Corser crashes in first corner Sugo mayhem.

Foggy Petronas Racing's James Haydon secured his first top ten finish of the World Superbike season in an action-packed first race at Sugo, Japan.

Team-mate Troy Corser was taken out going into the first corner when Ivan Clementi, starting from the third row, hit the Australian's FP1 from the inside line after an earlier clash had sent the Italian into the grass. That caused Corser to veer into the middle of the pack, colliding with Chris Walker.

"Clementi was coming too fast when he hit me," explained Corser. "I was hanging off the side from the first collision and thought I had recovered when he whacked me. I am a bit bruised on my elbow and leg but okay for the second race."

With Frankie Chili also falling in the incident and all four riders getting to their feet, although Walker broke a bone in his foot having fractured a toe in the other foot following a crash yesterday, the race continued and Haydon made the most of both an excellent start and the spread field to move from the back row to ninth by the end of the first lap.

"I'm over the moon to finish ninth after qualifying in 21st," commented Haydon. "It's my first top ten of the season and at a circuit where I have never raced before. But I know there is still a lot of room for improvement - I haven't made the bike my own yet - and I had to bring the bike home as I was having a few problems out there."

Team manager Nigel Bosworth concluded: "It was a racing accident and nobody's fault. Troy was trying to go inside Xaus and forced Clementi onto the grass, taking his arm off the bike. Troy recovered and tried to turn into the corner but Clementi hit him from the inside, forcing Troy onto Walker, who in turn collided with Chili."