Noriyuki Haga has put the opening two rounds, and the crashes that went with them, of the world superbike championship firmly behind him taking victory in this afternoon's race two at Valencia.
The Samurai of Slide, who also crashed out in race one, cruised to victory after fighting with Ducati's Troy Bayliss for most of the race, and crossed the line more than a second in front.
Carlos Checa, who took himself and poleman Max Neukirchner out in race one, completed the podium but had been in the lead at mid-race distance. He put a cheeky block pass on both the Yamaha and Ducati men before making an error which dropped him back down the field.
Checa's stable-mate, 2007 British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, began to show his world class form, finishing fourth ahead of Troy Corser.
Yukio Kagayama was first Suzuki home, just leading Ruben Xaus and Max Biaggi who had a good-naturred scrap for seventh and eighth.
Results:
1 10 41 N.HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 23 1'35.425 302,6 1'34.770 293,5 25 47 6
2 3 21 T. BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 23 1.551 1'35.815 291,9 1'33.976 285,0 20 20 128 1
3 7 7 C. CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate HondaHonda CBR1000RR 23 2.903 1'35.322 296,7 1'34.492 291,9 11 16 72 4
4 6 23 R. KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate HondaHonda CBR1000RR 23 7.277 1'36.072 299,2 1'34.370 294,3 13 30 12
5 8 11 T. CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 23 8.051 1'35.843 295,9 1'34.613 295,1 16 11 72 3
6 2 34 Y. KAGAYAMA JPN Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 9.223 1'35.990 297,5 1'33.928 291,9 10 18 15
7 4 111 R. XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 23 10.164 1'36.202 288,0 1'34.332 282,7 9 68 5
8 9 3 M.BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 23 10.614 1'36.110 290,3 1'34.658 285,7 8 44 7
9 15 55 R. LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 23 17.234 1'36.354 293,5 1'35.232 287,2 8 7 16 18
10 13 10 F. NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 18.100 1'36.304 300,0 1'34.959 296,7 13 6 80 2
11 17 36 G.LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR 23 18.288 1'36.245 305,1 1'35.381 293,5 9 5 32 11
12 5 57 L. LANZI ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 23 18.826 1'36.129 288,8 1'34.370 282,7 25 4 42 8
13 11 84 M.FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 23 21.770 1'36.131 293,5 1'34.799 290,3 3 37 10
14 16 96 J. SMRZ CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo'sDucati 1098 RS 08 23 22.872 1'36.343 295,1 1'35.980 289,5 2 2 17 17
15 24 54 K. SOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate HondaH Jor.nda CBR1000RR 23 25.224 1'36.577 295,1 1'35.911 293,5 4 1 22 13
16 21 38 S. NAKATOMI JPN YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 23 25.301 1'36.594 295,9 1'35.703 295,1 5 7 21
17 18 44 R. ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda Althea Honda CBR1000RR 23 25.509 1'36.746 295,1 1'35.521 289,5 6 18 16
18 14 94 D. CHECA ESP Yamaha France Ipone GMTY 9a4maha YZF-R1 23 25.615 1'36.712 288,0 1'35.089 286,5 1 5 22
19 20 83 R. HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing - Bertocchi Honda CBR1000RR 23 26.503 1'36.663 297,5 1'35.692 292,7 3 10 20
20 19 31 K. MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 23 35.171 1'36.718 293,5 1'35.597 285,0 10 20 14
21 27 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 23 53.624 1'37.357 290,3 1'36.596 288,0
22 26 37 D. LOZANO ORTIZ ESP Honda Joe Darcey Honda CBR1000RR 23 54.672 1'37.946 284,2 1'36.453 282,7
23 29 22 L. MORELLI ITA Alto Evolution Honda SuperbHiokenda CBR1000RR 23 1'00.537 1'38.137 283,5 1'37.283 276,9
24 28 88 S. AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda SuperbHiokenda CBR1000RR 23 1'24.952 1'38.488 287,2 1'36.618 286,5
25 25 131 C. MORALES ESP L'Oreal Men Expert LaglisseYamaha YZF-R1 22 1 Lap 1'36.426 285,7 1'36.070 283,5
