FIM Superbike World Championship Magny Cours, France October 4, 2009 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Ducati 1098F09), 23 laps, 38:00.282 2. Max BIAGGI (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -1.480 seconds 3. Jonathan REA (Honda CBR1000RR), -6.024 4. Ben SPIES (Yamaha YZF-R1), -18.135 5. Leon HASLAM (Honda CBR1000RR), -21.236 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -23.647 7. Shane BYRNE (Ducati 1098R), -23.701 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -24.838 9. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -31.455 10. Troy CORSER (BMW S1000 RR), -32.507 11. Fonsi NIETO (Ducati 1098R), -37.594 12. Ruben XAUS (BMW S1000 RR), -44.727 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098F09), -49.782, crash 14. Matteo BAIOCCO (Ducati 1098R), -50.345 15. Broc PARKES (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -56.209 16. David SALOM (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -58.796 17. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -60.391 18. Roland RESCH (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -80.777 19. Sheridan MORAIS (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -84.318 20. Leon CAMIER (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -8 laps, DNF, retired 21. Luca SCASSA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -9 laps, DNF, retired 22. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098R), -10 laps, retired 23. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Honda CBR1000RR), -11 laps, DNF, retired 24. Tom SYKES (Yamaha YZF-R1), -20 laps, DNF, crash 25. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), DNS 26. Flavio GENTILE (Honda CBR1000RR), DNS Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 26 of 28 races): 1. Haga, 436 points 2. Spies, 426 3. Fabrizio, 346 4. Biaggi, 293 5. Rea, 279 6. Haslam, 241 7. Carlos Checa, 200 8. Sykes, 176 9. Byrne, 166 10. Smrz, 161 11. Kiyonari, 141 12. Kagayama, 123 13. Corser, 89 14. Shinya Nakano, 86 15. Regis Laconi, 77 16. Max Neukirchner, 75 17. Xaus, 66 18. Parkes, 42 19. Matthieu Lagrive, 24 20. Nieto, 22 More, from a press release issued by Ben Spies’ publicist: ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK FOR SPIES IN FRANCE MAGNY-COURS, France (Oct. 4, 2009) Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies lost ground to championship rival Nori Haga Sunday at Magny-Cours, in spite of winning the first race in a nail biter. The exciting victory in race one moved Spies into the series lead, but it was short-lived. It was the second leg that did the damage. Something was not right with the front tire on his Yamaha and he knew it from the start. Spies fell behind the lead group early, ran fourth the entire race, and could only watch in frustration as Haga pulled away to victory and a 10-point lead going into the championship finale in Portugal on October 25. In spite of the set back in France, Spies is still in control of his own destiny. If he manages to win both races in Portugal he will win the world championship regardless of where Haga finishes. “I tried as hard as I could in that second race, but just went backwards,” a disappointed Spies said. “It’s unfortunate, but we got some sort of faulty [front] tire in the second race. It was a bad time for that to happen, but it’s part of racing. It felt like I had a motorhome tire on the thing and there was nothing I could do. With the way I had to ride I was fortunate to be able to finish in the top-10, so I feel very lucky to get fourth. “This makes the equation very simple for me at Portimao. I’ve been in this position before where I needed to win to earn a championship, so it’s not new.” Spies was referring to his epic 2007 AMA Superbike Championship campaign where he was behind teammate and rival Mat Mladin going into the last event and won the race to win the championship. After a stunning Superpole session on Saturday where Spies shattered the Magny-Cours track record and was nearly a half-second faster than the second-place qualifier, he came into Sunday’s races extremely confident. In race one Spies sprinted off to an early lead, which he held the entire race, until on the final lap Spies ran wide at the 180-degree turn (turn 9) and found Haga moving past him. Spies remained calm and turned in a strong last half-lap to hold off Haga by 0.181 seconds in one of the most exciting finishes of the season. “I was making a bunch of little mistakes in the first race,” Spies admitted. “I should have won that going away, but with the mistakes Nori was able to catch me. I ran wide in that corner and Nori got by me for about a half second. I knew I could get back under him, so I squared it up, got on the gas and got back in front. I figured he might make another attempt to get by, but I was able to hold him off.” In the second race Spies was on pace early, but with the front tire problem he quickly fell back from the leading trio of Haga, Max Biaggi and Jonathan Rea. In the end Spies was 18seconds behind Haga, losing the series lead, falling behind by 10 points. Spies was philosophical about losing ground to Haga this weekend. “Realistically, even if I’d won race two Nori would have been close enough in the points that I would still have to win at Portimao,” Spies reasoned. “So nothing’s changed. We have to put together a perfect weekend in Portugal. It’s still possible to win the championship and just to be in that position is a great feeling. Regardless of how it turns out I feel like I’ve had a phenomenal season. “I’m a rookie here racing a world championship on tracks I don’t know against one of the greatest World Superbike racers of all time. To even be in the position to fight for this title with Nori is more than I could have expected.” With the frustration of France now in the past, Spies looks forward to Portugal, saying in three weeks time he will give everything he has to try to win the championship. “I’m going to race hard,” Spies concluded. “Portimao is one of my favorite tracks and I’m looking forward to racing there.” In the U.S. both legs of World Superbike from Magny-Cours will be shown back to back today (Sunday, Oct. 4) starting at 3:00 pm Eastern on SPEED. Ben Spies is sponsored by Yamaha, HJC, Alpinestars, Specialized and Parts Europe. More, from a press release issued by InFront Motor Sports: Wins for Spies and Haga at Magny-Cours as Ducati take 16th Manufacturers’ crown Title contenders Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) scored a win apiece in the penultimate round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Superbike in front of a record 81,000 spectators at Magny-Cours but it is the Japanese rider who now has the advantage in the points table. The Texan dominated race 1 but Nitro-Nori responded in the second encounter with a lights-to-flag victory, as Spies was unable to go any higher than fourth. Ten points now separate the two as the series heads for its final round in Portugal in three weeks time. Max Biaggi scored two more podium finishes for Aprilia Racing, a third and a second, Jonathan Rea grabbed a third for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, while Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) had an off day. Race 1 Spies and Haga predictably set the first race alight as they fought for the win. At the flag it was the Texan who took the maximum points with his 13th win of the season after leading from the start, but he was made to fight for it by his Japanese rival. Haga was the quickest man on the track at the end but paid the price of a slow start and being held up behind Biaggi for too long, thus losing touch with Spies. The Italian did take the final podium slot however, confirming the RSV4’s competitiveness at the French circuit. Fourth place went to Fabrizio, who lost touch with the leading group in the early stages, losing out on any chance of the podium. Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing) was the leading Honda man to the finish with a positive fifth place, ahead of the Hannspree Ten Kate machine of Carlos Checa. Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) had a good run in seventh, the Japanese rider finishing ahead of Shane Byrne (Ducati Sterilgarda) and the BMW of Troy Corser. Jonathan Rea had a technical problem and was out on lap 7, and another problem also brought a halt to the debut race for Leon Camier (Aprilia Racing). Ben Spies: “I had some good parts of the race and some bad ones. We made a lot of very small mistakes, but I was taking care to make it easy when I had the cushion. I didn’t take advantage of it and almost ruined the lead because they all came back to me. On the last lap I made another mistake and I knew that with me running wide, he probably went in a little bit tighter than normal and I would get him on the outside. It paid off!” Noriyuki Haga: “If only I had one more lap something would have happened for sure! I made a mistake at the start because there was some problem with the bike. I just gained in the middle of the race in the top 3 and tried to start pushing. On the last lap I was thinking that Ben would make a mistake somewhere for sure and then he did at one corner. I almost passed but we made a good race anyway.” Max Biaggi: “I give it my best but I saw that Ben could do high 38s in the warm-up and that was very difficult for us. During the first part of the race I pushed hard and had a good tyre, I was fast in some parts of the track but not in others. But overall I’m near maximum. Then I made a mistake when Nori came, I put a wrong gear and he overtook me, but overall Aprilia and myself made a very good race.” Results: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 37’57.110 (160,392 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 0.181; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 5.009; 4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 16.347; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 22.622; 6. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 24.948; 7. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 27.144; 8. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 27.578; 9. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 28.486; 10. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 28.716; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 52.680; 12. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’01.372 ; 13. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’05.123; 14. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’05.483; 15. Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1 1’05.672; 16. Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’29.284 Race 2 Haga made amends in the second race, the Ducati Xerox man dominating almost from start to finish after a much better start. Haga got the better of Biaggi on the opening lap and then held the pace right until the end for his eighth win of the season. Spies this time could only struggle to fourth after encountering tyre problems. Biaggi had a great scrap with Rea for second, while Haslam put in another solid performance to take his Stiggy Racing Honda to another fifth. The two Suzukis went quite well at the French circuit, with both riders finishing in the top 10, Yukio Kagayama sixth and Karl Muggeridge eighth, but BMW could only bring their men home in tenth (Corser) and twelfth (Xaus). Fabrizio had another rather unconvincing run, the Italian crashing out while trying to pass Byrne and then remounting to finish in thirteenth place. Noriyuki Haga: “For sure this is an important win for me. Especially after Nurburgring I don’t sleep every night because I am always thinking about the position in the championship. I’m really happy with this second place and win, my chief engineer made a good setting for race 2 and the feeling was good for race pace distance. I couldn’t make an advantage from Max and Johnny but concentrated on the last laps to take this win, which gave the Manufacturers’ title to Ducati.” Max Biaggi: “I’m very happy and it was a very hard race. From the beginning everyone was fast, the top 4 or 5 were at a very similar pace. I had a good rhythm, I followed Nori, he looked very confident, I was wondering if he could keep the pace until the end and I got my answer because he was still lapping well. At the start of the race someone ran off the track and a big stone broke my window and I was worried that the radiator was broken. I started to push again and for me it was a good race.” Jonathan Rea: “All weekend we just haven’t been able to put it all together. The bad luck we had in race 1 certainly ruined my rhythm and I had a bit of arm pump at the end because it was hard to jump into a race distance straight away. I rode fantastic at the front and was with those guys until five laps to go but couldn’t hold onto the back of them. The package I had was as strong as in Imola, we’ll go back to the workshop and come back strong at Portimao.” Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 38’00.282 (160,169 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1.480; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 6.024; 4. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 18.135; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 21.236; 6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 23.647; 7. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 23.701; 8. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 24.838; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 31.455; 10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 32.507; 11. Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 37.594; 12. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 44.727; 13. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 49.782; 14. Baiocco M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 50.345; 15. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 56.209; 16. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 58.796 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 67 Supersport After Crutchlow’s crash at Imola, which threw the title race wide-open, the Supersport race at Magny-Cours produced more of the same as Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) paid back the favour by crashing out immediately after passing the Yamaha man. The Irish rider managed to get back on the bike, with his fairing hanging off, but could only finish 13th, a result that leaves the gap between the two at 19 points. Crutchlow now just needs six points at Portimao to claim the Supersport title in his rookie season. The win, after the race had been red-flagged two laps from the end with oil on the track, went to Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com), his first this year and the second in his career. Third place went to Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). There was an exciting scarp for fourth, which went to Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda), who got the better of Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea), Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com). Results: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 32’21.660 (155,389 kph); 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 0.937; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 5.910; 4. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 20.797; 5. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 20.992; 6. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 21.232; 7. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 21.441; 8. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 23.539 Points (after 13 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 230; 2. Laverty 211; 3. Sofuoglu 169: 4. West 117; 5.West 117; 6. Foret 115; 7. Pitt 114; 8. Aitchison 82; 9. McCoy 82; 10. Roccoli 70. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 272; 2. Yamaha 271; 3. Kawasaki 183; 4. Triumph 98; 5. Suzuki 30 Superstock 1000 Two riders were celebrating at the end of the penultimate round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. The win went to Frenchman Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda) in front of his home crowd, while second place gave Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox) the title with one round remaining, giving Ducati their third victory in three seasons. After all the early action, Simeon and Berger then pulled out a gap from the rest of the field. Berger made his move on the penultimate lap, passing the championship leader who settled for the runner-up slot that would give him the title. Third place went to another French rider, Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Yamaha), who capitalized on a crash by Ayrton Badovini (Aprilia JIR) two laps from the end to take the slot. Fourth place went to Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare), who now needs only five points to finish runner-up. Results: 1. