These World Superbike previews just in:
PORTIMAO - ROUND 14 -23/24/25 OCTOBER 2009
Portimao becomes final act in Haga-Spies showdown
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, situated not far from the seaside town of Portimao (Portugal), is gearing up for the final round of the 2009 FIM Hannspree Superbike World Championship this coming weekend. This ultra-modern circuit, which opened for business exactly twelve months ago, has in just a short period of time become one of the best in Europe, with its superb infrastructure and a spectacular but testing track layout. Not for nothing was Troy Bayliss, who came here with a third title in his hands, last year's double winner on the first appearance of World Superbike at this circuit.
The Portimao track therefore represents an ideal venue for the final round of the season, which will see the Superbike, Supersport and European Superstock 600 titles all to be decided.
TWO INTO ONE WON'T GO: The battle for the title between Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) could go either way seeing as both riders have a similar knowledge of the track and both arrive at the final round in excellent form. The advantage probably lies with the Japanese rider, seeing as the gap between the two is a mere 10 points after a season-long's racing. Should the Texan rookie win both races or find himself on equal points with Nitro-Nori, he would win the title on countback of number of wins this season. The entire race weekend therefore will also be a battle of nerves and the battle promises to go right down to the wire...
THREE'S A CROWD: But the fight for the title in Portugal will undoubtedly see some outside influence from the three other race winners this year, all of whom will be gunning for the win. One of these is two-times winner Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), whose chief task at Portimao will be to assist his team-mate. At Magny-Cours the Italian was somewhat on the sidelines with two below-par races, but in Portugal he will be required to make a substantial contribution to the Ducati cause should it be required. No team strategy will be on the cards for the other two undoubted protagonists, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The all-Italian combination has made considerable progress this season and Max is now constantly in amongst the podium battle. To finish the season with another win would be a major boost for next season, when Max will certainly be one of the title candidates. As for Rea, the young rider from Northern Ireland has proved himself to be one of the top riders in the category and he will surely be one of the favourites this time around at a circuit where he made his WSB debut exactly twelve months ago. Max and Johnny will also be fighting for an overall fourth place, currently in the hands of Biaggi, who has a 14-point lead over his rival.
EARLY DEBUT: The 2009 championship is already looking towards the future, with an early debut for Sylvain Guintoli in the Suzuki Alstare team in place of Max Neukirchner. The Frenchman, who has recently recovered from a nasty crash at Donington in the British Superbike championship earlier this season, is on his way to total recovery and will be one of the new arrivals in next year's championship. BSB champion Leon Camier, who will take the start for the second successive race on the Aprilia RSV4 machine, will be looking to impress the Italian team following his first outing at Magny-Cours. The Noale manufacturer will enter three bikes, with Shinya Nakano returning for the first time since the Nurburgring. Also searching for a place next year will be Britain's Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati), who may represent an outsider at Portimao. In last year's pre-season testing he surprised everyone by setting the best time and will surely be looking to end this season on a high note.
Points (after 13 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 436; 2. Spies 426; 3. Fabrizio 346; 4. Biaggi 293; 6. Rea 279; 6. Haslam 241; 7. Checa 200; 8. Sykes 176; 9. Byrne 166; 10. Smrz 161. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 534; 2. Yamaha 469; 3. Honda 395; 4. Aprilia 303; 5. Suzuki 167; 6. Bmw 126; 7. Kawasaki 6
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HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Portuguese World Superbike at Portimao
Tuesday 20 October 2009
World Superbike and World Supersport preview
FINAL ROUND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOP HONDA RIDERS
Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR)
returns to the scene of his first WSB ride for
his current team this weekend, as the World
Superbike Championship comes to its thrilling
conclusion at the magnificent Portimao circuit,
set in the hills above the holiday resorts of the
Algarve. The championship is still undecided,
with current table-topper Noriyuki Haga only ten
points ahead of Ben Spies, and with 50 points up
for grabs for any rider who wins both races.
Rea is the highest placed Honda rider in the
title chase, fifth, and he is only 14 points
behind Max Biaggi in the overall standings. His
aim for this weekend is therefore to add to his
season tally of two wins, and score enough points
to go top four in the final reckoning on Sunday
evening. Rea will remain with the team next year,
and is already working towards the 2010 season in
terms of set-up and machine development.
Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR)
suffered a blow to his World Supersport
Championship hopes last time out. Now lagging Cal
Crutchlow by 19 points he has to win or finish
second on Sunday, and then await the results of
Crutchlow's race to determine whether or not he
becomes WSS champion at the first time of asking.
At his team's home race, Laverty will not suffer
from lack of support in his quest.
For top WSB privateer Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing
Honda CBR1000RR) 2009 has seen him take four
podium finishes so far, and he is out for more at
a circuit he has competed at before, and indeed
scored a WSB podium at, during a 2008 wildcard ride.
Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
CBR600RR) won the World Supersport race at
Portimao last year, when he returned to the 600cc
category in a machine swap with Jonathan Rea one
race before the end of the year. He has been a
race winner three times already this season, and
needs to earn good points to keep his closest
rival Joan Lascorz behind him and remain third overall.
Honda is leading the Manufacturers' Championship
in the Supersport class by only a single point, a
factor that brings special significance to more
than just the results of the Riders' Championship this weekend.
Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) will
not be competing at Portimao as his team had been
forced to make drastic cuts in its budget, and
with an unchanging score of 117 points he is now
in danger of being overhauled in the championship
standings by Fabien Foret (on 115 points) and
outgoing World Champion for Honda, Andrew Pitt
(Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) who has 114 points.
Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR)
injured his collarbone yet again at Magny-Cours
last time out, but will attempt to race to the
maximum possible this weekend, after recuperating at home in Japan.
For Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
CBR1000RR) Portimao will be his final race for
the team, and he aims to go out with a strong
result, and consolidate his overall seventh place
in the rankings. He is 24 points ahead of the next rider in line.
For Portuguese rider Miguel Praia (Parkalgar
Honda CBR600RR) the Portimao race is the most
significant of the year, and having now hit his
2009 target of at least one top ten race finish,
he will be all out to set a new personal best of
a top six placing at the track he knows better than anyone else.
Matthieu Lagrive (Honda Althea CBR1000RR) is back
in the Superbike class this weekend, focused on
turning his enjoyment at riding around Portimao
to his advantage in terms of final race positions.
Mark Aitchison (Althea Honda CBR600RR) is another
rider who raves about Portimao, and he will be
re-joined by young Italian hopeful Flavio Gentile
(Althea Honda CBR600RR), who is back in the 600cc
division, after swapping classes with Lagrive at
Magny-Cours. Aitchison is eighth in the rankings
now, tied on points with Garry McCoy.
After the races on Sunday there will be an
extensive two-day test, 27 and 28 October, where
Honda riders old and new will get the chance to
start preparing for the 2010 season.
RIDER COMMENTS
Jonathan Rea: "Last year, Portimao was my first
race on a Ten Kate Honda Superbike and I really
had a lot of fun. Although the track has quite a
difficult layout, I really enjoy riding it and
I'm looking forward to going back there. The bike
is completely different to the one I rode last
year and at the pre-season test, so we'll be
working from a much better starting point.
Although it's the final round, there's still a
chance for me to improve my overall position in
the championship so we'll be working really hard
for that. I'm aiming for a fun end to the season
and will be going for two more good finishes to end the year on a high."
Leon Haslam: "I want to go out of the season on a
high with the Stiggy Team to say thank you to
them for the opportunity I have had this year. We
got on the podium a few times on a privateer
machine and we will be going for that again in
the final rounds. I rode a Honda at Portimao last
year, and got a podium, so that experience should help us this weekend."
Carlos Checa: "Last year's races at Portimao were
quite eventful but good for me, with a podium in
the first race. It was looking good also for race
two but I got caught in another rider's crash and
had to go off the track. Portimao is one of the
best circuits on the calendar - really good fun
and very special - so I hope to finish the season
with some good results, as a farewell gift for
the team. I'd like to thank them for a very
enjoyable two years and for the opportunity to
join the World Superbike championship. It's a
shame we were not able to fight for the title
this season as we hoped, but I will try to make
sure we finish with a good race."
Ryuichi Kiyonari: "I have been recovering in
Japan, after breaking my collarbone again at the
last round in Magny-Cours. It was a shame because
I felt that we were beginning to find some
improvement and a better feeling on the bike. It
has been a difficult season and, at times, I have
had some problems finding the right setting, but
I want to try my best to finish the season with
some good results. I struggled a little bit at
Portimao last year, but I think that was because
it was a new circuit for me. I like the layout
very much and we went back for testing in
January, although the weather was not so good. I
hope my shoulder will be OK this weekend so that
I can do my best for the team."
Matthieu Lagrive: "I'm looking forward to racing
at the Parkalgar track. I always like to race at
this Portuguese circuit because it's really
beautiful. The weather may be changeable for us
this weekend but either way our bike is working
well in wet or dry conditions. These are the last
races of the year so I would like to finish well,
for me and especially for our team."
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Ten Kate Honda Racing rider, Ryuichi Kiyonari, is aiming to come back from injury with a strong finish and a pair of good results this weekend (23-25 October) at the 2009 World Superbike championship's final round in Portimao, Portugal.
The Japanese ace broke his right collarbone just over two weeks ago during race one of the last round at Magny-Cours - the same injury that he sustained at the French circuit during a test last year - but he has since spent time receiving medical treatment and recovering at home.
Kiyonari did not enjoy spectacular results during the championship's first visit last season to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, 70km west of Faro on Portugal's Algarve coast. However, following the races and a pre-season test in January this year, the 4.59km circuit has quickly become a riders' favourite, and double British Superbike champion Kiyonari is looking forward to enjoying the ride his weekend.
