2009 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 13, Portimao, Portugal, Oct 25th Race Report
BEN SPIES GIVES YAMAHA THEIR FIRST EVER WORLD TITLE
Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies won the first race ahead of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea and Aprilia's Max Biaggi then controlled the situation in race two to take his and Yamaha's first ever World Superbike Championship title in front of an 86,000 crowd in the final round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Ducati Xerox Nori Haga who went into the final round as points leader crashed out of race one, making things easier for Spies who only needed a fifth place to take the title did just that as the race win went to Ducati Xerox's Michel Fabrizio with a dejected Nori Haga second and Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Johnny Rea in third.
Race One. Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies dominated the race from start to finish to take his fourteenth win of the season and to overhaul Ducati Xerox's Nori Haga in the title chase. Spies who rocketed off the line held off an attack from Aprilia's Max Biaggi, then upped his pace to take his first win of the day while Nori Haga crashed out on lap four, where Spies would gain a fifthteen points advantage over Haga. The runner-up slot went to Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea with Aprilia's Max Biaggi just holding off a late challenge from Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Byrne to take third. The second Ducati Xerox Ducati of Michel Fabrizio took fifth ahead of wild-card Aprilia rider and newly crowned British Superbike Champion Leon Camier in sixth. Rea's team-mate Carlos Checa wnet onto to take seventh with the BMW Motorrad of Ruben Xaus in eighth. Althea Honda's Mathieu Lagrive would take his best position of the season in ninth with the Guandalini Ducati of Matteo Biaocco in tenth.
Race Two. Ben Spies monitored Haga all the way in race two to fifth place that was enough to give him the title. Spies only had to finish in sixth, but he opted to shy away from any confrontaion and with Haga's second place finish gave the American the title by six points. The race was eventually won by Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio with team-mate Nori Haga second and Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea in third. Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Bynre had to settle for fourth again while Aprilia's Max Biaggi came under fire from wild-card rider and team-mate Leon Camier to hold onto sixth. Guandalini Ducati's Jakub Smrz would end his season in eighth with BMW Mottorrad's Troy Corser ninth and the second wild-card rider of the day Astare Suzuki's Sylvain Guintoli in tenth.
World Supersport Championship.
Britain's Cal Crutchlow gave Yamaha their second world title of the day by finishing fourth in the final round. Crutchlow took the World Supersport title in his debut season with the win going to Parkalgar Honda's Eugene Laverty who secured the runner-up slot in the championship. Former 2007 World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu took second and secured third overall in the championship while ParknGO Triumph racing Garry McCoy took the final place on the podium making it his second visit to the rostrum this year.
