Debut win for Neukirchner

From Team Alstare Suzuki

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a superb maiden victory at Monza and also went into the record books for being the first German to win a World Superbike Championship race on Sunday.

Neukirchner was also a race-long contender for a win in the second race, but was beaten to the line in a photo-finish with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). At the end, he was deprived of victory by just nine thousandths of a second!

"I am so happy to win my first ever World Superbike race and proud and happy to be the first German rider to do so," Neukirchner said. "It’s a great feeling and I’m sure that there’ll be much more interest in Germany now. Although I was a bit nervous before the race, I was not nervous in it or at the end.

"It was easy to be in front in race one and my bike felt very fast on the straights and good in the corners. I knew exactly where Haga was and knew what I had to do to beat him.

"I used the same bike and set up for race two, but Haga was a bit quicker in the corners. I was behind him when I suddenly saw a big cloud of smoke coming from his bike. I thought his engine had blown up and waited for him to slow down or pull over, but he kept on going! After half a lap or so, there was no more smoke. I attacked him hard in the last couple of laps, but he just about managed to outdrag me to the line and take the win."

Haga took second place in race one, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) third and Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto in fourth and seventh places respectively.

Behind Haga and Neukirchner in race two was Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) in third, followed by Nieto.

Kagayama suffered a dramatic crash in the Ascari chicane after just four laps, hurting his ribs and right knee in the process.

Results Race 1
1. Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 32:02.851
2. Noriyuki Haga (J-Yamaha) 32:02.909
3. Troy Bayliss (AUS-Ducati) 32:03.523
4. Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) 32:03.622
5. Max Biaggi (I-Ducati) 32:06.720
6. Ryuichi Kiyonari (J-Honda) 32:08.846
7. Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 32:11.639
8. Carlos Checa (E-Honda) 32:12.225
9. Michel Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 32:13.518
10. Jakub Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 32:13.622

Results Race 2
1. Noriyuki Haga (J-Yamaha) 32:07.576
2. Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 32:07.585
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (J-Honda) 32:07.627
4. Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 32:12.065
5. Michel Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 32:17.848
6. Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Honda) 32:17.952
7. Ruben Xaus (E-Ducati) 32:18.072
8. Troy Corser (AUS-Yamaha) 32:20.074
9. Ayrton Badovini (I-Kawasaki) 32:27.005
10. Gregorio Lavilla (E-Honda) 32:33.949

Point Standings
1. Troy Bayliss 194
2. Carlos Checa 116
3. Noriyuki Haga 112
4. Max Neukirchner 111
5. Fonsi Nieto 107
6. Troy Corser 101
7. Ruben Xaus 90
8. Max Biaggi
9. Ryuichi Kiyonari 65
10. Gregorio Lavilla 59