WSB : Double podium sees Haga move up
Round: 9 - Netherlands
Circuit: Assen
Date: 4 September 2005
Crowd: 80000
Temp: 23ºC
Weather: Sunny

Noriyuki Haga moved up to fourth place in the 2005 Superbike World Championship with two podium finishes at Assen today.

The Japanese rider finished third and second in the day's two thrilling 16 lap races at the classic Dutch circuit, duelling it out for second place behind world champion James Toseland (Ducati) in the opener and race one winner Chris Vermeulen (Honda) in the second.

Race one proved to be an easy win for Vermeulen, but the crowd was thrilled by the battle behind. Toseland and Haga traded places throughout, with the young Englishman pulling away to take second in the closing laps.

The second outing proved equally as thrilling with Haga and Vermeulen battling for the lead, this time the Aussie getting to the line less than a tenth of a second ahead of the Yamaha man.

Race two marked Haga's 150th in the class and his 100th racing Yamaha equipment. Following the race, the popular Japanese was reunited with the YZF750 and YZF-R7 machines he rode with such success as Yamaha Motor Italia's racing manager Claudio Consonni raised a champagne toast to the brand's most successful world superbike racer.

Haga's Yamaha Motor Italia team-mate Andrew Pitt had his best collective pair of races of the season, taking home 22 points for a brace of fifth places. The Australian rode strongly throughout, battling with the leading trio and championship leader Troy Corser (Suzuki) in both races, before succumbing to tyre chatter and ending settling for his welcome fifths.

Yamaha Motor France pairing Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert had differing fortunes, although both left the Netherlands each with seven more points to their name. Abe retired from the opener but came back to take ninth in race two. Gimbert had his best outing since round three in the Valencia with 12th in race one and 13th in the second.

Haga's 36 point haul moves him up to fourth place in the title race, ahead of countryman Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and just nine points behind third placed Regis Laconi (Ducati), who was absent through injury. Pitt remains in ninth place in the standings, albeit with a reduced gap to eighth. The Australian is just 11 points shy of Pierfrancesco Chili (Honda), with Abe slipping back to 11th. Corser continues to lead the standings, with an 86 point advantage over second placed Vermeulen.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"We made great races with James and Chris. I was a little bit disappointed with the final result of both races because if I had lasted one more lap I would have tried something more to push. It was hot and sweat was already affecting my eyes after three laps. In the last two or three laps I felt like I was going to give up but I didn't and the result I know is not so bad."

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"It's getting better. We are starting to fight with them now but we've just got to get on that podium! We used the regular engine spec, because we know where the position of the bike has to be now and when you've got the confidence to just grab the brakes and fire it into corners it really helps. At this moment I don't want to change too much on the machine."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"In the first race we had a broken engine so we had to change the motors. But I think that the clutch on that engine was already no good. So I could not make a good start. In the race it was very difficult to shift down - so we had some bad luck. Knowing Assen from MotoGP helps a little but when the bike is completely different from the one before, it makes the whole experience very different."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"A good race for me and for my team. I had a little difficulty with the set-up, the balance of the motorcycle, but it was not so bad. The leg is still causing me a little problem but it should be a lot better for next week."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia) "In Brno we said, 'ok, maybe we are lucky,' but to win also in Brands Hatch and be so close to the wins here means we are close to the best. Noriyuki used the new engine, so we were a little bit worried, took a big risk, but in the race it was ok. I am happy for both our riders because Andrew made a good race today, close to Troy Corser and was always trying to overtake him."

Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France) "We lost Abe from the first race because of a stone holing the radiator, so the engine boiled. He did not see the increasing engine temperature, unfortunately. We put in the spare engine and the clutch was too hard, so he lost the start - that's why he stayed in ninth position. Sebastien seems better, took some points and moved up a position. The main thing is that his confidence is coming back."

Kevin Curtain rode a strong and determined race to cut through the pack to take fourth place at round nine of the Supersport World Championship in Assen.

