World Superbike News

Ben Spies

Ben Spies, was yet again the man on a mission after dominating the two races at the Miller Motorsport Park circuit on Sunday.

Race One

The Sterilgarda Yamaha rider Ben Spies set the pole position record in qualifying on Saturday, his seventh consecutive pole position.

The first race was stopped on lap 7 after the Celani Race Suzuki rider Karl Muggeridge crashed out and was left lying in the middle of the circuit, bringing out the red flag.  He eventually walked away and suffered only bruising.

At the restart the Ten Kate Honda rider Ryuichi Kiyonari beat Spies into the first corner but only held it until turn three when Spies took the lead.

Spies disappeared into the distance and finished the race nearly 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field on a race was being run on aggregate times.

The Hanspree Ten Kate Honda rider Carlos Checa finished in second place followed by Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio in third.

Ryuichi Kiyonari finished in fourth place ahead of Jonathan Rea on the second Hanspree Ten Kate Honda and Max Biaggi on the Aprilia Racing machine.

Noriyuki Haga, who is currently leading the championship, had a huge crash during practice and suffered a bruised back, seeing him finish the first race back in ninth place.

Tom Sykes, team-mate of Spies, was still struggling with his machines set-up and managed only a thirteenth place in the first race.

Hanspree Honda Althea rider Tommy Hill, didn’t make the starting grid after an accident in the second qualifying session on Saturday entering  ‘Attitude’ corners.  The British rider was soon back at the circuit after being checked over at the hospital but the team decided it would be better for Hill to rest after suffering bad bruising and taking a hit to the head.

Here are the results;

1. Ben Spies USA Yamaha WSB YZF R1 21 laps
2. Carlos Checa ESP HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +9.394s
3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1098R +12.742s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +14.278s
5. Jonathan Rea GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +14.915s
6. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +15.461s
7. Jamie Hacking USA Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R +22.901s
8. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing Ducati 1098R +25.425s
9. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1098R +25.870s
10. Leon Haslam GBR Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR +26.093s
11. Shane Byrne GBR Sterilgarda Ducati 1098R +28.181s
12. Yukio Kagayama JPN Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000K9 +29.275s
13. Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha WSB YZF R1 +38.365s
14. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Guandalini Racing Ducati 1098R +39.454s
15. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR +39.513s

DNS. Tommy Hill GBR HANNspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR

Race Two

The second race was merely a repeat of the first with Spies yet again taking the win after leading from the first corner.

Fabrizio followed in second place after an excellent start ahead of Jonathan Rea who took the final step of the podium.

Spanish rider Carlos Checa crashed out on lap 4 after clipping the kerb on entering the ‘Attitude’ chicane while running in third position, ending his race.

Luca Scassa high sided off his Team Pedercini machine after he was clipped by Jamie Hacking on the Kawasaki bike.   Hacking who was using his second bike and battling for thirteenth place when he was hit by Hacking, the replacement rider for the injured Makoto Tamada, at high speed and suffered a broken metatarsus of his left foot.

Leon Haslam had a disappointing weekend after a tenth place in the first race and a DNF in race two.  Haslam on the Stiggy Motorsport Honda had qualified in twelveth on the grid for the second race, before working his way up to fourth and then third as he briefly passed Rea.  Rea took back the position as he got into the slip stream of the Stiggy on the long straight, but before long Haslam was once again on his tail, desperate for that final podium position.  As he lined up Rea on the final lap, Haslam clipped a kerb at the problematic ‘Attitude’ chicane and down he went, ending his chances.

Here are the results;

1. Ben Spies USA Yamaha WSB YZF R1 21 laps
2. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1098R +9.080s
3. Jonathan Rea GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +14.357s
4. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +15.636s
5. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +17.156s
6. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing Ducati 1098R +17.545s
7. Shinya Nakano JPN Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +19.659s
8. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1098R +23.456s
9. Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha WSB YZF R1 +30.489s
10. Shane Byrne GBR Sterilgarda Ducati 1098R +31.775s
11. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT ZX-0R +33.246s
12. Yukio Kagayama JPN Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000K9 +36.758s
13. Fonsi Nieto ESP Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000K9 +36.857s
14. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Corse Ducati 1098R +37.290s
15. Jake Zemke USA Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR +42.639s

DNS Karl Muggeridge AUS Celani Suzuki GSX-R1000
DNS. Tommy Hill GBR HANNspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR