Noriyuki Haga took a double victory yesterday at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa on board his Ducati Xerox with team mate Michel Fabrizio taking second place twice.
Ben Spies took third in the first race, while in the second, the Texan had to pull out at the third lap after a gear shift problem stopped his race.
Jonathan Rea came in fourth in Race 1, managing to keep Max Biagg’s ultra fast Aprila RSV4 behind him and in Race 2 took third place on the podium alongside the Ducati duo.
The Roman Emperor came in fifth also in Race 2 after battling it out with Leon Haslam who managed to keep the Italian behind him.
Haslam crashed out in Race 1.
Hannspree rider took two sixth places while Shinya Nakano, finally back in health after his operation, took two seventh places.
Yukio Kagayama also took two double eigtht places.
After the jump, rider quotes and race results:Noriyuki Haga – Ducati Xerox (1st – 1st): “In the first race, having had some suspension problems during Friday and Saturday, I have to say I didn’t expect to be able to keep pace with Michel and Ben.
But I made a good start and tried to stick with Michel and then when he appeared to have a small problem, I made my move.
My arm was not a problem at all during the racing.
I must say I was very glad to see there are less birds here at Kyalami than at Monza! In Race 2 we made a small change to the setting of my bike and I felt more comfortable on it but I knew that Michel was close behind me and in the last laps my braking was suffering, so I had to hold on and am very happy to take another 50 points away with me today and again increase my advantage in the standings.
” Michel Fabrizio – Ducati Xerox (2nd – 2nd): “Race 1 turned into a great battle between myself and Ben, it’s just a pity that the battle was for second and not first place.
Once Nori got past us, he started to build a small gap and was going faster than me in the first split, which meant I couldn’t catch him again.
Then maybe I made a mistake telling Nori that I was going strong in the third split because in Race 2 that’s where he really pushed hard and although I was giving it my all right until the end, it was Nori who took the win in the end but we had fun battling it out together.
I’ve moved into second place with today’s results though so this leaves me extremely satisfied and I look forward to the next race in Salt Lake.
” Ben Spies – Yamaha World Superbike Team (3rd -DNF):“We were struggling to hang in there in race one, it was a good race for all three of us up at the front.
When I passed Michel I tried to reel in Nori and then unfortunately made a mistake.
I was really strong in parts of the track but giving up too much time in some corners and couldn’t get in there.
The second race was very unfortunate, I was feeling good and had secured an early lead, then obviously had the technical problem and had to retire, I’m really disappointed about it.
I’m looking forward to going home to the USA for the next round and seeing if we can make it up.
” Jonathan Rea – Hannspree Honda Ten Kate (4th, 3rd):“This feels really good and I was hoping it might have come sooner but we had a pretty slow start to the season.
In fact, you could say the season started three rounds before we did.
But the development is going really well now and I’d like to thank the whole team for working so hard to move things in the right direction.
I’d also like to apologise to all their wives for the late nights they’ve been putting in at the workshop.
The crew were giving me great signals through the second race and I knew I was coming under a bit of pressure.
I actually knocked the pace off a bit to keep Haslam and Biaggi behind me so that I had a bit in reserve in the last few laps.
It’s a great feeling and the first of many, I hope.
”Leon Haslam – Stiggy Honda Racing (DNF, 4th):” It was a bit of a gamble to go out on my second bike today after crashing my number one bike in the first race.
My first race was really strange, I don’t know whether is was a dodgy front tyre, but from the first lap in the first race I kept losing the front, resulting in a crash.
The second bike has a totally different gearbox and suspension set-up to the other bike, but it worked straight away.
I was a lot happier now that I could battle with the front group, but for whatever reason there was nothing left in my rear tyre, it felt like a piece of jelly towards the end of the race, and I couldn’t fight with Johnny [Rea] for third.
I’m glad I managed to hold on till the end on that tyre, and bring the bike back home safely in fourth place “.
Max Biaggi – Aprilia Racing (5th, 5th):“These two fifth positions are the most we could have gotten.
The result is good enough, but we suffered quite a bit with the vibrations in the turns and coming out of them we didn’t have a lot of gripand that forced us to use softer tyres.
Compared to November, the RSV4 has grown quite a bit, but the competition here in Superbike is merciless”.
Carlos Checa – Hannspree Honda Ten Kate (6th, 6th) :It’s not easy seeing your team-mates getting this success – Kiyo in Monza last week and Jonathan today.
But I must say that this is probably the most positive weekend we have had this season.
