The 2008 HANNspree World Superbike Championship continued with the third round at Valencia today, where Lorenzo Lanzi and Noriyuki Haga clinched a win apiece in the two 23-lap races. The eventual first race saw many of the series frontrunners struggling to get to grips with the Spanish track. Tyres and set-up caused problems for several riders Yukio Kagayama, Haga and Michel Fabrizio all failed to complete race distance.
Pole starter Max Neukirchner was also unable to finish the first leg, after an incident with HANNspree Ten Kate Honda‚s Carlos Checa on the final lap sent both riders into the gravel. Although Checa was able to rejoin the pack and ride to a valiant fifth place finish, Neukirchner was unable to get his Suzuki restarted.
After his first race crash, Neukirchner was forced to sit out of race two, and unusually, circuit officials took the decision to move all 27-rider grid positions up one place. The reordered front row line-up resulted in Kagayama moving into pole position and first race victor Lanzi moving up into fourth.
Another tense race saw the frontrunners battling for supremacy with Spaniard Checa desperate to clinch a podium on home soil. Despite some technical problems at half-race distance, the 36-year-old‚s wish came true when he powered his HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade onto the third step of the podium behind Australian Troy Bayliss and winner Haga.
After retiring from race one after 14 laps, Checa‚s team-mate double British Superbike Champion and World Superbike newcomer Ryuichi Kiyonari powered to a fourth place finish in the second race. The 25-year-old HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider rode consistently well during the 23-lap event to score his best finish of the season so far, and narrowly miss out on a maiden podium place.
Meanwhile, other HANNspree-supported riders Roberto Rolfo and Kenan Sofuoglu had a frustrating third round. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda‚s Sofuolgu could only manage 12th and 15th place finishes while HANNspree Honda Althea's Rolfo finished tenth and 17th. Bayliss continues to lead the series standings with 128 points overall.
Race One Tesult:
1. L. Lanzi
2. T. Bayliss
3. T. Corser
4. F. Nieto
5. C. Checa6. K. Muggeridge
7. G. Lavilla
8. R. Laconi
9. M. Tamada
10. R. Rolfo12. K. SofuogluDNF. R Kiyonari
Race Two Result:1. N. Haga
2. T. Bayliss
3. C. Checa4. R. Kiyonari5. T. Corser
6. Y. Kagayama
7. R. Xaus
8. M. Biaggi
9. R. Laconi
10. F. Nieto
15. K. Sofuoglu17. R. Rolfo
Standings After Two Rounds:
1. T. Bayliss 128
2. F. Nieto 80
3. T. Corser 72
4. C. Checa 725. R. Xaus 68
6. N. Haga 47
7. M. Biaggi 44
8. L. Lanzi 42
9. M. Neukirchner 39
10. M. Fabrizio 37
12. R. Kiyonari 3013. K. Sofuoglu 22
16. R. Rolfo 18
