FIM Superbike World Championship Nurburgring, Germany June 15, 2008 Race Two Results: 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), 14 laps, 27:26.594 2. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -0.150 second 3. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -5.316 seconds 4. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 1098 F08), -7.651, ran off track 5. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -7.951 6. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F08), -9.027 7. Max BIAGGI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -9.420 8. Ruben XAUS (Ducati 1098 RS08), -9.916 9. Fonsi NIETO (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -12.862 10. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -13.559 11. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), -13.960 12. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -16.172 13. Makoto TAMADA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -17.946 14. Gregorio LAVILLA (Honda CBR1000RR), -22.815 15. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -23.758 16. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R1), -24.127 17. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -24.421 18. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yamaha YZF-R1), -25.356 19. Russel HOLLAND (Honda CBR1000RR), -25.729 20. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -28.846 21. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR1000RR), -33.107 22. Loic NAPOLEONE (Yamaha YZF-R1), -54.255 23. Jason PRIDMORE (Honda CBR1000RR), -64.877 24. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda CBR1000RR), -1 lap, crash 25. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098 RS08), -8 laps, DNF, crash 26. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -9 laps, DNF, crash 27. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -9 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (After 14 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 227 points 2. Carlos Checa, 188 3. Neukirchner, 176 4. Hafa, 172 5. Corser, 154 6. Nieto, 141 7. Xaus, 118 8. Fabrizio, 106 9. Biaggi, 97 10. Kiyonari, 89 11. Kagayama, 73 12. Lavilla, 65 13. Lanzi, 60 14. Muggeridge, 59 15. Smrz, 56 16. Tamada, 41 17. Laconi, 36 18. Sofuoglu, 32 19. Rolfo, 20 20. Nakatomi, 16 21. TIE, Badovini/Holland, 14 23. Gombert, 7 24. David Checa, 6 25. Michael Beck, 1 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Checa takes fifth place twice over at Nurburgring After double tops at the last round at the Miller Motorsports Park, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa had to settle for fifth place today in both races of the German round. Rain looked likely but it remained dry for the duration of the 20-lap race. From his first row start Checa came 9th through the first corner and started his chase forward. He remained in 7th place for most of the race before overtaking Fabrizio and Xaus in the last laps of the race and claimed 5th place. Carlos Checa managed to follow a breakaway group of four riders in the second race and profited from a mistake by Bayliss in the 5th lap. Bayliss eventually got the better of Checa and re-claimed his fourth position in the last lap, with Checa concluding the race in fifth. Teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari struggled throughout both races he claimed a 12th place in the first race and 11th in the second. Carlos Checa, race 1 5th, race 2 5th: “We didn’t find the right grip here this weekend. We have been working on the setup of the bike to find a better grip, especially in the rear, but didn’t manage We were on good pace with the qualifier, but on the race tire we used here this weekend we couldn’t find enough grip.” “We made some rather big changes to the set up for the second race. I started well and chased the front group, but wasn’t able to keep up with their speed. I had to get off the gas a couple of times to prevent the bike from high-siding. We have done our best. We just didn’t find the same level of grip as our competitors.” Ryuichi Kiyonari, race 1 12th, race 2 11th: “My feeling with the bike was a lot better in the second race, but I am disappointed with the results. Its embarrassing, we used the base setting for both races. Yesterday we worked on the balance of the bike, but we made the wrong choice and didn’t improve. I wasn’t able to any faster. It was just a mistake that we changed the setup, but we have learned a lot. I would like to forget this weekend.” Ronald ten Kate, Team manager: “Some weekends you want to remember and some of them you want to forget as quick as possible. Today falls in that last category. Throughout the weekend we have been struggling to find the grip needed to set the right pace on this track. We will have to analyse the data we have collected here when we get back home and should improve for the Misano race.