test2wa

Superbikes

Nori Haga starts among the favourites for the 2009 FIM World Superbike Championship but he hopes for a change of luck.

Haga has not had the best of times at the Phillip Island circuit and knows he will need better fortune if he is to triumph against one of the strongest entries ever in World Superbikes.

Haga and team-mate Michel Fabrizio have both shown well during pre-season testing but will face the likes of Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus (BMW), Max Neukirchner and Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki), Ben Spies and Tom Sykes (Yamaha), Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano (Aprilia), Carlos Checa, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Tommy Hill (Honda) and Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada (Kawasaki) who will all be on factory bikes.

Shane Byrne, Regis Laconi, Gregorio Lavilla and Leon Haslam are all on satellite teams but are expected to show among the front-runners.

Haga, who will line up on the grid for the first time on the Ducati 1198, had his best result in recent seasons at Phillip Island with third in 2007.

He said: "I have to say it's a track that I like but I have had very mixed results here over the years.

"In the last few years my best result was a third in 2007 but in 1998 I won race two.

"Since then I haven't had so much luck but I am hoping that I can change this this year.

"The tests last weekend went well and we'll continue to test various things on Friday in preparation for Sunday's races."

Fabrizio is keen to repeat his podium finish of 2008 when he returns to Phillip Island.

"Last year I felt that some teams weren't totally ready for the start of the season while this year we all seem to be more prepared which means that on Sunday I think we'll be seeing a real fight up at the front for those podium places," he said.

"I'm happy with how we've been progressing in winter testing. I like this track and am ready to get this championship started."

One rider just looking to avoid the wildlife at Phillip Island is Australian Troy Corser.

The former champion, who makes his race debut for BMW on the S1000RR four-cylinder machine, had a lucky escape last weekend during pre-season testing at the same venue when he collided with a bird.

He explained: "The tests went very well, though it's a real shame that I had to finish early because we still had lots more to try out.

"But I guess I'm lucky that I didn't crash and hurt myself badly when I hit the bird.

"I'm really not sure how I managed to stay on the bike, because it's not easy when you've only got one hand on the bars, but somehow I was able to recover.

"We have learnt a lot in these two days and I've been able to get a better idea of how the bike works in different conditions and set-ups.

"What I can say though, is that my S1000RR feels as good as any other bike I've ever ridden round here."