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► 2009 Motorcycle Racing News

Tom Sykes.  Photo and text sources include Ducati Corse, World Superbike and Yamaha Racing.

Spies 2009 World Superbike Champion in Rookie Year
First World Superbike Title for Yamaha

October 25, 2009 - Ben Spies and Yamaha made history today, claiming the first ever Word Superbike title for the Yamaha World Superbike Team.

In yet another Ben Spies Masterclass of riding, The American rookie sensation took a race win and a well executed fifth place finish to lift the title for Yamaha for the first time.

Race one saw a textbook performance from Spies, taking the holeshot on the first corner and leading from the first lap. Perfectly executed lines and smooth riding saw him cross the line nearly two seconds ahead of a determined Biaggi who had stalked him for the entire race.

Championship rival Noriyuki Haga crashed out six laps into the race, leaving Spies some breathing room for race two.

With the extra points behind him and less pressure for an outright race win Spies kept himself in check for race two, monitoring Haga's position and keeping a steady race pace as he counted the laps down to victory.

The American let a couple of riders passed then tucked in behind Biaggi for a number of laps.  After the Italian rider ran wide a couple of times, Spies turned on some extra speed to pass him and brought his championship winning Yamaha R1 home in fifth place to take victory.

Spies can now claim 14 Superbike race wins and 11 pole position race starts in his rookie year, breaking all records since the championship began.  He leads the standings with 462 points, six clear of rival Haga.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team, (1st, 5th):  "I've got to thank Yamaha for giving me the bike I need to win.  We had a really good first race, in the second we did what we had to do to win.

It was quite difficult to keep it in check as the pace was pretty fast, I saw I had a couple of people behind me and I knew that if Nori won I had to be in sixth and that's where I was so I tried to get a bit of a gap on them and stay out of trouble.

Max came through the inside of me and ran off a couple of times which really freaked me out so I went to get past him and then settled in for some nice fast laps to the end.

It's been a spectacular day and I can't thank those people enough that have been behind me.  It's been incredible to do it for Yamaha, and especially in my first year here.  I don't think I really realize what's happening right now but I'm sure it's going to hit me in a couple of days!"

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager:  "I feel great!  This is the first time I've had this victory feeling. I was so nervous for this whole weekend.

Ben showed us that the speed he had was ok but I know Nori very well and Ducati as well so I was always worried that something was going to come.

Fortunately we finished very well.  I want to thank everyone, not just the people here in the team and Yamaha but the people at home, mine and the team's families, they give us a lot of support and are patient, I think it is hard for them to so thank you to my wife!"

Spies Takes All-Time Superpole Record!

October 24, 2009 - Any doubt of Ben Spies' claim to all-time rookie fame was squashed today as he took pole position ahead of tomorrow's races with an incredible flying Superpole lap.

This makes eleven poles for Spies, and gives him the record for most poles in a season ever in World Superbike to add to his other records already smashed this year.

The American rider had a clear strategy for the three Superpole heats, coming out for just one lap in the first to qualify fifth for the second session with a 1'43.532.  He then switched to a qualifier for the second heat and immediately dropped below the 1.43 mark to put in an astonishing 1'42.568, nearly eight tenths of a second faster than the previous lap record held by Troy Bayliss in 2008.

Having moved through to the final heat, Spies then made it clear he was here to win this weekend, using his second qualifier to smash his own record, setting pole with an incredible 1'42.412.

Spies had spent the earlier qualifying and free practice sessions working quietly on the set up of his race bike, holding out for the Superpole to reveal the Yamaha's balance and turn of speed.

Ben Spies (1st ,1'42.412):  "Getting the Superpole record is cool, it's one of those things that one day I'll look back on and enjoy, however right now I just see it as track position for me.

I've got no other goals but to gain further help for my race tomorrow. We saw Haga struggle a little bit today but I'm sure Ducati will work it out quickly.  We're just going to put it together tomorrow and see what happens.

