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Sykes, Spies & New R1 Make Great Start for 2009 SBK Season
06 November 2008
2009 Yamaha WSB riders Ben Spies and Tom Sykes enjoyed a successful two day test at Portimao with their new team. The riders used the time to develop both their relationships with their new team and also to make a start on the development of the all-new 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 race bike. Day one of testing was spent mostly riding the 2008 WSB machines, giving both riders the opportunity to learn the highly technical Portimao circuit which opened for the first time last weekend for the last round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship.
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Bridewell Impresses on Yamaha Test
06 November 2008
Following on from a battling World Superbike debut at Portimao last weekend, Tommy Bridewell was invited to test for the Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni team which he did at the Portuguese circuit today and as a result put in an impressive performance. Using the Yamaha R1 ridden in this year's Superstock FIM 1000 Cup by Italian Michele Magnoni, the 20-year-old from Devizes was instantly on the pace and consistently lapping faster than team-mate Michele Pirro, who finished fifth in the 2008 Championship. Sharing the track with a number of World Superbike teams, Bridewell unofficially lapped at a similar time to the DF Racing Hondas of Regis Laconi and Lorenzo Lanzi to top the unofficial Superstock 1000 time sheets after his 22 laps around the 4.6km track.
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Roberts Crowned Champion!
06 November 2008
Brendan Roberts was today crowned FIM 1000 Superstock Cup World Champion after defying the odds going from fourth in the Championship to take the overall win. The new Portuguese circuit, Portimao, was a tester for all the riders this weekend as the track was only finished a couple of weeks ago. Roberts dominated throughout the weekend and took the fastest lap, pole position and the overall race win to take the Championship title. Disaster struck Roberts at the last round at Magny Cours, where the young Australian was unable to finish the race after a gear box problem, dropping him to fourth in the Championship table. The 23-year-old originally from Adelaide, Australia, knew that he had to win in Portugal this weekend and hope for the best, his dreams came true and Roberts secured the race win and the Championship title for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team.
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Portuguese Podium Delight for Checa
03 November 2008
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.
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Lavilla Just Misses Out on Portimao Podium
03 November 2008
In the final round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship at the brand new Portimao circuit on the Portuguese Algarve, Vent Axia VK Honda rider Gregorio Lavilla rounded off the season with a battling performance to record his second best result of the year. After qualifying the Paul Bird Motorsport Honda in a disappointing 17th place in the weather-blighted sessions, the Spanish rider very nearly equalled his best result of the season of fourth as he scythed his way through the field in the opening race to battle with the eventual podium finishers. However, on the final corner of the race, Greg nearly high-sided and was fired out of the seat before regaining control and crossing the line in sixth place.
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Battling Performance by Bridewell in Portimao
03 November 2008
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.
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Nieto Storms to 5th from 16th on Grid
03 November 2008
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.
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Perfect End to Bayliss' Career with Two SBK Wins at Portimao
03 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.
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Corser Podiums and Takes Second in the Championship
03 November 2008
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.
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HM Plant Honda Boys Battle Hard in Portugal - Haslam Takes Third
03 November 2008
HM Plant Honda duo Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow performed brilliantly at the final round of the World Superbike championship today, showing strongly in both races. Both riders were up at the sharp end of the action as results were decided by tyre performance at the new Portimao circuit. Both HM Plant Honda riders suffered tyre consistency problems at some point during the races, but Leon managed to take a superb third place in the second race after a seventh in the first outing. Cal also showed strongly in both races, but tyre problems saw him retire in race one, and force him into 9th in race two. Both riders showed both their strength and the potency of the HM Plant Honda Fireblade on the World stage. Leon and Cal now leave the team to prepare for their 2009 campaigns on the World scene, while HM Plant Honda will look forward to reclaiming the British Superbike Championship and winning on the roads at the 2009 North West 200 and Isle of Man TT races.
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Bayliss Winds up Superbike Career with Double Win in Portugal
03 November 2008
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. 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.
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Sofuoglu ‘at Home’ in Portimao
31 October 2008
Kenan Sofuoglu rode his HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR for the first time in more than a year today at the brand new, but wet, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve at Portimao in Portugal. The Turkish rider, who has returned to the Supersport team for this weekend’s final 2008 World Supersport round, went on to set the fifth fastest time for Sunday’s 20-lap race at the undulating 4.5km circuit.
