IT was unlucky 13 for Burnley bike ace Neil Hodgson in his All-Japan superbike series debut.

But Kawasaki's Hodgson will be hoping to show the form which made up for a pit-stop disaster when the World Superbikes championship travels to Germany's Nurburgring this weekend.

Hodgson was lying eighth when an unscheduled stop caught out his pit crew.

That left him struggling in 28th place before a storming finish took him to 13th.

This year's early sensation, Noriyuki Haga crashed on the final lap but was uninjured.

Blackburn's Carl Fogarty goes into the German round in second place in the overall standings.

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