The World Superbike Championship has returned to us, helping fill the winter snow & rain blues. Coming to us this weekend from Phillip Island, Australia, WSBK shows some new faces in the Superpole mix now that Ben Spies has left World Superbike for greener pastures. With the weather holding out, Superpole at PI had some surprising results, and some not so surprising results. Click past the break to get the low down.
With the 2010 World Superbike Championship series getting underway in only one week’s time, WSBK riders are getting their last days of testing in at Phillip Island before the season opener next Sunday. If this weekend’s testing is any idication of what we can expect from next weekend while under race and qualifying conditions, then Michel Fabrizio looks like the man to beat. The Italian lead the testing sessions on his Xerox Ducati with a lap time of 1?31.650. Continue on for footage of the testing session by SuperbikeTV, and testing session times from Australia.
It’s been confirmed that Davide Tardozzi will indeed move down the World Superbike paddock, and into the BMW’s WSBK effort for the next three years. The Italian team manager was at the center of some controversy after rider Noriyuki Haga failed to win the 2009 World Superbike Championship by a handful of points.
Some critics inside and outside of the paddock chastised Tardozzi for not implementing team orders, which would have kept Xerox Ducati teammate Michel Fabrizio from capturing valuable points that Haga would later need in the series.
It would seem Yamaha isn’t the only manufacturer experiencing a mass exodus. Right on the heels of Livio Suppo leaving the Ducati Corse’s MotoGP team, comes the announcement that Davide Tardozzi, head of Ducati’s World Superbike team and personal manager to Michel Fabrizio, will be leaving the team.
After Noriyuki Haga lost the WSBK Championship, Davide Tardozzi, team Manager for Xerox Ducati, came under a lot of fire for letting Michel Fabrizio compete against his teammate Haga.
Citing points lost at Imola, and Fabrizio’s 1st place finish in Race 2 of Portimao, many think Tardozzi should have put the hand-cuffs of team orders on the Italian rider. We’ll save that debate for another article, but in a candid moment it seems Tardozzi had his own opinion. Click after the jump for a video you can’t refuse.
With Race 1 changing two riders’ fate, the last race of the last round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship would be the only redemption left, until next year. Just as catastrophe changed the Championship in Race 1, disaster here in Race 2 could just as easily swing the pedulum. With this pressure still looming, Spies and Haga both had to be ready for a fight to the finish. Spoilers after the jump.
World Superbike makes its way to France this weekend for its second to last stop of the season. With only 3 points separating Ben Spies from Noriyuki Haga’s lead in the Championship, Magny-Cours proves itself to be an important stop in a battle for the lead that seems unable to die. Both Haga and Spies will be looking to take a double here in France, and try to establish some breathing room over the other, before they head to Portimao.
Ducati Corse has re-signed both of its World Superbike riders, Noriyuki Haga & Michel Fabrizio, for the 2010 season. No word on the details of the rider’s contracts, but the move won’t cause any surprises in the WSBK paddock. Xerox Ducati has been dominating the World Superbike series, save for one man, Ben Spies.
Race 2 promised to have more close racing, as many riders in Race 1 proved they could race near the top (not to mention, many riders in WSBK have contracts up for renewal). With Imola being the home track for the Ducati loyal, a lot of fans we’re waiting to see the red bikes up front.
Many Xerox Ducati fans were also keen to see if Haga could retake the lead in the World Superbike Championship standings with a strong showing at Imola. They would not be disappointed, a full race report after the jump.
Racing went off without a hitch this Sunday, as the Imola circuit seemed devoid of earlier traction problems that almost sidelined the racing earlier this week. With Imola sitting literally in Ducati’s backyard, all eyes were on the Xerox Ducati squad, and Noriyuki Haga.
Haga, who trails Ben Spies for the first time this season coming into Imola, was especially keen on grabbing back some points from the American. Lastly, a new addition to the WSBK paddock took the form of Marco Simoncelli, who was filling in on the factory Aprilia team for the injured Shinya Nakano. A full race report with spoilers after the jump.
With track conditions at the Imola causing a near mutiny during the practice sessions, there was a panic in the WSBK paddock as to whether racing would occur at the Bologna circuit this weekend. After track officials cleaned the Imola tarmac, it became too slippery to ride upon. Whether due to the mixture of oil and water on the track, or the absence of the usual layers of rubber forming on the race line, the conditions caused riders to refuse to take to the track over safety concerns.
Commenting about the conditions, Ben Spies stated the course was slipperier than full wet conditions. Max Biaggi was also heard saying that the course was too slippery for racing, and that Sunday’s races could not take place on the course under these circumstances. Despite this, WSBK Superpole action still occurred, read on for more.