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WSB Duty for HM Plant Honda in Portugal
30 October 2008
HM Plant Honda will sign off a successful 2008 race season this weekend with their ‘wild-card’ appointment at the final round of the World Superbike championship at the Portimao circuit. With the Bennetts British Superbike season over with riders Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow in second and third places respectively, now both riders and team have a chance to shine in the World series for a second time. At Donington Park in September, Leon and Cal did well, despite poor weather conditions. Leon was taken out of a podium position by another rider in race one, but remounted to take 8th, before crashing out of the second race. Cal suffered a DNF in race one, but battled hard to take runner-up spot in race two. Both riders will be aiming for podiums as they say goodbye to the HM Plant Honda team as they move to the World championships in 2009. In preparation for this weekend’s race, HM Plant Honda conducted a two-day test at the circuit last week.
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Rea to Make Superbike Debut at Season Finale
27 October 2008
Jonathan Rea will make his World Superbike debut this weekend as the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team heads to the final round of the 2008 championship at Portimao in Portugal. The 21-year-old will race the Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade at the brand-new, 4km Portimao circuit, which is hosting its first race meeting this weekend (31 October – 2 November), following recent homologation by the FIM. Ryuichi Kiyonari will make a welcome return to the team at Portimao, following surgery on the collarbone he broke during a testing session at Magny-Cours five weeks ago.
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Alstare Debut at Portimao
27 October 2008
The fourteenth and final round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the newly built Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, this coming weekend. For Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner together with most of their rivals, it will be their first visit to the circuit. However, Ducati Xerox tested there last week and will have collected invaluable data, giving them a considerable advantage going into the event.
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New Algarve Circuit Brings Curtain Down on 08 WSBK Season
27 October 2008
The final act of the 2008 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship will be played out this coming weekend at the new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimao in southern Portugal. Built in less than a year at a projected total investment cost of almost 200 million Euros, the Portimao track is currently having the finishing touches put to it as it prepares for the big inaugural event, but it promises to be one of the most spectacular circuits in Europe and is a fitting climax for this year’s championships.
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08 SBK Champion Troy Bayliss Closes his Superbike Career at Portimao
27 October 2008
The 2008 World Superbike championship comes to a close this week, and factory riders Troy Bayliss and Michel Fabrizio travel to Portugal and the brand new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the final round. The Ducati Xerox team commences the weekend in a relaxed state of mind, having already secured the 2008 World Superbike riders and constructors titles with Troy Bayliss and his Ducati 1098 F08, a winning race bike in its debut season. Three weeks ago at Magny-Cours, the penultimate round of the championship, Troy Bayliss triumphed to take his third World title, with his Race 2 win also providing the necessary points for Ducati to bring home their fifteenth manufacturers title since 1988.
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No SBK at Brands Hatch for 2009
24 October 2008
Following a period of analysis and negotiation, FGSport and MSV have decided not to stage the 2009 Superbike World Championship UK Round at Brands Hatch. Paolo Flammini, CEO of FGSport, declared: “The cooperation with MSV has always been perfect but for several reasons we came to a joint conclusion that there are not the conditions to confirm the inclusion of the Brands Hatch Circuit in the 2009 Calendar”.
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Double Top - MotoGP & WSBK at Donington Park Again in 09
23 October 2008
Donington Park will be hosting the only World Championship motorcycle race action in Britain next year with the confirmation that both the MotoGP and Superbike events will be held at the Leicestershire parkland circuit. “We are delighted to be once again hosting these prestigious events,” said the circuit’s Chief Executive Officer Simon Gillett. “In the World Superbikes we will have one of the strongest ever British challenges while in MotoGP our local hero James Toseland will be taking on the world’s best led by the six times champion Valentino Rossi.” The ninth and British round of the World Superbike Championship will be held over the weekend of 26-27-28 June. Heading up a major domestic bid for honours in the production based championship will be twice British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne, riding the Sterilgarda Ducati.
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Brands Hatch Not Included on the FIM SBK Provisional 2009 Calendar
20 October 2008
Brands Hatch has not been included on the FIM World Superbike provisional 2009 calendar issued today, 20 October 2008. A round of the World Superbike Championship has taken place at the Kent circuit every year since 1993. Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision, said: “Of course it is very disappointing not to have World Superbikes on the calendar for Brands Hatch next year but I have not been able to agree terms with the promoters of WSB, the Italian-based FG Sport company, run by Paolo and Maurizio Flammini. “It is obviously their business to obtain the highest fees possible from circuits for having a WSB event but unfortunately FG Sport has demanded a fee over twice as much as MSV paid in 2008, which seems strange given the very obvious global economic crisis.
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