Portimao World Superbike: Pre-Race (updated regularly)

NEWEST AT TOP

World Superbike

The four title challengers for the 2009 Superbike World Championship and the Supersport World Championship got together for a last-minute meet and greet with national and international media today at the Portimao circuit in Portugal in the run-up to this weekend’s deciding rounds.

Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), together with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) were given a short welcome to the spectacular Portuguese track by home rider Miguel Praia, whose Parkalgar Honda team is sponsored by the circuit.

Noriyuki Haga: “Magny-Cours is one of my favourite circuits and I made a great result there, but for me here last year was a disaster. But I tested here with Ducati at the start of the year and was very confident with the bike so I think I will like it more here this time. My feeling is the same as all year, ten points is almost nothing, so I’m always thinking to start from zero and attack.”

Ben Spies: “It’s a shame we’ve had a couple of weeks off since Magny-Cours because you want to get to the track and get things done! I’m looking forward to it, but to be able to fight for the title in the last race like this is more than one could ask for. We know what we need to do, and in a way this is how it should be. Nori’s been chasing this for some time and I’m trying to do it in the first year. It’s going to be awesome!”

Cal Crutchlow: “The last twelve months have been really good, I came here last year on a Superbike to have a peek at the track, and that’s what I’ll be doing on Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m looking forward to that, but we’ve got a job to do this weekend and that’s try and win this title and there’s no reason why I shouldn’t win it, but Eugene has been keeping me on my toes all year.”

Eugene Laverty: “In this race the only thing I can do is go out and try to win. I didn’t make things easier for myself when I crashed. I was trying to win the race when it happened. The Parkalgar Honda team have done a fantastic job, I didn’t really expect to be fighting for the title in my first year with them.”

Miguel Praia: “So far this season has gone well for me, my results did improve a lot over last year, especially because of the fantastic job the Parkalgar boys have done back in the UK regarding the preparation of the bike. It’s been difficult to fight against these guys but I’m still young and I’m still strong so we will see for the future.”

Lap record (race): Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1.43.787 (2008). Best lap: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1’43.340 (2008)

On TV: EUROSPORT (Pan European) – Sunday 25 October, Supersport 13:15 – 14:00 (live); Superbike Race 1 15:00 – 15:45 (delayed); Superbike Race 2 : 15:45 – 16:45 (live).

In memory of Craig Jones

A statue was unveiled today at the entrance to the Portimao circuit in memory of the late Craig Jones, the Parkalgar Honda rider who was killed in last season’s Supersport round at Brands Hatch.

In the presence of Craig’s parents, friends, relatives, media and riders, circuit owner Paulo Pinheiro expressed a few words to commemorate the young British rider. The provisional statue will be replaced by one in stone in the near future.
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Stiggy Honda Racing

Team Stiggy Racing Honda has lost even more weight since the last round in Magny-Cours, three weeks ago. More cutbacks have forced the team to trim the rider line up further and as a result Supersport rider Anthony West will not be able to make his planned final appearance for the team.

The 28-year-old Australian who started off the season well by finishing third at Philip Island has had a troublesome and difficult time for most of the year. Following another two podium finishes, (in Valencia and Brno) Anthony has now managed to bring home 117 points and holds a current fifth place in the championship.

The sole rider to finish off the 2009 season for the team this upcoming race weekend in Portugal will be Superbike rider Leon Haslam. Judging from his last year’s performances, as a newcomer to the track, Leon finished in seventh and third places in race one and two respectively, so the team has high hopes for a strong finish in Sunday’s final WSB races.

Leon Haslam-Superbike: “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.”

Anthony West-Supersport: “Yeah, it’s pretty bad to end a season like this but on the other hand I wasn’t very motivated anymore. We’ve been struggling with me getting to like the feel of the bike all year, and some races were better then others. All-in-all it’s been a pretty frustrating year for us. For me, I know I can do so much better and for the team, they are also used to doing so much better in the Supersport class. I will now start concentrating on next year, and I will hopefully make a test in Portimao after race weekend. I will be present at Portimao all weekend and it will be hard just to watch when I should be out there racing. Still, I want to say thanks to my team and to Stiggy, we had a tough year but at the same time we had some good laughs together. For next year I’m going to try turn my luck around, maybe starting with changing my No 13.”

