Corser: Haga was on fire.

2005 Corona Extra World Superbike championship leader Troy Corser extended his points advantage after retuning his GSX-R1000 to the top step of the podium during race one at Brno, but was forced to yield the race two victory to a charging Noriyuki Haga.

Starting from pole, Corser led the first race from start to finish and held a six-second lead over reigning champion James Toseland by the chequered flag, with Regis Laconi putting the other factory Ducati third.

"I made a good start and had clear track ahead of me and that's what you need at Brno if you are to have a good race. Although no race is ever easy, that was one of the more comfortable races I've had this year. It is also good to get a win again, because it feels a long time since the last one!" smiled Troy afterwards.

However, race two was to offer much more drama - starting with an oil spillage on lap two, which brought out the red flags. Then, just before the restart, Corser would switch to his spare bike: "I was a bit lucky that the race was stopped and I could change bikes," he admitted. "Maybe the first bike would've been OK, but I didn't want to take the chance as the engine had felt a bit slow on the opening lap."

The number two bike had only completed a handful of laps all weekend, so it was a bit of a gamble but the team had set it up almost the same as his number one bike. The Australian then used the machine to lead the field for the third time into turn one at the restart, but was passed by a flying Haga after six laps.

Corser clung to the Japanese for most of the race, but a slight electronic problem hampered his efforts and he was eventually content to claim a safe second position - ahead of all his main title rivals.

"I had a little electronics problem during the race and if I had not have had that, maybe I could've got past Nori. But he was riding as if he was on fire, so maybe I would not have caught him," confessed Corser. "It doesn't matter really because second was good enough to extend my lead in the series and that's what I came here to do. Now let's go to Brands Hatch, win again and put pressure on the rest."

Meanwhile, team-mate Yukio Kagayama left Brno a disappointed man after claiming two eleventh places.

"There's not much to say except that all weekend I've had problems with grip and today was no better then the past two days. This track is very difficult if you do not have a good set-up - and I did not have a good set-up - probably because we did not have so much time on the bike to test different things," said the Japanese.

"We made big changes from yesterday, but I don't think the bike worked any better. I am disappointed of course, but I must look forward. The next race is a circuit I know and like - Brands Hatch - and I want to get on the podium in both races there for myself and all my British fans," he declared.

Corser now leads the 2005 points standings by 94 over Ten Kate Honda's Chris Vermeulen, with Kagayama fourth.