World Superbikes Championship - Monza
May 11, 2008
Max Neukirchner and Noriyuki Haga shared the wins in an amazing day of racing at Monza today in front of a record crowd of over 112,000 spectators. Both races went down to final lap sprints as all the major riders attempted to take advantage of competitive racing conditions in the fifth round of the World Superbikes Championship.
The first race of the day saw a first ever win for a German rider, as Max Neukirchner finally turned his impressive recent run of form into a win. The win came at the end of a spectacular final lap sprint to the line with Noriyuki Haga, just 0.058 seconds separating them at the finish. Completing the podium was World Superbikes Championship leader Troy Bayliss, the Australian holding off a late challenge from Yukio Kagayama who eventually finished fourth.
The second race saw an even more thrilling final lap sprint to the line than the first race, this time three riders competing for the chequered flag. It was again a one-two finish for Haga and Neukirchner, this time Haga emerging the winner by just 0.009 seconds, the fifth closest finish in the history of World Superbikes. Third in the three-way race was Ryuchi Kiyonari, who was actually leading going into the final corner of the race. The race also saw Troy Bayliss not finish a race for the first time this season, the Ducati Xerox rider’s race being ended by an engine problem.
The results don’t do too much to the top of the Rider’s Championship, Bayliss still leading by a massive margin of just under 80 points. Haga and Neukirchner’s healthy points hauls have put them right into contention with the rest of the chasing pack, the two riders now 4 and 5 points off second placed Carlos Checa respectively.
The next round of the series will take place at Salt Lake City on June 1.
World Superbikes Championship - Monza Results
Race One
1 - M.NEUKIRCHNER (Team Alstare Suzuki) - 32′02.851
2 - N.HAGA (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) - 0.058
3 - T. BAYLISS (Ducati Xerox Team) - 0.672
4 - Y. KAGAYAMA (Team Suzuki Alstare) - 0.771
5 - M.BIAGGI (Sterilgarda Go Eleven) - 3.869
6 - R. KIYONARI (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) - 5.995
7 - F. NIETO (Team Suzuki Alstare) - 8.788
8 - C. CHECA (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) - 9.374
9 - M.FABRIZIO (Ducati Xerox Team) - 10.667
10 - J. SMRZ (Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s) - 10.771
Race Two
1 - N.HAGA (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) - 32′07.576
2 - M.NEUKIRCHNER (Team Alstare Suzuki) - 0.009
3 - R. KIYONARI (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) - 0.051
4 - F. NIETO (Team Suzuki Alstare) - 4.489
5 - M.FABRIZIO (Ducati Xerox Team) - 10.272
6 - K. MUGGERIDGE (D.F. Racing) - 10.376
7 - R. XAUS (Sterilgarda Go Eleven) - 10.496
8 - T. CORSER (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) - 12.498
9 - A. BADOVINI (Team Pedercini) - 19.429
10 - G.LAVILLA (Ventaxia VK Honda) - 26.373
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