Yamaha Motor Italia's Noriyuki Haga is finding his form late in the season, winning both races in the last round at Vallelunga and posting the fastest time today in practice at Magny-Cours.
The World Superbike paddock took to the Magny-Cours track today for a rain-interrupted session that lasted only 17 minutes. In that short timeframe, Yamaha Motor Italia's Noriyuki Haga posted the fastest lap of the day, finishing 0.008-seconds ahead of Championship Point leader Troy Bayliss.
Haga is one of only two riders with a mathematical chance of catching Bayliss and scored a double victory in the last round at Vallelunga. Nitro Nori has had to deal with his share of injuries and adversity this season or else he might be even closer to challenging for the title. As it stands, there's only 100 points up for grabs with two races left and Bayliss looks like a lock to win his third World Superbike title. That being said, this is racing, and there are no givens, so expect Super Troy to go out and ride to win.
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Carlos Checa sits third on the provisional pole. Checa is fifth in the overall point standings in his first year on the World Superbike circuit and is the highest-ranking Honda rider.
The fourth-fastest rider of the day was Alstare Suzuki's Fonsi Nieto.
"Conditions this morning in the free practice were half dry and half wet and that is never easy. In the afternoon I managed eight laps before the rain and after that it was not worth going out again because the track was very wet and slippery. I like this track though and I am hoping that it is dry and we have good conditions tomorrow and Sunday," Nieto said.
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari broke his collarbone during a recent test and will miss this weekend's races. German Superbike Champion Martin Bauer is riding for Hannspree in Kiyo's place.
Rounding out the top five is the only other man that has an outside chance of winning the 2009 World Superbike crown, Yamaha Motor Italia's Troy Corser. The Australian rider is second in the rankings but trails Bayliss by 79 points. Corser has ridden consistently this year but hasn't been able to win a race, a fact I'm sure perplexes a man who has won two World Superbike titles himself.
Checa's Hannspree Ten Kate Honda teammate, Ryuichi Kiyonari, will miss this weekend's races due to a broken collarbone sustained during a recent test at the track. Kiyonari has been one of the hottest riders as of late, dominating the British World Superbike rounds, and has returned to Japan for surgery with hopes of returning to race in the final round in Portugal on November 2. Current German Superbike Champion Martin Bauer is subbing for Kiyonari this weekend.
World Superbike Magny-Cours Practice -
1. Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 1'41.012
2. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'41.020
3. Carlos Checa, Honda, ESP, 1'41.130
4. Fonsi Nieto, Suzuki, ESP, 1'41.513
5. Troy Corser, Yamaha, AUS, 1'41.515
6. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, ITA, 1'41.681
7. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.783
8. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 1'41.885
9. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 1'41.892
10. Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 1'41.900
11. David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 1'41.936
12. Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 1'41.963
13. Max Biaggi, Ducati, ITA, 1'42.410
14. Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 1'42.683
15. Michel Fabrizio, Ducati, ITA, 1'42.704
16. Gregorio Lavilla, Honda, ESP, 1'42.737
17. Martin Bauer, Honda, AUT, 1'42.848
18. Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 1'43.036
19. Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 1'43.139
20. Ayrton Badovini, Kawasaki, ITA, 1'43.244
21. Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'44.731
22. Makoto Tamada, Kawasaki, JPN, 1'44.903
23. Chris Walker, Honda, GBR, 1'45.064
24. Christian Zaiser, Yamaha, AUT, 1'45.095
25. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Kawasaki, ITA, 1'45.490
26. Matej Smrz, Honda, CZE, 1'45.660
27. Shuhei Aoyama, Honda, JPN, 1'46.082
28. Ivan Silva, Honda, ESP, 1'47.045
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