Despite some brilliant showings in practice at Losail,
Noriyuki Haga riding for Yamaha Motor Italia was unfortunate on race day, but few would write off Haga on the eve of a meeting as important as Phillip Island. He will be joined by a fellow Japanese rider in the list of PI possibles,
Yukio Kagayama from Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra, who is only two points ahead of Haga in the points table. Another Suzuki rider, Max Neukirchner who is riding for Suzuki Germany will be out to repeat his stunning sixth place from race one at Losail, which helped make him the best-placed rider on a non-factory bike in Qatar, of any vintage.
An unfortunate clash with his team-mate put
Fonsi Nieto and his PSG-1 Kawasaki out of race one at Losail, but a brilliant fifth place in the second running showed Nieto's true mettle when it counted. Another Spanish rider
Ruben Xaus on the Sterilgarda Ducati is one place ahead of Nieto, after two top tens in Qatar on the 2006 factory-spec 999 Ducati. Roby Rolfo on the second Hannspree Ten Kate Honda had one solid seventh and a DNF at Losail, but the talented Italian is well on his way to better things. The current top 12 is rounded out by the second factory Kawasaki of
Regis Laconi.
Steve Martin and
Michel Fabrizio both on DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR will be two riders to watch in Australia, while more Aussie talent resides in the Alto Evolution Honda team, with
Karl Muggeridge and Josh Brookes looking to overcome a relative lack of pace from their current spec of engines. Shinichi Nakatomi riding for Team Yamaha YZF scored a point in only a single race at Losail, but in his second SBK season, Phillip Island should not be so daunting a challenge as last year.
