# 1998 Superbike World Championship

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.
Carl Fogarty, who amassed three race victories during the season, won the riders' championship for the third time after 1994 and 1995; 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. Ducati won the manufacturers' championship.
This season also saw the round at Sentul being dropped from the 1998 calendar due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

## Race calendar and results

| Round | 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

* ↑ Superpole abandoned due to snow; grid established from the two qualifying sessions.

## Championship standings
### Riders' standings

1998 final riders' standings :
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | AUS | AUS | GBR | GBR | ITA | ITA | ESP | ESP | GER | GER | SMR | SMR | RSA | RSA | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | AUT | AUT | NED | NED | JPN | JPN | Pts |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1$^‡$ | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | Pts |
| 1 | Carl 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 | Aaron 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 | Troy Corser | 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 | Pierfrancesco 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 | Colin 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 | Noriyuki 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 | Akira Yanagawa | 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 | James 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 | Peter 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 | Scott 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 | Neil 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 | Gregorio 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 | Piergiorgio Bontempi | Kawasaki | 12 | Ret | 14 | 13 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 9 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 10 | 18 | DNS | | | | | | | | | 58 |
| 14 | Alessandro 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 | Igor 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 | Keiichi Kitagawa | Suzuki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 5 | 36 |
| 17 | Akira Ryō | Suzuki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | 3 | 36 |
| 18 | Andreas Meklau | Ducati | | | | | 11 | 9 | | | Ret | Ret | 9 | 9 | | | | | | | 14 | 13 | | | | | 31 |
| 19 | Niall Mackenzie | Yamaha | | | Ret | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | 10 | | | | | | | 26 |
| 20 | Steve Hislop | Yamaha | | | 10 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | 11 | | | | | | | 26 |
| 21 | Lucio Pedercini | Ducati | 13 | Ret | 19 | 20 | 14 | 14 | | | 12 | 14 | 12 | 14 | Ret | 13 | 20 | 12 | | | 16 | Ret | DNS | DNS | | | 26 |
| 22 | Ben Bostrom | Honda | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | 22.5 |
| 23 | Mark Willis | Suzuki | 6 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 17 |
| 24 | Wataru Yoshikawa | Yamaha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| 25 | Udo Mark | Suzuki | | | | | Ret | 12 | | | | | 10 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 |
| 26 | Andrew 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 | Jamie Hacking | Yamaha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | 7 | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| 28 | Chris Walker | Kawasaki | | | 11 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| 29 | Erkka Korpiaho | Kawasaki | | | | | 15 | 15 | 15 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | | | 9 |
| 30 | Kensuke Haga | Yamaha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 8 | 8 |
| 31 | Shinichi Ito | Honda | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Ret | 8 |
| 32 | Doug Chandler | Kawasaki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | DNS | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| 33 | Mario Innamorati | Kawasaki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 19 | 19 | 8 |
| 34 | Shinya Takeishi | Kawasaki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | 11 | 7 |
| 35 | James Haydon | Suzuki | | | 15 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 12 | | | | | | | 7 |
| 36 | Steve Martin | Ducati | Ret | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| 37 | Sean Emmett | Ducati | | | Ret | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Ret | | | | | | | 5 |
| 38 | Jean-Marc Delétang | Yamaha | Ret | 22 | Ret | 22 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 11 | Ret | Ret | 16 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 39 | Frédéric Protat | Honda | 21 | 19 | Ret | 23 | 16 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 39 | Frédéric Protat | Ducati | | | | | | | 19 | 13 | DNS | DNS | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 23 | Ret | 17 | 19 | Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | | | 5 |
| 40 | Troy Bayliss | Ducati | | | Ret | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | 15 | | | | | | | 4 |
| 41 | Ricky Orlando | Kawasaki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 22 | 13 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 42 | Paolo Blora | Ducati | | | | | 17 | 17 | | | | | 13 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 43 | Shawn Giles | Honda | 16 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 44 | Yuichi Takeda | Honda | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 14 | 3 |
| 45 | Heinz Platacis | Kawasaki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | 14 | | | 2 |
| 46 | John Reynolds | Ducati | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 14 | | | | | | | 2 |
| 47 | Matt Llewellyn | Ducati | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | Ret | | | | | | | 2 |
| 48 | Aaron Yates | Suzuki | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Ret | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 49 | Craig Connell | Ducati | Ret | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 50 | Malcolm Campbell | Ducati | 14 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 51 | Rubén Xaus | Suzuki | | | | | | | | | 15 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 52 | Jiří Mrkývka | Honda | Ret | 24 | DNQ | DNQ | 20 | Ret | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | Ret | 18 | | | | | Ret | 20 | 21 | Ret | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | Ret | 1 |
| 53 | Terry Rymer | Suzuki | | | 16 | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 16 | | | | | | | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | AUS | AUS | GBR | GBR | ITA | ITA | ESP | ESP | GER | GER | SMR | SMR | RSA | RSA | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | AUT | AUT | NED | NED | JPN | JPN | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |
$^‡$ 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.

### Manufacturers' standings

1998 final manufacturers' standings :
| Pos. | Manufacturer | AUS | AUS | GBR | GBR | ITA | ITA | ESP | ESP | GER | GER | SMR | SMR | RSA | RSA | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | AUT | AUT | NED | NED | JPN | JPN | Pts |
| Pos. | Manufacturer | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1$^‡$ | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | Pts |
| 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 | Honda | 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 | AUS | GBR | GBR | ITA | ITA | ESP | ESP | GER | GER | SMR | SMR | RSA | RSA | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | AUT | AUT | NED | NED | JPN | 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.