Parkes And Tamada Pair Up For The Finale WSBK, Portimao, Portugal, 19 October 2009 The Parkalgar circuit on the Algarve is the backdrop for the final WSB races of the 2009 season, providing Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada the chance to team up once again on their official machines. As the end of the 14 round/28 race season approaches both Broc and Makoto have had their ups and downs in 2009, encountering bad luck and occasional injury at some key points, interrupting their overall push for points and places. Each rider is now out to end the season with two strong results apiece to get more points on the board. The venue for this race is the most modern circuit on the WSB calendar, used for the first time in 2008. It was voted a huge success even after just one race weekend. The circuit has both fast and slow sections, but it is the changes of elevation around its 4.445km length, and the track’s construction inside a natural amphitheatre, which have marked it out as something special. With the season now approaching its climax, Parkes is overall 18th, having scored points in 13 races, while Makoto has had such a disrupted season he has scored points in only two outings, and has only finished five races in total. Broc Parkes: “I’m going into this weekend under mixed emotions as it’s been a tough year filled with many ups and downs. I can honestly say looking back that I’ve enjoyed the challenge of riding the bike and really appreciated working with the whole team. We have worked really hard so it would be nice to do well this weekend and end the season on a high. Portimao should provide a good race for all and I enjoyed racing there last year in WSS so I’ve got nothing to lose and I aim to do well.” Makoto Tamada: “I am looking forward to the season finale at Portimao. I haven’t raced the way I wanted to this year and I hope this round will be the best so far, without any misfortune. This would also be my last race with Kawasaki and Paul Bird, and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank them for letting me race with them. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R has a lot of potential and I believe that it can win a race soon. Paul’s squad is very professional, and with their integrity, I am sure that a win is on its way soon. Paul has been very good to me, and I wish to continue my friendship with him even though I am leaving the team.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Lascorz And His Ninja Out To Win Again WSS, Portimao, Portugal, 19 October 2009 After taking his first victory for Kawasaki last time out at Magny-Cours, Joan Lascorz approaches the final round of the year in happy and confident mood. A recent test at Portimao also brought forward some positive results for Lascorz, and the information gathered will also be used to full effect by Lascorz’ team-mate, Katsuaki Fujiwara, despite the Japanese rider not testing in Portugal. Action begins at the fabulously appointed Parkalgar circuit on Friday, 23rd October, with the final round of the 2009 championship taking place on Sunday 25th. In the overall championship chase, Lascorz is a very narrow six points behind the third placed rider in the rankings. Joan has a remarkable nine front row starts to his credit this year, one pole position and six podiums, including his recent Magny-Cours win. Katsuaki is ranked 11th right now, but has an identical score of 70 points with the tenth place rider. In Portimao ‘Kats’ goes for his first podium of the year, to try and break into the top ten. Katsuaki has now earned three front row starts this year. Joan Lascorz: “We had a good test at Portimao recently, and made a lot of progress to find a final setting for the races. We had to share the track with many riders and that was not ideal, but we did do a lot of good work on the suspension and engine. After the great result in France we all want more of the same.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Joan showed what our bike is capable of in the last round, and I will be pushing hard to make sure I can use the data the team now has from the Portimao test Joan made to help me qualify well. We will be ready to try our best again.” More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: TROY AND RUBEN GEARED UP FOR THE FINALE The final round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Autodromo Algarve in Portugal and both Troy and Ruben are aiming to end the season on a high. This year’s championship has been the most competitive in its twenty-two year history, but Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport team has acquitted itself very well in its first year of competition and is now looking to build on this year’s experiences and come back even stronger next year. The Portimao track is relatively new to the calendar and is one of the most technically challenging circuits of the series, thanks to its changes of elevation and blind corners. Both Troy and Ruben raced there last year, albeit on different machines, so although they know which way round the track goes, the first day of practice and qualifying will be used to try and find a good set-up for their bikes. Troy It seems to have been quite a long year, but I am satisfied with the progress we have made throughout the season and I am especially pleased with the S 1000 RR in the past few races. The series is so competitive and hard this year and often less then half a second is the difference between a good grid place and something further down the order. And if you don’t get a good grid position, you are always playing catch-up. If we took our race times from this year and put them into last year’s results, our bike would’ve been on the podium quite a few times, so that shows how much