1998 Superbike World Championship

1998 Superbike World Championship
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Supersport World Series

The 1998 Superbike World Championship was the eleventh FIM Superbike World Championship season. The season started on 22 March at Phillip Island and finished on 4 October at Sugo after 12 rounds.

The season saw the introduction of a revised qualifying system: after two timed qualifying sessions, the sixteen fastest riders were admitted to the newly created Superpole, which determined the first four rows of the starting grid; during this session each rider went on the track in reverse qualifying order to take a single flying lap.[1]

Carl Fogarty, who amassed three race victories during the season, won the riders' championship[2] for the third time after 1994 and 1995; Fogarty prevailed over Aaron Slight at the last round, while Troy Corser, who had entered the final event leading the standings, could not race due to injury.[3] Ducati won the manufacturers' championship.[4]

The season also saw Sentul (part of Indonesian Grand Prix) being dropped from 1998 calendar due to 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

Race calendar and results

Round Circuit Date Superpole Fastest lap Winning rider Winning team Report
1 R1 Australia Phillip Island 22 March Australia Troy Corser United Kingdom Carl Fogarty United Kingdom Carl Fogarty Ducati Performance Report
R2 New Zealand Aaron Slight Japan Noriyuki Haga Yamaha World Superbike Team
2 R1 United Kingdom Donington 13 April Australia Troy Corser[N 1] Japan Noriyuki Haga Japan Noriyuki Haga Yamaha World Superbike Team Report
R2 Japan Noriyuki Haga Japan Noriyuki Haga Yamaha World Superbike Team
3 R1 Italy Monza 10 May New Zealand Aaron Slight New Zealand Aaron Slight United States Colin Edwards Castrol Honda Report
R2 New Zealand Aaron Slight United States Colin Edwards Castrol Honda
4 R1 Spain Albacete 24 May Japan Noriyuki Haga Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Ducati ADVF Report
R2 New Zealand Aaron Slight United Kingdom Carl Fogarty Ducati Performance
5 R1 Germany Nürburgring 7 June Australia Troy Corser New Zealand Aaron Slight New Zealand Aaron Slight Castrol Honda Report
R2 Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Ducati ADVF
6 R1 San Marino Misano 21 June Australia Troy Corser New Zealand Aaron Slight New Zealand Aaron Slight Castrol Honda Report
R2 New Zealand Aaron Slight New Zealand Aaron Slight Castrol Honda
7 R1 South Africa Kyalami 5 July Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Ducati ADVF Report
R2 Japan Akira Yanagawa Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Ducati ADVF
8 R1 United States Laguna Seca 12 July Australia Troy Corser Australia Troy Corser Australia Troy Corser Ducati ADVF Report
R2 Japan Noriyuki Haga Japan Noriyuki Haga Yamaha World Superbike Team
9 R1 Europe Brands Hatch 2 August Australia Troy Corser New Zealand Aaron Slight United States Colin Edwards Castrol Honda Report
R2 United Kingdom Jamie Whitham Australia Troy Corser Ducati ADVF
10 R1 Austria A1-Ring 30 August New Zealand Aaron Slight Italy Pierfrancesco Chili New Zealand Aaron Slight Castrol Honda Report
R2 Australia Troy Corser New Zealand Aaron Slight Castrol Honda
11 R1 Netherlands Assen 6 September Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Ducati ADVF Report
R2 United Kingdom Carl Fogarty United Kingdom Carl Fogarty Ducati Performance
12 R1 Japan Sugo 4 October Australia Troy Corser Japan Akira Ryō Japan Keiichi Kitagawa Team Suzuki Report
R2 Japan Noriyuki Haga Japan Noriyuki Haga Yamaha World Superbike Team
Footnotes
  1. ^ Superpole abandoned due to snow; grid established from the two qualifying sessions.[5]