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: 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. More, from a press release issued by Honda: CHECA TAKES TWO FIFTH PLACES TO CONTINUE TITLE CHALLENGE After a double race win in America last time out Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) posted two fifth place finishes in the Nürburgring races this weekend, and he remains second in the championship fight. Noriyuki Haga won both the German races, from Troy Bayliss in race one and Troy Corser in a second race. Leg two was shortened by a sudden fall of light rain that saw the result called after 14 laps only. A delay in the first race start, as rain suddenly appeared as the warm-up lap was about to be concluded, put the event back until 12.20, but it took place over a full 20 lap distance when it did commence. First Honda rider home in race one was Checa, who had started from the front row but dropped back in the startline drag race and had to push hard throughout to get back into the top five, fighting a lack of traction all the way. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was a strong top ten runner, battling the official Kawasaki of Makoto Tamada in race one and finishing tenth, then he took 12th place in the second race. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) went 12th in the opener, and Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) 16th. In race two Kiyonari was 11th, Rolfo 17th. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Jr) had qualified 20th and finished race one in the pits after retiring, posting 21st in the second race. Gregorio Lavilla (Ventaxia VK Honda CBR1000RR) was taken out in race one before a lap had been completed, but recovered from a poor first corner exit in race two to finish 14th and score two points. Neither Alto Evolution Honda rider finished the first race as Jason Pridmore crashed out and Shuhei Aoyama had to retire in the pits due to an electrical problem. In race two Pridmore went 23rd, Aoyama fell and had to enter the pits for repairs, being classified one lap behind the leaders at the early conclusion of the race. Russell Holland (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was 19th in each race. In the overall championship, Bayliss leads with 227 points, Checa has 188, and Neukirchner 176. Kiyonari is tenth on 89, Lavilla 12th on 65. Checa said: “We didn’t find the right grip here this weekend. We have been working on the setup of the bike to improve this, especially in the rear, but didn’t manage it. We were on a good pace with the qualifier, but on the race tyre we used here this weekend we couldn’t find enough. We made some rather big changes to the set-up for the second race. I started well and chased the front group, but wasn’t able to keep up with their speed. I had to get off the gas a couple of times to prevent the bike from high-siding. We have done our best. We just didn’t find the same level of grip as our competitors.” Kiyonari said: “My feeling with the bike was a lot better in the second race, but I am disappointed with the results. We used the base setting for both races. Yesterday we worked on the balance of the bike, but we made the wrong choice and didn’t improve. I wasn’t able to any faster. It was just a mistake that we changed the setup, but we have learned a lot. I would like to forget this weekend.” Rolfo said: “I’m satisfied with the second race because my bike performed much better compared to the first race. We modified some things on the bike during the morning warm up and this improved the suspension and the engine performance. Consequently, I had more grip on the rear tyre. I’m only a little disappointed about race two because the race was red flagged while I was overtaking!” Lavilla said: “I was knocked off by another rider in the first race and some riders obviously think that the race is finished after two corners. In race two I got stuck inside in the first corner and I could not pass any riders there, only as the race went on. We are getting some positives because the bike was good in warm-up and I felt I was riding better than I have been in the recent past. I just think things are going to take longer than we thought to get to where we all want them to be.” Muggeridge said: “Race one was OK but we made some changes to the bike to improve things and we went too far. That made problems for us in the opposite direction for race two. But we’re getting there and it was good to have real race with some factory bikes today.” Aoyama said: “I had some problem in race one, I think something with the electronics, and we had to pull in. In race two I had a bad start and had to come through from the very back. I pushed hard and passed some people but then I made a mistake under braking, ran wide and crashed.” The World Superbike series now heads to Misano, Italy, for round eight, on June 29. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS INCREASES HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH A PODIUM FINISH AT THE NUERBURGRING Nuerburgring (Germany) Sunday 15th June: another day of unstable weather conditions made for two interesting races today at the Nuerburgring. Race 1 was restarted due to rain, but then subsequently declared a dry race, and saw Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) caught up in a fantastic battle for victory against Yamaha rider Noriyuki Haga. Haga eventually took the win with Bayliss coming home in second and Neukirchner in third. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio also got a great start in Race 1 and battled for third place during the first half of the race before gradually slipping back slightly to conclude the race in eventual seventh position. In Race 2, Bayliss again made a strong start and fought this time against not just one, but both factory Yamaha riders, Haga and Corser. The race was brought to its conclusion five laps ahead of schedule due to rain, which meant that Bayliss and Fabrizio concluded proceedings in fourth and sixth positions respectively. Troy Bayliss has today further increased his championship lead, now holding 227 points, ahead of Carlos Checa who remains in second with 188 points, while Michel Fabrizio remains in eighth place with 108 points. Ducati continues to lead the manufacturers championship with 282 points ahead of Yamaha (251 points). Troy Bayliss (Race 1 – 2nd, Race 2 – 4th) “I’ve had a difficult day and have had to ride very hard, too hard in Race 2. After seeing Nori’s consistency in this morning’s warm-up I thought he was going to be the man to beat today and that proved to be the case. After about two-thirds of Race 1 I was doing everything I could to stay with him and although at one point I thought I might be able to take the win, in the end Nori won fair and square. My congratulations go to him, he rode a great race, bearing in mind he broke his collarbone just two weeks ago! We made a small change to the bike set-up for Race 2 but this didn’t help and riding over the limit meant I made a couple of small mistakes. I’m lucky to come away with more of a points lead over Carlos but at the same time I’ve given away points to Nori and Max (Neukirchner)… We will test this week in Mugello and so we plan to work more on the settings in order to be able to finish off the corners better because that’s where I’m struggling a bit at the moment.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – 7th, Race 2 – 6th) “All things considered we are happy with today’s results. In Race 1 I lost the front a couple of times which meant I also lost my concentration a little during the final laps. I finished in fourth, but the guys ahead of me all rode a great race and so I am satisfied with the position I took. In Race 2 I had a bit of a run-in with Xaus who touched me as he passed. The way the race ended was a bit unusual but anyway, at the end of the day I have earned another 19 points which is of course the most important thing and although I stay in eighth place in the classification I’ve significantly increased my points total. Now we move on to Misano where I hope for a great result in front of the Italian fans!” More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: Sterilgarda Go Eleven confirms to be one of the best team of the WSBK Championship taking good places again in both the race of the German round. In race-1 Ruben Xaus made a great start after which he began hunting the leading pack. He lost the touch with the bests just in the last part of the race then he recovered and passed Michel Fabrizio, but afterward he was passed by Checa. In race 2 the goal was to repeat the same race strategy, but the rain stopped the second race 5 laps to the end and he was not able to complete his recovery, finishing 8th just one position behind Max Biaggi who redeemed a race-1 closed in 13th position. The Roman rider was able to avoid the funnel of the first corner. He well rode the middle game but in the final laps he was forced to slow down due to the tyres worn out and he had to stop the pursuit of his rivals. In Superstock1000 Alex Polita has been author of a wonderful recovery from the 35th starting position to the 16th final place. The rider from Jesi confirmed once again his big worth and he has the regret to have not had the chance to defend his ranking position due to a series of bad luck events. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | 6th ad 8th classified: “In race-1 I had difficulties especially during the first laps where it was really hard to keep the same pace of the rivals. Then, after three laps, I was able to reach and pass Fabrizio. Unfortunately I didn’t realize to be at the last lap, so I left a gap and Checa passed me. In race-2 I wanted to repeat the same strategy. After the start I fought against my team-mate, with the will to focus all my efforts in the final laps. Unfortunately the rain stopped race-2 5 laps to the end; I would have had the opportunity to finish two positions ahead”. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | 13th e 7th classified: “The crash of the warm-up, when the gas was off, took away my faith in the rear of my bike and influenced my race-1. In the second race I started well, being 7th after the first lap. I tried to recover on the leading pack but in the second half of the race my tyres got really damage and I was forced to slow down. Seen what happened during the warm-up, it was not so bad”. ALEX POLITA | Ducati 1098R | 16th classified: “In the race I did my best. I made a good start but the first was a mess. I didn’t get demoralized and I tried to recover lap by lap. I was able to come really close to the points, if only I had had another lap”¦ I would have had the chance to pass a couple of rivals more. When the bad luck comes, there is nothing to do. The hitch of Friday influenced all the week-end. Now 5th on the ranking but I want to take my revenge as soon as possible, I hope already at my home-round in Misano in fifteen days”. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY ROBBED OF VICTORY BECAUSE OF RED FLAG! Troy looked to be on course for his first win of the season in the second race at the Nürburgring today, but was denied the chance when the race was red-flagged after fourteen of the scheduled twenty laps. The race was stopped because of rain, with Troy in the lead on the track, but it was his team mate Noriyuki Haga who had been in the actual lead when they had crossed the line before the red flag was put out, so the Japanese rider was awarded the victory, with Troy second! Troy’s runner-up spot in race two followed a fighting fourth place in race one, which was also won by Haga. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) took second place, with local hero Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) third. Troy That was pretty close to my first win of the year and I am disappointed the way it turned out. Some rain began to fall after about twelve laps and the hairpin at the far end of the track was starting to get a bit wet, but I don’t think any of us were thinking of stopping when the red flags came out. I put my hand out to get Nori’s attention and it’s possible that the race direction might have seen that and thought that we wanted the race stopped. Soon after, Nori put his hand up anyway, I think, and that was it. Before that, I’d been having a great fight with him but I felt that I could stay ahead of him and that this could be my day. Of course, you never know what Nori is going to do, but I really felt that I could win the race. We changed the bike quite a bit between the races (because of some chassis problems) and for the first time I actually used some of Nori’s info. Today, like the whole weekend really, was difficult for all riders because of the changing conditions and the delayed start. This is June and when we lined up for the first race grid it started raining hailstones! At least we managed that race without a red flag, but I’m still thinking of what might have been in race two. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) stormed to a superb double win at the Nürburgring in Germany today, winning back-to-back 20-lap races to re-ignite his championship challenge. He also takes away the new lap record, thanks to a blistering 1’56.892, set on lap 11 of race two. His team-mate Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) was unlucky not to score a podium in race one but was battling for the outright win with Haga in an unbelievable race two, before the threatening rain fell and the race was stopped for reasons of safety. Many fans held their breath for most of race as Hager and Corser swapped places repeatedly with inches to spare between their bikes. By midway they were riding their own race, locked into a Yamaha duel for the chequered flag. The first race was delayed for 20 minutes because of a late fall of rain but it was declared dry and indeed the sun came out in force as the race started. In the first race Haga took the win after an intense battle at the front throughout, finally overcoming Troy Bayliss after pressurising the Australian rider into a mistake on lap 19 Of 20. Corser was a close fourth making it a successful first outing for the official Yamaha team. Race two was halted early by a light fall of rain on lap 15, and with 14 tours completed the race result was called from that lap, giving the win to Haga even though Corser was in the lead when the race was stopped. Each Yamaha Motor Italia rider delivered awesome entertainment to the 41,000 weekend crowd, particularly in a tough and fully competitive race two, and each was rewarded with strong points scores as a result. Haga is now fourth overall, on 172 points, with Corser only just behind, on 154 at the midpoint of the 14-round season. Noriyuki Haga (1st and 1st – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “During the race the collarbone was no problem, just some muscle pain. I had a great fight with my team-mate Troy in the second race, it was very exciting, fun and fair, I really enjoyed it. I want to thank Dr Ting for the operation on my collarbone, a big thank you to all the fans and congratulations to Troy for a great race. I’m so happy for the win, and it’s fantastic to go forward to Misano having closed the championship gap a bit. Time to celebrate!” Troy Corser (4th and 2nd- Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “With the weather conditions the way they were it was completely dry at the top, and it was raining down at the bottom for the last two laps before I put my hand up, it was getting wetter and wetter. Although I wanted to win the race I just wanted to stay on the bike as well. Thanks to the boys on the team, and thanks to Nori there as well, I had an amazing race with him, fantastic riding. We’re getting the bike better and better, hopefully we can get some more great results before the end of the year.