2008 HANNSPREE FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP®
NURBURGRING – 13, 14 and 15 JUNE – ROUND
7
RACE REPORT
Haga scores magnificent double win at the Nurburgring
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) scored a fantastic
double win at the Nurburgring on World Superbike’s return
to the German track for the first time in ten years. Just
two weeks after breaking his collarbone in the USA, Haga fought
off Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) to win race 1, and then got
the better of his team-mate Troy Corser in a rain-shortened
second encounter to take the double. Max Neukirchner (Alstare
Suzuki) took two thirds in front of his home crowd. Despite
unfavourable weather conditions, the German Round of the HANNspree
FIM Superbike World Championship, reached a satisfactory overall
attendance of 41,000 over the 3 days.
Race 1: Haga was in terrific form on the
Yamaha and with a perfect race strategy the Japanese rider
got the best of a determined Troy Bayliss (Ducati), who tested
him until a couple of laps from the flag before making a mistake.
Third place went to local hero Neukirchner, who held off Corser.
Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) got a bad start but
made a good recovery to pass Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven
Ducati) for fifth place on the final lap. Seventh went to
Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who faded in the final stages
after running with the leading group for much of the race.
Behind the Italian were Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) and Makoto
Tamada (PSG-1 Corse) on the first Kawasaki to finish. Max
Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) concluded in a disappointing
14th place.
Noriyuki Haga: “Ten days ago I was
a disaster and I am very happy for this win, just fourteen
days after breaking my collarbone. Everyone has helped me
and I felt very comfortable in the riding. I want to say ‘thank
you’ to the Clinica Mobile and my team and all the fans.
Congratulations for Troy and Max and I hope Yukio comes back
very soon!”
Troy Bayliss: “I saw after the warm-up
that Nori was looking really consistent, and Max was going
to do a good job and maybe Carlos, but Nori proved to be the
strongest in the race. At about two-thirds distance I was
doing everything I could to stay with Nori but thought that
second place was good and I would increase my lead. Nori won
fair and square, congratulations to him.”
Max Neukirchner: “I’m happy
with third place, it was a really hard race for me to catch
Troy, and Noriyuki was a little bit too fast for me. I lost
a bit in the first split, my tyres and my chassis were really
good, but I think we need a bit more handling in the second
race.”
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1
39'19.427 (156,76 kph); 2. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08
2.025; 3. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2.792; 4.
Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 5.458; 5. Checa C. (ESP) Honda
CBR1000RR 10.225; 6. Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 10.462;
7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 17.018; 8. Nieto F. (ESP)
Suzuki GSX-R1000 20.520; 9. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R
21.162; 10. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 22.650; 11.
Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 22.845; 12. Kiyonari R. (JPN)
Honda CBR1000RR 25.555; 13. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS
08 25.879; 14. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 26.288; 15.
Gimbert S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 32.824; 16. Rolfo R. (ITA)
Honda CBR1000RR 42.157.
Race 2 : Haga took his second win of the
day in race 2, and his first double of the year. The race
was stopped with five laps remaining while Corser was in the
lead but the previous lap’s classification stands and
so the win went to Haga, who completed a triumphant day for
Yamaha, which was really competitive on the German track.
Third place again went to Neukirchner, ahead of Bayliss, who
actually managed to increase his points lead in the table.
Checa scored another fifth place, after holding off the three
Ducatis of Michel Fabrizio, Max Biaggi and Ruben Xaus. Both
Kawasakis were in the points, Regis Laconi in 10th and Makoto
Tamada in 13th.
Noriyuki Haga: “During the race my
collarbone gave me no problem, it was just muscle pain. I
was actually a bit disappointed about the bike’s setting
because I changed something from the first race that gave
a little bit less traction, but we had a big battle with Troy
and it was very exciting. I forgot to say after the first
race a big thank you to Dr Ting, who made a great operation
on my collarbone. Thanks to everyone once again!”
Troy Corser: “It was completely dry
at the top part of the circuit but raining down the bottom
for the last two laps before I actually put my hand up and
it was getting wetter and wetter all the time. Although I
wanted to win the race I just wanted to stay on the bike as
well. A big thanks to the boys in the team and Nori as well
because I actually copied a bit of his engine mapping and
it worked fantastic for me. Hopefully we can get some more
results like these in the rest of the season.”
Max Neukirchner: “It was not possible
to win here today, Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga were a little
bit faster but I’m happy with two third places. We changed
something from the first to the second race but it was a little
bit worse, but I’m satisfied with two good results at
my home race.”
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1
27'26.594 (157,237 kph); 2. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1
0.150; 3. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 5.316; 4.
Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 7.651; 5. Checa C. (ESP)
Honda CBR1000RR 7.951; 6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08
9.027; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 9.420; 8. Xaus
R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 9.916; 9. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki
GSX-R1000 12.862; 10. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 13.559;
11. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 13.960; 12. Muggeridge
K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 16.172; 13. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki
ZX-10R 17.946; 14. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 22.815;
15. Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF-R1 23.758; 16. Gimbert S. (FRA)
Yamaha YZF-R1 24.127.
Points (after 7 of 14 rounds): Riders –
1. Bayliss 227; 2. Checa 188; 3. Neukirchner 176; 4. Haga
172; 5. Corser 154; 6. Nieto 141; 7. Xaus 110; 8. Fabrizio
106; 9. Biaggi 97; 10. Kiyonari 89; etc. Manufacturers –
1. Ducati 282; 2. Yamaha 251; 3. Suzuki 223; 4. Honda 207;
5. Kawasaki 64.
FIM Supersport World Championship
Australia rules in round 6 of the Supersport World Championship
at the Nurburgring. The victory went to Andrew Pitt (Hanspree
Ten Kate Honda), who held off Joshua Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy
Motorsport Honda) in an exciting final couple of laps. With
the win, his third of the season, Pitt moves into the lead
of the championship. Third went to Broc Parkes (Yamaha World
Supersport), who led for most of the race and he was followed
by Yamaha team-mate Fabien Foret, Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda)
and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Former points
leader, Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) from Spain,
could only finish 12th. The unluckiest rider of the day was
Britain’s Tommy Hill (Hannspree Honda Althea), who returned
to racing at the German round after recovering from serious
pre-season testing injuries, but who broke his right leg again
in the first corner crash sparked off by Tode (G-Lab Racing
Triumph). Hill is returning to the UK where he will be operated
on tomorrow.
Results : 1. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR
38'26.584 (152,334 kph); 2. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR
0.387; 3. Parkes B. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R6 1.379; 4. Foret F.
(FRA) Yamaha YZF-R6 10.279; 5. Jones C. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR
11.624; 6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 19.211; 7. Van Keymeulen
D. (BEL) Suzuki GSX-R600 28.775; 8. Tode A. (GER) Triumph
675 28.890.
Superstock 1000 FIM Cup
There was a spectacular end to the fourth round of the Superstock
1000 FIM Cup with a three-way sprint to the line. The win
went to Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team), who got
the better of Davide Giugliano (Cruciani Moto Suzuki) and
Xavier Simeon (Suzuki Alstare), who holds on to his championship
lead. Fourth place went to Italian Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini
by Leoni), who was unable to keep up with the leading trio
after a good start. Matej Smrz (MS Racing Honda) recovered
from a poor start to pass Claudio Corti (Yamaha Motor Italia
Junior Team) for fifth two laps from the end. Maxime Berger
(Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda) went wide at the first corner
to avoid the crashing riders ahead of him (Perotti, Schouten
and Barrier), but then recovered from 21st to finish seventh.
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