Ducati dominated at Imola on Sunday when the FIM Superbike World Championship returned to the Italian circuit for the 12th round.  Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga regained the championship lead with a win in race one – his first since Kyalami in May – and second behind factory Ducati team-mate Michel Fabrizio of Italy in race two.

The Superbikes delivered the usual nail-biting action before a large crowd of some 67 000 spectators, with Haga, who has been bedevilled with injuries this season, rising to the occasion.  In the opening race he took the lead from Italian Max Biaggi (Aprilia), who led from the start, four laps from the chequered flag.

Fabrizio, who had scored his first-ever Superpole in qualifying, also got past Biaggi but the little Roman reclaimed the runner-up spot with an audacious overtaking move in the final chicane.  Former points leader Ben Spies (Yamaha) finished fourth ahead of Ryiuchi Kiyonari (Honda), the Texan rookie having a subdued weekend.

Fabrizio was not to be denied in race two and won going away to take his second victory of the season.  250 GP champion Marco Simoncelli, making his Superbike debut on the second factory Aprilia, ran as high as fifth in race one before crashing, but more than made amends in race two when he cut through the field to finish an impressive third ahead of his more illustrious team-mate Biaggi.

Spies completed a disappointing weekend in fifth place and now trails Haga by three points in the championship with two races remaining.

After 12 of 14 rounds, Haga leads with 391 points, Spies is second with 388, followed by Fabrizio (330), Honda’s Jonathan Rea (263) and Biaggi (257).