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 23’51.110 (155,344 kph); 2. Simeon X. (BEL) Ducati 1098R 1.560; 3. Barrier S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 3.449; 4. Corti C. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 6.677; 5. Mähr R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 8.591; 6. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 14.116; 7. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 14.252; 8. Schouten R. (NED) Yamaha YZF R1 25.881 Points (after 9 of 10 rounds): 1. Simeon 200; 2. Corti 148; 3. Berger 127; 4. Fores 116; 5. Beretta 85; 6. Barrier 83; 7. Jezek 68; 8. Baz 51; 9. Giugliano 43; 10. Savary 39. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 200; 2. Honda 161; 3. Suzuki 150; 4. Kawasaki 116; 5. Yamaha 116; 6. MV Agusta 26; 7. Aprilia 12 Superstock 600 The European Superstock 600 Championship took on a new look at the top of the table after an exciting multi-rider battle for the win in the penultimate round. Danilo Petrucci’s (Yamaha Trasimeno) crash in the early laps and a ride-through penalty for a jump start inflicted on Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha), who eventually finished ninth, hoisted Britain’s Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) to the top of the table with a second place at the flag. Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno) also gained some points with his second successive podium finish, and the standings now see the top 4 separated by just 10 points, with one round remaining. The win went to the young French rider Florian Marino (Race Junior Honda), who got the nod at the final chicane over his fellow countryman Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Yamaha), who actually crashed metres from the line. Imola winner Eddi La Marra (Honda Lorini) could only finish in fifth. Results: 1. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 17’43.671 (149,291 kph); 2. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 0.251; 3. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 0.429; 4. Guittet B. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 0.837; 5. La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 0.953; 6. Bulle L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.942; 7. Morelli N. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 14.016; 8. Kerschbaumer S. (AUT) Yamaha YZF R6 14.368 Points (after 9 of 10 rounds): 1. Rea 138; 2. Petrucci 135; 3. Lonbois 131; 4. Bussolotti 128; 5. La Marra 104; 6. Guarnoni 94; 7. Guittet 71; 8. Kerschbaumer 70; 9. Chmielewski 39; 10. Litjens 38 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Jonathan Rea finished third in today’s second World Superbike championship race at Magny-Cours in France, going some way to make up for a disappointing retirement in race one. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland had shown impressive pace throughout the weekend and started today’s two 23-lap races from second on the grid. However, the first encounter was to prove short-lived as Rea was forced to retire with a mechanical problem. In race two, Rea battled with eventual race winner, Noriyuki Haga, and Max Biaggi, with race one winner, Ben Spies, in hot pursuit. In the closing laps, he dropped off the pace for a safe third place, his sixth podium finish in his rookie SBK season. Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Carlos Checa, struggled to find the right set up for this weekend’s races but rode to a hard-fought sixth place in today’s first encounter. The Spaniard finished ninth in an eventful race two. Jonathan Rea DNF & 3rd All weekend we’ve had a good pace but it just seems that, come the first race, we couldn’t put it together. I’m really sorry for the team because I take a lot of the blame for that. It put me out of my rhythm and then I got a bit of arm pump towards the end of race two. I was running with the guys at the front until about five laps from the end because the package we had here was as strong as at Imola last week. We’ll regroup back at the workshop and come back strong for Portimao. Carlos Checa 6th and 9th Race one was not fantastic but sixth was acceptable after the problems we have had this weekend. In race two I lost 10 seconds at the start, trying to exit the first gear hairpin in second gear, and then I almost crashed at the last chicane. I got caught up in Fabrizio’s crash because I was trying to pass Sykes and then I saw the yellow flags. It was too late to do anything about it and I think Sykes crashed behind me, so I’m sorry for that. Afterwards, I just tried to find a good pace and finish as high as possible. The bike and the team are in good shape I just didn’t have the right level of confidence this weekend. Ronald ten Kate team manager After his problems in race one, at least we finally got a result with Johnny in race two. Both he and the team thoroughly deserved that. Carlos showed some good pace although his results were a little disappointing. We’re all looking forward to Portimao, which suits the characteristics of the CBR1000RR and we had some good results there last year. More, from a press release issued by Team Sterilgarda: Shakey Byrne rode two gritty races thanks to his sheer determination at the Magny Cours circuit today. The English rider got a good start in race 1 but lost a few positions in the first corners. He climbed up a few spots and then engaged in a nice duel with Troy Corser, at the end of which he finished eighth. In race 2, Shakey got a fantastic start to reach sixth place at the end of lap one. He lead a small pack made up of Kagayama and Nieto, who were later joined by Muggeridge and Corser. Byrne kept the lead until the nineteenth lap when the Japanese, riding a factory Suzuki, managed to overtake him. Shakey then tried to recuperate his position and attacked him one last time but the Japanese defended well and finished just a few tenths of a second in front of him. SHANE BYRNE | Ducati 1098R | 8th, 7th: “I had a lot of fun in both races. I’d like to congratulate the team who have done a great job after yesterday when I really didn’t get a good feeling from the front of the bike. In race 2, me and Kagayama kept overtaking each other. I gave it my all in both races but it seemed like the second one was taking forever. Now we’ll end the season at Portimao, on a track where our bike can certainly perform much better”. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager: “We were the best private Ducati in both races yet again which means we’re doing a very good job. Shakey was fantastic today and with these results he ensured his ninth place in the standings, just behind Sykes”. More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Ryuichi Kiyonari crashed out of today’s opening World Superbike race at Magny-Cours in France, breaking his right collarbone and excluding himself from the second race. The Japanese ace broke the same collarbone at a test at the 4.41km French circuit last year, ruling him out of the 2008 races. He also crashed during qualifying on Friday, damaging the shoulder and compounding the injury in this afternoon’s fall. Today’s two races were won by the championship’s main protagonists, Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga, who now head to the final round at Portimao with Haga leading by 10 points. Ryuichi Kiyonari DNF & DNS I am very disappointed because I think we showed that we had some pace on Friday morning. After the crash in the afternoon, I have been in pain for all the sessions but was not feeling too bad for the races today. I was trying to pass Shakey Byrne just before the last chicane, but I think I got a bit close and used too much brake. That was it and I am very sorry for my team and all the hard work they have done for me recently. I will go back to Japan now and have another operation and hopefully I will be OK for Portimao. Ronald ten Kate team manager Of course, it’s very disappointing for Kiyo-san and the whole team. I think he will be happy not to see Magny-Cours for a while as the circuit does not seem to bring him very much luck. There have been glimpses recently of an improvement in the way Kiyo is working with the bike and we hope that that potential can be realised fully in the final races at Portimao. More, from a press release issued by Stiggy Racing Honda: Leon