We’re now a bit closer to something we can work with to move in the right direction, which is back to the front.
It’s good timing for Miller in the US where we go next and I have some good memories of winning there last year.
Today’s results are, of course, really positive for the team and congratulations to Johnny who rode very well today.
Shinya Nakano – Aprilia Racing (7th, 7th):“I did much better in the last two rounds where I had somebad trials and inconsistent races.
This time it went much better, even if Istill need to improve my feeling with the bike in the first five laps whereI lose quite a lot.
Anyway, I’m happy to have come back up front and I hopeto improve even more in the race in the USA.
”Yukio Kagayama – Team Alstare Suzuki Brux (8th, 8th)“This weekend, I had trouble with the bumps at this racetrack and we were not able to find a good solution to make the bike easier to ride over these bumps.
We tried many things, but it is not so easy to understand the character of this bike and I would like more testing time.
This bike is all new this year and so we have had to start to work with it and try and understand it.
If we could understand the bike completely, we could improve it quickly and that would mean that I could challenge for the podium in every race.
I am hoping that Miller will be good for us and I am looking forward to fighting for the top spots again.
”Shane Byrne – Sterilgarda BRC Racing (9th, DNF): “I’m satisified with race 1 although my performance was influenced by a problem I had with the back tyre that was chattering.
It was completely destroyed at the end of the race!!! I did however score a good result that I could’ ve replicated in race 2.
Unfortunately, another problem forced me to get back to the pits”.
Tom Sykes – Yamaha World Superbike Team (10th, 9th ):“I got away badly in the first race and initially dropped down to sixteenth which was a shame as I felt I could have been more consistent.
The second race I got away ok from the start and was closing in on Checa and a couple of the boys, but the last five laps or so I was really struggling.
If we could have found a bit more grip it would have been better.
We struggled on the power this weekend as well which was tough on this circuit.
I’m looking forward to getting to Miller as I think the track will suit the R1 really well, and I want to close the gap and get up into fourth place as I think it’s possible.
” Broc Parkes – Kawasaki Racing Team (13th, 11th)“My body has had enough.
I knew it would be tough here but I also struggled all weekend with set-up.
I think a lot of my problems have come down to fitness because of my crash in testing and a recent operation on my shoulder.
I have a few more problems that way than I thought I would.
We had a better second race, but it was a little bit like Monza, my body is still not ready.
I have short break before the next round at Miller and I think that is going to do me the world of good.
I tried my best but I just didn’t have the strength at the end.
Even at the start I could not put my body on the line like I want to.
To come out of here with points is not a bad effort, I think.
”Ryuichi Kiyonari – Hannspree Honda Ten Kate (12th, 13th): It’s been a difficult day and a difficult weekend.
We changed the tyre for race two but really we knew that this was not the problem.
Kyalami is a very difficult circuit for me – very bumpy and it needs a completely different riding style to Monza last week.
I guess I didn’t quite find the right style.
We had a lot of problems so it’s difficult for me to know which one we should really concentrate on.
I can only hope Miller will be better for me – it was not so good last year, but we will try hard again and hope for better things.
Sheridan Morais – Kawasaki Racing Team (13th, 11th): “That was a race! The first one I was fighting but went backwards.
Such small changes on these World Superbikes obviously make a crucial difference.
We made like a tiny adjustment to the bike for race two and it was a different bike to ride.
So I could really race.
I missed a top ten by one place but I absolutely rode my heart out.
The team did a fantastic job and I am pretty happy.
”Fonsi Nieto –Team Alstare Suzuki Brux (16th, 15th):“I am happy to be here, but I am not happy about the results.
The team have been great and it’s as if I have never been away.
The bike is new to me and so is the track, but I don’t like this track because of all the bumps.
This bike is not working so well with the tyres we have and if we could improve in that area, we would be able to fight for better results for sure.
Now I have some time to think about the bike and talk to the team about some ideas for the next race in USA.
At least I have raced at that track before, so I will not be starting with such a big disadvantage as this weekend.
”Tommy Hill – Honda Althea Racing (19th, 17th):“We start out OK at the beginning of weekends, even on the tracks that are all new for me, and we are around 14, 15th.
But then we don’t make any progress.
In race two my grip went after about ten laps and it was very difficult from then on.
I am doing all I can to move forward but we don’t seem to resolve the problems.
”Steve Martin – BMW Motorrad Motorsport (22nd, 18th):“It has been a great honour to be on the S 1000 RR this weekend.