Johan Stigefelt-Team Manager: “Economic difficulties have made it impossible for us to finish the season the way we wanted. Yet again I have been forced to take drastic measures and had to cut Anthony for the last race. This is a very bad situation I have been put in and if I could solve the problems in a different way I would; this was really a last resort solution. It is not easy for me as the team manager to cut a rider but that’s the reality we find ourselves in, unfortunately. Therefore we will have to rely on Leon to do the job for us this weekend. He made fantastic debut races last year at Portimao, so I’m really hoping we can match that and take two podium finishes this weekend as our final result of what has been a very, very difficult year!

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Yamaha

The clock is ticking down to the 14th and final round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. With just ten points separating championship leader Haga from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies everything is to play for on race day. If Spies can secure two race wins, he will walk away with not just the championship title, but a well earned place in the World Superbike history books. Spies can already claim the title of greatest rookie of all time, taking the championship by storm in his first year on his R1, racking up an incredible 13 race wins, six fastest lap records and 16 podiums on mostly unknown circuits.

Teammate Tom Sykes heads to the final round of the year determined to reach the elusive podium he has worked so hard for this season. Sykes has had a challenging year, however has displayed good race pace at most tracks and was a consistent top ten finisher for the most part. He has proved to have good speed at Portimao having performed well in the tests so will be looking to hold on to his eighth position in the championship come race day. Sykes currently sits on 176 points, 24 behind Carlos Checa in seventh.

This will be the second outing for the World Superbike Championship on the Portimao circuit which was completed last year just before the final round of the 2008 Championship. The track proved to be a major hit with riders and fans alike with swooping corners, corkscrews, blind corners and multiple elevation changes ensuring exciting racing from the lights.

“I can’t wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday’s races,” said Ben Spies. “We’ve been fighting hard for race wins all year, and as a rookie on a new bike I think we’ve achieved some pretty good results. My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday, I would love to be able to deliver the title for the team as they really deserve it and have worked so hard to make it possible. We do go well on the Portimao circuit, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to challenge Nori for the wins. There will be a few fast guys up there as always so it should be an exciting race day.”

“I’m obviously very much looking forward to this weekend,” said Tom Sykes. “We’ve had good tests there in the past so we’re going there on a good base setting and looking to finish the season on a high; I certainly feel it’s achievable. The only concern I have at the moment is the fitness in my shoulder after France, although hopefully I will be able to get on the bike and put that behind me. I would like to finish strong for Yamaha and repay my team for all their hard work they’ve put in this year.”

Portimao technically speaking according to Tom Houseworth, Ben Spies Crew Chief
“We will start with our baseline setting on our primary bike and a modified test setting on the back up bike. Though we have quite a lot of data from testing, the engine and chassis spec has changed quite a lot from pre-season so there will be some variables to work on. We will be looking for maximum grip and quick direction change as Portimao is quite a twisty circuit with elevation changes and a variety of corners. Our goal is to be set up quick and then pick race tyres so we can get time on them in an attempt to find the ‘perfect’ race set up. Once traction and wheelie control are dialed in we will hope for good weather on Sunday and see if we can get it done.”

Portimao technically speaking according to Sergio Verbena, Tom Sykes Crew Chief
“For Portimao we will follow the same working line we have used in the last few races. We found a couple of good developments in Magny Cours and Imola which we will incorporate from the start. The last race was very unlucky for Tom, but for Portimao we have a lot of data from the winter test so we should have an advantage. In the test we were consistently fast (Tom was fourth fastest) so we are quite confident. We just hope Tom has recovered completely from the second race crash in Magny Cours, when he crashed because of a contact with Checa.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“We have only one choice, to go there and try to win both races. Both the tests we’ve had at Portimao with Ben were really good and also I’m confident that he knows how to win both races so I think it is very possible we will have success. We can’t do anything about the weather but we know Ben is ready to give it everything he’s got regardless. I’m expecting Tom to push hard and try and get the podium that he hasn’t managed to achieve yet this year and he will also try to help Ben as much as he can.”

