Corser second in race one as Haga fights hard

Troy Corser went through one race of joy and endured one non-finish at the challenging Phillip Island circuit in Australia, taking a masterful second place in race one but falling out of contention for the podium places in race two. On his home track, Corser had to work hard with his Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team to find a good raceday set-up and he made adjustments between races to improve it still more, finding great gains until his race finished early. Noriyuki Haga celebrated his 33rd birthday today but not in the way he wished on the racetrack, taking eighth in race one and seventh in race two. He found traction issues in each 22-lap race, following on from similar concerns in qualifying at Phillip Island. A dramatic race one had to be restarted after a startline incident, when Michel Fabrizio's machine stalled on the line and was struck first by the unsighted David Checa (Yamaha GMT94 Team) and then more powerfully by privateer Vittorio Iannuzzo, who was injured in the impact, breaking his left wrist. As Iannuzzo lay trackside the race was red-flagged, and a complete 22-lap restart called. In the second race, Corser was fast off the line, too fast for the race officials, and he was given a jump-start penalty in controversial circumstances. Unsure if the penalty signal was for him, he carried on initially, but fell on lap five, having led for three laps and looking strong for another podium finish at least. Corser was uninjured by his high-speed crash exiting the first left-hand corner, and felt he must have slid off on oil or water lying on the racing line. Fast starting in each race, Haga was forced to go backwards through the field, having a lonely race towards the end of the first contest, but working hard in race two to defend his seventh place finish. Even with his race two no score, Corser is fourth in the championship chase, with 45 points, while Haga, who has scored in every race so far, is on 22 points, holding ninth place. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) was lucky to escape the race one startline incident with only a badly cut left foot, and he recovered from a DNF in the restart to take a fine 12th place in race two. His team-mate Sebastien Gimbert just missed a point in race one, but had a neck-and-neck race with Checa in race two and scored 13th place. Team YZF Yamaha squad rider Shinichi Nakatomi overcame some difficult moments in qualifying to take two points scores, going 15th in each race, approximately thirty seconds behind the leaders each time. Troy Corser (2nd and DNF - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "There were a few tough passes in that first race, but I never panicked even when I got run wide a couple of times. The bike wasn't perfect and we were moving around a bit too much. We were going as fast as we could sideways! We made changes for race two and it was a lot better. Overall a podium in race one was not too bad. They definitely held the start too long in race two. It was like the starting light was on, on and then on some more, then it went off. It was way too long to wait. I knew I had moved, but I had stopped again. Anyway I felt much more confident on the bike and in control in race two but it seemed to me that there was a small line of oil on the corner and that's what it felt like - tucking the front on oil. I thought there would be bikes coming into the gravel trap after me. We learned many things this weekend and I think we could have finished second in race two at least, maybe even challenged Troy Bayliss." Noriyuki Haga (8th and 7th - Yamaha Italy WSB Team) "My physical condition was OK today because I had a very effective massage from the Clinica Mobile people, so thanks to them. This whole weekend has just been down to a lack of grip. It feels like the first two races this year have just been an exercise for me. We have not had the chance to build our performance on the bike so it feels like our season will start in the European races." Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) "We had a lot of trouble with grip all weekend and I think what Troy achieved in race one was earned by Troy. We made the same settings for Nori in race two as we did for Troy, but he did not feel any great benefit. We always seem to have a struggle in Qatar and here, but we will be back when we get to Europe. We never give up and the season is a long one." Shinichi Nakatomi (21st and DNF - Team YZF Yamaha) "I had a better feel from the tyres in the first race, not so much in the second. We scored points in both races, which was a good reward for the team, who work so hard." Cristophe Guyot: (Team Manager Yamaha GMT94 Team) "As we are still racing these bikes 12kgs over weight and on Endurance specifications mainly, we can be very happy with these results. Unfortunately David Checa was involved in a crash during the start of race one, resulting in pain in his neck and quite a big wound on his foot. For race two both riders did a great job - David with his injuries and Sebastien with a lesser spec YZF-R1. WSB is a perfect experience for the team and is major benefit for our Endurance efforts. Our aim is to be on of the top contenders in WSB. For Valencia we will be able to lose a couple of kilograms and we have some additional YEC (Yamaha racing) kit parts available for our riders and therefore we have great hopes for that race as well." Round 2: Phillip Island, Australia Track length: 4445m Fastest Superbike lap: 1:31.493 (Troy Bayliss, Ducati) Lap record: 1'31.826 (Troy Corser, Yamaha) Last year's winners: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and James Toseland (Honda) Race 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 34'22.933 2, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.221 3, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'4.738 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'5.171 5, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'5.543 6, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'5.895 7, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'5.964 8, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'14.826 9, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'18.899 10, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'20.633 11, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'21.601 12, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'29.281 13, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'29.500 14, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'30.030 15, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'30.223 16, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'30.800 17, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'50.107 18, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1'7.385 Race 2 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 34'35.284 2, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'1.127 3, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'4.395 4, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'6.621 5, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'11.550 6, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'11.620 7, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 0'12.049 8, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'12.134 9, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'13.462 10, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'15.519 11, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'16.225 12, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'21.959 13, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'21.989 14, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'29.106 15, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'29.219 16, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'32.994 17, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'34.380 18, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'42.537 19, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'46.623 20, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'47.030 21, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 1'8.601 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'32.516 Rider Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 88 2, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 61 3, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 59 4, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 45 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 45 6, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 39 7, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 36 8, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 34 9, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 22 10, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 18 11, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 17 12, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 17 13, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 13 14, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 13 15, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 12 20, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 4 21, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 3 22, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 2 Manufacturer Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Ducati, 95 2, Suzuki, 63 3, Yamaha, 54 4, Honda, 46 5, Kawasaki, 7 ---------- RACE REPORT - 02/03/2008 Foret just misses podium as Parkes crashes out A breathtaking 21-lap World Supersport race at Phillip Island provided very different fortunes for the Yamaha World Supersport Team's riders, Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes. Foret overcame a poor start and went from sixth on lap one to the lead on lap 20, only to be swamped by riders as the finish line approached. He ended round two a strong fourth, only 0.780 seconds from the win, and in a group of six riders covered by only 1.228 seconds. Broc Parkes was looking good for another podium finish to go with his race win at Qatar last weekend until he fell under braking into the tight downhill right hand MG corner on lap two while leading. The tough Aussie rider remounted to try and score some points, but was forced to stop after entering the pits to check his machine over. Andrew Pitt, who was a non-finisher in the opening round in Qatar, won the race and therefore the World Championship battle is still a relatively open one. Parkes is currently fourth, sharing a total of 25 points with two other riders, while Foret's 13 Phillip Island points take him to eight in the championship. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) put his Qatar disappointments behind him with a strong ninth place finish, just over ten seconds from the win after 21-laps of frantic raceday action throughout the field. David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport team) finished out of the points in 18th after taking to the grass on lap two, and he is now 15th on points, one place ahead of Roccoli. Fabien Foret (4th - +0'0.780 - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I was happy to be able to catch the leaders even if I did not have so much grip in the race. I could follow them and the plan was to wait for the last lap. Then I was hoping to use the slipstream and use the R6's high top speed to pass and then keep them behind me. But when I saw McCoy coming from behind I knew I could not wait anymore. So I had to push and I got into the lead. It was a hard fight on the last lap but I just wanted points in this race. To get 13 points is not what I wanted but it is better than two no-scores in a row. The championship is open, and the season is long." Broc Parkes (DNF - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I had just got into the lead and I was keen to stay there, just racing the clock. The pace was not strong in the first lap so that's why I decided to go out in front. Entering the MG corner on the second lap everything just felt normal, like every other lap, until the front went away from me. Maybe the tyre wasn't quite warm on the right side. I tried to continue but the handlebar was too bent. By the time I got back to the pits the race was over for me." Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) "It looked like a good race was coming for Broc because he had a very good pace in morning warm-up. We talked things through and we knew our riders were strong enough to lead. Maybe Broc just went too early. But that's racing, you can't wait sometimes. Fabien's starts are always a bit cautious, but that is not a big problem for him. He always finds his pace early and can catch up. He had to push hard near the end even though it wasn't the ideal time to do it, so he had to try harder in the braking areas. It is impossible for any rider to defend a lead at this track because of the slipstreaming opportunities. Overall the race package we have is good and when we get it all together things will be fine." Massimo Roccoli (9th - +0'10.594 - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) "After warm-up the bike felt OK but I had to work hard to gain some positions at the front during the race. Vizziello, Nannelli and I had a very similar pace so we ended up racing together. After 15 laps the rear tyre was sliding more and more and it was impossible to push at the same speed as the beginning. These are my first points of the year, so overall I am happy." David Salom (18th - +36.396 seconds - Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) "The start was not so bad but in the second lap I passed a rider under braking but I was too fast and my bike didn't stop. I left the track and ran onto the grass. It was like starting all over again but I had a good pace and passed many riders, until I found myself on my own again. The team did a great job and I hope never to make the same mistake under braking again." Round 2: Phillip Island, Australia Track length: 4445m Fastest Supersport lap: 1:34.592 (Andrew Pitt, Honda) Lap record: 1:34.976 (Sebastien Charpentier, Honda) Last year's winner: Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) Race 1 - 21 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 33'51.257 2, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 0'0.062 3, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 0'0.597 4, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 0'0.780 5, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 0'0.976 6, Garry McCoy, Triumph, AUS, 0'1.228 7, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 0'6.590 8, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 0'10.266 9, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 0'10.594 10, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 0'10.991 11, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 0'16.068 12, Mark Aitchinson, Triumph, AUS, 0'16.245 13, Graeme Gowland, Honda, GBR, 0'16.355 14, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'16.526 15, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 0'17.270 16, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 0'17.480 17, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 0'20.948 18, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 0'36.396 19, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'45.078 20, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'46.640 21, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 0'52.165 22, Arnaud Vincent, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'57.732 23, Danilo Dell'omo, Honda, ITA, 0'57.879 Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'35.429 Rider Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 33 2, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 29 3, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 25 4, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 25 5, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 25 6, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 16 7, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 14 8, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 13 9, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 11 10, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 11 11, Garry McCoy, Triumph, AUS, 10 12, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 10 13, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 9 14, Ivan Clementi, Triumph, ITA, 9 15, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 8 16, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 7 Manufacturer Standings 02/03/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Honda, 45 2, Yamaha, 38 3, Triumph, 14 4, Suzuki, 10 5, Kawasaki, 9