Championship standings

Riders' standings

1998 final riders' standings[2]
Pos. Rider Bike AUS
Australia
GBR
United Kingdom
ITA
Italy
ESP
Spain
GER
Germany
SMR
San Marino
RSA
South Africa
USA
United States
EUR
Europe
AUT
Austria
NED
Netherlands
JPN
Japan
Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 United Kingdom Fogarty Ducati 1 3 7 3 6 2 9 1 13 13 4 3 2 2 5 Ret 4 2 3 2 2 1 3 4 351.5
2 New Zealand Slight Honda 9 2 4 4 2 Ret 4 2 1 4 1 1 8 8 8 DNS 2 5 1 1 4 2 7 6 347
3 Australia Corser Ducati 2 6 2 2 3 4 2 3 7 3 2 2 Ret 7 1 2 7 1 6 5 3 3 DNS DNS 328.5
4 Italy Chili Ducati 4 Ret 3 5 5 3 1 5 3 1 Ret Ret 1 1 7 4 9 6 2 3 1 Ret 12 Ret 293.5
5 United States Edwards Honda 7 7 6 7 1 1 5 Ret 2 2 3 4 9 4 11 10 1 4 7 9 5 4 13 13 279.5
6 Japan N. Haga Yamaha 3 1 1 1 9 10 10 4 5 7 Ret Ret 7 3 Ret 1 12 7 9 12 8 8 Ret 1 258
7 Japan Yanagawa Kawasaki 5 5 5 16 Ret 6 13 7 4 5 5 5 6 5 2 DNS 4 4 7 6 4 2 210
8 United Kingdom Whitham Suzuki Ret 12 8 8 8 5 11 10 9 10 6 Ret 4 Ret 6 5 5 3 5 6 Ret 5 11 9 173
9 Australia Goddard Suzuki Ret 4 9 10 7 8 14 8 6 8 Ret Ret 5 6 14 8 10 13 10 8 6 7 10 10 155
10 United States Russell Yamaha 10 8 13 11 Ret Ret 6 9 11 Ret 8 6 10 9 15 Ret 3 8 12 11 9 Ret 5 12 130.5
11 United Kingdom Hodgson Kawasaki 8 Ret 12 Ret 4 7 7 14 Ret 11 7 8 Ret Ret 9 6 Ret 9 8 10 10 9 6 16 124.5
12 Spain Lavilla Ducati 11 11 Ret Ret 10 Ret 3 Ret Ret 6 Ret 7 3 Ret 13 Ret Ret Ret 11 7 Ret Ret 17 15 83.5
13 Italy Bontempi Kawasaki 12 Ret 14 13 Ret 11 12 6 8 9 Ret 11 12 10 18 DNS 58
14 Italy Gramigni Ducati 18 15 18 17 12 13 8 Ret 10 Ret 11 12 11 14 16 9 15 Ret 13 14 11 Ret 56
15 Slovenia Jerman Kawasaki 15 Ret 21 19 13 12 Ret 12 14 15 15 10 13 11 19 11 DNS DNS 15 15 12 10 20 18 47
16 Japan Kitagawa Suzuki 1 5 36
17 Japan Ryō Suzuki 2 3 36
18 Austria Meklau Ducati 11 9 Ret Ret 9 9 14 13 31
19 United Kingdom Mackenzie Yamaha Ret 6 6 10 26
20 United Kingdom Hislop Yamaha 10 9 8 11 26
21 Italy Pedercini Ducati 13 Ret 19 20 14 14 12 14 12 14 Ret 13 20 12 16 Ret DNS DNS 26
22 United States Bostrom Honda 4 3 22.5
23 Australia Willis Suzuki 6 9 17
24 Japan Yoshikawa Yamaha 9 7 16
25 Germany Mark Suzuki Ret 12 10 13 13
26 New Zealand Stroud Kawasaki 17 16 22 Ret DNS DNS 18 16 16 Ret 14 15 14 12 Ret Ret 16 17 Ret DNS 15 13 21 20 13
27 United States Hacking Yamaha 10 7 12
28 United Kingdom Walker Kawasaki 11 12 9
29 Finland Korpiaho Kawasaki 15 15 15 Ret 17 16 14 12 9
30 Japan K. Haga Yamaha Ret 8 8
31 Japan Ito Honda 8 Ret 8
32 United States Chandler Kawasaki 3 DNS 8
33 Italy Innamorati Kawasaki 18 Ret 13 11 19 19 8
34 Japan Takeishi Kawasaki 14 11 7
35 United Kingdom Haydon Suzuki 15 14 Ret 12 7
36 Australia Martin Ducati Ret 10 6
37 United Kingdom Emmett Ducati Ret Ret 11 Ret 5
38 France Delétang Yamaha Ret 22 Ret 22 19 19 16 11 Ret Ret 16 Ret 5
39 France Protat Honda 21 19 Ret 23 16 16 5
Ducati 19 13 DNS DNS 18 17 15 15 23 Ret 17 19 Ret Ret Ret DNS
40 Australia Bayliss Ducati Ret Ret 13 15 4
41 United States Orlando Kawasaki 22 13 3
42 Italy Blora Ducati 17 17 13 16 3
43 Australia Giles Honda 16 13 3
44 Japan Takeda Honda 15 14 3
45 Germany Platacis Kawasaki 16 14 2
46 United Kingdom Reynolds Ducati Ret 14 2
47 United Kingdom Llewellyn Ducati 14 Ret 2
48 United States Yates Suzuki 12 Ret 2
49 Australia Connell Ducati Ret 14 2
50 Australia Campbell Ducati 14 Ret 2
51 Spain Xaus Suzuki 15 16 1
52 Czech Republic Mrkývka Honda Ret 24 DNQ DNQ 20 Ret 17 15 18 18 Ret 18 Ret 20 21 Ret DNQ DNQ Ret Ret 1
53 United Kingdom Rymer Suzuki 16 15 Ret 16 1
Pos. Rider Bike AUS
Australia
GBR
United Kingdom
ITA
Italy
ESP
Spain
GER
Germany
SMR
San Marino
RSA
South Africa
USA
United States
EUR
Europe
AUT
Austria
NED
Netherlands
JPN
Japan
Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole position
Italics – Fastest lap