Crutchlow has his eyes on the big prize in Portugal
British rider Cal Crutchlow heads to Portimao this weekend with the championship title firmly in his sights. He leads championship rival Eugene Laverty by 19 points going into the final round. Crutchlow has enjoyed an astonishing first year in World Supersport, taking to his credit five race wins, ten pole position starts, ten podiums in total and claiming nine fastest lap records on his R6.

Team mate Fabien Foret goes into the final round sitting in sixth position in the championship on 115 points, just two points behind Anthony West in fifth. He will be looking to move up to fifth on race day and do everything he can to help his team mate win the title.

Both Crutchlow and team mate Fabien Foret spent two days testing at the Portuguese circuit last week, although conditions were not ideal it gave the riders an opportunity to re-acquaint themselves with the track in advance of this Sunday’s championship finale.

“It’s going to be a tough weekend,” said Cal Crutchlow. “There are plenty of things to concentrate on but I’m looking forward to it, it’s not over until it’s over! I need to concentrate on the job in hand, not to win the race but to win the title. We’ve worked hard for it all year, so we need to go there and make it happen.”

“I’ve got back to good form over the last few rounds,” said Fabien Foret, “and am back fighting for the front where I expect to be. I hope Portimao will be the same and I can finish well, hopefully in second spot and it will help me to find a good ride for next year!”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“We had a test at Portimao last week, so both riders are now ready for the race having had some valuable track time. It will be a very exciting round for us, we are ready to rock and roll for the last one and we’re looking forward to a good result. We don’t want to think too much about it but we are really trying to get the championship. It’s not over yet though; we’ve been there before, we were 17 points ahead in 2006 and didn’t win, anything can happen. Cal knows what he needs to do in the race so we’re going to give him all the support he need as and we believe we can take the title on Sunday.”

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PBM

Following on the recent announcement that Chris Vermeulen will race a factory-backed Kawasaki in next season’s World Superbike Championship, team owner Paul Bird has today announced that it will be Yorkshireman Tom Sykes who will partner the Australian aboard the works Ninja ZX-10Rs.

Having been awarded the official contract to run the works Kawasaki team in WSB at the end of last year, the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team has enjoyed their first year association with the factory this season despite riders Broc Parkes and in particular, Makoto Tamada suffering an injury-ravaged season.

Parkes has been a regular points scorer throughout the season and with on-going development work over winter, the team expects to be challenging for podiums and race wins in 2010.

Whereas Vermeulen, the 2003 World Supersport Champion and winner of the 2007 French MotoGP, is linking up with maverick Cumbrian businessman Bird for the first time, it will be Sykes’ second spell with the team having raced in British Superbikes in 2007 whereby he was a regular podium finisher.

During his WSB career, 27-year-old Vermeulen, from Brisbane, has racked up ten race victories and was runner-up in the 2005 World Superbike Championship and 24-year-old Sykes, from Huddersfield, made his full-time WSB debut this season, scoring a best result of 4th at Assen to add to his wild card podium at Donington in 2008.

The team will also be announcing further details in due course of a new title sponsor which will back the team for the next two years.

Chris Vermeulen: “I’m very happy and excited about this. I spoke with Kawasaki and they told me they were prepared to put in large amounts of resources and attention into winning the World Superbike Championship. That is what I want, to challenge and to win races. I know Paul from my time racing in the UK, and I know that he runs a great outfit, and I’m really looking forward to working with the team.”

Tom Sykes: “The team has big plans for World Superbikes next year so I’m really looking forward to being part of them. The big factor for me was that I have worked with the team before and know how good they are, they’re one of the best teams I’ve ridden for and I’ll have the same crew chief as I had in my rookie season in BSB. I’ve learned a hell of a lot this year and the intention is to put that experience to good use and I’ve every confidence that the package will be very competitive in 2010.”

Paul Bird, Team Owner: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have managed to sign both Chris and Tom, as they are both fantastic riders and I know they’ll do a great job for us next season. Chris has proved how competitive he is on a Superbike as his results demonstrate and I’ve always rated Tom highly, that’s why I handed him his first proper Superbike ride back in 2007. The team has made huge strides forward this year and we can now put into practice what we have learned and I fully expect us to be challenging at the sharp end in 2010. I’d like to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to both Broc and Makoto for their hard work, professionalism and dedication during the past season and myself and the whole team wishes them both well for the future.”