Haslam proved once again his potential in the ultra competitive World Superbike Championship pulling off two impressive race performances, finishing the penultimate races of the 2009 season with two top five finishes at Magny-Cours. Team mate Anthony West made a successful attempt to put some previous disappointing race results behind him by putting in a blistering performance today onboard his Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR taking a hard fought fourth place finish. Leon started race one from a sixth place and quickly moved up to take fourth place on lap one. Falling back to sixth after getting passed by both factory Ducati rider’s Haga and Fabrizio the Englishman immediately felt his rear tyre starting to slide. Haslam had to fight hard throughout the 23 lap race keeping his race pace up but finally crossed the finish-line in fifth place and as the best Honda rider. In race two Leon settled in fifth place charging to catch the leading group in front of him and at the same time keeping Byrne behind him. Despite having some technical issues with his machine Haslam crossed the finish line in fifth place and is currently holding sixth place in the overall Championship standings with just one round remaining of the 2009 WSBK season. Anthony got off to a really good start and put in a hard first couple of laps. Starting from a 16th place on the grid he was up in 10th already on lap three. West quickly found his rhythm and race pace making the same lap times as the front runners. After finally getting past riders who had held him up, Anthony started to push further a couple of laps later he caught up with the group in front of him. Battling for fifth and fourth places West finally took the lead of the four rider group, but just two laps after he fell back down again to a seventh. With only two laps to go the race got stopped due to a crash and as a result, (counting the lap previous to the red flag as final position) Anthony finished today’s race in a well deserved fourth place and moved himself up in the current championship standings to a fifth place. Leon Haslam – Race 1 – 5th, Race 2 13; 5th: 1C;We had a little problem in race one that held us back from the leaders. In race two, in the early part of the race, we had a lot better set-up. But after about lap six or seven the bike was surging a bit so I reset the electronics. A few minor things held us back from challenging for a podium or two but I am pretty happy to get a couple of fifths. 1D; Anthony West 13; 4th: 1C;I was a lot better today and I think it was really just down to my feeling and the nature of this track. The set-up of the bike is still not quite what I want to have but for this track there are a lot of places to pass. I got to the group in front of me off the start pretty easy, but once I got to them it was hard to get away. But I ended up leading them on the final lap and I moved up in the championship. 1D; Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager: “Leon had two great races today. Two strong fifth place finishes and best Honda rider in race one, I can’t be more than satisfied. His good results today have strengthened his sixth place in the championship, closing in on fifth. I hope we can continue this success all the way to the end of the season in the next races at Portimao. I’m very happy with Anthony’s race result, he proved that he is still a force in this Championship. It has been a hard time for him lately and to come back this strong at a track he didn’t know just two days ago is just great. With his fourth place finish today he moved himself up in the championship to a fifth so I’m very pleased with that too.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Parkes Works Hard But Is Luckless At Magny-Cours WSBK, Magny Cours, France, 4 October 2009 Broc Parkes got onto the score sheet at the Magny-Cours WSB race, but had to work hard for his second race points scoring position, having retired in race one. Broc, the lone regular rider in the team this weekend as Makoto Tamada is recovering from a recent concussion, was on for more points in race one, but had to pull in when he found false neutrals while changing gear. His team-mate for the Magny-Cours weekend, Sheridan Morais, was unable to find a set-up which would allow him to challenge for finishes in the races, his cause also not being helped by starting each race from 23rd on the grid. He retired in race one, and was 19th in race two. Weather conditions remained dry in France for the penultimate round of the championship, and the large crowd enjoyed some dramatic action in each 23-lap race. The series now moves to Magny Cours, for the final round of the year, on 25 October. Broc Parkes: “We didn’t have enough grip in the second race. We tried all weekend but we have a bit of work to do to get the bike to where we want to be. In race one we had a false neutral a few times. It was shame because we could have had maybe 11th place in that race and more points, but it wasn’t to be. We came away with one point, but we wanted more.” Sheridan Morais: “That was tough, but to be honest that whole weekend was tough for us. The team worked so hard trying so many different solutions for us, but there was none today at this track. I want to say thanks to the team for all the support, they have been great.” More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports Kawasaki: FRENCH FRUSTRATION FOR PARKES AND MORAIS The penultimate round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours in France saw a weekend of frustration yield just a single point for the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team duo of Broc Parkes and Sheridan Morais today. Aboard the www.supercasino.com, Vent-Axia, Kick Energy and Henleys-backed Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10Rs, both Australian Parkes and South African Morais, who was replacing the injured Makoto Tamada following his crash at Imola last weekend, struggled with handling problems which saw them qualify well down the order in 19th and 23rd place respectively. In the opening race, neither rider saw the chequered flag with Parkes succumbing to gearbox problems on lap ten and Morais following his team mate out three laps later due to handling problems. Race two saw little respite but both riders gamely hung in to record a pair of finishes with Parkes claiming 15th place and with it, one world championship point, whereas Morais battled through the pain barrier of an injured elbow to claim 19th at the flag. Meanwhile, any hopes team owner Paul Bird had of salvaging any success from the weekend disappeared when he was forced to retire from Rally de Espana just three stages from home. Driving the Munchi’s Ford Focus WRC as part of the official Ford World Rally Team, the Penrith driver was making his foreign debut in the World Rally Championship and was holding a steady top twelve place throughout the three-day event based in Salou but his and Northallerton co driver Ian Windress’ event ended when he went off the road on SS15 on the final day. Broc Parkes: “It was a tough weekend from start to finish and I’m really disappointed where we’ve ended up. I pushed to the limit but no matter what we tried it didn’t seem to click into place here at Magny Cours. I struggled with our qualifying tyre so once again had a bad grid position which always makes it hard to make up places. Unlike in previous races we didn’t seem to find a good race pace either so my lap times were quite a way off the top ten guys which is where I aimed to be. In race one we may have ended up in the top twelve if things had gone our way but my bike was slipping into false neutrals which forced me to retire. We changed an engine for race two but unfortunately this did little to improve on our pace and I could only come up with one point for the weekend. Both the team and I have come away knowing that we didn’t achieve what we wanted to so we can only move forward for Portimao.” Sheridan Morais: “I’m disappointed big time this weekend. I was so excited to be racing with the team again but we just couldn’t find a solution to the problems we were having from start to finish despite trying lots of different things on the bike set-up. The whole team and I were hoping to recapture some of my previous success and pace from races like Kyalami and Brands Hatch BSB but it wasn’t to be. Despite the struggles I had this weekend it was still a good experience for me to race against these guys. It’s very, very tough and competitive at this level and I want to thank the team for allowing me to fill in for Makoto, I wish them the very best for their last race of the season in Portimao.” Paul Risbridger, Team Manager: “There aren’t many positive points we can take away from this weekend aside from the fact that we escaped without any crashes which has been our misfortune in quite a few races gone by. We had higher expectations for Magny-Cours and hoped to improve on our pace from Imola but we really struggled with set-up from beginning to end. We would have come away from race one in the points had we finished the race but both bikes had technical problems. In race two we weren’t able to close the gap as our race pace hadn’t improved so we only managed one point all weekend. We look forward to Portimao and the return of Makoto to finish the season on a higher note.” The final round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship takes place on October 23/25 at Portimao in Portugal. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: DUCATI SNATCHES THE WORLD SUPERBIKE CONSTRUCTORS TITLE FOR THE 16TH TIME; HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) REGAINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD Magny-Cours (France), Sunday 4th October 2009: this afternoon on the French track of Magny-Cours, Noriyuki Haga took a fantastic Race 2 win on board his Ducati 1198, coming straight after his second place finish in the first race. With these results, Noriyuki regains the championship lead with an advantage of ten points over Spies (Yamaha). At the end of this, the penultimate round, and thanks to today’s two podiums, Ducati celebrates winning its sixteenth Constructors title in the World Superbike Championship. This was not the only success of the day as this morning the Belgian rider Xavier Simeon and the Ducati Xerox Junior Team won both the riders and constructors titles in the Superstock 1000 championship. A spectacular first race in which the two championship leaders Haga and Spies battled it out for the victory until the final corners of the last lap. For the first fifteen laps Noriyuki was hot on the heels of Biaggi but found it hard to get past him. Finally, during the sixteenth lap of twenty-three, he made his move and got ahead of Max to move into second position, immediately turning his attention to closing the gap of more than a second that had opened between himself and race leader Spies. On the very last lap Nori had caught the American and when the latter made a mistake entering a corner, Nori took the opportunity to get up alongside Ben but unfortunately he couldn’t hold the line into the next corner and so it was Spies on the Yamaha to cross the line first, just 0.181 of a second ahead of Haga. Fabrizio did not made a good start and then had to work to pass Haslam on the Honda. By the time he managed this, during the course of the fourth lap, the gap between himself and the leaders was already fairly large and it was impossible to catch up. Michel concluded the race in a solid fourth place, 5 seconds behind Biaggi and 11 seconds ahead of Haslam. In Race 2 Noriyuki made a blazing start and after a few corners he got straight past Biaggi to take the race lead, closely followed by both Biaggi on the Aprilia and Rea on the Honda. Haga pushed hard from the start but was unable to shake the chasing pair. In this race however, it was the Japanese rider who was the stronger competitor and, aware of the importance of the points, he continued to push to ensure himself of the win, his eighth of the season. Fabrizio unfortunately fell on lap three, having erred while braking at the end of the straight. He managed to rejoin the race and subsequently made a good recovery, moving up from last position to thirteenth and thus gaining two points. Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 2nd , Race 2 – winner) In Race 1 I really enjoyed myself, it was a fantastic race. I didn’t make the best start and then it took a lot of laps before I was able to pass Max. Once I got past him I realized I didn’t have many laps left in which to catch Ben; if I’d had just one extra lap, I think I’d have won. On the last lap I was waiting for Ben to make a mistake and when he did so, I managed to get up alongside him but unfortunately the next corner worked in his favour and he got past me. Then, in the second race, we made some small changes to my bike and they worked, giving me more confidence. This victory is truly a great result as we have regained a small advantage. I am also extremely pleased that my results have awarded us the Constructors title. Thanks to Ducati and to my race engineer Ernesto Marinelli for giving me a great bike for Race 2; and to the whole Ducati Xerox team because my first year in Ducati is fantastic. Now we go to Portimao where Ben and I will fight for the 2009 title I can’t wait.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 4th , Race 2 13°) “Obviously I’m very disappointed by my results today; I hoped to do a lot better. In Race 1 I wasn’t able to catch the leading group and finished in fourth which isn’t bad but I would have liked to be on the podium. My bad start in the second race conditioned the outcome, I tried to catch up quickly so as not to lose the leaders as I’d done in Race 1 but unfortunately I messed up my braking at the end of the straight and lost the front. I am very sorry because I think I could have got past Spies, giving Nori a couple more points. My compliments go to Nori because he was very strong today and deserved the win.” Gabriele Del Torchio (President of Ducati) “Today was a great sporting day for Ducati and the results demonstrate once again that technology, combined with the passion and determination of those who “never give up”, allow us to achieve important goals such as today’s victories. A big thank you to the entire factory and to everyone in Ducati Corse. Thanks to the Superbike team that gives us our sixteenth World title, and to the Junior Team that, for the third consecutive year, has won the Superstock 1000 Championship, confirming the technological supremacy of the Ducati 1198, a winner right from its debut. I would like to dedicate these victories to the entire family of Ducatisti, who, with their passion and enthusiasm, support us in our decisions and in our endeavours, whether the outcomes are good or bad. If we are World Champions, it is thanks to each and every one of them.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: French World Superbike at Magny-Cours Sunday 4 October 2009 World Superbike and World Supersport race report Crowd: 81,000 claimed all weekend Temperature Air – 15 to 20°C Ground – 19 to 28°C REA FAST AND ON THE PODIUM AT PENULTIMATE ROUND Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) capitalised on his second place grid position in today’s second race to secure a podium finish at Magny-Cours, after being forced out of the first race. In no scoring and then finishing third today he is now fifth in the championship, with only the final round in Portimao to come, on October 25. Rea was contesting the leading positions in each 23-lap Magny-Cours race, but in the first it was up to Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) to finally secure the top Honda scoring position of fifth, a result he would repeat in race two. Leon is now sixth overall, 38 points behind Rea. Haslam had qualified sixth in Superpole. Only 12th in qualifying, Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) posted a fine sixth in race one, but was ninth in race two, after some moments of drama. He is now on 200 points exactly, in overall seventh place, 24 points ahead of the following rider. The Magny-Cours races were won by first Ben Spies and then Noriyuki Haga, leaving those two riders to dispute the title itself at the final round. Haga is currently on 436 points, Spies on 426. A tough weekend for Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) saw him qualify down in 17th place, only reaching Superpole one, and then he fell in race one today, breaking his collarbone again. In his first WSB race Italian rider Flavio Gentile (Althea Honda CBR1000RR) qualified 25th and raced to 17th in race one, but hurt his shoulder and arm in the process, dropping himself out of contention for a ride in race two. He will now race WSS at Portimao, with