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

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

Championship standings

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Riders' standings

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1998 final riders' standings[2]
Pos. Rider Bike AUS
 
GBR
 
ITA
 
ESP
 
GER
 
SMR
 
RSA
 
USA
 
EUR
 
AUT
 
NED
 
JPN
 
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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   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   Bontempi Kawasaki 12 Ret 14 13 Ret 11 12 6 8 9 Ret 11 12 10 18 DNS 58
14   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   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   Kitagawa Suzuki 1 5 36
17   Ryō Suzuki 2 3 36
18   Meklau Ducati 11 9 Ret Ret 9 9 14 13 31
19   Mackenzie Yamaha Ret 6 6 10 26
20   Hislop Yamaha 10 9 8 11 26
21   Pedercini Ducati 13 Ret 19 20 14 14 12 14 12 14 Ret 13 20 12 16 Ret DNS DNS 26
22   Bostrom Honda 4 3 22.5
23   Willis Suzuki 6 9 17
24   Yoshikawa Yamaha 9 7 16
25   Mark Suzuki Ret 12 10 13 13
26   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   Hacking Yamaha 10 7 12
28   Walker Kawasaki 11 12 9
29   Korpiaho Kawasaki 15 15 15 Ret 17 16 14 12 9
30   K. Haga Yamaha Ret 8 8
31   Ito Honda 8 Ret 8
32   Chandler Kawasaki 3 DNS 8
33   Innamorati Kawasaki 18 Ret 13 11 19 19 8
34   Takeishi Kawasaki 14 11 7
35   Haydon Suzuki 15 14 Ret 12 7
36   Martin Ducati Ret 10 6
37   Emmett Ducati Ret Ret 11 Ret 5
38   Delétang Yamaha Ret 22 Ret 22 19 19 16 11 Ret Ret 16 Ret 5
39   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   Bayliss Ducati Ret Ret 13 15 4
41   Orlando Kawasaki 22 13 3
42   Blora Ducati 17 17 13 16 3
43   Giles Honda 16 13 3
44   Takeda Honda 15 14 3
45   Platacis Kawasaki 16 14 2
46   Reynolds Ducati Ret 14 2
47   Llewellyn Ducati 14 Ret 2
48   Yates Suzuki 12 Ret 2
49   Connell Ducati Ret 14 2
50   Campbell Ducati 14 Ret 2
51   Xaus Suzuki 15 16 1
52   Mrkývka Honda Ret 24 DNQ DNQ 20 Ret 17 15 18 18 Ret 18 Ret 20 21 Ret DNQ DNQ Ret Ret 1
53   Rymer Suzuki 16 15 Ret 16 1
Pos. Rider Bike AUS
 
GBR
 
ITA
 
ESP
 
GER
 
SMR
 
RSA
 
USA
 
EUR
 
AUT
 
NED
 
JPN
 
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

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1998 final manufacturers' standings[4]
Pos. Manufacturer AUS
 
GBR
 
ITA
 
ESP
 
GER
 
SMR
 
RSA
 
USA
 
EUR
 
AUT
 
NED
 
JPN
 
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   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   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   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   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   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
 
GBR
 
ITA
 
ESP
 
GER
 
SMR
 
RSA
 
USA
 
EUR
 
AUT
 
NED
 
JPN
 
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]

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

References

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  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.