Chris Vermeulen Profile

Full Name: Chris Vermeulen
Nickname: ‘Vermin’ or ‘The V’
Status: Single, girlfriend Toni
Date of Birth: 19/06/82 Aged 27
Place of Birth: Brisbane, Australia
Residence: Andorra
Hobbies: Motorsports, Training & Surfing
Dream: To be World Superbike Champion
First Race: 1988, Motocross
First Road Race: 1997
First Major Win: Australian Junior Championship, 1998

CAREER HISTORY:

1997: Started road racing, Australian Supersport & 250cc Championships
1998: Australian Junior Championship 2 wins (80cc Moriwaki)
1999: 8th Australian Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
2000: 4th National Superstock, 5th British Supersport Championships (Sanyo Honda)
2001: 17th World Supersport Championship (Castrol Honda)
2002: 7th World Supersport Championship (van Zon Honda)
2003: 1st World Supersport Championship (ten Kate Honda)
2004: 4th World Superbike Championship (ten Kate Honda)
2005: 2nd World Superbike Championship (ten Kate Honda)
2006: 11th MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)
2007: 6th MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)
2008: 8th MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)
2009: 11th (currently) MotoGP World Championship (Suzuki)

Tom Sykes Profile

Full Name: Thomas Edward Sykes
Nickname: ‘Grinner’
Status: Single, girlfriend Amie
Date of Birth: 19/08/85 Aged 24
Place of Birth: Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Residence: Lepton, Yorkshire
Hobbies: Sleeping, Training & Trials
Dream: To become World Champion
First Race: 2000 Mallory Park
First BSB Race: 2003 Brands Hatch (deputising for Kagayama)
First Major Win: 2005 Oulton Park British Supersport Championship Race

CAREER HISTORY:

2002: 2nd British Juniorstock Championship (Tech 2 Suzuki) (lost championship on countback)
2003: 7th British Supersport Championship (Northpoint Yamaha)
2004: 5th British Supersport Championship (TAS Suzuki)
2005: 5th British Supersport Championship (TAS Suzuki)
2006: 2nd British Supersport Championship (TAS Suzuki)
2007: 6th British Superbike Championship (Stobart Honda)
2008: 4th British Superbike Championship (Rizla Suzuki)
2009: 8th (currently) World Superbike Championship (Yamaha)

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Yamaha

The clock is ticking down to the 14th and final round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. With just ten points separating championship leader Haga from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies everything is to play for on race day. If Spies can secure two race wins, he will walk away with not just the championship title, but a well earned place in the World Superbike history books. Spies can already claim the title of greatest rookie of all time, taking the championship by storm in his first year on his R1, racking up an incredible 13 race wins, six fastest lap records and 16 podiums on mostly unknown circuits.

Teammate Tom Sykes heads to the final round of the year determined to reach the elusive podium he has worked so hard for this season. Sykes has had a challenging year, however has displayed good race pace at most tracks and was a consistent top ten finisher for the most part. He has proved to have good speed at Portimao having performed well in the tests so will be looking to hold on to his eighth position in the championship come race day. Sykes currently sits on 176 points, 24 behind Carlos Checa in seventh.

This will be the second outing for the World Superbike Championship on the Portimao circuit which was completed last year just before the final round of the 2008 Championship. The track proved to be a major hit with riders and fans alike with swooping corners, corkscrews, blind corners and multiple elevation changes ensuring exciting racing from the lights.

“I can’t wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday’s races,” said Ben Spies. “We’ve been fighting hard for race wins all year, and as a rookie on a new bike I think we’ve achieved some pretty good results. My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday, I would love to be able to deliver the title for the team as they really deserve it and have worked so hard to make it possible. We do go well on the Portimao circuit, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to challenge Nori for the wins. There will be a few fast guys up there as always so it should be an exciting race day.”

“I’m obviously very much looking forward to this weekend,” said Tom Sykes. “We’ve had good tests there in the past so we’re going there on a good base setting and looking to finish the season on a high; I certainly feel it’s achievable. The only concern I have at the moment is the fitness in my shoulder after France, although hopefully I will be able to get on the bike and put that behind me. I would like to finish strong for Yamaha and repay my team for all their hard work they’ve put in this year.”

