal Superbike racing.
I have liked my Superbike experience and it has been good
to race against many strong riders.
MAX NEUKIRCHNER
My debut with this team has generally been very good indeed.
I have enjoyed riding this bike and today - well the first
race anyway - was great fun. If Bayliss had not forced me
wide it’s possible that I could’ve made a podium.
But racing is like that sometimes. I was pushing hard in race
two, but lost the front at one of the left-handers and crashed.
It was a disappointing end to what has been a great weekend
for me.
Results Race 1
1 Haga (J-Yamaha), 2 Bayliss (AUS-Ducati), 3 Corser (AUS-Yamaha),
4 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Nieto
(E-Kawasaki), 6 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
7 Toseland (GB-Honda), 8 Xaus (E-Ducati), 9 Laconi (F-Kawasaki),
10 Rolfo (I-Honda)
Results Race 2
1 Haga (J-Yamaha), 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
3 Nieto (E-Kawasaki), 4 Corser (AUS-Yamaha), 5 Bayliss (AUS-Ducati),
6 Toseland (GB-Honda) 7 Rolfo (I-Honda), 8 Laconi (F-Kawasaki)
9 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 10 Xaus (E-Ducati
Points: 1 Toseland (GB-Honda) 415, 2 Haga
(J-Yamaha) 413, 3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki corona Extra)
397, 4 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 372, 5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 296,
6 Xaus (E-Ducati) 201, 9 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki
Corona Extra) 149, 13 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) 116,
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