Max Biaggi WINS | World Superbike Race | Portimão Portugal |Aprillia
Max Biaggi came back with a great performance in the second round of the World Super Bike Championship (WSBK) held at the Portimão circuit in Portugal. Max had a good start in race 1 and had constant trouble with Leon Haslam. Max commented in pre-race interviews that he was happy with the performance of the bike and felt that the Aprillia team has improved allot since Round 1.
Race 2 saw Biaggi make a brilliant start with the Aprilla RSV Factory bike and taking the hole shot. It was the same cowboys in front, Biaggi Rea and Haslam. Disappointingly Rea had a blown engine on the Honda,something the Ten Kate Team never rarely has.
The Faight was between Haslam and Biaggi, but the roman emperor was the winner in Race 2.
Words by Donovan Denoon
2009 WSBK Manufacturers championship to DUCATI.
| It was to be a Superbike event of the year for Ducati, Ben spies on POLO POSITION for both races and Haga in the second row. Haga and Ducati chasing the title but with Ben Spies riding his Yamaha R1 to the absolute limits in race one for the victory. Haga was to be a charging second to bring more points into the Ducati camp. The Manufacturers title was decided in race 2. With Haga securing a win in race2 for Ducati along with Shane Byrne scoring good points for Ducati. Altogether it was enough to hand the title to Ducati. |  |
BEN SPIES JUMPS TO MOTO GP IN 2010 !
Reports suggest that 2009 World Superbike Championship leader Ben Spies has decided not to wait until 2011 to move to MotoGP, and will instead partner fellow Texan Colin Edwards at Tech 3 Yamaha next season.
According to Visordown Spies has ‘already inked the deal’ to ride for Herve Poncharal’s team in 2010, despite a recent announcement that Spies would be staying in WSBK for one more year.
On September 4, Yamaha announced that Spies had signed a new two-year contract extension for 2010 and 2011.
The quotes from Spies that accompanied the announcement appeared conclusive: “I am very happy to say that I will continue in the WSBK series for 2010… I want to thank [Yamaha] for giving me their trust for a next career step into MotoGP in 2011.”
However, the word ‘foresees’ in the statement itself triggered rumours that the schedule wasn’t set in stone – ‘The program foresees a season in 2010 with the Yamaha World Superbike Team and a switch to Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP team for 2011′ – while Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing, carefully avoided specific dates:
“We are truly excited about the prospect of Ben’s arrival into our future MotoGP program… Ben’s primary mission is to win both his and Yamaha’s first World Superbike title. After that when Ben eventually makes the move to the MotoGP championship we will be ready for him and, in line with the new MotoGP regulations, we will create a place for him within the Yamaha satellite team.”
Should Spies switch to Tech 3 a year early then it will mean that Englishman James Toseland is out of a job. Tech 3 has already made an offer to Edwards, which the 2009 MotoGP podium finisher is expected to accept.
Edwards is the top satellite rider with sixth place in the world championship standings, while Toseland is only 13th after a tough season.
Toseland finished his first MotoGP season in eleventh, and has claimed a best race finish of sixth in both 2008 and 2009.
Toseland’s manager Roger Burnett has previously stated that the #52’s other MotoGP options include Pramac Ducati and a possible new team, although the former double WSBK champion has a chance of more competitive seats in World Superbike.
As the only British rider in the premier-class, Dorna is likely to help Toseland remain somewhere on the grid.
Spies, a triple AMA Superbike champion who made his MotoGP debut as a wild-card with Rizla Suzuki last season, holds an 18 point lead over Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga with three rounds and six races remaining in the 2009 WSBK season.
2009 is the Texan’s first full year of world championship racing.
Source | Crash.net
