VOL. 50 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
P47
1998 – CORSER, HAGA
AND DISASTER
>>Ducati's Troy Corser and Yamaha's Noriyuki Haga
came away with wins in what was a disaster-filled day on the
Monterey Peninsula.
>>Anthony Gobert was denied entry for the race after
failing an FIM drug test two weeks prior to the race.
>>The first race was red-flagged after just 12 laps when
Doug Chandler and Akira Yanagawa
were involved in a horrific accident in the
Corkscrew. Then, in the restart, a chainreaction crash fight at the start caused the
FIM to completely cancel the rest of the
first race – giving half points based on the
running order after 12 laps.
>>The second race featured a battle
between Corser and Haga with Haga
coming out on top.
>>Ben Bostrom impressed in his World
Superbike debut, finishing fourth and third
in the two races.
(Above) Noriyuki Haga
won the race two at
Laguna Seca in 1998.
(Left) Aaron Slight
never had much luck
at Laguna and in '98
he was involved in
the horrific start-line
crash in the first race,
which ultimately was
shortened to just 12
laps.
1999 - GOBERT AND
BOSTROM
(Above) Anthony Gobert
bounced back from a failed
drug test in 1998 to win race
one in 1999.
(Right) Ben Bostrom was on
the verge of superstardom in
1999 and he won the second
race for a Vance & Hines
Ducati sweep of the event.
>> A season after his failed drug test,
Vance & Hines Ducati-mounted Anthony
Gobert rebounded with he and teammate
Ben Bostrom starring in the 1999 race at
Laguna.
>> Gobert held off Bostrom and Akira
Yanagawa's charges to win race one with
Bostrom winning race two when Gobert
crashed.
>> The Aprilia Cup Challenge race was
won by John Hopkins over Gobert's
younger brother Alex.
>> The victory was the
first Superbike race win
of any kind for Bostrom,
the Californian coming into
the Laguna round with five
second-place finishes in the
AMA Superbike Series.
