The opening weekend of the WSB season at Phillip Island was a monumental occasion for some, but for most, it was filled with close-up views of the pavement. The crashes at Phillip Island left some riders unable to finish the race, and could possible stop others from racing at Portugal.
Chris Vermuelen is awaiting a decision about surgery on his knee. The decision to operate would take him out of the running for Portugal, and possible for the rest of the season.
Roland Resch, who has just undergone collar bone surgery, is also unlikely to compete at Portiamo on March 26th-28th.
Resch, who is racing for the BMW Reitwagon team, is currently recovering from surgery on his right collar bone. The recovery is going well, but he may not be ready for the Portiamo race. His doctor, Andrea Dungl-Zauner doubts that he will be able to ride by March 26th. His participation is not officially ruled out, as both Resch and his doctor wait to evaluate his condition on March 17th.
"Of course it hurts to hear that the doctor thinks I won't be on the bike in Portimao. But it doesn't make sense either to force an early comeback if I am not 100% fit. The collarbone is broken twice, with a titanium plate and eight screws inserted. That is a quite big deal for my body,” said Resch.
“This year the grid is too competitive to start too early with a handicap. I want to fully recover before jumping on a bike again. Believe me, it's not easy to pass on a race, but I am working hard to be back soon."
Chris Vermuelen had a rough opening weekend at Phillip Island. The veteran rider took a nasty spill during race two at Phillip Island. The 200 Km/ph crash sent Vermuelen into a tire wall and damaged his knee.
Vermuelen, who has ten World Superbike race wins, is awaiting expert opinions, but is doubtful that his return to the WSB circuit will be in time for the Portugal races.
Currently, Vermuelen is waiting for doctors to decide if he needs to undergo surgery. If he has to undergo surgery, Vermuelen could be out for the rest of the season. If doctors give him the ok, he will have about two weeks to get himself healthy before the Portimao race in Portugal on March 26th-28th.
“If all goes well and there isn't too much movement in my knee from the torn ligaments, then he will leave it and – fingers crossed – I'll be ok for Portimao,” Vermuelen said in a video he posted on his website. “However, if the damage is still quite bad and not repairing well, he might want to go inside and fix it up.”
Vermuelen is a premiere racer and is part of an elite group of only 63 who have won a World Superbike race.
James Toseland crashed hard on the opening race of the WSB season at Phillip Island, fracturing his left hand. He continued to race, but only managed to score a few points in the second race with a tenth place finish.
"I damaged it a bit more than I thought I did, and with all the anesthetic I had on it over the race weekend and in the race itself I couldn't really feel what I had done to it. Without the anesthetic I would not have been able to ride,” he said Toseland, however, is not worried about his chance of racing in Portugal on March 26th.
"There was a fine crack in the third metacarpal bone of my hand, so it has taken a bit longer than I thought," said Toseland. "But it is getting better and it will be fine for Portugal anyway: no problem."
Toseland currently sits in 13th place with six points, 39 points behind the leader, Leon Haslam. Toseland has a way to go to catch up with the front of the pack, but the veteran rider has made it a habit to stand on the podium.
Toseland has two career WSB championships under his belt from 2004 and 2007. He also has 16 career race wins.
When Leon Haslam crossed the finish line at Phillip Island, he didn’t know he was making history. But Leon Haslam’s finish at the end of race one at the opening weekend of the World Superbike championships, put him in the books for two reasons; it was the closest finish in WSBK history, and he became the 63rd rider to win a WSB race.
At the end of the race, Michele Fabrizio and his Xerox Ducati team celebrated, but after the finish was reviewed, Haslam was awarded the win by a margin of .004 seconds. It was the first win for the Suzuki Alstare rider, and placed him among the elite of WSBK racers.
In the 23 year history of the WSBK, only 63 riders, including Haslam, have won a race. Carl Fogarty has the most wins with 59, followed by Troy Bayliss with 53, Noriyuki Haga with 41 and Troy Corser with 33. Carlos Checa, who won the second race on the opening weekend, has three wins.
Phillip Island is one of the fastest tracks that riders will experience during the WSB season, and is prone to close finishes. The race that Haslam won by .004 seconds had an average speed of 107 mph.
The World Superbike Championships at Phillip Island set the stage for an extremely exciting season. We saw some of the fastest times recorded at the Phillip Island track, we saw the closest finish in WSBK history, and a whole bunch of bikes tumbling off of the course.
Just about everyone had a tumble at Phillip Island. From veteran riders like James Toseland to debuting riders like Cal Crutchlow, the fast track at Phillip Island sent many riders to the pavement.