faster everybody is going this year. I am looking forward to Portimao and finding out what our engineers have come up with since the last round. I am hoping that another step forward has been made and that Ruben and I can finish BMW’s debut season on a high. Ruben I cannot wait for Portimao because I really want to see what the guys have done to the bike since Magny-Cours and see if I can push it and myself to our best result of the year. I am happy that I can race in Portugal because originally my doctors told me that I wouldn’t race again this year after my crash in Brno. So, a big thank you to my physiotherapist and everybody at the clinic where I did a lot of rehabilitation and training. My body is not yet 100%, but I will be stronger than I was at Magny-Cours and you need to be fully fit to ride these kind of bikes hard. Portimao is a very physical circuit, so I know that my body is going to get a pounding, but I am going to do my best and try and get my best finish of the year. Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director) This year has been a big adventure for us all and an exciting challenge. We knew that this year was not going to be easy, but I think we have done very well considering we are such a new team. Our bike (and our team) has a big potential and we know that we are going to make more and more progress. Already, we are looking forward to continuing our development over the winter and coming back even stronger next year. I am very happy that we will have Troy and Ruben with us again in 2010. From the very first day, they have been part of the team and have helped create a super team atmosphere. Both are strong and are determined to win and hopefully we can give them the opportunity to do it next year. 2008 results Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 C Checa (ESP-Honda), 3 Troy Corser (AUS-Yamaha), 9 Ruben Xaus (ESP-Ducati), Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 3 Haslam (GBR-Honda), 6 Troy Corser, Ruben Xaus DNF, More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Ten Kate Honda Racing rider, Ryuichi Kiyonari, is aiming to come back from injury with a strong finish and a pair of good results this weekend (23-25 October) at the 2009 World Superbike championship’s final round in Portimao, Portugal. The Japanese ace broke his right collarbone just over two weeks ago during race one of the last round at Magny-Cours the same injury that he sustained at the French circuit during a test last year but he has since spent time receiving medical treatment and recovering at home. Kiyonari did not enjoy spectacular results during the championship’s first visit last season to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, 70km west of Faro on Portugal’s Algarve coast. However, following the races and a pre-season test in January this year, the 4.59km circuit has quickly become a riders’ favourite, and double British Superbike champion Kiyonari is looking forward to enjoying the ride his weekend. Ryuichi Kiyonari championship position 11th I have been recovering in Japan, after breaking my collarbone again at the last round in Magny-Cours. It was a shame because I felt that we were beginning to find some improvement and a better feeling on the bike. It has been a difficult season and, at times, I have had some problems finding the right setting, but I want to try my best to finish the season with some good results. I struggled a little bit at Portimao last year, but I think that was because it was a new circuit for me. I like the layout very much and we went back for testing in January, although the weather was not so good. I hope my shoulder will be OK this weekend so that I can do my best for the team. Ronald ten Kate team manager It’s been a tough season there is no getting away from that. However, in recent races, Kiyonari-san has shown signs of finding a setting on the CBR1000RR with which he is comfortable. Unfortunately, we have struggled to convert that into good qualifying positions, which, in turn, has led to some problems during the races. Kiyo was trying to make up some ground during race one at Magny-Cours and ended up crashing and breaking his collarbone again. We hope that his injury will not prevent him from ending the season and his time as a Ten Kate rider with a strong performance. Kiyo is a great rider and a great ambassador for the sport and we have really enjoyed working with him for these last two years. More, from a press release issued by Infront Motorsports: Portimao becomes final act in Haga-Spies showdown The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, situated not far from the seaside town of Portimao (Portugal), is gearing up for the final round of the 2009 FIM Hannspree Superbike World Championship this coming weekend. This ultra-modern circuit, which opened for business exactly twelve months ago, has in just a short period of time become one of the best in Europe, with its superb infrastructure and a spectacular but testing track layout. Not for nothing was Troy Bayliss, who came here with a third title in his hands, last year’s double winner on the first appearance of World Superbike at this circuit. The Portimao track therefore represents an ideal venue for the final round of the season, which will see the Superbike, Supersport and European Superstock 600 titles all to be decided. TWO INTO ONE WON’T GO: The battle for the title between Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) could go either way seeing as both riders have a similar knowledge of the track and both arrive at the final round in excellent form. The advantage probably lies with the Japanese rider, seeing as the gap between the two is a mere 10 points after a season-long’s racing. Should the Texan rookie win both