Nurburgring World Superbikes: Noriyuki Haga takes double win in epic battle of the Yamahas

Noriyuki Haga has been declared the winner in a shortened race two after an epic battle with Yamaha teammate Troy Corser at the Nurburgring to take his second victory of the day.

The pair had been battling for the lead after initial leader Troy Bayliss slipped down the field and out of the running, leaving the Santander Yamaha pair to battle it out. But with just five laps left on track leader Corser and Haga put their hands up to signal that there was rain in the air, and as Haga was the leader on the previous full lap he was therefore handed his second win of the day.

Germany’s Max Neukirchner took his second third place of the day at his home race on the Alstare Suzuki.

Troy Bayliss took the lead going in to the first corner ahead of the two Yamahas of Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga.

Going into lap two Xerox Ducati man Bayliss ran wide at the first corner to let Corser through and with Haga having his own problems Germany’s Max Neukirchner was up to third on the Alstare Suzuki.

Neukirchner was then looking to take second, but as he made a move on Bayliss going into lap three he ran wide and let Bayliss and Haga back past.

And with the pair still on a high after getting rid of Neukirchner, they then sent Corser down to third.

And the first corner was definitely catching the riders out as going into lap four both Troys ran wide to let Haga through for the lead and Neukirchner up to second. Bayliss was now down in fifth whilst Carlos Checa had taken advantage of the Australians’ mistakes to move in to fourth.

By lap six Corser was back into second ahead of Neukirchner while Jakub Smrz, Kenan Sofuoglu and Ayrton Badovini all crashed out, although Sofuoglu did manage to remount.

At the start of lap nine Corser swept across the nose of Haga to take the lead, but at the halfway point Haga got his own back and was in front once again. But the battle wasn’t over and by lap 11 the pair continued to swap places almost every other corner.

With five laps to go Corser went round the outside of his Santander Yamaha team-mate Noriyuki Haga and made his move stick.

And coming into the end of the lap the lead pair put their arms in the air, to signify that it was raining, and the race was red flagged. As it was past the two third distance the race resultsw could be decided but as the results were taken back to the last full lap it was Haga who was declared the race winner.

Nurburgring World Superbike race two results:

1 Noriyuki HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Troy CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1
3 Max NEUKIRCHNER GER Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
4 Troy BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08
5 Carlos CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate HondaHonda CBR1000RR
6 Michel FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08
7 Max BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08
8 Ruben XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08
9 Fonsi NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000
10 Regis LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R
11 Ryuichi KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate HondaHonda CBR1000RR
12 Karl MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR
13 Makoto TAMADA JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R
14 Gregorio LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR
15 David CHECA ESP Yamaha France Ipone GMTY 9a4maha YZF-R1
16 Sebastien GIMBERT FRA Yamaha France Ipone GMTY 9a4maha YZF-R1
17 Roberto ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda Althea Honda CBR1000RR
18 Shinichi NAKATOMI JPN YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1
19 Russel HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing – Bertocchi Honda CBR1000RR
20 Lorenzo LANZI ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08
21 K.enanSOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate HondaH Jor.nda CBR1000RR
22 Loic NAPOLEONE FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1
23 Jason PRIDMORE USA Alto Evolution Honda SuperbHiokenda CBR1000RR
24 Shuhei AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda SuperbHiokenda CBR1000RR