1998 Superbike World Championship Explained

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 for the third time after and ; 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.^[2] Ducati won the manufacturers' championship.

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	Phillip Island	22 March	Troy Corser	Carl Fogarty	Carl Fogarty	Ducati Performance	Report
1	R2	Phillip Island	22 March	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha World Superbike Team	Report
2	R1	Donington	13 April	Troy Corser	Noriyuki Haga	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha World Superbike Team	Report
2	R2	Donington	13 April	Troy Corser	Noriyuki Haga	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha World Superbike Team	Report
3	R1	Monza	10 May	Aaron Slight	Aaron Slight	Colin Edwards	Castrol Honda	Report
3	R2	Monza	10 May	Aaron Slight	Aaron Slight	Colin Edwards	Castrol Honda	Report
4	R1	Albacete	24 May	Noriyuki Haga	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Ducati ADVF	Report
4	R2	Albacete	24 May	Noriyuki Haga	Aaron Slight	Carl Fogarty	Ducati Performance	Report
5	R1	Nürburgring	7 June	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Aaron Slight	Castrol Honda	Report
5	R2	Nürburgring	7 June	Troy Corser	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Ducati ADVF	Report
6	R1	Misano	21 June	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Aaron Slight	Castrol Honda	Report
6	R2	Misano	21 June	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Aaron Slight	Castrol Honda	Report
7	R1	Kyalami	5 July	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Ducati ADVF	Report
7	R2	Kyalami	5 July	Pierfrancesco Chili	Akira Yanagawa	Pierfrancesco Chili	Ducati ADVF	Report
8	R1	Laguna Seca	12 July	Troy Corser	Troy Corser	Troy Corser	Ducati ADVF	Report
8	R2	Laguna Seca	12 July	Troy Corser	Noriyuki Haga	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha World Superbike Team	Report
9	R1	Brands Hatch	2 August	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Colin Edwards	Castrol Honda	Report
9	R2	Brands Hatch	2 August	Troy Corser	Jamie Whitham	Troy Corser	Ducati ADVF	Report
10	R1	A1-Ring	30 August	Aaron Slight	Pierfrancesco Chili	Aaron Slight	Castrol Honda	Report
10	R2	A1-Ring	30 August	Aaron Slight	Troy Corser	Aaron Slight	Castrol Honda	Report
11	R1	Assen	6 September	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Pierfrancesco Chili	Ducati ADVF	Report
11	R2	Assen	6 September	Pierfrancesco Chili	Carl Fogarty	Carl Fogarty	Ducati Performance	Report
12	R1	Sugo	4 October	Troy Corser	Akira Ryō	Keiichi Kitagawa	Team Suzuki	Report
12	R2	Sugo	4 October	Troy Corser	Noriyuki Haga	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha World Superbike Team	Report

Footnotes:

Championship standings

Riders' standings

1998 final riders' standings^[3]
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		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		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		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
39	Ducati							19	13	DNS	DNS	18	17	15	15	23	Ret	17	19	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS				5
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

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.^[4]

Manufacturers' standings

1998 final manufacturers' standings^[5]
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		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.^[4]

External links

Web site: 1998 FIM Superbike World Championship. superbike-archives.net.

Notes and References

News: News – Fogarty and Haga share the glory; Mailbox Corner – That's Superpole. superbike.it. SBK Superbike International. April 1998. 21 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613140358/http://www.superbike.it/other/news/04_april/index.html. 13 June 1998.
News: Motorcycling: Fogarty flies to hat-trick and Doohan reigns again. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motorcycling-fogarty-flies-to-hattrick-and-doohan-reigns-again-1176330.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription. independent.co.uk. The Independent. Mark Pierson. 5 October 1998. 21 February 2015.
Web site: Championship standings. sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 4 October 1998. 20 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140413093003/http://sbk.perugiatiming.com/pdf_results/pdf_frame.asp?p_Round=ROUND&p_Anno=1998&p_Manifestazione=12&p_Gara=01&p_Sessione=002&p_Stampa=STD. 13 April 2014.
News: Strange day. cyclenews.com. Cycle News. 12 July 1998. 20 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/19990903234327/http://www.cyclenews.com/cycle/archives/1998/28wsb_rr.html. 3 September 1999.
Web site: Manufacturer standings. sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 4 October 1998. 20 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140413093004/http://sbk.perugiatiming.com/pdf_results/pdf_frame.asp?p_Round=ROUND&p_Anno=1998&p_Manifestazione=12&p_Gara=01&p_Sessione=002&p_Stampa=MAK. 13 April 2014.