On Sunday, September 21, 2008, the globetrotting, mercurial and wildly inconsistent World Superbike Series dropped in on the Autodromo di Vallelunga circuit, a 2.538-mile, 10-turn circuit based just 20 miles north of Rome, Italy. When all was said and done and both legs run, the star of the day with a double-race sweep was Yamaha Motor Italia’s Nori Haga and his mighty YZF-R1. His second double-race takeaway of the 2008 season, Haga won both races in highly dramatic fashion.

As the second and final race at Vallelunga raced away from the grid, a few seconds later, the Roman Emperor himself, Max Biaggi and his Ducati 1098 R8 08, slammed up against Yamaha Motor Italia rider Troy Corser and Kenan Sofuoglu of the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda outfit. A high-speed shunt, both Biaggi and Sofuoglu went down in a heap, Sofuoglu sliding for what seemed like an eternity before coming to a stop and heading back to the paddock. Meanwhile, up front, Bayliss, Haga, and Corser ran in a flying formation, all so close, a blanket could be thrown over them. On circuit number six, Haga took the lead and motored away, but three laps later both Bayliss, as well as a fast closing Corser, pulled back up on him. Even as late as lap 2 and with Bayliss now in the lead, the leading three riders were only separated by an eye blink of a margin of .348 secs. On lap number 16, Bayliss made a small mistake, thus allowing Haga back into the lead. Three laps later, Bayliss zapped a surprised Haga yet again, but Haga wanted nothing to do wit it and regained the lead on lap later. Haga would speed onto victory, while Ducati pilot Michel Fabrizio passed Bayliss, who was running in second. Bayliss, who had the World Championship wrapped up with his third place on-track position, then fell, allowing Corser through for third.

Fourth fell to Team Alstare Suzuki’s Max Neukirchner, who was nine seconds adrift of the leading trio. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa was fifth, crossing the finish line stripe ahead of Team Suzuki Alstare’s Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama. Yamaha’s Shinichi Nakatomi ran eighth, as Regis Laconi and Roby Rolfo filled out the top ten.

“We are really big fighting," Haga said after the stormy 24 lap race. "I'm sorry for the crash of Troy [Bayliss] because I enjoy a great battle with him."

Sunday’s opening race Autodromo di Vallelunga began with Nori Haga scraping his way into the lead on lap number two, nicking it from Ducati Xerox’s Troy Bayliss. Riding up to join the mêlée were Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati pilot Max Biaggi, as well as Haga’s teammate, Troy Corser. A few beats later, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa also joined the fray. The race was a free for all up through lap number 12 when both Corser and Checa lost the plot. Corser would regroup and get it all back together and reeled in leader Haga and second place man Biaggi. But it was not to be for the Italian and Australian as Haga met the checkered flag a mere .129 seconds ahead of Roman local Biaggi, Corser an additional .406 seconds back in third. Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner as fourth after passing both Bayliss and Checa on the 23rd lap. Checa wound up fifth and Bayliss was sixth. Nine seconds behind these men was Ducati Xerox pilot Michel Fabrizio who finished ahead of Hannspree Honda Althea’s Roby Rolfo and Team Suzuki Alstare’s Yukio Kagayama.

Now the 2008 World Superbike Series World Championship has all boiled down to two races and a possible 100 points. With Magny Cours, France scheduled for October 5 and Portimao, Portugal slated for November 2, Troy Bayliss lads the way with 369 points, Troy Corser in second 79 points behind. Next stop: France.

Eric Johnson