races or find himself on equal points with Nitro-Nori, he would win the title on countback of number of wins this season. The entire race weekend therefore will also be a battle of nerves and the battle promises to go right down to the wire”¦ THREE’S A CROWD: But the fight for the title in Portugal will undoubtedly see some outside influence from the three other race winners this year, all of whom will be gunning for the win. One of these is two-times winner Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), whose chief task at Portimao will be to assist his team-mate. At Magny-Cours the Italian was somewhat on the sidelines with two below-par races, but in Portugal he will be required to make a substantial contribution to the Ducati cause should it be required. No team strategy will be on the cards for the other two undoubted protagonists, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The all-Italian combination has made considerable progress this season and Max is now constantly in amongst the podium battle. To finish the season with another win would be a major boost for next season, when Max will certainly be one of the title candidates. As for Rea, the young rider from Northern Ireland has proved himself to be one of the top riders in the category and he will surely be one of the favourites this time around at a circuit where he made his WSB debut exactly twelve months ago. Max and Johnny will also be fighting for an overall fourth place, currently in the hands of Biaggi, who has a 14-point lead over his rival. EARLY DEBUT: The 2009 championship is already looking towards the future, with an early debut for Sylvain Guintoli in the Suzuki Alstare team in place of Max Neukirchner. The Frenchman, who has recently recovered from a nasty crash at Donington in the British Superbike championship earlier this season, is on his way to total recovery and will be one of the new arrivals in next year’s championship. BSB champion Leon Camier, who will take the start for the second successive race on the Aprilia RSV4 machine, will be looking to impress the Italian team following his first outing at Magny-Cours. The Noale manufacturer will enter three bikes, with Shinya Nakano returning for the first time since the Nurburgring. Also searching for a place next year will be Britain’s Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati), who may represent an outsider at Portimao. In last year’s pre-season testing he surprised everyone by setting the best time and will surely be looking to end this season on a high note. Points (after 13 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 436; 2. Spies 426; 3. Fabrizio 346; 4. Biaggi 293; 6. Rea 279; 6. Haslam 241; 7. Checa 200; 8. Sykes 176; 9. Byrne 166; 10. Smrz 161. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 534; 2. Yamaha 469; 3. Honda 395; 4. Aprilia 303; 5. Suzuki 167; 6. Bmw 126; 7. Kawasaki 67 SUPERSPORT: The title is still up for grabs in Supersport, with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) 19 points ahead of Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda). The British rider needs just a tenth place, irrespective of what his adversary does, to be crowned champion, before heading up to Superbike next year, when he will team up with James Toseland in the official Yamaha squad. As well as the Riders’ title, Crutchlow will also have one eye on the Manufacturers’ crown as Yamaha are just one point behind Honda. There will also be a terrific scrap for third place as Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), the 2007 champion, will have to watch out for the talented young Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz. The Spaniard, all fired up following his splendid win at Magny-Cours, is just six points behind the Turk and will be looking for another top result to finish off his excellent season. 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: This is the only category in which the title has already been decided, in favour of Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) with one round left to run. The final round is not devoid of interest however, as Simeon will be gunning for his fifth win this year or at least to continue his podium-finish form. Second-placed man Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare), who hasn’t won since Monza, will have to defend a relatively comfortable 21 point advantage over Magny-Cours winner Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda) if he wants to finish runner-up. But Berger will also have to defend his third place from Javi Fores (Kawasaki Pedercini), who is just 11 points behind the Frenchman despite not being a winner this season. 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 final championship still up for grabs is the European Superstock 600 title. Four riders are still in with a chance, all four separated by ten points. The favourite is Britain’s Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda), not exactly because he is leading the points table but more due to the fact that he won the race here last year. Early season pace-setter Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) has hit a negative run recently, wasting away a sizeable lead, but he is still in the running, just three points down on Rea. Seven points away from the top can be found Belgium’s Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha), while ten away is Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno), who has to win to take the title. 