Ryuichi Kiyonari - championship position 11th
I have been recovering in Japan, after breaking my collarbone again at the last round in Magny-Cours. It was a shame because I felt that we were beginning to find some improvement and a better feeling on the bike. It has been a difficult season and, at times, I have had some problems finding the right setting, but I want to try my best to finish the season with some good results. I struggled a little bit at Portimao last year, but I think that was because it was a new circuit for me. I like the layout very much and we went back for testing in January, although the weather was not so good. I hope my shoulder will be OK this weekend so that I can do my best for the team.
Ronald ten Kate - team manager
It's been a tough season - there is no getting away from that. However, in recent races, Kiyonari-san has shown signs of finding a setting on the CBR1000RR with which he is comfortable. Unfortunately, we have struggled to convert that into good qualifying positions, which, in turn, has led to some problems during the races. Kiyo was trying to make up some ground during race one at Magny-Cours and ended up crashing and breaking his collarbone again. We hope that his injury will not prevent him from ending the season and his time as a Ten Kate rider with a strong performance. Kiyo is a great rider and a great ambassador for the sport and we have really enjoyed working with him for these last two years.
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PORTIMAO THE ARENA FOR THE FINAL SHOWDOWN; HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) PREPARES TO FIGHT FOR THE 2009 WORLD SUPERBIKE CROWN
Portimao (Portugal) Monday 19th October: the final round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship, taking place this weekend at the Portuguese track of Portimao, will see an all out battle for the title between championship leader, Ducati Xerox rider Noriyuki Haga and Yamaha's Ben Spies. Noriyuki, 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, as is his squad, the Ducati Xerox Team, winners of the 2008 championship with Troy Bayliss.
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, Noriyuki and Michel 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 Portimao 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 calibre as Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty.
Last year at Portimao both Noriyuki and Michel had problems in the first race, with Nori suffering a technical setback and Michel crashing out on the opening lap. In Race 2 Michel had a much better time of it, running up front before crossing the line in second place, behind former team-mate Bayliss. Noriyuki was unfortunately penalised 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, Noriyuki, Michel 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."
Haga's Superbike form at Portimao:
2008: Race 1 - DNF, Race 2 - 14th
Michel Fabrizio (3rd in championship, 346 points)
"I've very happy with how my season's gone and I would like to finish the year with two more podiums. I'm feeling confident and am reassured that the third position that I hold in the standings can't be taken from me as fourth place Max is too far behind to catch up now. I hope Noriyuki can take the title for Ducati and I'll be backing him all the way this weekend."
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BMW Motorrad Motorsport news
2009 Superbike World Championship
Preview: Round 14, Portimao, Portugal, Sunday 25th October
TROY AND RUBEN GEARED UP FOR THE FINALE
The final round of this year's Superbike World Championship takes place at the Autodromo Algarve in Portugal and both Troy and Ruben are aiming to end the season on a high. This year's championship has been the most competitive in its twenty-two year history, but Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport team has acquitted itself very well in its first year of competition and is now looking to build on this year's experiences and come back even stronger next year.
The Portimao track is relatively new to the calendar and is one of the most technically challenging circuits of the series, thanks to its changes of elevation and blind corners. Both Troy and Ruben raced there last year, albeit on different machines, so although they know which way round the track goes, the first day of practice and qualifying will be used to try and find a good set-up for their bikes.
Troy
It seems to have been quite a long year, but I am satisfied with the progress we have made throughout the season and I am especially pleased with the S 1000 RR in the past few races. The series is so competitive and hard this year and often less then half a second is the difference between a good grid place and something further down the order. And if you don't get a good grid position, you are always playing catch-up. If we took our race times from this year and put them into last year's results, our bike would've been on the podium quite a few times, so that shows how much faster everybody is going this year.
I am looking forward to Portimao and finding out what our engineers have come up with since the last round. I am hoping that another step forward has been made and that Ruben and I can finish BMW's debut season on a high.
Ruben
I cannot wait for Portimao because I really want to see what the guys have done to the bike since Magny-Cours and see if I can push it and myself to our best result of the year. I am happy that I can race in Portugal because originally my doctors told me that I wouldn't race again this year after my crash in Brno. So, a big thank you to my physiotherapist and everybody at the clinic where I did a lot of rehabilitation and training. My body is not yet 100%, but I will be stronger than I was at Magny-Cours and you need to be fully fit to ride these kind of bikes hard.
Portimao is a very physical circuit, so I know that my body is going to get a pounding, but I am going to do my best and try and get my best finish of the year.
Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
This year has been a big adventure for us all and an exciting challenge. We knew that this year was not going to be easy, but I think we have done very well considering we are such a new team. Our bike (and our team) has a big potential and we know that we are going to make more and more progress. Already, we are looking forward to continuing our development over the winter and coming back even stronger next year.
I am very happy that we will have Troy and Ruben with us again in 2010. From the very first day, they have been part of the team and have helped create a super team atmosphere. Both are strong and are determined to win and hopefully we can give them the opportunity to do it next year.
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