Race 2 promised to have more close racing, as many riders in Race 1 proved they could race near the top (not to mention, many riders in WSBK have contracts up for renewal). With Imola being the home track for the Ducati loyal, a lot of fans we’re waiting to see the red bikes up front.

Many Xerox Ducati fans were also keen to see if Haga could retake the lead in the World Superbike Championship standings with a strong showing at Imola. They would not be disappointed, a full race report after the jump.


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Racing went off without a hitch this Sunday, as the Imola circuit seemed devoid of earlier traction problems that almost sidelined the racing earlier this week. With Imola sitting literally in Ducati’s backyard, all eyes were on the Xerox Ducati squad, and Noriyuki Haga.

Haga, who trails Ben Spies for the first time this season coming into Imola, was especially keen on grabbing back some points from the American. Lastly, a new addition to the WSBK paddock took the form of Marco Simoncelli, who was filling in on the factory Aprilia team for the injured Shinya Nakano. A full race report with spoilers after the jump.

The Italian motorcycles clearly were dialed-in for Imola this weekend, with the Ducati’s showing strong results, as well as the RSV4’s of Biaggi and Simoncelli. So it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see that Race 1 at Imola was dominated by the close racing between the Italian machines, with American Ben Spies trailing and Johnny Rea a brief factor.


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With track conditions at the Imola causing a near mutiny during the practice sessions, there was a panic in the WSBK paddock as to whether racing would occur at the Bologna circuit this weekend. After track officials cleaned the Imola tarmac, it became too slippery to ride upon. Whether due to the mixture of oil and water on the track, or the absence of the usual layers of rubber forming on the race line, the conditions caused riders to refuse to take to the track over safety concerns.

Commenting about the conditions, Ben Spies stated the course was slipperier than full wet conditions. Max Biaggi was also heard saying that the course was too slippery for racing, and that Sunday’s races could not take place on the course under these circumstances. Despite this, WSBK Superpole action still occurred, read on for more.

Scrambling to correct the error, the folks at Imola cleaned the surface again, declared the problem solved, and sent out WSS riders to begin their practice session. With the matter apparently resolved, this weekend’s stop at Imola, Italy could recommence, and it seems fitting that an Italian rider should take the Superpole at the resurgence of this historic Italian track.


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With Xerox Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga losing the World Superbike Championship lead to Yamaha’s Ben Spies at the recent Nürburgring round a lot is riding on the Japanese riders reply if he is to have any real chance of finally claiming a championship after a decade of trying. His chance to do so is at Imola on September 27th and you can ride along in his pit thanks to Ducati offering live streaming video.

Ducati will stream live video from Haga’s pit garage on both the Saturday and Sunday so that fans can participate in the tension of qualifying and Superpole along with the two races themselves. Video will be live between 14:00 and 17:00 local time on the Saturday and from 9:00 to 17:00 on race day.

The streaming will be viewable from Ducati’s official site www.ducati.com and more information is available there.

Source: RoadRacerX

Haga Loses Championship Lead

Noriyuki Haga lost the lead in the World Superbike Championship for the first time this season after scoring 2nd and a DNF at the 2 races at the Nürburgring Sunday in Germany. Haga rode toe to toe in the late stages of the first race with Ben Spies but was unable to pass the American despite a thrilling series of last laps. In the second race Haga was knocked off by ultimate winner Jonathan Rea while leading. Haga now trails Spies by 18 points with 3 round (6 races) to go.


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Noriyuki Haga and his Ducati Xerox squad this afternoon celebrated their first pole of the season at the Nurburgring circuit. Quick in every session so far, the Japanese rider exited for the Superpole with a steely determination, to register the fastest time in each of the three phases. The track temperature was significantly higher (26°C) than it had been in the morning and fortunately for the Superbike riders the all-important Superpole took place in dry conditions. Despite such a long career, this is only the seventh time that Haga has taken the pole and it came at just the right moment, with only four rounds of the championship left to run.