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 Parkalgar Honda: “All out to win” Buckmaster PARKALGAR HONDA is focussed on wining the 14th and final round of the World Supersport Championship at its home Parkalgar circuit near Portimao in Portugal and has not given up on claiming the World Championship title either. Eugene Laverty is 19-points behind World Championship leader Cal Crutchlow and has a chance at taking the title for Parkalgar Honda if his rival suffers any misfortune. To do so at the team’s home track would be the perfect end to the season for rider, team and the circuit. Home-circuit hero Miguel Praia is riding better than ever and his fans will be cheering him every lap of the race in the hope he can challenge the front runners and signal his intentions for 2010. The World Superbike Championship is also set to be decided on race day at the 4.445km Portimao track in Portugal on October 25th so a day of high drama and excitement is assured – to book tickets in advance, visit ~http://www.autodromodoalgarve.com/~. Eugene: “We had a good test last week at Portimao and are full of confidence. I have now gone so many races without a win and it would be perfect if I could end the season on a high and win it at our home circuit. I can only win the Championship if I finish first or second; that is what I must do and Cal knows what he has to do as well. I’m all for good sportsmanship and will ride my own race and may the best man win. The circuit at Portimao is one that you could never get bored of, it is pure class. You can work with the technicians to set-up the bike but so much still depends on the rider because of the nature of the turns and elevations. It was made for a Supersports bike and is great fun.” Miguel: “This is the biggest race for me this year. The Parkalgar circuit is more than a sponsor to me, it is my second home as I live nearby and I have great friends here. I also have super support from all of the Portuguese fans and I want to do my best for them all and score my highest result ever. The pressure is very high but my team is backing me and I have a fantastic race bike, it is going to be a brilliant race and the more fans that can come and support me the better it really does make a difference.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: PORTIMAO THE ARENA FOR THE FINAL SHOWDOWN; HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) PREPARES TO FIGHT FOR THE 2009 WORLD SUPERBIKE CROWN Portimao (Portugal) Monday 19th October: the final round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship, taking place this weekend at the Portuguese track of Portimao, will see an all out battle for the title between championship leader, Ducati Xerox rider Noriyuki Haga and Yamaha’s Ben Spies. Noriyuki, having led the championship for the best part of the season, and having finished five previous championships in either second or third position, now has a small, but significant, ten point advantage over Spies and is hungry for his first World Superbike Championship title, as is his squad, the Ducati Xerox Team, winners of the 2008 championship with Troy Bayliss. The Ducati Xerox Team has already secured the 2009 World Superbike Manufacturers title, for the sixteenth time, after a stunning win and second place finish by Nitro-Nori at Magny-Cours two weeks ago. Over the season, Noriyuki and Michel have so far clocked up ten wins and thirty-two podium finishes between them and already hold a combined points total of 782 going into this final round. The factory squad now looks to Portimao and, now that the Manufacturers title has already been brought home to Borgo-Panigale, concentration turns to the all-important Riders title, already won thirteen times in the past by the Ducati team, with riders of such calibre as Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty. Last year at Portimao both Noriyuki and Michel had problems in the first race, with Nori suffering a technical setback and Michel crashing out on the opening lap. In Race 2 Michel had a much better time of it, running up front before crossing the line in second place, behind former team-mate Bayliss. Noriyuki was unfortunately penalised for a jump start in the second race and, once he’d made a ride through the pits, he was unable to make up the lost ground, closing in 14th position. With everything to play for, Noriyuki, Michel and the Ducati Xerox Team are fighting fit and ready to fight for the ultimate prize, during a weekend that promises spectacular racing. Noriyuki Haga (1st in championship, 436 points) “Last year at Portimao didn’t go to plan; I had some bad luck. This year I am in a better position and now everything comes down to this last event. My strategy won’t be any different from normal; I always go out with the aim to win and I always give 100%. I’ve finished second or third in the last five editions of the Superbike championship and so all I am missing is the title win, a title I hope to be able to bring home to Ducati and to Japan this weekend.” Haga’s Superbike form at Portimao: 2008: Race 1 DNF, Race 2 14th Michel Fabrizio (3rd in championship, 346 points) “I’ve very happy with how my season’s gone and I would like to finish the year with two more podiums. I’m feeling confident and am reassured that the third position that I hold in the standings can’t be taken from me as fourth place Max is too far behind to catch up now. I hope Noriyuki can take the title for Ducati and I’ll be backing him all the way this weekend.” Fabrizio’s Superbike form at Portimao: 2008: Race 1 DNF, Race 2 2nd CIRCUIT DATA: Country: Portugal Name: Autódromo Internacional do Algarve Circuit length: 4.658 km Corners left: 6 Corners right: 9 Length of race: 22 laps= 101.024km LAP RECORDS: Best lap Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1’43.787 (2008). Superpole Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1’58.548 (2008). 