Portimao technically speaking according to Tom Houseworth, Ben Spies Crew Chief
“We will start with our baseline setting on our primary bike and a modified test setting on the back up bike. Though we have quite a lot of data from testing, the engine and chassis spec has changed quite a lot from pre-season so there will be some variables to work on. We will be looking for maximum grip and quick direction change as Portimao is quite a twisty circuit with elevation changes and a variety of corners. Our goal is to be set up quick and then pick race tyres so we can get time on them in an attempt to find the ‘perfect’ race set up. Once traction and wheelie control are dialed in we will hope for good weather on Sunday and see if we can get it done.”

Portimao technically speaking according to Sergio Verbena, Tom Sykes Crew Chief
“For Portimao we will follow the same working line we have used in the last few races. We found a couple of good developments in Magny Cours and Imola which we will incorporate from the start. The last race was very unlucky for Tom, but for Portimao we have a lot of data from the winter test so we should have an advantage. In the test we were consistently fast (Tom was fourth fastest) so we are quite confident. We just hope Tom has recovered completely from the second race crash in Magny Cours, when he crashed because of a contact with Checa.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“We have only one choice, to go there and try to win both races. Both the tests we’ve had at Portimao with Ben were really good and also I’m confident that he knows how to win both races so I think it is very possible we will have success. We can’t do anything about the weather but we know Ben is ready to give it everything he’s got regardless. I’m expecting Tom to push hard and try and get the podium that he hasn’t managed to achieve yet this year and he will also try to help Ben as much as he can.”

Crutchlow has his eyes on the big prize in Portugal
British rider Cal Crutchlow heads to Portimao this weekend with the championship title firmly in his sights. He leads championship rival Eugene Laverty by 19 points going into the final round. Crutchlow has enjoyed an astonishing first year in World Supersport, taking to his credit five race wins, ten pole position starts, ten podiums in total and claiming nine fastest lap records on his R6.

Team mate Fabien Foret goes into the final round sitting in sixth position in the championship on 115 points, just two points behind Anthony West in fifth. He will be looking to move up to fifth on race day and do everything he can to help his team mate win the title.

Both Crutchlow and team mate Fabien Foret spent two days testing at the Portuguese circuit last week, although conditions were not ideal it gave the riders an opportunity to re-acquaint themselves with the track in advance of this Sunday’s championship finale.

“It’s going to be a tough weekend,” said Cal Crutchlow. “There are plenty of things to concentrate on but I’m looking forward to it, it’s not over until it’s over! I need to concentrate on the job in hand, not to win the race but to win the title. We’ve worked hard for it all year, so we need to go there and make it happen.”

“I’ve got back to good form over the last few rounds,” said Fabien Foret, “and am back fighting for the front where I expect to be. I hope Portimao will be the same and I can finish well, hopefully in second spot and it will help me to find a good ride for next year!”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“We had a test at Portimao last week, so both riders are now ready for the race having had some valuable track time. It will be a very exciting round for us, we are ready to rock and roll for the last one and we’re looking forward to a good result. We don’t want to think too much about it but we are really trying to get the championship. It’s not over yet though; we’ve been there before, we were 17 points ahead in 2006 and didn’t win, anything can happen. Cal knows what he needs to do in the race so we’re going to give him all the support he need as and we believe we can take the title on Sunday.”

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World Superbike

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

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Ducati Xerox

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)

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Suzuki Alstare

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli will make his Team Suzuki Alstare debut in the last round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Algarve in Portimao this coming weekend. Sylvain has already finished his season in the British Superbike Championship and joins the Suzuki Alstare this week, as a replacement for the injured Max Neukirchner, and will begin his preparation for next year’s Superbike World Championship with the team. It will be Sylvain’s first time at the technically difficult and demanding circuit and so he will start the weekend learning the track and working with his new team. Portimao will be Yukio Kagayama’s last race for Team Suzuki Alstare after five years of loyal service. The popular Japanese rider is returning to the British Superbike Championship, where he has a lot of fans, but is determined to sign off in style.