The veteran Australian made a poor start but charged through to join the six rider battle for the lead. The Yamaha R6 rider was able to drop Katsuaki Fujiwara (Honda) in the closing stages, but despite some determined moves he was unable to dislodge Michel Fabrizio (Honda) from the final podium spot, missing out by just two tenths of a second at the flag.

Yamaha Motor Germany team-mate Broc Parkes rode a lonely race to seventh place. Starting on the third row, the 23-year-old was able to make up several places in the opening laps before settling into a rhythm in seventh. Parkes ended the day six seconds behind sixth placed Robbin Harms (Honda) but nine in front of former champion Stephane Chambon (Honda) in eighth.

The race was won by Fabien Foret (Honda), with fellow Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) taking second place to claim the title. Charpentier's team-mate Fujiwara ended today's race in fifth, reducing his advantage to just five points over Curtain in the battle for vice-champion. Parkes' seventh place sees him retain that position in the championship.

Kevin Curtain
"I got a terrible start and rode as hard as I could but it was tough because the Hondas just have that edge on us coming out of the corners. Our bike is really strong at the top end but always they were making a little bit on us out of the turn, which meant I was having to ride so hard. I did well to be into the leading group and rode as good as I could today. We've closed the gap to Fujiwara though and I'm targeting second in the championship now."

Broc Parkes
"A tough and lonely race today. I made up a few places in the opening laps but from then on I was riding around on my own in seventh place. I thought I might be able to catch the guys in front but they were just a bit too far ahead and I had to settle into my own race. The Honda guys seemed to have it a bit easier around here today but at least I've only got a week before the next race."

Turkish ace Kenan Sofuoglu extended his lead in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup after finishing third in a dramatic round seven in Assen today.

The Yamaha Motor Germany star grabbed the hole shot from his pole position and held off early pressure from championship rival Craig Coxhell (Suzuki) and his Yamaha Motor Germany team-mate Didier van Keymeulen.

Sofuoglu made a small gap after six laps but was unable to shake of his rivals. Despite the closeness of the battle, the R1 rider looked set for a lights to flag victory until Coxhell made a pass on the final lap.

Sofuoglu continued to pressure the Australian, who dramatically crashed going into the final chicane. The Turkish rider had no where to go but straight into the stricken Suzuki, but remarkably was able to remain on board his machine to finish on the podium - despite running across the grass at the final chicane.

Italian Alessandro Polita found himself the fortuitous winner, with Van Keymeulen able to sneak through into second. The Belgian had made a good start from the second row to hold third in the opening laps, although he was to slip back from the battle for the lead.

Fellow R1 rider Massimo Roccoli ended the day in fourth, taking him back to second in the championship. The young Italian, riding for the Lorenzini by Leoni squad, was with the leaders for the opening laps, but slipped back the leaders, benefiting when fellow Italian Yamaha rider Luca Scassa and then Coxhell crashed out late in the race.

Sofuoglu now has a 24 point advantage over Roccoli with three races remaining. Van Keymeulen makes it three R1s in the top three, 25 behind his team-mate. Coxhell, who remounted to finish 11th, remains in contention with 98 points, 29 behind Sofuoglu.

Didier van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany) "Luck is on my side today. I made a good start but struggled a bit with my drive from the exit of the corner. I was as fast as anyone through the corners though and I could still see the three guys battling hard in front of me, so I kept telling myself to push hard as you never know what can happen. In the end something did happen and this was a big present for me. It's good for my championship and I hope that we can go for the win in Lausitz."

Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany)
"That was just bad luck. What can I say? Even though I have been able to extend my lead on Roccoli and Coxhell I still feel very disappointed to finish third after leading the entire race. But now we only have to wait one week for the next race and I am fired up to show win there at the team's home round."

Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni)
"I found this a difficult circuit as it has many fast changes of direction which needs a lot of upper body strength. Unfortunately I am short and thin and suffered arm pump! But I am very happy for the fourth place and I will push as hard as I can in the last three races. I know the circuits at Imola and Magny Cours, only Lausitz is new to me but I think also Sofuoglu does not know it so well either."