We've not wanted to show our pace until Superpole, then we pinned it and got some good laps in.  We've got some other things to work on for race day and hopefully we can tie it down some more."

Final Round - Final Showdown!

The final round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship, taking place this weekend at the Portuguese track of Portimão, will see an all out battle for the title between championship leader Noriyuki Haga and Yamaha’s Ben Spies.

Haga, having led the championship for the best part of the season, and having finished five previous championships in either second or third position, now has a small, but significant, ten point advantage over Spies and is hungry for his first World Superbike Championship title.

The Ducati Xerox Team has already secured the 2009 World Superbike Manufacturers title for the sixteenth time, after a stunning win and second place finish by Nitro-Nori at Magny-Cours two weeks ago.

Over the season, Haga and his teammate Michel Fabrizio have so far clocked up ten wins and thirty-two podium finishes between them and already hold a combined points total of 782 going into this final round.

The factory squad now looks to Portimão and, now that the Manufacturers title has already been brought home to Borgo-Panigale, concentration turns to the all-important Riders title, already won thirteen times in the past by the Ducati team, with riders of such caliber as Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty.

Last year at Portimão both Haga and Fabrizio had problems in the first race, with Nori suffering a technical setback and Michel crashing out on the opening lap.

In Race 2 Fabrizio had a much better time of it, running up front before crossing the line in second place, behind former team-mate Bayliss.  Haga was unfortunately penalized for a jump start in the second race and, once he’d made a ride through the pits, he was unable to make up the lost ground, closing in 14th position.

With everything to play for, Haga, Fabrizio and the Ducati Xerox Team are fighting fit and ready to fight for the ultimate prize, during a weekend that promises spectacular racing.

Noriyuki Haga (1st in championship, 436 points):  “Last year at Portimao didn’t go to plan; I had some bad luck.  This year I am in a better position and now everything comes down to this last event.

My strategy won’t be any different from normal; I always go out with the aim to win and I always give 100%.  I’ve finished second or third in the last five editions of the Superbike championship and so all I am missing is the title win, a title I hope to be able to bring home to Ducati and to Japan this weekend”.

Spies Prepares for the Final Showdown at Portimão

The clock is ticking down to the 14th and final round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at the Portimão circuit in Portugal.

With just ten points separating championship leader Haga from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies everything is to play for on race day.

If Spies can secure two race wins, he will walk away with not just the championship title, but a well earned place in the World Superbike history books.

Spies can already claim the title of greatest rookie of all time, taking the championship by storm in his first year on his R1, racking up an incredible 13 race wins, six fastest lap records and 16 podiums on mostly unknown circuits.

Circuit Name: Portimão Circuit Length: 4692 m Fastest Lap Ever: 1'43.609 (Michel Fabrizio, 2008)

This will be the second outing for the World Superbike Championship on the Portimão circuit which was completed last year just before the final round of the 2008 Championship.

The track proved to be a major hit with riders and fans alike with swooping corners, corkscrews, blind corners and multiple elevation changes ensuring exciting racing from the lights.

"I can't wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday's races," said Ben Spies.

"We've been fighting hard for race wins all year, and as a rookie on a new bike I think we've achieved some pretty good results.  My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday, I would love to be able to deliver the title for the team as they really deserve it and have worked so hard to make it possible.

We do go well on the Portimão circuit, so I'm going to give it everything I've got to challenge Nori for the wins.  There will be a few fast guys up there as always so it should be an exciting race day."

Portimão Circuit by Tom Houseworth, Ben Spies Crew Chief
"We will start with our baseline setting on our primary bike and a modified test setting on the back up bike.

Though we have quite a lot of data from testing, the engine and chassis spec has changed quite a lot from pre-season so there will be some variables to work on.

We will be looking for maximum grip and quick direction change as Portimão is quite a twisty circuit with elevation changes and a variety of corners.  Our goal is to be set up quick and then pick race tires so we can get time on them in an attempt to find the 'perfect' race set up.  Once traction and wheelie control are dialed in we will hope for good weather on Sunday and see if we can get it done."

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