Round 7, Nürburgring, Germany
Circuit: 5.137 kms Crowd: 41,000 (3-day) Conditions:
Mostly overcast, 13-19C
TWO SUPERB PODIUMS FOR MAX!
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took two superb
podiums in the seventh round of the Superbike World Championship
at the Nürburgring today. Conditions were difficult with
the first race delayed because of rain and hailstones, but
fortunately the track dried out and the 20-lapper got under
way without further interruptions for rain. Noriyuki Haga
(Yamaha) won the race, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second and
Max third. With Yukio Kagayama unable to start because of
a broken bone in his left hand, Fonsi Nieto was the sole Suzuki
Alstare representative. He struggled throughout the race but
hung on determinedly to finish eighth.
The second race started in the dry but, when the rain began
to fall seriously on the fourteenth lap, the organisers decided
to red flag it. Although Troy Corser (Yamaha) was in the lead
on the track, the victory was given to Haga who had been in
the lead when he had crossed the line on the lap the race
was stopped. Max took third again and Fonsi ninth.
Max - Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 3rd
I am really happy to get get two podiums in front of my fans
here in Germany. It’s been great to see all the German
flags and here the noise of the crowd and it is a very special
feeling. Of course, I would have liked to have won a race
here today, but Nori, Troy (Corser) and Troy (Bayliss) were
very strong today. In race one, my bike was not so bad, but
we were losing time in the first sector and the handling wasn’t
so good. We changed the bike’s front fork set-up for
the second race to try and improve the first sector but I
found that I could not brake so late. I tried my very best
today, but just couldn’t get the win I wanted.
Fonsi - Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 9th
The first race was not so good because of our tyre choice
and I couldn’t brake well into the turns and the rear
was also spinning and sliding. For me, the bike balance was
not right. We changed the set-up and balance for race two,
and also used a harder front tyre, and the bike felt much
better. I didn’t make such a good start and it took
some time to catch the race pace, but the last five or six
laps were very good and I was catching Xaus and Biaggi quite
easily. If the race had not been red-flagged, I’m sure
I could have passed both of them. Today’s results were
not good for me, but the second race was a positive improvement
and the bike was much more rideable, so now I can look forward
to Misano.
Yukio DNS
Yukio suffered concussion and broken fourth metacarpal bone
in his left hand in yesterday afternoon’s crash in free
practice. He was taken to hospital in Adenau and kept in overnight
for further tests. This morning he was re-scanned and X-rayed
again, whereupon it was discovered that he had sustained a
fracture in his left hand. Normal recovery time is three to
four weeks, but Yukio intends racing in the next round in
Misano in two week’s time.
Results
Race 1: 1 Haga (J-Yamaha), 2 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 3 Max Neukirchner
(D-Alstare Suzuki), 4 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 5 Checa (E-Honda),
6 Xaus (E-Ducati), 7 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 8 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki
Alstare), 9 Tamada (J-Kawasaki), 10 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda),
Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Corser, 3 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki),
4 Bayliss, 5 Checa, 6 Fabrizio, 7 Biaggi (I-Ducati), 8 Xaus,
9 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Laconi (F-Kawasaki)
Points:1 Bayliss 227, 2 Checa 188, 3 Max
Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 176, 4 Haga 172, 5 Corser 154,
6 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 141, 7 Xaus 110, 8 Fabrizio
106, 9 Biaggi 97, 10 Kiyonari 89, 11 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki
Alstare) 73,
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