I never expected to race at the top level in WSBK again but I am very grateful to get the chance.
My job this weekend was not to be Troy (Corser), but to try things the team do not normally get the chance to try during a race weekend and give us much info and feedback as possible.
The team gave me 100% this weekend and helped me really enjoy the whole experience.
Of course, I am not happy with the results, but I’m happy to be on the track in a WSBK race and happy to help the team.
”David Salom – Team Pedercini (20th, 16th):“I’m really disappointed because of my bad start in race one.
Starting from the first few laps I pushed very hard and I found a fast pace, but I was able to overtake only a few riders and I ended in twentieth position.
My second start was pretty good but I suffered some front brake problems during the first laps.
Fortunately the bike was working well, the engine was running perfectly and I reached the sixteenth place.
Of course I’m not satisfied for these results but my bike is improving every race and I I’m confident for the next races.
I want to thank my crew who has done such a wonderful job this weekend”.
Luca Scassa – Team Pedercini (17th, DNF):“My start in race one was not so good because my bike’s launch control was not working properly and I ended the first lap in last position.
I pushed very hard and I gave it everything I had but I reached only the seventeenth place.
For race two we changed something on the bike setting but it was not a good solution.
After a quick start I found a fast race pace and I was trying to pass Parkes, but I crashed and I was not able to restart.
All things considered I’m happy with my first race result” and I want to thanks to the guys in the team who have done a great job here in Kyalami.
Now I’m eager to race in Salt Lake City”.
Ruben Xaus – BMW Motorrad Motorsport (DNF, DNF):“There’s not much to say when you have only done three laps in two races and I am disappointed for myself and the whole team because we had the potential to get goods results today.
I am a bit angry because I know I did a good job this weekend and it’s not good getting nothing back.
In race one I think I was nudged off by Smrz and I have got a funny feeling that he was also involved in the race two crash as well.
In that race, I was just going into the last turn and suddenly my bike shot out from under me.
I am not sure exactly what happened, but it was crash number two and a big shame because the bike is improving and I’m sure I could’ve got a couple of top ten finishes.
”Race 1 Results:1 Haga N.
(JPN) Ducati 1098R 39′47.
4362 Fabrizio M.
(ITA) Ducati 1098R 0.
9503 Spies B.
(USA) Yamaha YZF R1 3.
3914 Rea J.
(GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 8.
9145 Biaggi M.
(ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 9.
0196 Checa C.
(ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 14.
8127 Nakano S.
(JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 14.
9718 Kagayama Y.
(JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 15.
7239 Byrne S.
(GBR) Ducati 1098R 21.
52910 Sykes T.
(GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 21.
79511 Lavilla G.
(ESP) Ducati 1098R 29.
87212 Kiyonari R.
(JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 34.
21613 Morais S.
(RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 34.
27514 Smrz J.
(CZE) Ducati 1098R 38.
28015 Parkes B.
(AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 40.
88516 Nieto F.
(ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 44.
84117 Scassa L.
(ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 49.
07518 Muggeridge K.
(AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 49.
70219 Hill T.
(GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 50.
06520 Salom D.
(ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 50.
39121 Whyte S.
(RSA) Yamaha YZF R122 Martin S.
(AUS) BMW S1000 RRRET Haslam L.
(GBR) Honda CBR1000RRRET Xaus R.
(ESP) BMW S1000 RR Race 2 Results:1 Noriyuki Haga 2439′45.
0272 Michel Fabrizio 2439′45.
3493 Jonathan Rea 2439′53.
9634 Leon Haslam 2439′55.
5885 Max Biaggi 2439′55.
7946 Carlos Checa 2439′57.
4407 Shinya Nakano 2439′57.
6438 Yukio Kagayama 2439′59.
9059 Tom Sykes 2440′01.
25210 Jakub Smrz 2440′03.
22411 Sheridan Morais 2440′05.
65612 Gregorio Lavilla 2440′09.
34713 Ryuichi Kiyonari 2440′09.
59114 Broc Parkes 2440′23.
77415 Fonsi Nieto 2440′35.
07216 David Salom 2440′43.
02617 Tommy Hill 2440′51.
00018 Steve Martin 2441′13.
71219 Shaun Whyte 2339′49.
082RT Luca Scassa 1423′56.
709RT Shane Byrne 711′46.
526RT Ben Spies 23′22.
812RT Ruben Xaus 23′51.
969RT Karl Muggeridge 11′47.
521