After the physical problems he has suffered over the last two months, this result demonstrates that Nitro-Nori is back in shape and ready to fight for the world title. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio is also on the pace this weekend and, despite an error during his fast lap in the final Superpole session, he nevertheless secured a place on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s races, fourth behind the two Hondas of Rea and Haslam.

The Superbike riders also escaped rain in the morning’s second qualifying session and so lap times dropped considerably with respect to yesterday. Fourth and fifth at the end of play yesterday, the Ducati Xerox men Michel and Noriyuki today made the progress that both had envisaged, qualifying easily for the afternoon Superpole session. Noriyuki was the fastest rider on track while Michel was two tenths of a second behind in third, Yamaha’s Ben Spies closing in second.


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This weekend’s American Superbike, World Superbike and MotoGP racing should offer compelling viewing for every race fan. Mat Madin competes for the last time on a road racer in American Superbike racing whilst battle is resumed in two feuds featuring Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies in the World Superbike Championship and Valentino Rossi and his young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP. Light the blue touch paper and stand well back!


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The Ducati Xerox Team are back from their holidays and now pack their bags for round 11 of the World Superbike Championship, the action taking place this time at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring. Since the last round at Brno, the Superbike circus has taken its traditional summer break, six weeks in length this year, giving the riders a substantial period in which to rest and recuperate in preparation for the final push. Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have enjoyed the time off, Noriyuki returning home to Japan to see family and friends and Michel passing the time at home in Rome.

Both riders, who between them have put the Ducati Xerox Team on the podium in nineteen of the twenty races held so far, are fighting fit and ready for the all important final four rounds of the World Superbike Championship.

Last time out, on the Czech track of Brno more than a month ago, Michel crashed out of Race 1 but climbed onto the podium in the second race, consolidating his third place position in the overall rider classification. Noriyuki, less than 100% fit and riding with fractures to his right ulna and left shoulder blade, knew that it would be hard to fight for podiums and finished the races in eighth and sixth position, taking valuable points that means he maintains his championship lead going into the eleventh round.

The infamous Ring returned to the Superbike calendar in 2008 after an eight year absence. The June appointment saw two wet races, the first restarted and the second cut short due to the adverse weather conditions. On board the factory Yamaha, Noriyuki powered his way to the double win at the Ring last season, also taking the lap record in the process, and the Ducati Xerox squad is hopeful he can do a similar job with his Ducati 1198 this year. Michel’s first experience of the track was last year’s race weekend, and although the Italian rider came away with good points, he will be looking for a big improvement this year, to maintain the performance level that has seen him finish ten of the last twelve races on the podium.


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Pegram Takes the Double, Moves into 3rd in the Series!

Team Foremost Ducati’s Larry Pegram made it a double by taking the win in race 2 of the AMA American Superbike Championship round at Heartland Park, Topeka today catapulting him to 3rd in the series standings.

Ducati North America probably can’t believe it’s luck. Supporting Team Foremost Ducati allowed for a relatively inexpensive pseudo return to factory Ducati racing in the AMA series but the expectations can’t have been too high. They obviously weren’t counting on Larry Pegram, who broke his decade long drought of Superbike wins by standing on top of the dais at Road America and then has followed that up with double victories this weekend to move into 3rd in the standings for the inaugural, AMA American Superbike Championship.


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Larry Wins Again on the Foremost Ducati 1098R!

After setting pole on Friday, Team Foremost Ducati owner and racer, Larry Pegram, took his Ducati 1098R to a flag to flag victory during Race 1 of the AMA American Superbike Championship round at Heartland Park, Topeka yesterday.

At the flag, Larry was 2.1 seconds ahead of Ben Bostrum’s Yamaha R1, whilst Suzuki’s Blake Young took the final podium spot.

«For me, it’s validation. At Road America, we beat maybe the best guy out there in a straight-up fight. To do it again and win here in Kansas, it proves to me we can win and it certainly feels great to do it. I always knew at the bottom of my heart I could win races if I could get on a bike capable and this Ducati 1098R certainly is capable. It’s been a great machine since the day we picked them up at the dealership and began building them into race bikes. To win here at a track where there’s more than just a fast straight is good, too. The entire team is really happy with this win.»

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