regular rider Matthieu Lagrive coming back into the Superbike set-up. Laverty Drops Points After Crash In France Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) had to work hard to qualify fourth for the race at Magny-Cours but after a fall on lap 12 of the race he had to work equally hard just to score points, finishing 13th after re-starting well down the order. With his championship rival Cal Crutchlow netting second today, behind race winner Joan Lascorz, Laverty is now 19 points from the lead in the championship chase, with one round remaining. In Portugal next time out, on 25 October, Laverty has to score second or better, and also his final result will be dependant on where Crutchlow finishes. The race itself was red-flagged because of a crash and subsequent oil spill, and was counted back to the 19th lap of the planned 22, leaving Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) third in the race, mimicking his qualifying position. He is also still third in the overall classification, eight points ahead of Lascorz. A great recovery from 16th on the grid to fourth in the race put Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) into fifth place in the championship, leaving him a single point ahead of crasher Fabien Foret and sixth place finisher Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), who moved up from ninth on the grid. Pitt was a factor throughout in the battle for fourth place, having found settings that allowed him more confidence in his front end. Mark Aitchison (Althea Honda CBR600RR) made an imperfect tyre choice, but still went from the back of the second row to fifth in the race classification, and eighth in the championship. For Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) 13th on the grid became 12th in the race, but for Matthieu Lagrive (Honda Althea CBR600RR) his return to WSS racing was a top ten effort, ninth, and two places better than qualifying. RIDER COMMENTS Jonathan Rea: “All weekend we’ve had a good pace but it just seems that, come the first race, we couldn’t put it together. I was having a few problems with the front end in race two so I felt It was better not to risk a crash and nurse the bike home for a podium and the points. I just couldn’t go with Nori and Max at the end. The guys have done a great job in the workshop recently so I want to take this momentum to Portimao, I really love that track.” Leon Haslam: “We had a little problem in race one that held us back from the leaders. In race two, in the early part of the race, we had a lot better set-up. But after about lap six or seven the bike was surging a bit so I reset the electronics. A few minor things held us back from challenging for a podium or two today but I am pretty happy to get a couple of fifths.” Carlos Checa: “Race one was not fantastic but sixth was acceptable after the problems we have had this weekend. In race two I lost 10 seconds at the start, trying to exit the first gear hairpin in second gear, and then I almost crashed at the last chicane. I got caught up in Fabrizio’s crash because I was trying to pass Sykes and then I saw the yellow flags. It was too late to do anything about it and I think Sykes crashed behind me, so I’m sorry for that. Afterwards, I just tried to find a good pace and finish as high as possible. The bike and the team are in good shape I just didn’t have the right level of confidence this weekend.” Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I am very disappointed because I think we showed that we had some pace on Friday morning. After the crash in the afternoon, I have been in pain for all the sessions but was not feeling too bad for the races today. I was trying to pass Shakey Byrne just before the last chicane, but I think I got a bit close and used too much brake. I will go back to Japan now and have another operation and hopefully I will be OK for Portimao.” Flavio Gentile: “In race one my start was not so good however I did my best to push hard to recover some positions. After a few laps I gained a better feeling with my bike and also my race pace was pretty good. Unfortunately near the middle of the race exiting from a curve I was kicked from the saddle and I started to feel a lot of pain on my right arm. I was able to end the race but it was impossible for me to start for the second race.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty: “We were going well, and at the point just before my crash I thought I could go for it, and pass Joan in the straights were our engine was stronger. He was stronger in the corners today and under brakes. My plan was to make Lascorz a buffer between me and Cal, because we had a bit more pace than Lascorz on the straight. But the fuel load was coming down and it took a bit of a weight off the front and that was it. We’re 19 points behind but it is still all to play for.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “My start was OK but then Crutchlow forced me off the track on the back straight and I nearly crashed. I don’t think it was deliberate but I had to fight my way back from there. I made some mistakes and didn’t really have the pace to challenge the riders ahead of me so third was the best I could do. We will try to come back strong at the final round in Portimao and finish the season with a win.” Andrew Pitt: “The red flags didn’t exactly come out at the right time for me. I’d been in a good battle with West and Aitchison and had just got past them and was making a bit of a break when they stopped the race. We still have some problems with stability entering the turns and the rear trying to push the bike straight on. Because of that, I was struggling to match the pace of the guys up front but the bike is still a heap better than it was a few races back.” Anthony West: “I was a lot better today and I think it was really just down to my feeling and the nature of this track. The set-up of the bike is still not quite what I want to have but for this track there are a lot of places to pass. I got to the group in front of me off the start pretty easy, but once I got to them it was hard to get away. But I ended up leading them on the final lap, and I moved up in the championship.” Miguel Praia: “My start was not so bad but I was blocked at the last hairpin by another rider out-braking himself and then lost four places on the opening lap. In the beginning I couldn’t do the lap times I expected but after half distance I was comfortable and able to go faster. We are 15th in the Championship now which was our start of season goal which is good.” Mark Aitchison: “That was a very difficult race for me. My start was pretty good but after only three or four laps I realized that the tyre we chose for today was completely wrong. Starting from the middle of the race I started to find a good rhythm but it was very difficult to push with the rear tyre because I had no grip. I’m a little bit disappointed for that because I think we could have made a better race. I fought very hard for fourth position but the race was red flagged with two laps to go.” Matthieu Lagrive: “I’m not satisfied with my result today because it was my home race, but I crashed twice yesterday and also this morning during the warm up. I did not push too hard because I wanted to finish the race. It was a difficult weekend and it was hard to adapt my riding style to a Supersport bike again. My final ninth position was not too bad.” Results SUPERSPORT Race : (Laps 19 = 83,809 Km) Pos / Rider / Nat. / Team / Time / Gap 1 / J. LASCORZ / ESP / Kawasaki ZX-6R / Kawasaki Motocard.com / 32’21.660 2 / C. CRUTCHLOW / GBR / Team Yamaha YZF R6 / Yamaha World Supersport Team / 0.937 3 / K. SOFUOGLU / TUR / Honda CBR600RR / HANNspree Ten Kate Honda / 5.910 4 / A. WEST / AUS / Honda CBR600RR / Stiggy Racing Honda / 20.797 5 / M. AITCHISON / AUS / Honda CBR600RR / Honda Althea Racing / 20.992 6 / A. PITT / AUS / Honda CBR600RR / HANNspree Ten Kate Honda / 21.232 7 / K. FUJIWARA / JPN / Kawasaki ZX-6R / Kawasaki Motocard.com / 21.441 8 / M. ROCCOLI / ITA / Honda CBR600RR / Intermoto Czech / 23.539 9 / M. LAGRIVE / FRA / Honda CBR600RR / Honda Althea Racing / 24.654 10 / M. PIRRO / ITA / Yamaha YZF R6 / Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni / 35.848 11 / O. FOUR / FRA / Honda CBR600RR / Intermoto Czech / 36.243 12 / M. PRAIA / POR / Honda CBR600RR / Parkalgar Honda / 36.803 13 / E. LAVERTY / IRL / Honda CBR600RR / Parkalgar Honda / 