On day one, the track was hot, and many riders admitted to using the wrong tires for the conditions. On day two, there was an oil spill on the track that helped a few riders to the ground, and ultimately forced the race to re-start.
Out of all the crashes at Phillip Island, no one was seriously injured. A few bruises and some broken bikes, but all riders were able to walk away and prepare for the next WSBK race.
Here are some of the biggest crashes that occurred at the WSBK season opener at Phillip Island.
Phillip Island, Australia, hosted the first races of the World Superbike Championship last weekend. Veteran riders Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa, who were both riding their maiden races for teams Suzuki Alstare and Ducati Xeorx, found themselves standing at the top of the podium at one point over the weekend. Haslam, however, walked away as the big winner with the overall point total.
A win and a close second place finish put Haslam ahead of the pack with 45 points. Checa, who finished seventh in race one, earned 34 points which places him in third place.
Michele Fabrizio made the podium in both races, finishing second in race one and third in race two, earned a total of 36 points over the weekend to give him the second place spot.
Ducati, who saw its riders in spots two through four, sits on top of the point standings with 45 points. Suzuki, who also has 45 points, had riders in the first and fifth place spot
2010 World Superbike Championship rider standings
1. Leon Haslam Suzuki Alstare 45 points 2. Michel Fabrizio Ducati Xerox 36 3. Carlos Checa Althea Ducati 34 4. Noriyuki Haga Ducati Xerox 27 5. Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki Alstare 23 6. Jonathan Rea Ten Kate Honda 23 7. Max Biaggi Aprilia Alitalia19 8. Troy Corser BMW Motorrad 16 9. Leon Camier Aprilia Alitalia 10 10. Lorenzo Lanzi DFX Ducati 9 11. Jakub Smrz PATA B&G Ducati 8 12. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha Sterilgarda 7 13. James Toseland Yamaha Sterilgarda 6 14. Shane Byrne Althea Ducati 6 15. Max Neukirchner Ten Kate Honda 4 16. Tom Sykes Kawasaki SRT 3 17. Andrew Pitt Reitwagen BMW 2 18. Joshua Brookes Echo CRS Honda 2
Carlos Checa earned the top spot on the World Superbike grid after two fast qualifying rounds at Phillip Island, but didn’t manage to reach the podium at the end of Race 1. Instead, Checa and Althea Racing claimed the seventh spot.
Race 2 didn’t look much better as Checa faltered at the beginning of the race and dropped down toward the back of the pack. The veteran racer slowly made up ground, and by the final lap Checa was nipping at the heels of Leon Haslam, the race one winner.
“By the last lap I was up in second and I could finally get pass Haslam. I wanted to pass him earlier but it was impossible,” said Checa. “He didn't leave me space to pass until the very end.”
The World Superbike qualifying races at Phillip Island, Australia, put riders within hundredths of a second of one another. The first championship race, won by Leon Haslam, was achieved by a mere four thousandths of a second.
Michel Fabrizio had some late speed to catch up with Haslam toward the end, and after the final line was crossed, many believed that Fabrizio had won the first WBSK championship race. After the photo finish ending was reviewed, Haslam was crowned the winner.
World Superbike has begun and Leon Haslam started the 2010 WSBK season on top of the pack, claiming his first career pole position at Superpole on Phillip Island.
Haslam was in perfect form, claiming the top spot at all three sessions. His best time of 1:31.229 was just two tenths from the track record.
Claiming the pole position is a long awaited feat for both Haslam and his team Suzuki Alstare. Haslam hasn’t won the Pole in 31 attempts, and Suzuki hasn’t claimed the top spot since 2008.
Carlos Checa started the 2010 World Superbike season with the fastest qualifying time on a scorching hot track at Phillip Island, Australia. His lap time of 1’32”155 was less than a second away from setting the track record which was set by Regis Laconi last year.
But Checa wasn’t the only one close to breaking the track record. Checa’s time was only .007 seconds ahead of Michel Fabrizio, and .218 seconds ahead of Leon Haslam.
Checa, and his Ducati 1098R, gave Althea Racing its first pole position.
The 2010 World Superbike season opens this weekend at Phillip Island in Australia, the first of 13 races. Compared to other series during these dire economic times, World Superbike is robust; the 2010 grid will include seven manufacturers, 26 riders and 16 teams.
Though the numbers are impressive, the series is still down eight privateers, including Stiggy Motorsports Honda. The team had two great riders last year, Leon Haslam, who rode full-time for Stiggy, and John Hopkins for few races, who has recently moved to AMA Superbike.
But don’t worry about Haslam; the young Brit landed a ride with the factory Alstare Suzuki team, and will be racing alongside Sylvain Guintoli on the GSX-R 1000. Haslam joins the only Suzuki team after having four podium finishes last season.