2008 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Checa (Honda); 3. Corser (Yamaha) Race 2 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox); 3. Haslam (Honda) More, from a press release issued by Honda: Portuguese World Superbike at Portimao Tuesday 20 October 2009 World Superbike and World Supersport preview FINAL ROUND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOP HONDA RIDERS Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) returns to the scene of his first WSB ride for his current team this weekend, as the World Superbike Championship comes to its thrilling conclusion at the magnificent Portimao circuit, set in the hills above the holiday resorts of the Algarve. The championship is still undecided, with current table-topper Noriyuki Haga only ten points ahead of Ben Spies, and with 50 points up for grabs for any rider who wins both races. Rea is the highest placed Honda rider in the title chase, fifth, and he is only 14 points behind Max Biaggi in the overall standings. His aim for this weekend is therefore to add to his season tally of two wins, and score enough points to go top four in the final reckoning on Sunday evening. Rea will remain with the team next year, and is already working towards the 2010 season in terms of set-up and machine development. Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) suffered a blow to his World Supersport Championship hopes last time out. Now lagging Cal Crutchlow by 19 points he has to win or finish second on Sunday, and then await the results of Crutchlow’s race to determine whether or not he becomes WSS champion at the first time of asking. At his team’s home race, Laverty will not suffer from lack of support in his quest. For top WSB privateer Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) 2009 has seen him take four podium finishes so far, and he is out for more at a circuit he has competed at before, and indeed scored a WSB podium at, during a 2008 wildcard ride. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) won the World Supersport race at Portimao last year, when he returned to the 600cc category in a machine swap with Jonathan Rea one race before the end of the year. He has been a race winner three times already this season, and needs to earn good points to keep his closest rival Joan Lascorz behind him and remain third overall. Honda is leading the Manufacturers’ Championship in the Supersport class by only a single point, a factor that brings special significance to more than just the results of the Riders’ Championship this weekend. Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) will not be competing at Portimao as his team had been forced to make drastic cuts in its budget, and with an unchanging score of 117 points he is now in danger of being overhauled in the championship standings by Fabien Foret (on 115 points) and outgoing World Champion for Honda, Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) who has 114 points. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) injured his collarbone yet again at Magny-Cours last time out, but will attempt to race to the maximum possible this weekend, after recuperating at home in Japan. For Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) Portimao will be his final race for the team, and he aims to go out with a strong result, and consolidate his overall seventh place in the rankings. He is 24 points ahead of the next rider in line. For Portuguese rider Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) the Portimao race is the most significant of the year, and having now hit his 2009 target of at least one top ten race finish, he will be all out to set a new personal best of a top six placing at the track he knows better than anyone else. Matthieu Lagrive (Honda Althea CBR1000RR) is back in the Superbike class this weekend, focused on turning his enjoyment at riding around Portimao to his advantage in terms of final race positions. Mark Aitchison (Althea Honda CBR600RR) is another rider who raves about Portimao, and he will be re-joined by young Italian hopeful Flavio Gentile (Althea Honda CBR600RR), who is back in the 600cc division, after swapping classes with Lagrive at Magny-Cours. Aitchison is eighth in the rankings now, tied on points with Garry McCoy. After the races on Sunday there will be an extensive two-day test, 27 and 28 October, where Honda riders old and new will get the chance to start preparing for the 2010 season. RIDER COMMENTS Jonathan Rea: “Last year, Portimao was my first race on a Ten Kate Honda Superbike and I really had a lot of fun. Although the track has quite a difficult layout, I really enjoy riding it and I’m looking forward to going back there. The bike is completely different to the one I rode last year and at the pre-season test, so we’ll be working from a much better starting point. Although it’s the final round, there’s still a chance for me to improve my overall position in the championship so we’ll be working really hard for that. I’m aiming for a fun end to the season and will be going for two more good finishes to end the year on a high.” Leon Haslam: “I want to go out of the season on a high with the Stiggy Team to say thank you to them for the opportunity I have had this year. We got on the podium a few times on a privateer machine and we will be going for that again in the final rounds. I rode a Honda at Portimao last year, and got a podium, so that experience should help us this weekend.” Carlos Checa: “Last year’s races at Portimao were quite eventful but good for me, with a podium in the first race. It was looking good also for race two but I got caught in another rider’s crash and had to go off the track. Portimao is one of the best circuits on the calendar really good fun and very special so I hope to finish the season with some good results, as a farewell gift for the team. I’d like to thank them for a very enjoyable two years and for the opportunity to join the World Superbike championship. It’s a shame we were not able to fight for the title this season as we hoped, but I will try to make sure we finish with a good race.” Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I have been recovering in Japan, after breaking my collarbone again at the last round in Magny-Cours. It was a shame because I felt that we were beginning to find some improvement and a better feeling on the bike. It has been a difficult season and, at times, I have had some problems finding the right setting, but I want to try my best to finish the season with some good results. I struggled a little bit at Portimao last year, but I think that was because it was a new circuit for me. I like the layout very much and we went back for testing in January, although the weather was not so good. I hope my shoulder will be OK this weekend so that I can do my best for the team.” Matthieu Lagrive: “I’m looking forward to racing at the Parkalgar track. I always like to race at this Portuguese circuit because it’s really beautiful. The weather may be changeable for us this weekend but either way our bike is working well in wet or dry conditions. These are the last races of the year so I would like to finish well, for me and especially for our team.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty: “We did some good lap times in a recent test here and it is always enjoyable to ride around such a great track. We went in a bit of a different direction with the chassis set-up at the front, something we have wanted to try for a while. Sometimes in qualifying you have to go for a quick fix that you know will work, but we had time to work at this test and found something good. It is all still to play for in this championship.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “Since Magny-Cours, I have had a good rest back home with some light training, and now everything is perfect for the final race of the year. I know my main rivals have tested at Portimao recently, but I don’t feel I need any more preparation. I know the circuit and I like it very much, especially after winning there last season. I also know my bike, which has improved so much in the last few races. We will look for more improvement this weekend and I know exactly what I need to do to help Honda win the title and for me to keep third in the championship.” Andrew Pitt: “It’s been a difficult season, for sure, but things have finally begun to work with the bike over the last few races. Portimao is a really nice track so it’ll be good to get the CBR600RR working there, too. It hasn’t gone our way at a lot of tracks this year but I’m glad that the championship won’t be decided until this weekend. It means I can go into Sunday’s race knowing that I’m still world champion and that I’ve still got the number one plate on the bike, which a few people may have forgotten. The whole team will be working as hard as ever to get a good result and hopefully bring home the Manufacturer’s title for Honda.” Miguel Praia: “Portimao is special for me not only because it is my home race but the fact that I saw the track being built from the very beginning. It is always a very nice feeling to have the WSB ad WSS teams and the whole paddock arriving here in my place. I have to be honest and say it also makes me more nervous than any other round, but there is great motivation from my family, friends, sponsors and media. To race here is huge. We had a good test here last week so I am confident. I will try to take a finish in the top six. To get to the podium I would have to find half a second per lap that I don’t have now, but we have more things to try in practice and qualifying.” Mark Aitchison: “I am really looking forward to this weekend in Portimao. I enjoyed racing at this circuit last year and my focus is on strong performances in practice, qualifying and the race. At the moment we have our bike working well and hopefully my team and I can tailor the right setup to help me fight for the podium, which would be great to repay my crew for all their hard work throughout this year. Also I just can’t wait to race again and have some fun!” Flavio Gentile: “I’m just happy to have this chance this weekend. Portimao is a new circuit that I have never ridden on, so I’m excited to go there. The layout looks good and the safety is supposed to be great. I’m determined to end the Supersport season on a high note and secure as many points as possible on my fast Honda CBR600RR.” More, from a press release issued by Team Sterilgarda: The 2009 season has reached its final stage as the last race of the year will be held at Portimao, Portugal next Sunday. This was a rewarding season for Marco Borciano’s team who confirmed themselves as one of the best private squads in WSBK. The Portuguese circuit, which was inaugurated last year for the World Superbikes round, measures 4692 metres and is one of those tracks where riders really have to toughen up. It was on this precise circuit that Shakey took to the track on his new team’s bike last year managing to set the fastest time of the winter testing to which all the other teams took part. The team’s goal for this last race will therefore be to put in a good performance and make the fans and the sponsors happy with a good result and hopefully climb up in the standings where Tom Sykes is now eighth and just 10 points away from Byrne. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager : “In the January testing, we were the fastest in every single day. It’s going to be really difficult to repeat that performance but Shane is very confident on this track and could pull off an upset. We would love to end the season with a great result”.