Haga Double Opens Up Title Race

Added on Monday, June 16th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Haga declared winner after rain-hit second race.

The Japanese rider defied the pain of a broken collar bone two weeks earlier

Noriyuki Haga secured a thrilling double victory at the Nurburgring to further close the gap on championship leader Troy Bayliss.

The Japanese rider defied the pain of a broken collar bone two weeks earlier to take maximum points in Germany to leave Bayliss with just a 39-point lead at the top of the championship and elave just 16 points separating second and fourth.

After race leader Bayliss ran wide on race one, Haga capitalised to take the lead and build a two-second lead before taking the chequered flag.

Bayliss made two further mistakes on lap five of race two which allowed Haga and Yamaha teammate Troy Corser to battle for the lead in torrential rain.

A thrilling contest between the two team-mates was brought to a premature end by the red flags however as conditions worsened.

Corser was leading the second race but with the count-back rule the race was deemed finished after lap 15, where Haga was ahead of the Australian.

German rider Max Neukirchner continued to impress on his home circuit by taking superpole in qualifying on Saturday and followed that performance up with two third place finishes for Suzuki.

Race one results:

1 Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, 39:19.427
2 Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -2.025
3 Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, -2.792.
4 Troy Corser, Yamaha, -5.458
5 Carlos Checa, Honda, -10.225
6 Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -10.462
7 Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, -17.018
8 Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, -20.520
9 Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, -21.162
10 Karl Muggeridge, Honda, -22.650.

Race two results:

1 Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, 27:26.594
2 Troy Corser, Yamaha, -0.150.
3 Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, -5.316
4 Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -7.651
5 Carlos Checa, Honda, -7.951
6 Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, -9.027
7 Max Biaggi, Ducati, -9.420
8 Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -9.916
9 Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, -12.862
10 Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, -13.559.

Rider standings (after 7 of 14 rounds):

1 Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 227 points
2 Carlos Checa, Honda, 188
3 Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, 176
4 Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, 172
5 Troy Corser, Yamaha, 154
6 Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, 141
7 Ruben Xaus, Ducati, 110
8 Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, 106
9 Max Biaggi, Ducati, 97
10 Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 89.

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