Haga strolls to victory as Spies crashes out

By Burning Rubber on Apr 26, 09 03:22 PM

NORIYUKI Haga took an easy win in the second World Superbike race at Assen after Ben Spies crashed out in Lap Two.

And Brit Leon Haslam rode his Stiggy Racing Honda to an impressive second place to back up his earlier third, and was followed over the line by the Czech Republic's Jakub Smrz.

Fellow Brits Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea bounced back from slow starts to take fifth and sixth respectively.

At the green light Spies made a lightning start, but it was Haslam who got the holeshot into the first corner.

But it was to be shortlived as the American quickly dived up to P1 taking Haga and Max Neukirchner with him, as further back a stricken Max Biaggi limped his Aprilia into retirement.

It was Spies who led Haga and Neukirchner over the line at the start of Lap Two, but just seconds later the Race One victor found himself sliding off into the gravel. Though he escaped seemingly unhurt, his Yamaha Racing machine was last seen somersaulting across the armco and off the track completely.

The rest of the race was to prove relatively uneventful, as the Samurai of Slide pulled himself a nice little gap on Haslam, who had nipped by Neukirchner at the end of Lap Three only for the German to steal it back.

But a charging Michel Fabrizio on the second Ducati Xerox soon saw off Neukirchner, forcing him wide a lap later and diving through, as Haslam followed.

Haslam finally made his move on Fabrizio several laps later, and set off in a bid to catch Haga. The leading duo remained unchallenged for the rest of the race. Fabrizio, who had held third since Haslam's pass lost out to Jakub Smrz in the very last lap after what appeared to be a mechanical hiccup.

"I was just sticking behind Michel and I don't know if he misshifted but he had a problem on the last lap and I was close enough to pass," explained the Guandalini Racing rider. Smrz

"I'm really happy because everyone say I can can't ride fast in races only in qualifying. But today I proved I can be fast in the race as well."

And it was a much more relaxed Haga this time who faced the cameras. "From the first race we changed a little bit to the suspension, and the bike was really, really comfortable," he said.

"This is my first win here since 2000 so I am happy and am looking to the next race at Monza now to try and do the same."

And Haslam was all smiles again. "I was a little over-ambitious at the start but after that I was fine. The pace was was good. Once i'd passed Fabrizio I tried to push but there wasn't much grip left as the temperature started to drop.

haslam "I made a few little mistakes, but the team have built a great bike and we had all we needed to bring it home in second. I'm really very happy."

World Superbike Assen Race Two Results:

1 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'31.712 (164,6 kph)
2 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2.678
3 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 4.603
4 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 8.981
5 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 12.104
6 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 14.575
7 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 17.449
8 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 17.729
9 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 18.167
10 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 25.056
11 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 32.617
12 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 32.688
13 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 37.415
14 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 55.088
15 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 55.325
16 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'18.514
17 88 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'30.780
RET 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 94 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
RET 32 Easton S. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory