FIM Superbike World Championship Autodromo Algarve Portimao, Portugal November 2, 2008 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 1098 F08), 22 laps, 38:26.125 2. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F08), -3.638 seconds 3. Leon HASLAM (Honda CBR1000RR), -4.356 4. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -4.983 5. Fonsi NIETO (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -6.775 6. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -7.403 7. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -7.578 8. Gregorio LAVILLA (Honda CBR1000RR), -16.113 9. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Honda CBR1000RR), -16.284 10. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -16.446 11. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), -21.633 12. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098 RS08), -22.098 13. Max BIAGGI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -24.089 14. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -24.117, jump start/ride-through penalty 15. Jonathan REA (Honda CBR1000RR), -31.003, ran off track 16. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -31.136 17. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yamaha YZF-R1), -31.330 18. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -32.272 19. Chris WALKER (Honda CBR1000RR), -34.049 20. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R1), -35.028 21. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -41.669 22. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -44.889 23. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -47.366 24. Makoto TAMADA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -48.733 25. Tom BRIDEWELL (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -67.702 26. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda CBR1000RR), -74.242 27. Luca SCASSA (Honda CBR1000RR), -94.781 28. Luis CARREIRA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -97.326 29. Christian ZAISER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1 lap 30. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -12 laps, DNF, retired 31. Ruben XAUS (Ducati 1098 RS08), -13 laps, DNF, crash Championship Point Standings (after 28 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 460 points 2. Corser, 342 3. Haga, 327 4. Carlos, Checa, 313 5. Neukirchner, 311 6. Nieto, 256 7. Biaggi, 238 8. Fabrizio, 223 9. Kiyonari, 206 10. Xaus, 178 11. Kagayama, 154 12. Lavilla, 135 13. Smrz, 120 14. Lorenzo Lanzi, 109 15. Muggeridge, 77 16. Laconi, 61 17. Rolfo, 59 18. Sofuoglu, 54 19. Nakatomi, 51 20. Tamada, 41 21. Tom Sykes, 35 22. Haslam, 33 23. Crutchlow, 27 24. Badonivini, 24 25. James Ellison, 19 26. TIE, Rea/Russel Holland, 14 28. TIE, David Checa/Gimbert, 12 30. TIE, Aoyama/Walker, 5 32. Niccolo Camepa, 3 33. Michael Beck, 1 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Carlos Checa took an impressive second place in today’s opening World Superbike race at Portimao in Portugal, while his new team-mate, Jonathan Rea, finished in fourth place in his World Superbike debut. Both races were won by Ducati’s Troy Bayliss, who will now retire from racing. Starting from 11th place on the grid, Checa worked his way steadily through the field in the opening 22-lap encounter at the all-new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve to take his first podium since his double win in the USA in May. In race, two he looked set for a second podium finish when fellow Spaniard, Ruben Xaus, crashed directly in front of him, dropping Checa back down the field to seventh. For Jonathan Rea, a front row grid position led to good starts in both races. The 21-year-old signalled his intentions for 2009 by battling with more established World Superbike riders and eventually finishing just off the podium. He was unable to repeat his performance in race two, being forced wide at turn one on lap 10. Rea rejoined in eighteenth place but fought back to fifteenth at the flag. The team’s third rider, Ryuichi Kiyonari, started from 19th on the grid after difficulties during qualifying. The Japanese ace was able to match the leading riders’ lap times, however, as he got to grips with the new circuit. He finished in eighth in race one and 11th in race two. Carlos Checa 2nd and 7th Overall I am satisfied with the weekend’s performance. We had some problems during qualifying but I was able to start well and had a great feeling from the bike in race one. In the second race, everything felt good again and I was able to fight my way to the front. Unfortunately, things happened that were beyond our control, but this track is fantastic because, in the tarmac run-off, I was able to avoid first Ruben and then his bike. When Dani Pedrosa crashes in front of you, you hardly notice. But when Ruben crashes in front of you, you can hardly see the track it is just arms and legs everywhere! Jonathan Rea 4th and 15th It’s been OK for a first weekend on the superbike and I managed to get back into the groove OK. In the second race, I got forced wide and ended up back in eighteenth. But I was strong enough to get back to fifteenth and to take fourth in race one was mega. Big thanks to both my supersport and superbike teams for making the transition so easy for me and to hold on to second place in the World Supersport championship today was fantastic. I can’t wait to start testing in South Africa next month for next season. Ryuichi Kiyonari 8th and 11th It’s been a difficult weekend, mostly because it has taken me too long to learn the track. Race one was OK though and I felt more comfortable. In the second race the bike felt better and I was happy to push a bit harder to catch the groups in front. But I pushed a bit too hard and nearly highsided twice. Ronald ten Kate team manager It’s been a good day for us really. When Xaus crashed in front of Carlos, he was unlucky to be forced off the track but lucky to be able to avoid the mess and it clearly cost him another podium. Jonathan did very well for his debut weekend, although a small mistake in race two cost him another top five finish. It was a bit of a struggle for Kiyo but that was mostly due to the problems he had learning the track, but all in all I am very satisfied and cannot wait for next season to start. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: PERFECT END TO TROY BAYLISS’ CAREER WITH TWO FINAL SUPERBIKE WINS AT PORTIMAO Portimao (Portugal), Sunday 2nd November 2008: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) today took part in his last ever Superbike races at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and triumphed in both Race 1 and Race 2 on board his Ducati 1098 F08, taking in dominant style the 51st and 52nd Superbike wins of his career, his third double win of the 2008 season. Troy Bayliss, three times World Superbike champion in 2001, 2006 and 2008 today retires from Superbike racing and celebrates a career that has seen him tally up a total of 52 race wins and 26 poles over nine seasons, 11 of the race wins achieved during this 2008 season. He concludes the 2008 season with an 118-point advantage over second-placed rider Corser. Ducati, who took the manufacturers title at the last round in Magny-Cours, finish with an 83 point advantage over second-placed constructor Yamaha. In Race 1 Troy got a flying start and led from the start. The chasing pack fought it out behind him, allowing Troy to build up a significant lead and, although tyre wear was beginning to affect his performance in the final stages, no-one could catch the Australian champion and he thus took a comfortable win. Unfortunately Ducati Xerox team-mate Michel Fabrizio came off in the opening lap, ending his race before it ever really began. Race 2 again saw Troy get off to a blistering start and, with his bike set-up in such a way that he later declared it to be the best bike he has ever ridden, he could do no wrong, winning his 11th race of the 2008 season, the 52nd win of his Superbike career. The success of Race 2 tasted all the sweeter due to team-mate Michel Fabrizio’s second place finish, his seventh podium place of the season. Michel quickly progressed from tenth to third position in the early stages and moved up by default to second position when Xaus fell during lap 9. Troy Bayliss (Race 1 – 1st, Race 2 – 1st) “This was the perfect end to my racing career, to finish with pole and a double win, an absolute fantastic result. We had a dream start today. I was a little hesitant before Race 1 because none of us had done a lot of laps here so we weren’t sure for the tyres but I think everyone was pretty much on the same rear. The gap behind me got bigger and bigger which surprised me but I heard that there was a big battle behind me which worked to my advantage. I was grateful for that lead though because by the end the rear was finished and Carlos was catching me. We changed a few things for the second race and I have to say that bike in Race 2 was the best bike I’ve ever ridden in my career. I’ve been doing this for many years and it was a long way to come but I got here, and now I’m at the end of my career. I have a great team behind me and I thank all of them and the sponsors because you can’t do this without those guys. My career’s come to an end; I’ve won the championship and finished my career in one piece so it’s incredible really. I wish Michel lots of luck for next season and thanks to everyone who’s supported me over the years.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – 2nd) “I am of course extremely happy with the Race 2 result and I hope to be able to continue to improve next season, and live up to Troy’s reputation. Unfortunately in the first race I came off, and sadly Max (Biaggi) was caught up in too but that’s racing and sometimes these things happen. In Race 2 I was very determined and managed to make up several position in the initial laps. I pushed until the very end and took second place, my seventh podium of the 2008 season and a great way to finish the year. I will miss Troy so much, he is a fantastic person, an unbelievable rider and he has been the perfect team-mate.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: CHECA TAKES PODIUM TO END ROOKIE SEASON FOURTH OVERALL The final round of the World Superbike Championship, at the all-new WSB venue of Portimao, saw Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) finish his season in fourth place overall, thanks to a podium finish in race one and a fighting seventh in race two. Checa’s second place in the opener came after a strong charge to make up from his third row qualifying place of 11th, and he was aggressive in his passes on the other top riders to make a gap for himself behind runaway leader, and eventual double race winner, Troy Bayliss. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was an outstanding fourth in his first WSB ride, 15 seconds from the victory after 22 laps of intense action. He had started from third place on the grid, earned during a wet Superpole qualifying session on Saturday. He was 15th in race two, after running with the leading riders once more, until he took to the gravel and narrowly avoided crashing while trying to outbrake two other riders into turn one. Checa was the first regular WSB Honda rider home in race two, seventh, while Leon Haslam took his BSB Honda to third after an always thrilling race between a mix of seasoned veterans and wildcards, who included second best qualifier, Cal Crutchlow, Haslam’s team mate. Checa was lucky to avoid a fallen rider in race two, but lost places as a result. Poor weather was a major factor in the early part of race weekend, leaving limited dry track time in practice which led to a few gambles in terms of tyre choice and machine set-up on a dry raceday. Crutchlow was particularly badly affected, retiring from race one and finishing ninth in race two, despite strong rides in each race. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had a tough weekend at this new track, qualifying 19th and then racing to eighth in race one and 11th in race two. Gregorio Lavilla (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) looked set for a top five finish in race one until a dramatic rear end slide on the final corner saw him almost crash, run off track and recover to post a sixth place. In race two he went eighth and finished the year as top four-cylinder privateer rider, 12th overall. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) rode to 12th in race one but slid backwards to be 18th in the second leg. He ended his season 17th in the rankings. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) battled to 14th in race one and 21st in the afternoon, and he ends his year 15th. Shuhei Aoyama (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) was hit particularly hard by his lack of dry practice time and went 18th and 26th in the races. Chris Walker (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) was 17th and 19th, and finished up just behind Aoyama in the final points table.. Checa said: “Overall, I am satisfied with the weekend’s performance. We had some problems during qualifying but I was able to start well and had a great feeling from the bike in race one. In the second race, everything felt good again and I was able to fight my way to the front. Unfortunately, things happened that were beyond our control, but this track is fantastic because, in the tarmac run-off, I was able to avoid first Ruben and then his bike.” Kiyonari said: “It’s been a difficult weekend, mostly because it has taken me too long to learn the track. Race one was OK though and I felt more comfortable than in practice. In the second race the bike felt better and I was happy to push a bit harder to catch the groups in front. But I pushed a bit too hard and nearly highsided twice.” Rea said: “It’s been OK for a first weekend on the Superbike and I managed to get back into the groove OK. In the second race, I got forced wide and ended up back in eighteenth. But I was strong enough to get back to fifteenth and to take fourth in race one was mega. Big thanks to both my Supersport and Superbike teams for making the transition so easy for me and to hold on to second place in the World Supersport championship was fantastic. I can’t wait to start testing in South Africa next month for next season.” Rolfo said: “In the first curve I lost a lot of positions and during the first few laps I did not have a good feeling with my bike, in addition to my rear tire sliding a great deal. Around the middle of the race I got a better feeling with my bike and I began to recover some important positions. In the second race my bike performed much better compared to the first race, because we modified some things on the bike and this improved the suspension and the engine performance.” Lavilla said: “I tried to pass Jonathan and I almost high sided and went right up in the air came down hard. I smashed the screen, and was lucky not to crash. We have had our ups and downs this year and worked hard to set-up the bike and make valuable improvements as a team. I feel that I have done what was expected of me this year and all the team can be proud of finishing in 12th place in the Championship and the first privateer team.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto started from 16th place on the grid and put in storming performances in both races at today’s World Superbike Championship final round in Portugal to grab a pair of fifth places. But it was a mixed day for Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner, who crashed out of race one but then recovered to take a hard-fought-for fourth in race two. For Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama, it was a weekend to forget: He ended 15th in the first race and an even-more disappointing 23rd in the second. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) brought the curtain down on his remarkable WSBK career today with a pair of runaway victories. Carlos Checa (Honda) was second in race one, with Troy Corser (Yamaha) third. In race two, his team mate Michel Fabrizio was second with ‘wild card’ Leon Haslam (Honda) third. Fonsi Nieto – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 5th: “In this championship it is so hard to get a good result if you have to start anywhere lower than the second row of the grid. So, I am one person who is happy that there will be no Superpole next year! I think that to get two fifths from 16th on the grid is not so bad and when you consider that I was six seconds behind Bayliss on lap two of race and ended the race six seconds behind at the end, it means I was lapping at the same pace. “We only made some small clicks to the bike from race one to race two and used the same tyre. At the start it was better, but at the end it was worse. I have really enjoyed this track and it is such a good design and very challenging. I wish that I had managed better in Superpole because I am sure that I could’ve finished on the podium at least one time. I would like to thank Francis and Patricia Batta and the whole team for all their support and hard work in this amazing year. I would like to be involved with them again next year and continue this great experience.” Max Neukirchner – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 4th: “I think that most of this weekend is about my youth and lack of experience. Other riders, with more experience, can get a good set-up in less time than me and this is what I am learning all the time. I am not sure why I crashed in race one because the telemetry doesn’t show me doing anything different or going any faster than the laps before. We changed the front fork rebound for race two and the bike felt much better, but I was still losing a lot of time in the last corner and that prevented me from catching and passing Fabrizio. “I am a little angry because I really thought that I could finish second or third in the championship halfway though the season. But the last four or five races have had mixed weather conditions and my lack of experience has meant that I didn’t have the perfect bike set-up for race day. My mechanics and I are a young team and we are learning all the time. They have all worked hard and I think our season has been a pretty good one, all in all.” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 15th, race 2: 23rd: “Today was not a good day for me. For sure we needed more good dry track time, but I am a little confused because I could do 1:44s yesterday but today I could not! Tyres were a bit of an issue for me today and although the feeling was not so bad, the result was really bad. I am going to spend a lot of time analysing all the data from this season and try and work out what has been going wrong and how to make changes. It may be that I have to change my riding style, but I should not be finishing in the kind of positions I have finished today, so something has to be done. I feel that this year’s bike is more difficult to work with and understand than my 2006 bike. We have to try and improve the whole package and then we can look forward to better results. I want to say thank you to all my staff and also say sorry to them because I have not given them any podiums. No podiums for me is a shock and I do not want to have this kind of shock next year!” Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 C Checa (E-Honda), 3 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 4 Rea (GB-Honda), 5 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), 6 Lavilla (E-Honda), 7 Haslam (GB-Honda), 8 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 9 Xaus (E-Ducati), 10 Laconi (F-Kawasaki). 15 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare). Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) DNF. Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 3 Haslam, 4 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 5 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare, 6 Troy Corser (Aus-Yamaha Motor Italia), 7 C Checa, 8 Lavilla (E-Honda), 9 Crutchlow (GB-Honda), 10 Laconi. 23 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare). Final WSB Points Standings: 1 Bayliss 460, 2 Troy Corser 342, 3 Haga 327, 4 C Checa 313, 5 Max Neukirchner 311, 6 Fonsi Nieto 256, 7 Biaggi 238, 8 Fabrizio 223, 9 Kiyonari 206, 10 Xaus 178, 11 Yukio Kagayama 154. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Young Belgian Xavi Simeon saw his title hopes vanish after a crash eight laps into the race today. The crash happened because he chose the wrong front tyre and the almost dry track conditions wore it out after just three laps. Although he remounted and carried on, the fall dropped him from third to 13th place. He managed to pull back two more positions, but there were not enough laps remaining for him to move further up the leaderboard and secure sufficient points for the title. He had led the championship going into today’s race but, in the end, he finished a disappointing fourth. Aussie Brendan Roberts won today’s final race of the championship and also took the title. Second today was Chris Seaton (Suzuki) with Maxime Berger (Honda) third and Michele Pirro (Yamaha) fourth. Xavi Simeon – 11th: “Today, I made a poor tyre choice and that cost me the title. Throughout the weekend, we never really had a totally dry track and this morning, there were definitely some damps spots on the track, so I went for a medium front tyre. Unfortunately it was destroyed after just three laps and all I could do was to try and keep close to Roberts. But after eight laps I Iost the front and crashed. I got back on the bike as soon as I could, but had dropped to 13th place with only four laps left in the race. Although I took another two places, there was not enough time to improve any further. I would like to congratulate Roberts on his victory and the title and also say a big thank you to my team for all the work they have done this year. I am sorry that the season didn’t have the finish we were all hoping for.” Superstock 1000 Results: 1 Roberts (Aus-Ducati), 2 Seaton (Aus-Suzuki), 3 Berger (F-Honda), 4 Pirro (I-Yamaha), 5 Smrz (CZ-Honda), 6 Polita (I-Ducati). 11 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki). Final Superstock 1000 Points Standings: 1 Roberts 147, 2 Berger 140, 3 Polita 137, 4 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki) 136, 5 Pirro 102, 6 Smrz 84. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) finished the 2008 WSB season second in the championship standings after securing a podium finish in the first race at Portimao, then following that up with a safe sixth in race two. The all Yamaha battle for the runner-up spot behind champion Troy Bayliss saw Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) drop out of contention after serving a ride-through penalty for jump-starting in race two, having already been forced out of race one. Both races were won by three-time champion, Troy Bayliss. In the first 22-lap race Corser was in the leading mix from the start and rode aggressively in the messy early laps to stay in contention, but could not quite get back on terms with second place rider Carlos Checa towards the end. Haga was also looking good for a podium finish until he was forced out on lap 18, having started to slow on lap 16. Race two put Corser in with the leaders again for some time but he eased up when he realised that overall second place was safe, particularly in a race filled with determined wild cards. Each race was run in the dry, but on a relatively slippery track surface, which was still recovering from a largely wet first two days of action. Haga was looking good for a strong result in race two until he had to pull in for his penalty, but he recovered to post a 14th place finish and score two championship points. He was thus 15 points behind Corser after 28 individual races, and third overall. Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) went 13th in race one, but 17th in race two. He ended his last WSB season 19th, top Yamaha rider behind Corser and Haga. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) and Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) finished the season on 12 points apiece, as neither scored at Portimao. Troy Corser (3rd and 6th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “All I had to do in race two was finish near Nori and that was all I was doing. Once he went out, all I had to do was stay consistent and not crash. We all worked so hard to get to second this season I was not prepared to take too many risks. The bike was actually better in race one than the second, as we had good front grip then. We changed the bike and had less grip in the rear, so I had to modify the way I was riding completely. Finishing second in the points means more than trying to finish on the podium in race two and risk crashing. Second is better than third and both of those finishes are better than nothing. The action was scary sometimes today and it can be like that when the tracks have a lot of undulations. The asphalt was pretty slippery in some places because of all the rain and mud washed on it during practice.” Noriyuki Haga (DNF and 14th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “In race two they said I jump started and for sure I moved a bit, but before the lights changed I stopped again. Overall, in the first race we had a problem and I had to pull out. But I had the chance to do a bit of work on the suspension setting for race two, and we went one step harder on the rear tyre too. It worked better but we still had some chatter. We lost a lot of practice time, unfortunately, because of the rain. Our pace in race two was much better. I have to say thank you very much to all the Yamaha staff for the past four years, it has been very enjoyable and we have had many great days. I wanted to get a victory for them but that was the most I could do today.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Today’s overall results are so-so but in the championship we finished second and third and most importantly, we had the top four-cylinder riders. We had some good and some not so good results this year but still very positive, because nobody else made the same. We had seven wins, a lot of podiums from both riders, sometimes in the same race. As a team we did a really good job. Thanks to everyone in the squad for this year, to Yamaha and for all the support from our sponsors and fans.” Shinichi Nakatomi (13th and 17th – Team YZF Yamaha) “In the first race I lost some grip from the rear tyre and in the second race I got a bad start but tried to progress. Thanks to the team for three years of competition in WSB.” More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Thank you Bayliss, thank you Nakatomi The last race of the 2008 Superbike World Championship was very emotional for everybody. Troy Bayliss, 3 times champion on a Ducati, ended his career with 2 fantastic wins and the pole position and the lap record. Shinichi Nakatomi, for his last event with our team, did his best ending up 13th and 17th with good lap times. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have with us during 3 years such a friendly gentleman. On the new track of Portimao, Troy Bayliss dominated both races and he can go now back to Australia with plenty of good memories. Shinichi Nakatomi did the best he could and his results are good considering that the rain did not help to set up the bike during the practice sessions. Shinichi Nakatomi: “I had a good start in the first race, but my average pace was not so good. I pushed more, but the rear tyre went down, especially in the last 4 laps. So we changed the tyre for race 2 and I had a better feeling. I made small mistakes trying to pass other riders and I finished 17th. I was pushing 100%. Thank you to my team for these 3 years.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “In the first race, we did not expect such a good result because the practice sessions were not easy. This 13th position with good lap times made us strong mentally for race 2. We finished 17th of the second heat but we were faster than in race 1. We were at the end only 30 seconds behind the winner so it’s a good result. I am sad to leave Nakatomi and I wish him a lot of success in his future.” Race 1: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Checa (Honda), 3-Corser (Yamaha), 4-Rea (Honda), 5-Nieto (Suzuki)”¦13-Nakatomi (Yamaha) Race 2: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Fabrizio (Ducati), 3-Haslam (Honda), 4-Neukirchner (Suzuki), 5-Nieto (Suzuki)”¦17- Nakatomi (Yamaha) Superbike World Championship standings: 1-Bayliss (Ducati) 460 points, 2- Corser (Yamaha) 342, 3-Haga (Yamaha) 327, 4- Checa (Honda) 313, 5- Neukirchner (Suzuki) 311″¦19- Nakatomi (Yamaha) 51 Team YMF Yamaha Superstock YZF Yamaha Junior Team FIM Cup Superstock 1000 Superstock 600 European Championship Baz 2nd, Barrier 7th Brilliant 2nd place for Loris Baz who fought until the end with Gino Rea. Sylvain Barrier, back from injury, proved his talent with the 7th position. It was a very hard and very spectacular race for Loris Baz, against Gino Rea who had a lot of motivation. Both riders dominated the field and after many incredible actions Rea was finally the winner only 6 / 100th in front of Loris. Sylvain Barrier was careful not to crash in the beginning and he was faster and faster as the laps went by. He finished in 7th position which is a good result. Loris Baz: «I wanted to start well and I did it. I wanted to win and to prove that I can play with the big boys. I had some problem with the front fork because we did not have enough time to set it up properly for the dry conditions. Rea caught me but I was still leading entering the last lap. Then he passed me with a very hot action, I had to go wide and lost 200 meters. Then I caught him and passed him, and it was his turn to go wide. I am happy because I proved I have some character. It was very close. Thank you to my team for the superb work.” Sylvain Barrier: «My start was not so good because my bike did a wheelie. Then I had difficulties passing the other riders. I was careful, even if I ran wide a few times. Overall, it was a good race.” Martial Garcia (team-manager): “Sylvain Barrier was careful at the start because he did not want to crash. Then he was better and better and he finished brilliantly 7th. This is the confirmation for all the trust I have had for him since the beginning of the season. Loris Baz did his most beautiful race this year. He displayed a lot of maturity fighting for the top position. He finishes only 6 / 100 behind Rea and deserves a lot of credit.” FIM Cup Superstock 1000 race results: 1-Roberts (Ducati), 2-Seaton (Suzuki), 3-Berger (Honda), 4-Pirro (Yamaha), 5-Smrz (Honda)”¦7-Barrier (Yamaha) FIM Cup Superstock 1000 Championship standings: 1 – Roberts (Ducati) 147 points, 2- Berger (Honda) 140, 3-Polita (Ducati) 137, 4-Simeon (Suzuki) 136″¦16- Barrier (Yamaha) 22 Superstock 600 European Championship race results: 1-Rea (Yamaha), 2- Baz (Yamaha), 3-Bussolotti (Yamaha), 4-Lonbois (Suzuki), 5-Day (Honda) Superstock 600 European Championship standings: 1- Baz (Yamaha) 186 points, 2- Bussolotti (Yamaha) 134, 3- Rea (Yamaha) 132, 4-Vostarek (Honda) 121, 5-Linfoot (Yamaha) 117 More, from a press release issued by Naturally Best Racing: BATTLING PERFORMANCE BY BRIDEWELL IN PORTIMAO Team NB Suzuki rider Tommy Bridewell overcame a number of problems to record his first World Superbike Championship finish on his debut at the brand new Portimao circuit on the Portuguese Algarve. The 20 year old from Devizes in Wiltshire had the 2006 Suzuki GSXR at his disposal and on unfamiliar Pirelli tyres, he qualified in an impressive 25th position on the 31-bike grid despite inclement weather during qualifying. With race day dawning brighter, Bridewell was looking good in the opening 22 lap race and was inside the top twenty when the generator failed at half distance causing him to retire. However, he bounced back in the second race with a superb battling performance and after initially dicing with works riders Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and Makoto Tamada (Kawasaki), a tyre problem saw him drop off the pace to eventually finish in 25th place ahead of former GP winner Shuhei Aoyama and Italian Superbike Championship rival Luca Scassa. “I should be reasonably happy but I must admit, I’m somewhat disappointed after today’s results. I was always inside the top twenty during qualifying and I really felt that I was in with an outside chance of scoring a point but then the bike started misfiring in race one and we were advised to use a different tyre in race two which was the wrong one. But it’s been a great experience and I would love to race here next season so now the hard work starts. I must say a big thank you to my team also, they have really worked hard this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) winds up Superbike career with double win in Portugal Troy Bayliss wound up his Superbike career, and the 2008 FIM Superbike World Championship, with a spectacular double win in the final round at the Portimao circuit in Portugal in front of 91,000 spectators. Race 1 The first race was totally dominated by Bayliss, who powered into the lead at the start and was never seen again. The triple world champion’s margin over his pursuers was just over two seconds at the flag but it had been much wider throughout the race. There was a terrific scrap for the remaining podium places, the right choice of Pirelli tyre making all the difference and in the end it was Checa who came on strong to take the runner-up slot from Corser. The outcome for fourth place was also uncertain until the flag, and it eventually went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), making his WSBK debut. Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) recovered well to finish fifth, ahead of another Spaniard, Gregorio Lavilla (VentAxia Honda) and Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda). Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) crashed out while trying to reach the leading group, while Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) both retired a few corners in after a clash. Results: 1. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 38’48.373 (156,198 kph); 2. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 2.207; 3. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 6.972; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 15.228; 5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 16.126; 6. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 18.152; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 18.939; 8. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 20.942; 9. Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 32.018; 10. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32.871; 11. Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36.778; 12. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 36.848; 13. Nakatomi S. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 41.667; 14. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 41.806; 15. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 48.337; 16. Gimbert S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 50.295 Race 2 The second race saw another totally dominant win from Bayliss, who bows out after a season in which the Australian clearly proved to be the strongest rider out there. Ducati’s triumphant day was completed with a second place for Michel Fabrizio while the final podium place went to Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) who got the better of Neukirchner in the final stages. Thanks to a sixth place behind Nieto, Corser finished runner-up in the championship, taking advantage of a ride-through penalty for Haga for a jump start. Régis Laconi (Kawasaki) scored a good result in tenth for Kawasaki, while Biaggi could only finish in thirteenth place. Results: 1. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 38’26.125 (157,705 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 3.638; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 4.356; 4. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 4.983; 5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 6.775; 6. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 7.403; 7. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 7.578; 8. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 16.113; 9. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 16.284; 10. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 16.446; 11. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 21.633; 12. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 22.098; 13. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 24.089; 14. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 24.117; 15. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 31.003; 16. Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31.136 Final Championship Points: Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati) 460; 2. Corser (Yamaha) 342; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 327; 4. Checa (Honda) 313; 5. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 311; 6. Nieto (Suzuki) 256; 7. Biaggi (Ducati) 238; 8. Fabrizio (Ducati) 223; 9. Kiyonari (Honda) 206; 10. Xaus (Ducati) 178; etc. Manufacturers 1. Ducati 570; 2. Yamaha 487; 3. Honda 415; 4. Suzuki 408; 5. Kawasaki 94. FIM Supersport World Championship Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) made a victorious return to the Supersport class. The Turkish rider, 2007 world champion, after a few laps settling in, took control of the race and went on to win by a wide margin over his future team-mate Andrew Pitt, who won this year’s title. It was a terrific battle for third between Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) and (Parkalgar Honda), with the win going to the Spaniard in a sprint finish. Fifth went to Broc Parkes, best Yamaha to the chequered flag, while Gianluca Nannelli (Hannspree Honda Althea) finished sixth. Results: 1. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 35’39.851 (154,508 kph); 2. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 3.844; 3. Lascorz J. (ESP) Honda CBR600RR 7.403; 4. Hayes J. (USA) Honda CBR600RR 7.445; 5. Parkes B. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R6 17.271; 6. Nannelli G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 17.297; 7. Sanna S. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 25.803; 8. Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 29.749 Final Championship Points: 1. Pitt (Honda) 214; 2. Rea (Honda) 164; 3. Brookes (Honda) 162; 4. Parkes (Yamaha) 150; 5. Lascorz (Honda) 121; 6. Foret (Yamaha) 111; 7. Jones (Honda) 100; 8. Veneman (Suzuki) 92; etc. Superstock 1000 FIM Cup The deciding race for the Superstock 1000 category proved to be an exciting one, as Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) powered to the win and the title. The young Australian also gained an advantage from a crash by points leader Xavier Simeon (Suzuki Alstare), which allowed him an easy run to the title. Second place went to another Australian Chris Seaton (Celani Suzuki) ahead of Maxime Berger (Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda), another of the stars of this season. Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni) finished fourth, while Alex Polita (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) was out of luck in the title battle after starting from row 5. Results: 1. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 22’23.040 (147,706 kph); 2. Seaton C. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2.995; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 3.938; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 4.773; 5. Smrz M. (CZE) Honda CBR1000RR 17.166; 6. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 17.482; 7. Barrier S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R1 19.452; 8. Corti C. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 19.878 Final Championship Points: 1. Roberts (Ducati) 147; 2. Berger (Honda) 140; 3. Polita (Ducati) 137; 4. Simeon (Suzuki) 136; 5. Pirro (Yamaha) 102; 6. Smrz (Honda) 84; 7. Giugliano (Suzuki) 72; 8. Foray (Suzuki) 62. European 600 Superstock Championship The Superstock 600 race was also decided in a sprint finish, with the win going to British rider Gino Rea (Stonebaker Yamaha). Rea got the better of his French rival Loris Baz (Yamaha YZF Junior Team), who won the title this year. Third place went to Italian Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team), a result that enabled him to take the runner-up slot in the championship. Results: 1. Rea G. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R6 18’18.478 (150,492 kph); 2. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R6 0.060; 3. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R6 3.161; 4. Lonbois V. (BEL) Suzuki GSX-R600 3.819; 5. Day J. (USA) Honda CBR600RR 10.038; 6. Beretta D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R600 12.283; 7. Petrucci D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R6 14.822; 8. Massei F. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 15.215 Final Championship Points: 1. Baz (Yamaha) 186; 2. Bussolotti (Yamaha) 134; 3. Rea (Yamaha) 132; 4. Vostarek (Honda) 121; 5. Linfoot (Yamaha) 117; 6. Beretta (Suzuki) 88; 7. Petrucci (Yamaha) 83; 8. Lonbois (Suzuki) 71, etc. More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: SBK World Championship 2008 has ended today on Portimao track. Despite bad luck the riders of Sterilgarda Go Eleven have been among the starts of the two race. In race-1 Max Biaggi was forced to retire by a crash with Michel Fabrizio, while Ruben Xaus, after a great start, had to slow down due to wheeling problems. In race-2 the Spanish rider made a thrilling start which brought him to finish the first lap in first position. Unfortunately he lost the control of the bike and crashed when he was fighting for the podium. As well, Max Biaggi finished in 13th place because of several setting problems. In Superstock1000 Alex Polita missed to grab his second championship title, nevertheless the young Italian was author of a big big performance, recovering from the 18th starting position to the final 6th place. The ‘Pirate’ made an excellent start and closed the first lap in 12th place. Then he carried on his recovery although the wet track didn’t allow him to keep the contact with the heading pack. Polita was able to reach the fifth place but he was forced to surrender to Smrz in the final laps. The young Italian rider can say to be satisfied with his great season in which he gain the opportunity to race in the next Superbike season. That’s why Alex will spend the next days on Portimao track with his new team-mate ‘Shakey’ Byrne for a first test of the new bike. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | 9th Classified & Retired: “I hoped to finish the season in a better way, but today I missed the big result. I’ve spent three wonderful seasons with this team and I want to thank all the members of the team and the owners for this adventure. We showed to be a great team once again, and we have been able to be among the bests for all the season”. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | Retired & 13th Classified: “I have not found the feeling with the track and the bike for the whole week-end. I did my best and even if Fabrizio did not crashed over me in race-1 the result would have been the same. I gained the first starting line thanks to a good management of the wet Superpole. I would have liked to leave the team with a prestigious result but it was not possible. I want to say thank to the team, a group made of qualified and enthusiast persons”. ALEX POLITA | Ducati 1098R | 6th Classified: “I wanted the title so much! Unfortunately the bad weather put a spoke in my wheels once again and I had to start from the middle of the grid. I did my best during the race but it has been not enough to win. Anyway, I’m pretty satisfied with my season and, above all, I’m glad to be a member of this team which believes in my skills and it’s like a family. I want to thank my technicians, all the staff members, and Borciani family. See you in 2009″. MARCO BORCIANI | TEAM MANAGER: “It has been a wonderful season. I want to thank my riders who were able to give me a lot of satisfaction and big results. It will be very hard to repeat these performances because the Superbike is getting more difficult season by season. Anyway we will try to do our best thanks to Polita and Byrne. By the way, I’m sorry for Polita’s today race, anyhow Alex showed to be a big talented rider although he didn’t win the championship”. More, from a press release issued by PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse: The last WSB races of 2008 saw Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) secure top ten finishes in each 22-lap contest at a dry Portimao circuit. In race one Laconi rode to a fine tenth place despite running wide as the overall pace picked up on a dry track, while his team-mate Makoto Tamada could only finish 19th, being unable to find a set-up that allowed him to ride to his full potential. Laconi was in aggressive and effective form once more in race two, going tenth again, but much closer to the leading riders at the end of the race. Tamada was 24th, fighting hard on this all-new circuit, which was finished just days before the start of first practice. In the final championship rankings, Laconi is 16th, and Tamada 20th, after 14 rounds and 28 individual races. Régis Laconi: “After a less than perfect start in race one I tried to recover positions but it was quite difficult. After the first five laps the rear tyre performance started to deteriorate, increasing our difficulties. I have to thank the team for the result I achieved in race two as everyone worked extremely well on the suspension making the rear set-up more rigid, increasing the grip on the front tyre. This improved the bike’s performance a lot and I was able to battle right until the end, taking my second 10th position of the weekend.” Makoto Tamada: “It has been a difficult year but we always gave our best, aiming for better results which unfortunately were not reached. I thank everyone for the support they have always demonstrated.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Wonderful last round for Team Pedercini. Ayrton Badovini closes his debut season in Superbike with two great performances: he brings his bike under the chequered flag respectively in 11th place in race-1, and in 16th position in race-2. The young rider has confirmed today what he showed yesterday during his fifth seasonal Superpole. After having been stuck in the middle pack battle, he recovered from the 19th position to Regis Laconi’s back who finished the race in 10th position just 4 seconds ahead Badovini. In race-2 He made a good start, afterwards he lost time avoiding his front to end tucked, unfortunately he went straight on a corner and he was passed by several riders. He started another recovery but he was not able to repeat the great performance of race-1, finishing in 16th position. On the other hand, Iannuzzo’s double retire was caused by setting problems which did not allow him to ride forcefully. In Superstock1000, on a wet track, Sheridan Morais closed 15th, ‘deb’ Vittorio Bortone 33th, while Matteo Baiocco retired after a crash. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 11th & 16th Classified: “I wanted to close the season with a big result and I got it. Today I had a lot of fun in both the race, I’m just sorry I missed to repeat the recovery in race-2 although the bike was better tuned. I would like to thank the team for the great season we experienced together and which gave me the chance to establish my credentials as rider in Superbike”. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired & Retired: “Unfortunately I was not able to ride as I wished. It has been a bad season, so much influenced by the injury occurred in Australia where I almost lost a hand. I’m sure my physical condition will be better the next season”. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY TAKES RUNNER-UP SPOT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Troy didn’t win this year’s Superbike World Championship, but he did the very next best thing by finishing the season in runner-up spot. He took a superb podium in the first race and a gritty sixth in the second to end fifteen points ahead of his team mate Noriyuki Haga. With limited dry track time over the past two days, today’s dry track and sunshine meant that having a good set-up was a bit of a lottery. But Troy knuckled down to the job in hand and was rewarded with second in the title race behind fellow countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Bayliss won both 22-lap races today by a comfortable margin to set the seal on a remarkable WSBK career. Carlos Checa (Honda) finished second in race one, with Troy third. In race two, Michel Fabrizio finished runner-up, with ‘wild card’ Leon Haslam (Honda) third. Troy – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 6th In practice and qualifying we didn’t have much dry track time, so we had to gamble a bit on the settings. I was really happy with my podium in the first race and that together with Nori’s retirement meant that I had a bit of a cushion over him going into race two. I wanted another podium, but more than that, I wanted second in the championship, so I rode as consistently as I could. There was one ‘moment’ towards the end of the second race when somebody ran into me and I had to go off the track. I got back, but lost some time in the process. Then I saw my pit boards saying that Nori was not a threat (he had jumped the start, so had to do a ride-though penalty) so I just rode as smoothly as I could. To get second in the championship feels great! We’ve had two good years and have achieved a lot, including the manufacturer’s title last year. It’s been great having Dave with us this year and I would like to thank him and the whole team for all their hard work throughout.