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “It’s almost impossible to do better. We saw that even on Friday we could get good results from both riders and after yesterday I was sure the podium was possible for both riders. We got a double win from Nori and first and second in race two; a fantastic achievement for the whole team. I am lost for words about Nori, he is even better than before and Troy is really back to his very best. Thanks to all the team because they did a really good job here.” More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki: 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. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Racing: Double delight for Nitro Nori Noriyuki Haga clinched a superb double victory at the seventh round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship today. The Yamaha Motor Italia WSB rider dominated both Superbike races at the Nurburgring the championship’s first visit to the famous German circuit in ten years. Even more impressive is that Haga clinched the double win despite still recovering from the broken collarbone he sustained two weeks earlier in the USA. In the opening leg, the Japanese contender capitalised on his front row start and fought off Ducati’s Troy Bayliss to take the top spot of the podium. He then battled with team-mate Troy Corser in race two for the victory. Although Corser took the lead on lap 15, Haga was awarded the eventual win (based on position after 14 laps) as the race was red-flagged due to rain. Meanwhile, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa continued his run of success in the HANNspree Superbike World Championship at the Nurburgring with two top five finishes. Despite starting from the front row of the grid, the 35-year-old Spaniard made two poor starts in the day’s races, and was unable to make up the lost positions. However, 22 points maintains his second place in the overall standings. He is now just 39 points adrift of current series leader Bayliss. Checa’s HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari also had a positive day in Germany with two more points-scoring finishes. The 25-year-old Japanese rider clinched 12th and 11th places in races one and two respectively and is now tenth in the series overall. The third HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu had less luck at the Nurburgring. The young Turkish rider was forced to retire from the first race and could only manage a 22nd place finish in race two. Sofuoglu is now 18th in the series overall. Meanwhile, HANNspree Honda Althea’s Roberto Rolfo scored 16th and 17th positions in the day’s two races. The 28-year-old Italian is still recovering from the broken collarbone he sustained in a mountain biking accident while training several weeks ago More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: At the end of the WSBK seventh round Team Pedercini has been not able to get what it wished. On the Nurburgring track Ayrton Badovini and Vittorio Iannuzzo ended race-1 out of the points and they got crashed at the sixth lap of race-2 when they was fighting one against the other. A real pity as they was lapping quicker than the first race. Good things came form FIM Superstock1000 where Yoan Tiberio took the 10th best place which raised the spirits of the whole team after a bad week-end where working has been impossible due the bad weather conditions. Good performance by Alessio Aldrovandi too who missed the points due to tyres damaged in the last lap. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 20th classified and retired: “In race-1 I got difficulties especially in the first laps, then my feeling with the bike improved and I was able to record my best lap time in the final part of the race. I’m sorry to the crash with my team-mate in race-2. I’m satisfied with my week-end and I was able to lap for the whole race with a good race-pace; It shows that I’m recovering from the injury which is affecting me since the Australian round. I hope to be in good physical conditions at Misano, in two weeks”. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 17th classified and retired: “In the first race I recorded times very close to my quickest qualifying lap. Unfortunately I was not able to start as I wished and I finished 17th, never finding a good feeling with the bike. In race-2 the crash with Iannuzzo forced me to give up. It happens, thankfully it happened when we were both in the back lines”. YOANN TIBERIO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 10th classified: “I’m pretty satisfied with my race, unfortunately at the beginning it was a mess and someone had the chance to brake with the rest of the riders. Anyhow we are on the right way and I’m sure that if we had had the opportunity to work on a better track we would have battled for the top-5. I keep that goal for Misano, when we will try to capitalize the fine-tune experience collected during the last two round”. ALESSIO ALDROVANDI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 20th classified: “What a pity! I mad a good start and I recovered several position in the first laps. Unfortunately at the end of the race my tyres got really damaged but I’m satisfied with having found a good felling with the rear of my bike. It will be helpful for the rest of the season”.