Sylvain
It’s hard to describe my feelings about racing for a factory team like Suzuki Alstare next weekend. Originally, I thought that I would be carrying on with Suzuki in the British Championship, but then an offer came along, at the last minute, for me to race in the Superbike World Championship and I just couldn’t say no. It is a fantastic opportunity and I would like to thank Francis (Batta), Suzuki Japan, Suzuki GB and all concerned for giving this great chance.
I have seen on TV how competitive World Superbikes is and I am really looking forward to this challenge. The series is exciting and very tough and I think it is going to be a big, but wonderful challenge, for us all.
I have never ridden at Portimao before, but I know that it is quite technical and there are many changes of elevation and lots of blind corners. That means that I will have to start off by learning which way the track goes and take my time getting to know that and my new team. The good thing is that I am under no pressure in Portimao and will be able to use the weekend to get to know the bike and the team before getting down to the hard work in the winter tests. I am going to do my best, of course, but I hope I can get on with the bike and the team quickly and also have some fun.

Yukio
It is no secret that this season has been quite hard for me and my team, but recently things have been going much better. It’s a little sad leaving Suzuki Alstare after such a long time because I have made so many friends and have had a good time with them. But, things change and I will go to the BSB next year and try my best to win the championship. I have many friends and fans in UK, so this will not be difficult for me. Before I go though, I would like to finish with a podium or two in Portimao so that I can say a big thank you to the team and Francis.

2008 results
Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 C Checa (ESP-Honda), 3 Corser (AUS-Yamaha), 5 Fonsi Nieto (ESP-Suzuki Alstare), 15 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare), Max Neukirchner (GER-Alstare Suzuki) DNF,
Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 3 Haslam (GBR-Honda), 4 Max Neukirchner (GER-Alstare Suzuki), 5 Fonsi Nieto (ESP-Suzuki Alstare), 23 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare),

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PBM Racing

The final round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship takes place this forthcoming weekend with the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team looking to end the season on a high note in Portimao.

The impressive new circuit on the Portuguese Algarve was introduced into the calendar last year and riders Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada have good experience of the track, especially 27-year-old Australian Parkes who finished in a strong fifth place in the World Supersport race last season.

Following a difficult last couple of rounds aboard the

www.supercasino.com, Vent-Axia, Kick Energy and Henleys-backed Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team Ninja ZX-10Rs, both Parkes and 32-year-old Japanese rider Tamada will be hoping for better fortunes.

Machine problems have hindered Parkes whereas Tamada has suffered with injury but despite neither rider remaining with the team for 2010, both are confident of a good showing to round off a successful development season for Paul Bird’s team.

Meanwhile, an announcement regarding the team’s line up and plans for 2010 is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday.

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 the ZX-10R and really appreciated working with the Paul Bird Motorsport and Kawasaki Racing teams. The team and I have worked really hard so it would be nice to do well this weekend and end the season on a high. I’m obviously very disappointed that I will not be continuing into 2010 with Kawasaki but that is the way racing goes. I wish the team all the best for the future and want to thank them for the opportunity in 2009. Portimao should provide a good race for all and I enjoyed racing there last year so I’ve got nothing to lose but to do well.”

Makoto Tamada:  “To say that I’m looking forward to this weekend is an understatement as having missed the last two races from injury I am really eager to do well and to finish the season and my time on the ZX-10R on a positive note. I’ve had such bad luck this year with some many accidents which weren’t my fault but my team have always worked hard and continued to push and be positive. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the Paul Bird Motorsport team and seeing how much the machine and the team have progressed. I feel that there are many positives to come and wish the team the very best of luck for the future.”

Details and profiles of the riders, team and bikes as well as championship information, pictures and calendar etc can be found at

www.kawasaki-racingteam.eu/road-race. Exclusive and copyright-free pictures are also available from each round at www.paulbirdmotorsport.com

Television Coverage

Saturday 24^th October

1400 – 1500   LIVE Superpole on British Eurosport 2

1800 – 1845   Superpole Highlights on British Eurosport 2

Sunday 25^th October

1030 – 1545   LIVE Superstock 1000, WSB race one and World Supersport on British Eurosport 2

1745 - 1915   Delayed WSB race two and highlights on British Eurosport

2300 – 2400   Highlights on British Eurosport

British Eurosport is available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521 or British Eurosport 2 available on Sky 411 and Virgin Media 525. Also live on your PC via the Eurosport Player.