52.022 14 / K. COGHLAN / GBR / Yamaha YZF R6 / Holiday Gym Racing / 55.274 15 / A. VOS / NED / Honda CBR600RR / Veidec Racing RES Software / 55.831 Fastest Lap 14° Cal Crutchlow 1’41.407 156,593 Km/h Lap Record: 2008 Broc Parkes 1’42.593 154,780 Km/h Best Lap: 2009 Cal Crutchlow 1’40.980 157,250 Km/h Riders Championship Standings: 1 CRUTCHLOW 230, 2 LAVERTY 211, 3 SOFUOGLU 169, 4 LASCORZ 163, 5 WEST 117, 6 FORET 115, 7 PITT 114, 8 AITCHISON 82, 9 MCCOY 82, 10 ROCCOLI 70, 11 FUJIWARA 70, 12 PIRRO 60, 13 VENEMAN 51, 14 LAGRIVE 45, 15 PRAIA 34. SUPERBIKE Race 1 : (Laps 23 = 101,453 Km) Pos / Rider / Nat. / Team / Gap 1 / B. SPIES / USA / Yamaha YZF R1 / Yamaha WSB / 37’57.110 2 / N. HAGA / JPN / Ducati 1098R / Ducati Xerox Team / 0.181 3 / M. BIAGGI / ITA / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / Aprilia Racing / 5.009 4 / M. FABRIZIO / ITA / Ducati 1098R / Ducati Xerox Team / 16.347 5 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Honda CBR1000RR / Stiggy Racing Honda / 22.622 6 / C. CHECA / ESP / Honda CBR1000RR / HANNspree Ten Kate Honda / 24.948 7 / Y. KAGAYAMA / JPN / Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 / Team Suzuki Alstare / 27.144 8 / S. BYRNE / GBR / Ducati 1098R / Sterilgarda / 27.578 9 / T. CORSER / AUS / BMW S1000 RR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / 28.486 10 / J. SMRZ / CZE / Ducati 1098R / Guandalini Racing / 28.716 11 / R. XAUS / ESP / BMW S1000 RR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / 52.680 12 / M. BAIOCCO / ITA / Ducati 1098R / Guandalini Racing / 1’01.372 13 / L. SCASSA / ITA / Kawasaki ZX 10R / Team Pedercini / 1’05.123 14 / D. SALOM / ESP / Kawasaki ZX 10R / Team Pedercini / 1’05.483 15 / D. CHECA / ESP / Yamaha YZF R1 / Yamaha France GMT 94 Ipone / 1’05.672 Fastest Lap 21° Noriyuki Haga 1’38.619 161,020 Km/h Race 2: (Laps 23 = 101,453 Km) Pos / Rider / Nat. / Team / Gap 1 / N. HAGA / JPN / Ducati 1098R / Ducati Xerox Team / 38’00.282 2 / M. BIAGGI / ITA / Aprilia RSV4 Factory / Aprilia Racing / 1.480 3 / J. REA / GBR / Honda CBR1000RR / HANNspree Ten Kate Honda / 6.024 4 / B. SPIES / USA / Yamaha YZF R1 / Yamaha WSB / 18.135 5 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Honda CBR1000RR / Stiggy Racing Honda / 21.236 6 / Y. KAGAYAMA / JPN / Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 / Team Suzuki Alstare / 23.647 7 / S. BYRNE / GBR / Ducati 1098R / Sterilgarda / 23.701 8 / K. MUGGERIDGE / AUS / Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 / Team Suzuki Alstare / 24.838 9 / C. CHECA / ESP / Honda CBR1000RR / HANNspree Ten Kate Honda / 31.455 10 / T. CORSER / AUS / BMW S1000 RR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / 32.507 11 / F. NIETO / ESP / Ducati 1098R / DFX Corse / 37.594 12 / R. XAUS / ESP / BMW S1000 RR / BMW Motorrad Motorsport / 44.727 13 / M. FABRIZIO / ITA / Ducati 1098R / Ducati Xerox Team / 49.782 14 / M. BAIOCCO / ITA / Ducati 1098R / Guandalini Racing / 50.345 15 / B. PARKES / AUS / Kawasaki ZX 10R / Kawasaki World Superbike R. / 56.209 Fastest Lap 14° Jonathan Rea 1’38.662 160,950 Km/h Lap Record: 2009 Noriyuki Haga 1’38.619 161,020 Km/h Best Lap: 2009 Ben Spies 1’37.709 162,520 Km/h Riders Championship Standings: 1 HAGA 436, 2 SPIES 426, 3 FABRIZIO 346, 4 BIAGGI 293, 5 REA 279, 6 HASLAM 241, 7 CHECA 200, 8 SYKES 176, 9 BYRNE 166, 10 SMRZ 161, 11 KIYONARI 141, 12 KAGAYAMA 123, 13 CORSER 89, 14 NAKANO 86, 15 LACONI 77. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: TOP TENS FORE TROY. RUBEN CLOSE BEHIND. A day of hard graft in Magny-Cours today, saw Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser grab a pair of top ten finishes. He finished ninth in race one and tenth in race two, and left the 4.411kilometre circuit satisfied, but not entirely happy. His team mate Ruben Xaus continued to fight his pain and was rewarded for his efforts by a strong 11th in race one and a 12th in race two. Today’s race wins were once again split between American Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga (Ducati). Spies won the opener, with Haga second and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) third. Behind Haga in race two was Biaggi, with Jonathan Rea (Honda) third. Troy – Race 1: 9th, Race 2: 10th The bike’s progress continues every time we go out – and that’s good news. The improvement is steady, but I guess both Ruben and I would like much more – but then we are racers! My results today are OK and I supposed it’s probably what was expected, but I am a little disappointed because we are so close to a great result and I’d like it to happen sooner, instead of later. This weekend the bike wanted to wheelspin and wheelie and we have to control these things if we want to progress more quickly. My crew chief told me that my race distance time today would have been good enough to win the race last year! That surprises me, but it shows just how competitive the series is this year and the strength of our rivals. Ruben – Race 1: 11th, Race 2 :12th Sometimes racing is a bit frustrating and today was a bit like that. Our bike has a big potential and we are working hard to realise that potential and challenge the leaders more often. It’s a bit frustrating because Troy and I realise that there’s so much more to come from the bike and we want it now. Clearly, I am not fully fit at the moment, so to finish 11th and 12th in my condition shows that the bike is a very good one. Today I had some small problem keeping the bike on the line that I wanted. This was my first four cylinder race at Magny and that, together with my physical condition, meant that I would always be playing catch-up today. Now I’m looking forward to going back to my physio and getting fitter and stronger for Portimao. Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director) It is good to have both our riders back together again and I am happy that our progress continues. Both riders did perfect jobs in this very competitive series. Our goal for the year was the Top 10 and I’m happy that we are on target and now we’re all looking for ward to the next step which should be in Portimao. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: KAGAYAMA GRABS EQUAL-BEST RESULT OF SEASON Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama enjoyed his best World Superbike race weekend this season today at Magny Cours in France since the opening round in Australia in March and is looking forward to further improvement in the next round in Portimao in three weeks time. His team mate Karl Muggeridge had a slow-speed tumble in race one, but then made amends by posting a solid eighth position in race two. Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) took a win apiece to leave Haga leading the championship by just 10 points. Spies won today’s first race, with Haga second and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) third. Haga got his revenge in race two with Biaggi second and Jonathan Rea (Honda) third. Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 6th: “Today my results were the best they have been for a long time, but I want more. The progress the bike has made on its new suspension has been good, but again, I want more. There have been some not so fun times this season, but at Imola last week and here in Magny-Cours, I am enjoying being a racer again. The settings we used on the bike today were the best they have been this weekend, so a big thank you to my team for doing a good job. There were still some problems with rear grip, but I hope that we can solve this problem in Portimao. I am looking forward to continuing the good progress there and ending the season on a high.” Karl Muggeridge – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 8th: “I suppose the crash in race one was probably my mistake: It was early in the race and the fuel tank was full and I must have got in a bit too hot and lost the front. Maybe because of this, I rode a bit tentatively at the beginning of race two and it took me a bit of time to get going properly. My bike was OK on the fast sweepers, but it struggled for grip on the slow, small corners and I reckon that cost me about four-to-five-tenths-of-a-second each lap. I am getting more used to the bike every time out and feel we are making good progress with it and the new suspension. Hopefully, I will have another chance in the next round, but I’ll wait and see on that.” World Superbike Results: Race 1: 1 Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Haga (JPN-Ducati), 3 Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 4 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 5 Haslam (GBR-Honda), 6 C Checa (ESP-Honda), 7 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare). Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Suzuki Alstare) DNF. Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Biaggi, 3 Rea (GBR-Honda), 4 Spies, 5 Haslam, 6 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare). 8 Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Suzuki Alstare). WSB Points: 1 Haga 436, 2 Spies 426, 3 Fabrizio 346, 4 Biaggi 293, 5 Rea 279, 6 Haslam 241. 12 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare) 123. 21 Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Suzuki Alstare) 21. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Team Suzuki Alstare rider Claudio Corti took fourth place in the ninth round of this year’s Superstock 1000 FIM Cup at Magny-Cours, but Xavi Simeon (Ducati) took second and with it, the title. Corti’s team cured most of yesterday’s vibration problems by making changes to the front suspension, and the result was better, but not perfect. Maxime Berger (Honda) won today’s 14-lap race with Simeon second and Sylvain Barrier (Yamaha) third. Claudio Corti – 4th: “My bike was better than yesterday. The front end was better but maybe the rear was a bit too hard because the bike was spinning a bit. I made a good start and was second, behind Barrier, before Simeon took over the lead on lap two. I was then involved in a fight with Badovini, Berger, with Simeon and Barrier just ahead. I did my best, but could not find a way to get past and stay in front of Badovini and Berger. Badovini’s crash meant that I moved up to fourth, with two laps left and that’s where I stayed. I want to congratulate Simeon on the title and would like to get my revenge by winning the last race in Portimao.” Superstock 1000 results: 1 Berger (FRA-Honda), 2 Simeon (BEL-Ducati), 3 Barrier (FRA-Yamaha), 4 Claudio Corti (ITA-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Mahr (AUT-Suzuki), 6 Baz (FRA-Yamaha). Championship Points: 1 Simeon 200, 2 Claudio Corti (ITA-Suzuki Alstare) 148, 3 Berger 127, 4 Fores 116, 5 Beretta 85, 6 Barrier 83. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: PAIR OF TOP TENS FOR TROY Troy took a pair of hard-fought for top ten finishes in the thirteenth round of the Superbike World Championship in Magny-Cours today, but is eager to break into the top six before the season ends in Portimao on 25th October. Troy suffered none of the brake problems that beset him in Imola last weekend and continued to work on developing the S 1000 RR in preparation for next year. Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) took a win apiece today, to leave Haga leading the championship by just ten points. Spies won today’s first race, with Haga second and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) third. Haga got his revenge in race two, with Biaggi second and Jonathan Rea (Honda) third. Troy – Race 1: 9th, Race 2: 10th In a way there’s nothing to get too excited about a pair of top ten finishes, but I guess that’s what the expectations are and that’s what we got. After a few laps, I was going as fast as the leaders, but they had already made a break and it was impossible to catch them up. This season is so competitive, that once you have lost a gap, you can lap as fast as the leaders, but still not make any headway. My crew chief Tom told me that my race distance time today would have been good enough to win the race last year! For sure, the bike is improving steadily and there’s another step to come in Portimao, but what’s a little frustrating is that the bike has potential and we are not able to extract that potential as fast as Ruben and I would like. Everybody is working as hard as the can and we are getting there, but some patience is required at the moment. Our next task is to control some of the wheelspinning and wheelies we are getting. If we can get that sorted out and get the power on the ground, we’ll be flying! More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Spies takes another race victory in drama filled Magny Cours It was yet another tough race weekend for Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies at Magny Cours today. The penultimate round of the 2009 championship saw Spies take one race victory, and then hang on desperately for points with a front tyre that struggled to perform in race two. The American rider took the lead from the start of the first race, hotly pursued by championship rival Noriyuki Haga. Spies held onto the lead until the last lap, where Haga managed to pass. His lead was short lived however as Spies retook the front position a few seconds later to cross the line and claim his 13th win of the season. Race two saw him off the line into third chasing Biaggi and Haga into the first corner. It soon became apparent that Spies was finding it hard to lay down power in the corners, as his front tyre hampered his attack. Rea made a pass at the end of the first lap dropping Ben to fourth, a position he managed to hold until the line, despite dropping nearly a second a lap from the front group over the last few laps of the race. Tom Sykes endured a disastrous race day; the second lap of the first race saw the rider over brake slightly, causing a huge crash sending his bike catapulting down the track, narrowly missing him. Sykes was uninjured barring a small break to his right little finger, so rejoined for race two. Unfortunately on the second lap of the second race, a yellow flag caused rider Carlos Checa a moment of indecision, resulting in him running too hot into Sykes at the hairpin and taking him out. Fortunately he has just a bruised shoulder but will be fit for the Portimao races. Spies now heads into the final two races at the Portimao circuit with 426 points, trailing championship leader Haga on 436 by ten points. A double win in Portugal will secure the title for the all-time greatest rookie in the series. Team mate Tom Sykes remains in eighth position heading to the last round, on 176 points and trailing seventh placed rider Checa by 24 points. Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team, (1st, 4th) “The whole first race had some good parts and bad ones. We made some small mistakes, costing us a tenth here and a tenth there letting the riders come back and not really taking advantage of the lead. I made a mistake on the last lap and let Nori through, so I had to get on the outside and get back past. Honestly I’m just super disappointed with the second race. We made a rear tyre choice which was neither better nor worse, but the front tyre we had on in the second race was hard to go at a pace with. I was consistently half a second off what we were doing in practice. I’m honestly surprised we didn’t finish in tenth with the way the bike felt. Even if we had won today we would still go to Portimao having to win both races so it doesn’t really change too much.” Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team, (DNF, DNF) “race one I made a bit of a mistake, I went for the brake lever and it was just a touch further out than I normally have it so my initial brake pressure was really strong and I knew that, but I had a split second and I lost the front and couldn’t save it. It was a massive crash and I was lucky to get away with it. For race two we changed the rear tyre, which I wasn’t convinced was the right one but we went with anyway, unfortunately I was proved right and was struggling with it. Before I could do anything, going into the hairpin Carlos Checa made a big mistake and I got caught up in that and landed badly, pulling the muscles in my shoulder. Luckily nothing broken, so a weekend to forget, and I’m looking forward to something better in Portimao.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager “We won the first race, and we were thinking we would catch up some more points to Nori in the second. Something went wrong, unfortunately outside of our control, and there was nothing Ben could do to ride round it. We are going to Portimao with just one target, to win both races, which I think is possible. Tom had a really bad weekend with three crashes, I’m sorry for him as he was trying really hard to get results and unfortunately for him everything went wrong. We will see what happens in Portugal.”