Kiyonari Again!

Paul Carruthers | August 3, 2008

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won out in a battle of Japanese riders in the second of two World Superbike races at Brands Hatch in England today, with Kiyonari besting Yamaha Motor Italia’s Noriyuki Haga in the final laps to win by 1.8 seconds. With three laps to go, Kiyonari led Haga by just .1220 of a second. A lap later and that gap was up to .571 of a second. Then it went to 1.3 seconds with the Honda rider stretching it to 1.8 at the checkered flag to win for a second time on the day – turning his first-ever World Superbike win into his first-ever World Superbike double. Third place in race two went to Haga’s teammate Troy Corser, the Australian some 8.5 seconds back from the battle at the front but clear of the Alstare Suzuki of Max Neukirchner, the German ending up fourth. Fifth went to the second Alstare Suzuki ridden by Fonsi Nieto. Behind Nieto came Ducati Xerox’s Michel Fabrizio, the Italian barely holding off wild card British Superbike rider Tom Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki. Just a fraction behind those two came Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa. Five seconds behind Checa came a battle for ninth that ultimately went to Jakub Smrz, the Czech rider holding off Italian Lorenzo Lanzi at the line. World Championship leader Troy Bayliss, who finished second to Kiyonari in race one, was just behind in a disappointing 11th, just .2 of a second ahead of Max Biaggi – the Italian having finished third in the first race. Race Two 1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 2. Norikuki Haga (Yamaha) 3. Troy Corser (Yamaha) 4. Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) 5. Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki) 6. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) 7. Tom Sykes (Suzuki) 8. Carlos Checa (Honda) 9. Jakub Smrz (Ducati) 10. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati)