Noriyuki Haga

Noriyuki Haga (芳賀 紀行, Haga Noriyuki, born 2 March 1975 in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya) is a Japanese former professional motorcycle racer. He won 43 world championship superbike races during a 25 year racing career, making him one of the most accomplished competitors never to have won a Superbike World Championship. Haga was the runner-up in the championship three times and, four times finished in third place.[1] His 43 victories ranks fourth all time in the history of the Superbike World Championship behind Jonathan Rea, Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss.[2] Haga ranks third behind Troy Corser and Tom Sykes in career World Superbike race starts with 313.[3] He last competed in the 2018 CIV Supersport 600 Championship, aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.

Noriyuki Haga
Haga at Assen in 2007
NationalityJapanese
Current teamAG Motorsport Italia
Bike number41
Websitenitro-nori41.com
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1998, 2001, 2003
First race1998 500cc Japanese Grand Prix
Last race2003 MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix
Team(s)Yamaha, Aprilia
Championships0
2003 championship position14th (47 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
32 0 1 0 1 122
Superbike World Championship
Active years19942000, 2002, 20042011, 2013
ManufacturersDucati, Yamaha, Aprilia, BMW
Championships0
2013 championship position41st (2 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
312 43 116 7 59 3691
British Superbike Championship
Active years20122013
ManufacturersYamaha, Kawasaki
Championships0
2013 championship position23rd (8 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
26 0 1 0 0 171

Career

Early career

Haga started his racing career by competing in the Japanese Superbike Championship in 1993, riding a Ducati bike. He then moved to Yamaha in 1995, and won the championship with Yamaha in 1997.[4] During his stint with Yamaha in Japanese Superbike, Haga was chosen to represent Yamaha in the 1996 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He teamed up with Yamaha's World Superbike rider Colin Edwards and won the race.[5]

Superbike World Championship

Before Haga began racing full-time in the World Superbike Championship in 1998, he had already been racing occasionally in WSBK since 1994. In 1996, Haga received a wild card entry to race in the Japanese round of WSBK at Sugo. He surprisingly finished second in Race 1, collecting his first podium in WSBK at his first attempt. However, he failed to finish in Race 2. In 1997, while still racing in his home championship, he was given another chance to race in WSBK. He was chosen to replace the injured Colin Edwards for the last two races of the season in Sugo, Japan, and Sentul, Indonesia. He performed well in both rounds, collecting his first win in WSBK along with 2 more podiums.

In 1998, Haga began racing WSBK full-time. He also adopted the number 41 that he has used ever since. Haga joined Yamaha's Superbike team, replacing Colin Edwards who moved to Honda. He started the season brilliantly by winning 3 of the first 4 races. Unfortunately, his performance declined and he dropped out of championship contention. He won another two races in the season and finished 6th in the championship standing. During the year, Haga also received a wild-card entry to the 1998 500cc Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Haga scored an unexpected third place podium in his 500cc debut.[6] This was his only podium in his brief 500cc/MotoGP career.

The following season, Haga finished 7th in the championship. He only managed 1 race win and 1 third-place finish on the new Yamaha YZF-R7. As a result, another Japanese rider, Akira Yanagawa finished 5th, above Haga. This marks the only time Haga was not the highest placed Japanese Rider in every season in which he competed in WSBK.

Haga improved his performance to challenge for the title in 2000. However, his season was disrupted when he was tested positive for a banned substance. Haga was tested positive for the substance Ephedrine after the race in South Africa, though it was later learned that Ephedrine occurs naturally in the herbs used in the Ma Huang supplement that he'd taken during the off-season. He initially received a one-month ban beginning on June 5 and had his points from both South African races deducted.[7] However, after a series of appeals the points from Race 1 in South Africa were reinstated and the ban was delayed and reduced to a 2-week ban, resulting in Haga missing the final round at Brands Hatch, Great Britain. With Haga losing 25 points and sitting out a 2-race weekend, Colin Edwards comfortably won the 2000 championship.[8]

500cc/MotoGP World Championship

After an eventful year, Haga left WSBK and joined the 500cc World Championship for the 2001 season.[9] Haga initially did not want to join the 500cc Championship as he wanted another chance to challenge for the WSBK crown. However, Yamaha had already announced that they were withdrawing from WSBK and focusing on the challenge to win the 500cc Championship.[10] Haga joined the factory-backed Red Bull Yamaha WCM team, riding the Yamaha YZR500. Haga failed to adapt to the new bike and had a disappointing season, without a single podium. He finished fourteenth in the championship.

He returned to WSBK in 2002 in a one-bike Aprilia team, on an Aprilia RSV 1000. He had several podium finishes but no wins. He finished 4th in the overall standing, before moving back to MotoGP in the following season. He was joined by his former teammate Colin Edwards to spearhead Aprilia's MotoGP campaign, riding the newly developed Aprilia RS Cube. Both Haga and Edwards endured another disappointing season with the RS Cube performing poorly. Haga once again finished fourteenth in the championship without a podium.

Return to Superbike

After another failed attempt in MotoGP, Haga returned to WSBK in 2004. He joined the Renegade Ducati Koji team and was in contention for the championship until the final round, despite several mechanical failures.

For 2005 Haga joined Yamaha Motor Italia, Yamaha's factory supported team. He finished third in the championship and became the first rider to win a dry weather race having failed to lap fast enough to qualify for 'Superpole'.

In 2006, he was again Yamaha's leading man. After 7 rounds he was 2nd in the championship to Troy Bayliss, without having won a race. At round 7 in Brno he took pole, but finished third and fourth in the two races, having been passed by Michel Fabrizio on the last lap of both. At round 8 in the UK, he took his first win of the year. At Round 9 at Lausitzring in Germany Nori picked up two second places after battling for the win in both races. The first race was won by his good friend Yukio Kagayama of Alstare Corona Suzuki and the second by Britain's James Toseland of Winston Ten Kate Honda, who had been his main rival for 2nd place in the championship. For the third season in a row, Haga came third.

Troy Corser joined the Yamaha team for 2007, and together they brought Yamaha the manufacturer's championship. Haga finished 2nd in the riders championship, 2 points behind Toseland - a double win in the final round at Magny-Cours being just not enough.

He continued to ride for Yamaha in 2008. Haga won seven races during the season, with wins at Valencia, Monza, and Magny-Cours, as well as doubles at the Nurburgring and Vallelunga. However, this was only good enough for 3rd in the final standings behind (the winless) Corser and Xerox Ducati's title winner, Troy Bayliss.

In 2009, he joined the factory-backed Ducati Xerox Team to replace the retiring Bayliss, winning his first race at Phillip Island, and taking an early championship lead. However, a severe high-side crash during Race 2 in Round 9 at Donington Park put his pursuit of the 2009 championship in doubt.[11] With Haga out of race 2, Ben Spies took victory and reduced Haga's points lead to 14. In the 2011 Superbike World Championship Noriyuki Haga joined the PATA RACING TEAM APRILIA (Satellite Team) as a solo rider on the Aprillia RSV4 Factory bike.

British Superbike Championship

Haga signed with the Swan Yamaha British Superbike Team for the 2012 season alongside reigning 2011 BSB champion Tommy Hill. Haga marked his BSB debut at the first race of Round 1 at Brands Hatch with a 13th-place finish (Race 2 was cancelled due to extreme track conditions caused by pouring rain). In Round 8 at Cadwell Park, Haga broke his collarbone in a big high-side during free practice and was ruled out for the weekend. After suffering with nagging injuries for most of the season, Haga eventually finished 8th overall. On 16 September 2013, it was announced that Haga would be returning to BSB with Paul Bird Motorsport riding a Kawasaki ZX-10R for the final 3 rounds of the season.

Career summary

  • World Superbike career
    • 1996: 22nd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha (2 race as wild-card, 1 podium)
    • 1997: 13th in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha (4 race as replacement rider, 1 win, 3 podiums, 72 points)
    • 1998: 6th in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha WSBK Team (5 wins, 7 podiums, 258 points)
    • 1999: 7th in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha WSBK Team (1 win, 2 podiums, 196 points)
    • 2000: 2nd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha WSBK Team (4 wins, 11 podiums, 334 points)
    • 2002: 4th in World Superbike Championship with PlayStation 2-FGF Aprilia (7 podiums, 278 points)
    • 2004: 3rd in World Superbike Championship with Renegade Ducati Koji (6 wins, 9 podiums, 299 points)
    • 2005: 3rd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha Motor Italia WSB (2 wins, 10 podiums, 271 points)
    • 2006: 3rd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha Motor Italia WSB (1 win, 11 podiums, 326 points)
    • 2007: 2nd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha Motor Italia WSB (6 wins, 15 podiums, 413 points)
    • 2008: 3rd in World Superbike Championship with Yamaha Motor Italia WSB (7 wins, 11 podiums, 327 points)
    • 2009: 2nd in World Superbike Championship with Ducati Xerox Team (8 wins, 19 podiums, 456 points)
    • 2010: 6th in World Superbike Championship with Ducati Xerox Team (2 wins, 6 podiums, 258 points)
    • 2011: 8th in World Superbike Championship with Pata Aprilia Team (0 wins, 4 podiums, 176 points)
  • 500cc/MotoGP career
    • 1998: 20th in 500cc World Championship with Yamaha Racing Team (1 race as wild-card, 1 podium, 16 points)
    • 2001: 14th in 500cc World Championship with Red Bull Yamaha WCM (15 race, 59 points)
    • 2003: 14th in MotoGP World Championship with Alice Aprilia Racing (16 race, 47 points)
  • Others
    • 1996: Won Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race with Yamaha (with Colin Edwards)
    • 1997: Won Japanese Superbike Championship with Yamaha
    • 2012: 8th in British Superbike Championship with Swan Yamaha (0 wins, 1 podium, 160 points)
    • 2015: 7th in Asia Road Race SS600 Championship with Team Kagayama Suzuki ASIA (Suzuki GSX-R600)
Years Series Poles Races Podiums Wins 2nd place 3rd place Fastest Laps Titles
All time World Superbike (SBK) 7 286 110 43 38 29 55 0
2012 British Superbike (BSB) 0 28 1 0 1 0 0 0

Career statistics

Races by year[1]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos 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 R1 R2 R1 R2
1994 Ducati GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT AUT INA INA JPN
21
JPN
12
NED NED SMR SMR EUR EUR AUS AUS 50th 4
1995 Yamaha GER GER SMR SMR GBR GBR ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT AUT USA USA EUR EUR JPN
18
JPN
19
NED NED INA INA AUS AUS NC 0
1996 Yamaha SMR SMR GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA CZE CZE USA USA EUR EUR INA INA JPN
2
JPN
DSQ
NED NED SPA SPA AUS AUS 22nd 20
1997 Yamaha AUS AUS SMR SMR GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA USA USA EUR EUR AUT AUT NED NED SPA SPA JPN
2
JPN
1
INA
5
INA
3
13th 72
1998 Yamaha AUS
3
AUS
1
GBR
1
GBR
1
ITA
9
ITA
10
SPA
10
SPA
4
GER
5
GER
7
SMR
Ret
SMR
Ret
RSA
7
RSA
3
USA
Ret
USA
1
EUR
12
EUR
7
AUT
9
AUT
12
NED
8
NED
8
JPN
Ret
JPN
1
6th 258
1999 Yamaha RSA
4
RSA
Ret
AUS
6
AUS
5
GBR
10
GBR
6
SPA
1
SPA
Ret
ITA
6
ITA
6
GER
Ret
GER
6
SMR
8
SMR
Ret
USA
Ret
USA
10
EUR
7
EUR
3
AUT
Ret
AUT
Ret
NED
7
NED
8
GER
5
GER
9
JPN
12
JPN
4
7th 196
2000 Yamaha RSA
2
RSA
DSQ
AUS
10
AUS
2
JPN
2
JPN
4
GBR
4
GBR
4
ITA
Ret
ITA
5
GER
3
GER
1
SMR
7
SMR
Ret
SPA
3
SPA
1
USA
1
USA
2
GBR
5
GBR
4
NED
3
NED
1
GER
9
GER
5
GBR
DSQ
GBR
DSQ
2nd 335
2002 Aprilia SPA
2
SPA
2
AUS
Ret
AUS
6
RSA
Ret
RSA
6
JPN
3
JPN
5
ITA
Ret
ITA
3
GBR
2
GBR
10
GER
4
GER
5
SMR
4
SMR
3
USA
Ret
USA
Ret
GBR
4
GBR
5
GER
7
GER
4
NED
3
NED
6
ITA
5
ITA
4
4th 278
2004 Ducati SPA
Ret
SPA
1
AUS
8
AUS
6
SMR
4
SMR
4
ITA
Ret
ITA
Ret
GER
1
GER
Ret
GBR
1
GBR
2
USA
6
USA
4
GBR
1
GBR
1
NED
4
NED
3
ITA
4
ITA
Ret
FRA
2
FRA
1
3rd 299
2005 Yamaha QAT
5
QAT
11
AUS
Ret
AUS
Ret
SPA
5
SPA
4
ITA
11
ITA
9
EUR
Ret
EUR
3
SMR
6
SMR
6
CZE
7
CZE
1
GBR
2
GBR
1
NED
3
NED
2
GER
2
GER
3
ITA
3
ITA
C
FRA
Ret
FRA
3
3rd 271
2006 Yamaha QAT
Ret
QAT
3
AUS
4
AUS
4
SPA
5
SPA
5
ITA
4
ITA
3
EUR
2
EUR
2
SMR
5
SMR
3
CZE
4
CZE
3
GBR
3
GBR
1
NED
Ret
NED
Ret
GER
2
GER
2
ITA
4
ITA
6
FRA
2
FRA
4
3rd 326
2007 Yamaha QAT
8
QAT
4
AUS
4
AUS
3
EUR
4
EUR
1
SPA
2
SPA
3
NED
2
NED
Ret
ITA
1
ITA
1
GBR
2
GBR
C
SMR
Ret
SMR
2
CZE
4
CZE
4
GBR
7
GBR
2
GER
1
GER
2
ITA
4
ITA
3
FRA
1
FRA
1
2nd 413
2008 Yamaha QAT
14
QAT
13
AUS
8
AUS
7
SPA
Ret
SPA
1
NED
Ret
NED
2
ITA
2
ITA
1
USA
Ret
USA
6
GER
1
GER
1
SMR
10
SMR
4
CZE
6
CZE
7
GBR
19
GBR
2
EUR
Ret
EUR
DSQ
ITA
1
ITA
1
FRA
1
FRA
2
POR
Ret
POR
14
3rd 327
2009 Ducati AUS
1
AUS
2
QAT
2
QAT
2
SPA
1
SPA
1
NED
2
NED
1
ITA
2
ITA
Ret
RSA
1
RSA
1
USA
9
USA
8
SMR
5
SMR
3
GBR
3
GBR
Ret
CZE
8
CZE
6
GER
2
GER
Ret
ITA
1
ITA
2
FRA
2
FRA
1
POR
Ret
POR
2
2nd 456
2010 Ducati AUS
3
AUS
5
POR
8
POR
8
SPA
5
SPA
1
NED
10
NED
Ret
ITA
11
ITA
6
RSA
17
RSA
10
USA
3
USA
4
SMR
7
SMR
9
CZE
6
CZE
5
GBR
14
GBR
13
GER
Ret
GER
1
ITA
3
ITA
2
FRA
7
FRA
5
6th 258
2011 Aprilia AUS
9
AUS
7
EUR
6
EUR
17
NED
Ret
NED
8
ITA
16
ITA
4
USA
9
USA
Ret
SMR
Ret
SMR
3
SPA
6
SPA
7
CZE
12
CZE
10
GBR
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
3
GER
Ret
ITA
2
ITA
2
FRA
7
FRA
10
POR
15
POR
11
8th 176
2013 BMW AUS AUS SPA SPA NED NED ITA ITA GBR GBR POR POR ITA
15
ITA
15
RUS RUS GBR GBR GER GER TUR TUR USA USA FRA FRA SPA SPA 41st 2

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos Pts
1998 500cc Yamaha JPN
3
MAL ESP ITA FRA MAD NED GBR GER CZE IMO CAT AUS ARG 20th 16
2001 500cc Yamaha JPN
Ret
RSA
Ret
SPA
12
FRA
Ret
ITA
10
CAT
10
NED
10
GBR
4
GER
12
CZE
11
POR
Ret
VAL
Ret
PAC
Ret
AUS
8
MAL
9
BRA
DNS
14th 59
2003 MotoGP Aprilia JPN
12
RSA
Ret
SPA
11
FRA
8
ITA
Ret
CAT
12
NED
Ret
GBR
7
GER
Ret
CZE
13
POR
15
BRA
14
PAC
12
MAL
12
AUS
14
VAL
15
14th 47

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3
2012 Yamaha BHI
13
BHI
C
THR
Ret
THR
10
OUL
2
OUL
13
OUL
6
SNE
4
SNE
Ret
KNO
6
KNO
Ret
OUL
4
OUL
5
OUL
4
BHGP
Ret
BHGP
5
CAD
DNS
CAD
DNS
DON
Ret
DON
12
ASS
5
ASS
6
SIL
16
SIL
15
BHGP BHGP BHGP 8th 139
2013 Kawasaki BHI
BHI
THR
THR
OUL
OUL
OUL
KNO
KNO
SNE
SNE
BHGP
BHGP
OUL
OUL
OUL
CAD
CAD
DON
DON
ASS
5
ASS
Ret
SIL
Ret
SIL
14
BHGP
11
BHGP
Ret
BHGP
Ret
23rd 18

References

  1. "Noriyuki Haga World Superbike career statistics". worldsbk.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  2. "The World Superbike Championship Statistics and Race Records: 1988 – Present". devittinsurance.com. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. "Will there be an eighth winner at Magny-Cours?". worldsbk.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  4. "All Japan Road Race Champions". motoracing-japan.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  5. "1996 Suzuka 8 Hours results". motoracing-japan.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  6. "1998 Japanese Grand Prix results". motogp.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  7. Banned Haga wins at Hockenheim
  8. Haga takes championship second place after CAS reduces penalty Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Noriyuki Haga career MotoGP statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  10. Haga optimistic after 500cc switch
  11. Donington: Noriyuki Haga medical update Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Preceded by
Aaron Slight (1993–95)
Tadayuki Okada (1995)
Suzuka 8 Hours Winner
1996 (with Colin Edwards)
Succeeded by
Tohru Ukawa (1997–98)
Shinichi Itoh (1997–98)
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