2009 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 12, Imola, Italy, Sept 27th Race Report
HAGA REGAINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER HE AND FABRIZIO TAKE A WIN APIECE
After a long awaited return the FIM Hannspree World Superbike Championship came back to the Imola circuit in Italy. In bright sunny conditions the strong crowd of 67,000 spectators were entertained by a magnificent day of racing as the Ducati Xerox riders Michel Fabrizio and Nori Haga took a win apiece at Ducati's home circuit. After a brilliant display of riding from Nori Haga who took the win in race one and second in race two put the Japanese star back on top of the championship by three points points as Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies could only finish in fourth and fifth in both races. With 100 points still remaining the fight for the title will continue nexk weekend at the penultimate round at Magny-Cours in France.
Race one. Nori Haga kept his title dream alive by taking the win in a nail-biting race one where the Japanese star took the lead from Aprilia's Max Biaggi with four laps remaining to take his first win since Kyalami in South Africa in May. With this vital win Haga was able to close down the championship to just twelve points as Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superikes Ben Spies could only manage fourth, meanwhile the fight for second went right down to the line as Aprilia's Max Biaggi was able to just hold Haga's team-mate Michel Fabriizo. Marco Simoncelli's WSB debut did not go tp plan as the reigning 250 Grand-Prix champion crashed out of fifth. That place went to Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari with the two British riders Stiggy Racing Honda's and Kiyonari's team-mate Johnny Rea finishing in sixth and seventh. Privateer Guandalini Racing Ducati's Jakub Smrz went onto finish eighth ahead of Britain's Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbikes Tom Sykes with the factory Kawasaki of Broc Parkes in tenth.
Race Two. The second race of the day would see the unstoppable Xerox Ducati of Michel Fabrizio power his way to his second win of his career ahead of race one winner and team-mate Nori Haga with the reigning 250 Grand-Prix World Champion Marco Simonelli making up for his race one crash taking third ahead of his team-mate Max Biaggi. After only finishing fourth in the opening race Ben Spies who got caught up in the battle for third could only muster a fifth, gifting Haga now a three points lead at the top. After a race full of mistakes Hanspree Ten Kate Honda rider Johnny Rea finished sixth ahead of the two Britain's of Stiggy Racing Honda's Leon Haslam and Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Byrne with Guandalini Racing Ducati's Jakub Smrz in ninth and Rea's team-mate Carlos Checa in tenth.
WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2009 World Supersport Championship has been thrown wide open as points leader Yamaha World Supersport's Cal Crutchlow crashed out while leading to his sixth win of the year. 2007 World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu would go on to take the win for a third time this year ahead of Parkalgar Honda Racing's Eugene Laverty who now only sits two points adrift from championship leader Crutchow. The final place on the podium would go to Crutchlow's team-mate Fabien Foret. With two round remaining and a total of 50 points still up for grabs as Cal Crutchlow still leads with 210 points, second Eugene Laverty on 208 points with Kenan Sofuoglu in third on 153 points.