Due to separate accidents, the first race in Laguna Seca was stopped on the 13th of the 28 scheduled laps and the subsequent restart was aborted; half points were awarded.[6]

Manufacturers' standings

1998 final manufacturers' standings[4]
Pos. Manufacturer AUS
Australia
GBR
United Kingdom
ITA
Italy
ESP
Spain
GER
Germany
SMR
San Marino
RSA
South Africa
USA
United States
EUR
Europe
AUT
Austria
NED
Netherlands
JPN
Japan
Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Italy Ducati 1 3 2 2 3 2 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 4 1 2 2 1 1 3 4 487.5
2 Japan Honda 7 2 4 4 1 1 4 2 1 2 1 1 8 4 4 3 1 4 1 1 4 2 7 6 416.5
3 Japan Yamaha 3 1 1 1 9 10 6 4 5 7 8 6 7 3 10 1 3 7 9 11 8 8 5 1 307
4 Japan Suzuki 6 4 8 8 7 5 11 8 6 8 6 13 4 6 6 5 5 3 5 6 6 5 1 3 252
5 Japan Kawasaki 5 5 5 12 4 6 7 6 4 5 5 5 6 5 2 6 16 9 4 4 7 6 4 2 251
Pos. Manufacturer AUS
Australia
GBR
United Kingdom
ITA
Italy
ESP
Spain
GER
Germany
SMR
San Marino
RSA
South Africa
USA
United States
EUR
Europe
AUT
Austria
NED
Netherlands
JPN
Japan
Pts

Due to separate accidents, the first race in Laguna Seca was stopped on the 13th of the 28 scheduled laps and the subsequent restart was aborted; half points were awarded.[6]

  • "1998 FIM Superbike World Championship". superbike-archives.net.

References

  1. ^ "News – Fogarty and Haga share the glory; Mailbox Corner – That's Superpole". superbike.it. SBK Superbike International. April 1998. Archived from the original on 13 June 1998. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Championship standings". sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 4 October 1998. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  3. ^ Mark Pierson (5 October 1998). "Motorcycling: Fogarty flies to hat-trick and Doohan reigns again". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Manufacturer standings". sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 4 October 1998. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  5. ^ "News – Haga takes Donington". superbike.it. SBK Superbike International. May 1998. Archived from the original on 13 June 1998. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Strange day". cyclenews.com. Cycle News. 12 July 1998. Archived from the original on 3 September 1999. Retrieved 20 December 2014.