Yanagawa takes fourth on 'best wet bike ever'.

Akira Yanagawa braved some of the worst weather conditions ever seen in superbike racing to push his Fuchs Kawasaki to fourth place in an event where half the field failed to finish.

The Japanese rider happy to see the chequered flag, not only because it meant valuable championship points, but also because it signalled the end to one of his hardest - and most dangerous - races.

"This bike was the best I have ever ridden in the wet," he smiled in relief, "I felt I could push a lot harder on the wet surface than I usually can. I could catch the leading riders even though I had a lot of wheelspin off the start; and this is normally very difficult for me."

Team-mate Gregorio Lavilla had a race he would rather forget, however, as he high-sided out of the event while exiting the slow turn ten right-hander on lap 13.

"I used a little too much throttle exiting the corner and, before I knew it, I was on the ground," the Spaniard explained, "It was impossible to see through the driving rain. On the straight, the only reference point I had before the braking point was the bridge over the track."

The Fuchs team's third rider, Hitoyasu Izutsu, also had a horrid time with the weather, crashing at the high-speed first corner whilst holding down a promising fifth place.

"I was hoping for a good finish as the bike was really fast and I could maintain a good lap time," he said, "I saw some oil in the first turn and had no time to avoid it - the front wheel just tucked under."

Just when the riders thought that the weather couldn't get any worse, however, more driving rain turned the race track into a swimming pool, forcing the organisers to cancel the race when two corners flooded.

"Everyone wants to put on a good show for the fans who braved the weather, but I agree with the organisers in cancelling the race as it was far too dangerous to ride in those conditions," the injury-prone Lavilla said.

The cancellation marks the first time a WSBK championship race has been abandoned due to bad weather.