The Xerox Ducati team managed to fit in a quick test at Mugello ahead of this weekend’s Imola World Superbike showdown. Sharing the track with Ducati MotoGP team, Noriyuki Haga turned times within 0.5 seconds of the MotoGP machine.

Nitro Nori having just re-signed with the team for 2010 completed 69 laps on the factory 1198R for a best time of 1:52.3 seconds. This compares to 1:51.7 for official Ducati tester Vittoriano Guareschi on the Marlboro Ducati MotoGP bike and 1:51.9 for Mattia Pasini during his second test on the bike. Haga’s time was within 0.5 seconds of the far more potent MotoGP machines and 1 second faster than Max Biaggi on the Aprilia RSV4 who was testing at the same time.


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Haga Loses Championship Lead

Noriyuki Haga lost the lead in the World Superbike Championship for the first time this season after scoring 2nd and a DNF at the 2 races at the Nürburgring Sunday in Germany. Haga rode toe to toe in the late stages of the first race with Ben Spies but was unable to pass the American despite a thrilling series of last laps. In the second race Haga was knocked off by ultimate winner Jonathan Rea while leading. Haga now trails Spies by 18 points with 3 round (6 races) to go.


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Noriyuki Haga and his Ducati Xerox squad this afternoon celebrated their first pole of the season at the Nurburgring circuit. Quick in every session so far, the Japanese rider exited for the Superpole with a steely determination, to register the fastest time in each of the three phases. The track temperature was significantly higher (26°C) than it had been in the morning and fortunately for the Superbike riders the all-important Superpole took place in dry conditions. Despite such a long career, this is only the seventh time that Haga has taken the pole and it came at just the right moment, with only four rounds of the championship left to run.

After the physical problems he has suffered over the last two months, this result demonstrates that Nitro-Nori is back in shape and ready to fight for the world title. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio is also on the pace this weekend and, despite an error during his fast lap in the final Superpole session, he nevertheless secured a place on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s races, fourth behind the two Hondas of Rea and Haslam.

The Superbike riders also escaped rain in the morning’s second qualifying session and so lap times dropped considerably with respect to yesterday. Fourth and fifth at the end of play yesterday, the Ducati Xerox men Michel and Noriyuki today made the progress that both had envisaged, qualifying easily for the afternoon Superpole session. Noriyuki was the fastest rider on track while Michel was two tenths of a second behind in third, Yamaha’s Ben Spies closing in second.


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This weekend’s American Superbike, World Superbike and MotoGP racing should offer compelling viewing for every race fan. Mat Madin competes for the last time on a road racer in American Superbike racing whilst battle is resumed in two feuds featuring Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies in the World Superbike Championship and Valentino Rossi and his young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP. Light the blue touch paper and stand well back!


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The Ducati Xerox Team are back from their holidays and now pack their bags for round 11 of the World Superbike Championship, the action taking place this time at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring. Since the last round at Brno, the Superbike circus has taken its traditional summer break, six weeks in length this year, giving the riders a substantial period in which to rest and recuperate in preparation for the final push. Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have enjoyed the time off, Noriyuki returning home to Japan to see family and friends and Michel passing the time at home in Rome.

Both riders, who between them have put the Ducati Xerox Team on the podium in nineteen of the twenty races held so far, are fighting fit and ready for the all important final four rounds of the World Superbike Championship.

Last time out, on the Czech track of Brno more than a month ago, Michel crashed out of Race 1 but climbed onto the podium in the second race, consolidating his third place position in the overall rider classification. Noriyuki, less than 100% fit and riding with fractures to his right ulna and left shoulder blade, knew that it would be hard to fight for podiums and finished the races in eighth and sixth position, taking valuable points that means he maintains his championship lead going into the eleventh round.

The infamous Ring returned to the Superbike calendar in 2008 after an eight year absence. The June appointment saw two wet races, the first restarted and the second cut short due to the adverse weather conditions. On board the factory Yamaha, Noriyuki powered his way to the double win at the Ring last season, also taking the lap record in the process, and the Ducati Xerox squad is hopeful he can do a similar job with his Ducati 1198 this year. Michel’s first experience of the track was last year’s race weekend, and although the Italian rider came away with good points, he will be looking for a big improvement this year, to maintain the performance level that has seen him finish ten of the last twelve races on the podium.


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