Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi ended the year a with a podium and finished his rookie year in the Superbike World Championship in third place. In race one, he fought his way up to sixth place after ending the first lap fifteenth after luckily avoiding a first corner incident involving Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) and James Toseland (Honda). In race two, he took a superb runner-up spot after a tremendous battle with Troy Corser (Yamaha).
Max Neukirchner, deputising for the injured Yukio Kagayama, was on course for a podium in race one, until he was forced wide after tangling with Troy Bayliss (Ducati). He recovered to take fourth position. In race two, he was beginning his charge up the field, but crashed out on the sixth lap. Both races today were won by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), but James Toseland held on to take the title by just two points!
Max Biaggi:
It has been a bit of a strange day all round. In race one, I was lucky not to get caught up in Lanzis crash, but I lost a lot of places avoiding the mess and was only 15th at the end of the first lap. I fought as hard as I could, but it was impossible to catch the leaders. I was very disappointed with my sixth place, because I knew it should have been much better. Race two was a hard race, but at least I was fighting with the leaders. Troy (Corser) and I had a great fight, and touched a couple of times, but that is normal Superbike racing. I have liked my Superbike experience and it has been good to race against many strong riders.
Max Neukirchner:My debut with this team has generally been very good indeed. I have enjoyed riding this bike and today - well the first race anyway - was great fun. If Bayliss had not forced me wide its possible that I couldve made a podium. But racing is like that sometimes. I was pushing hard in race two, but lost the front at one of the left-handers and crashed. It was a disappointing end to what has been a great weekend for me.
Results Race 1:1 Haga (J-Yamaha),
2 Bayliss (AUS-Ducati),
3 Corser (AUS-Yamaha),
4 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
5 Nieto (E-Kawasaki),
6 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
7 Toseland (GB-Honda),
8 Xaus (E-Ducati),
9 Laconi (F-Kawasaki),
10 Rolfo (I-Honda
)
Results Race 2:1 Haga (J-Yamaha),
2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
3 Nieto (E-Kawasaki),
4 Corser (AUS-Yamaha),
5 Bayliss (AUS-Ducati),
6 Toseland (GB-Honda)
7 Rolfo (I-Honda),
8 Laconi (F-Kawasaki)
9 Fabrizio (I-Honda),
10 Xaus (E-Ducati
Circuit: 4.411 kms
Crowd: 75,000 (3-day)
Conditions: Overcast at first, sunny later.
Championship Points: 1 Toseland (GB-Honda) 415,
2 Haga (J-Yamaha) 413,
3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki corona Extra) 397,
4 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 372,
5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 296,
6 Xaus (E-Ducati) 201,
9 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 149,
13 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 116,
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