PIRELLI - RACING

World Championships Standings

Rider	Bike	Team	Point
Noriyuki Haga	Ducati 1098R	Ducati Xerox Team	436
Ben Spies	Yamaha YZF-R1	Yamaha WSB	426
Michel Fabrizio	Ducati 1098R	Ducati Xerox Team	346

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ROUND 13 - Magny Cours France - 04 October 2009

Unseasonably warm, if very welcome, autumnal weather put smiles on the faces of the entire WSB paddock in France, as the penultimate round of the 2009 championship got underway in the absolute centre of this large country. Magny-Cours is now a fixture on the WSB and has a history of providing dramatic points in the overall season, as well as some close and ultra-combative competition.

The dry track did see some big changes in temperature from the morning to the afternoon sessions in practice, but was otherwise consistent, with no rain showing up all weekend. Only an engine blow up that caused a long delay on Saturday reduced the practice time in the final untimed session, shortening it to 30 minutes.

Ben Spies took away a new best lap of 1’37.709 in winning Superpole, and he also joined Doug Polen, his fellow American, on a season best record of ten poles in a single year. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) left the weekend with the new track record of 1’38.619, more than a second faster than Carlos Checa’s (Honda)time from the previous year.

On the front row with Spies were Jonathan Rea (Honda), Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) four different manufacturers in the top four, not an unusual happening in this closely contested series. Troy Corser put the S1000RR BMW onto row two, eighth fastest. Championship leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) was fifth.

In terms of tyre options, Pirelli brought three fronts and four rears for Superbike, and the thoughts before the race were that there could well be a big range of options for the top riders in race one, and a great likelihood of riders making different choices for race two, as the track temperatures were expected to be different between race one at noon and race two at 15.30.

RACE 1


AIR HUMIDITY	60%	AIR TEMPERATURE	15°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE	19°C	TRACK CONDITION	Dry

In the opening race, Ben Spies took the lead from pole, and looked set to run away in the very early stages. But Rea, Biaggi and Haga had other ideas, and cut his advantage in the next few laps, with the lap record repeatedly broken in the early skirmishes. The pace of the leading four was such that even front row qualifier Michel Fabrizio was left behind, to finally take fourth place. Rea retired with a technical problem, leaving Spies in a clear lead - for a time. Biaggi lost the battle with Haga to chase Spies, when he ran off track trying to pass the Japanese star, and he went third. Haga closed to within half a second of Spies, largely thanks to an incredible new lap record of 1’38.619, set on lap 21, but looked out of chances to pass, until Spies ran wide on the last lap and Haga got right into his slipstream. The Texan held on to take his win, Haga only 0.181 seconds back. Five different manufacturers had at least one machine in the top seven places.

Race Standings

Rider	Bike	Team	Race time
B. Spies	Yamaha YZF-R1	Yamaha WSB	37'57.110
N. Haga	Ducati 1098R	Ducati Xerox Team	+0.181
M. Biaggi	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	Aprilia Racing	5.009
M. Fabrizio	Ducati 1098R	Ducati Xerox Team	16.347
L. Haslam	Honda CBR1000RR	Stiggy Honda Racing	22.622

RACE 2


AIR HUMIDITY	42%	AIR TEMPERATURE	20°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE	28°C	TRACK CONDITION	Dry

Spies, on a ‘C’ front tyre and an ‘D’ rear in race one, made a dramatic change due to his earlier experience and, hoping for an advantage, he went with a ‘A’ rear for race two. It was not the best choice and along with other issues he could only finish fourth, some 18 seconds from the win.

Race two was some three seconds slower than race one, in temperatures around ten degrees higher, but of greater importance in the overall scheme was that Haga secured his eighth win of the year, and will enter the final round at Portimao in three weeks with a ten point lead over Spies.

Rea was in the mix until the last few laps, and finally Biaggi could not get back to long-time race leader Haga, with the final result Haga, Biaggi and Rea. Haga’s race one new lap record survived race two, but it was a close thing, with Rea setting the best race lap of 1’38.662.

With four different machines in the top four places in race two, the competitiveness of Pirelli’s tyres was once more demonstrated in the heat of competition. Ducati won the Manufacturers’ Title today.

Race Standings

Rider	Bike	Team	Race time
N. Haga	Ducati 1098R	Ducati Xerox Team	38’00.282
M. Biaggi	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	Aprilia Racing	+1.480
J. Rea	Honda CBR1000RR	HANNspree Ten Kate Honda	6.024
B. Spies	Yamaha YZF R1	Yamaha WSB	18.135
L. Haslam	Honda CBR1000RR	Stiggy Honda Racing	21.236

Last Revised: 18/10/2009