Ducati Xerox’s Nori Haga pulled off his first double of the young season by easily beating Yamaha’s Ben Spies in the second World Superbike race in Valencia, Spain.
Having won the first race by over three seconds, the Japanese rider dominated the second race, easily pulling away from Spies, who suffered a rare crash in the first race.
In race two Haga was able to grow the gap at will, finishing the 23-lap race with a 5.105 secs. cushion on the Texan.
Spies was a comfortable second until the end stages when Haga’s teammate Michel Fabrizio made a slight run, with DFX Corse Ducati’s Regis Laconi tailing along. Still, Spies had 1.281 secs. in hand. Laconi was .2 secs. back of Fabrizio.
The DNF and Haga’s double meant Spies fell behind the Ducati rider by 40 points, 135 to 95, after three of 14 rounds. Spies’ next chance to claw back points will come in Assen, Holland in three weeks’ time.
Fifth on the day went to Stiggy Honda’s Leon Haslam, while teammate John Hopkins finished 12th.
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa recovered from a first race crash to finish sixth in front of Team Alstare Suzuki Brux’s Max Neukirchner.
Aprilia’s Max Biaggi was a second back in eighth and just in front of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari, Yamaha’s Tom Sykes, and Shakey Byrne (Duc).
Race Two:
1. Nori Haga (Ducati)
2. Ben Spies (Yamaha)
3. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati)
4. Regis Laconi (Ducati)
5. Leon Haslam (Honda)
6. Carlos Checa (Honda)
7. Max Neukirchner (Suzuki)
8. Max Biaggi (Aprilia)
9. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda)
10. Tom Sykes (Yamaha)
