Haga and Corser steal the show as Yamaha dominate in Germany

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." Race 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 39'19.427 2, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 0'2.025 3, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'2.792 4, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'5.458 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'10.225 6, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'10.462 7, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'17.018 8, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'20.520 9, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'21.162 10, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'22.650 11, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 0'22.845 12, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'25.555 13, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 0'25.879 14, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'26.288 15, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'32.824 16, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'42.157 17, Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'42.486 18, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'52.232 19, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'52.387 20, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Kawasaki, ITA, 1'0.099 Race 2 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 27'26.594 2, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 0'0.150 3, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'5.316 4, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 0'7.651 5, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 0'7.951 6, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 0'9.027 7, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 0'9.420 8, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'9.916 9, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 0'12.862 10, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'13.559 11, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 0'13.960 12, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'16.172 13, Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'17.946 14, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 0'22.815 15, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'23.758 16, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 0'24.127 17, Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 0'24.421 18, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 0'25.356 19, Russel Holland, Honda, AUS, 0'25.729 20, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'28.846 21, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 0'33.107 22, Loic Napoleone, Yamaha, FRA, 0'54.255 23, Jason Pridmore, Honda, USA, 1'4.877 24, Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, -1 Laps Best Lap Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 1'56.892 Rider Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 227 2, Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 188 3, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 176 4, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 172 5, Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 154 6, Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 141 7, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 110 8, Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 106 9, Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 97 10, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, JPN, 89 11, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 73 12, Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 65 13, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 60 14, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 59 15, Jakub Smrz, Ducati, CZE, 56 20, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 16 23, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 7 24, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 6 Manufacturer Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Ducati, 282 2, Yamaha, 251 3, Suzuki, 223 4, Honda, 207 5, Kawasaki, 64 ---------- RACE REPORT - 15/06/2008 Parkes on the podium after class leading ride Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Broc Parkes came within a few laps of winning the twice delayed and once restarted WSS race at the Nürburgring in Germany, as the Australian rider led for 15 of the 19 laps, running a pace none could match for long periods. He was forced to slow in the final few minutes of the race, and went from a win to a third place finish as a result. His team-mate Fabien Foret, who had started tenth on the grid, ran out a comfortable fourth after a fight with Craig Jones, having lost contact with the leading group in the early laps. In the championship standings the German race weekend has brought all the top contenders for the crown within a few points of each other. Foret is second behind race winner Andrew Pitt, only four points adrift, while Parkes is now equal fourth, only seven points from Pitt. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) crashed at post five on lap 16 and David De Gea (Yamaha Spain World Supersport) could not make the race restart as he was hurt in the first corner crash that caused the main delay to the start of the race. De Gea has re-broken his lower leg in the same place as recently and will undergo surgery as soon as possible. Jeremy Crowe (Yamaha Spain) scored a point as a stand-in for regular rider David Salom, in 15th place. Broc Parkes (3rd - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "I set a very good pace through the race and I felt I could have had something in reserve at the end but we had two starts on the clutch today and it just started to give a bit in the end and I couldn't get come of the corners as strongly. I was happy to finish and settle for third and the points that go with it." Fabien Foret (4th - Yamaha World Supersport Team) "My start was just OK and I did my best to push in the race. I think I lost a bit of feeling on Saturday after my fall and this weekend maybe fourth was the best I could do. If I had a better start them maybe I could have been with the guys at the front, but I am not sure. The weekend could have been better but it really could have been worse. The championship is very close and good for the spectators. I don't mind the pressure now we are all so close." Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) "We are of course a little disappointed to be leading the race and then having to finish third with Broc, but there were some technical problems on the last few laps and he couldn't ride then as he wanted to do. The speed was there but he lost some feel going into the corners and on the exit, so he couldn't keep up the pace for the last few laps. We were third and fourth, so it was a good team performance. I'm disappointed not to win here but the championship is so close now it is almost like starting the season again. We didn't win the race but we didn't really lose anything either." Massimo Roccoli (DNF -Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) "The bike felt better today compared to the first two days of qualifying and I was able to lap well. I was making up ground to the riders in front but I just pushed my luck a little too far trying to catch some of them." Race 1 - 19 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 38'26.584 2, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 0'387.000 3, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 0'1.379 4, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 0'10.279 5, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 0'11.624 6, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 0'19.211 7, Didier Van Keymeulen, Suzuki, BEL, 0'28.775 8, Arne Tode, Triumph, GER, 0'28.890 9, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 0'28.990 10, Vesa Kallio, Honda, FIN, 0'37.853 11, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Kawasaki, JPN, 0'43.101 12, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 0'51.843 13, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 0'54.459 14, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 0'54.653 15, Jeremy Crowe, Yamaha, AUS, 0'54.705 16, Balazs Nemeth, Honda, HUN, 0'54.818 17, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 0'58.623 18, William De Angelis, Honda, ITA, 1'3.132 19, Graeme Gowland, Honda, GBR, 1'8.323 20, Danilo Dell'omo, Honda, ITA, 1'8.443 21, Attila Magda, Honda, HUN, 1'25.250 Rider Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Andrew Pitt, Honda, AUS, 88 2, Fabien Foret, Yamaha, FRA, 84 3, Joshua Brookes, Honda, AUS, 83 4, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 81 5, Joan Lascorz, Honda, ESP, 81 6, Craig Jones, Honda, GBR, 60 7, Jonathan Rea, Honda, GBR, 51 8, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 39 9, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 28 10, Gianluca Vizziello, Honda, ITA, 28 11, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 27 12, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 25 13, Gianluca Nannelli, Honda, ITA, 20 14, Mark Aitchison, Triumph, AUS, 20 15, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 19 23, David Salom, Yamaha, ESP, 8 Manufacturer Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Honda, 140 2, Yamaha, 112 3, Triumph, 38 4, Kawasaki, 31 5, Suzuki, 28 ---------- RACE REPORT - 15/06/2008 Pirro The Top Yamaha finisher Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni) was unable to get with the leading group at the Nürburgring today and therefore had to settle for fourth place, in the fourth round of the 2008 season. He now sits fifth overall in the standings, the top YZF-R1 rider in the rankings. Claudio Corti Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team) struggled to get into contention this weekend and finished the race a battling sixth, ten seconds from the win. Sylvain Barrier was one of three riders off in a crash on the approach to the first hairpin on lap one, and no-scored. The next round takes place at Misano, in two weeks' time. Superstock 600 European Championship Loris Baz continues to bring the points home after a brilliant ride at the Nurburgring. Baz scored another podium, finishing the race in second place. He stays ahead in the championship with 81 points, leading second place Vostarek on 60 points. Race 1 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Brendan Roberts, Ducati, AUS, 22'17.805 2, Davide Giugliano, Suzuki, ITA, 0'0.307 3, Xavier Simeon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'0.444 4, Michele Pirro, Yamaha, ITA, 0'8.763 5, Matej Smrz, Honda, CZE, 0'9.786 6, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 0'10.713 7, Maxime Berger, Honda, FRA, 0'13.766 8, Freddy Foray, Yamaha, FRA, 0'18.348 9, Michele Magnoni, Yamaha, ITA, 0'19.419 10, Yoann Tiberio, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'22.772 11, Chris Seaton, Suzuki, AUS, 0'23.827 12, Barry Burrell, Honda, GBR, 0'23.962 13, Andrea Antonelli, Honda, ITA, 0'25.179 14, Gareth Jones, Suzuki, AUS, 0'25.778 15, Michael Savary, Suzuki, CHE, 0'25.924 16, Alessandro Polita, Ducati, ITA, 0'27.910 17, Kenny Foray, Yamaha, FRA, 0'29.311 18, Matteo Baiocco, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'31.642 19, Filip Backlund, Suzuki, SWE, 0'33.424 20, Aldo Aldrovandi, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'34.341 21, Gregory Junod, Yamaha, CHE, 0'42.169 22, Oliver Skach, Suzuki, GER, 0'44.654 23, Matt Bond, Suzuki, GBR, 0'44.894 24, Denis Sacchetti, MV Agusta, ITA, 0'45.219 25, Domenico Colucci, Ducati, ITA, 0'45.379 26, Marko Jerman, Yamaha, SVK, 0'47.406 27, Michal Drobny, Honda, CZE, 0'47.573 28, Roy Ten Napel, Suzuki, NED, 0'48.312 29, Tommaso Lorenzetti, Suzuki, ITA, 0'50.950 30, Danny De Boer, Suzuki, NED, 0'51.219 31, Cameron Stronach, Kawasaki, AUS, 0'52.173 32, Brank Srdanov, Yamaha, NED, 0'57.482 33, Rene Mahr, Yamaha, GER, 1'16.859 34, Jure Stibilj, Honda, SVN, 1'33.598 Rider Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Xavier Simeon, Suzuki, BEL, 73 2, Brendan Roberts, Ducati, AUS, 63 3, Davide Giugliano, Suzuki, ITA, 48 4, Maxime Berger, Honda, FRA, 43 5, Michele Pirro, Yamaha, ITA, 43 6, Alessandro Polita, Ducati, ITA, 42 7, Matej Smrz, Honda, CZE, 40 8, Michele Magnoni, Yamaha, ITA, 24 9, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 21 10, Freddy Foray, Yamaha, FRA, 21 11, Andrea Antonelli, Honda, ITA, 18 12, Kenny Foray, Yamaha, FRA, 18 13, Fabrizio Perotti, Suzuki, ITA, 15 14, Chris Seaton, Suzuki, AUS, 13 15, Barry Burrell, Honda, GBR, 11 27, Sylvain Barrier, Yamaha, FRA, 2 Manufacturer Standings 15/06/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Suzuki, 81 2, Ducati, 79 3, Honda, 65 4, Yamaha, 55 5, Kawasaki, 16