After officially launching its second season in the FIM World Superbike Championship last week, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport has set some major goals to put the BMW name on top in the 2010 championship.
“Our goal is to close the gap to the leading teams,” Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport Berthold Hauser said. “We are aiming to finish in the top five as regularly as possible and pick up our first podium. That’s the ambitious aim we have set ourselves for our second year in what is an extremely challenging World Championship.
“However, we are well aware that our competitors have not been standing still either. The Superbike World Championship brings us up against six motorcycle manufacturers who have established themselves on the race track. You can set yourself aims in sport and make plans to achieve them, but you cannot dictate results - those have to be earned out on the track. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is working flat out to make this possible.”
Due to winning the 2009 World Superbike Championship, Yamaha Sterligarda rider Ben Spies was recognized this week in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.
"Mr. Speaker, here on the floor...of the United States House of Representatives, tribute must be paid to the incredible achievement of a constituent of the First District of Texas, from Longview, he's already a legend, Ben Spies," said said. "Ben Spies is to be congratulated upon his winning the 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship. He has no doubt blazed a trail for future successes with his steady hand, nerves of steel, and balance like nowhere found here in the House of Representatives."
Another Hayden has risen to global racing status. For the 2010 season, Roger Lee Hayden will join Pedercini Kawasaki in World Superbike.
The youngest brother of MotoGP’s Nicky Hayden and AMA Superbike’s Tommy Hayden, Roger took the 2007 AMA Supersport Championship on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, and was named AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year in 2008.
“I am really happy to be participating in the World Superbike Championship next year with the Pedercini Team,” Roger said. “It has always been my goal to race in a World Championship Series, and now I have the opportunity. It’s a big difference from what I did last year, but I'm ready and looking forward to taking that next step.”
Roger, 26, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has experience on a world-class level due to a 2007 MotoGP wildcard entry in the U.S. Grand Prix where he finished tenth, and recently finished 12th in AMA Daytona SportBike championship. Both were on Kawasakis.
“I have experience on the Kawasaki Superbike, so that does not make everything completely new,” he said. “It should be fun learning and racing at the new circuits and of course we have a home round in Salt Lake at Miller Motorsports Park. My first test will be at Portimao towards the end of January and I can't wait to get back on a bike again!”
Team manager Lucio Pedercini added: “We're very happy with our signing of Roger. He is a young rider and we hope to realize his full potential and guide him through his debut as we strongly believe that Hayden will put us in a good position to compete in the next Superbike World Championship. He has been competitive on Kawasaki machinery in the USA, he knows the Kawasaki ZX-10R and we want to continue developing his career within Kawasaki. We understand that Roger may need some time to adapt himself to our team, the new circuits and to such a difficult and competitive championship as World Superbike, but we are sure about his talent, motivation and determination.”
The Yamaha Sterligarda man, who will race in MotoGP for 2010 alongside fellow Texan Colin Edwards, will be competing against three candidates for the award: the Formula 1 Brawn Racing Team, which also won a title in its first year, Stewart-Haas Racing which finished sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Parker Kligerman, who finished runner-up in the ARCA stock car series in the USA.
So make sure to vote…not only does Spies deserve it, but also the whole motorcycle racing industry.
Nakano announces retirment from World Superbike Racing
World Superbike Press Release
At the end of a World Superbike season in which he had a number of crashes and injuries that prevented him from expressing his and his Aprilia RSV4's potential, Japanese rider Shinya Nakano has decided to step down from racing. His decision was announced in a press conference held in Japan on October 28th.
"This year has been a really tough one," declared an emotional Nakano. "I've concentrated on treatment after breaking my collarbone during Round 3 in Spain and straining my neck in Round 11 in Germany, but by missing a few races, I've been a burden to my team as well as to others involved. I feel that as a professional rider, it's time to stop racing if I'm not in a perfect condition to do so. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the motorcycle manufacturers who believed in my potential and offered me contracts, to the sponsors supporting the race, and to the fans that have always supported me. From now on, if I can put such experience to good use, I would like to keep contributing to the motorcycle world".
Thirty-two year old Nakano, from Chiba (Japan), competed in his first full world championship season in 1999. His best results came in the 250 cc class, where he finished fourth overall and then runner-up behind team-mate Olivier Jacque in 2000, losing out by just 7 points. In 250 cc Nakano picked up a total of six wins. In 2001 he moved up to 500 cc and until the end of the 2008 season raced in MotoGP. Results did not live up to expectations however, and in eight seasons the Japanese rider only stepped on to the podium three times. This year he switched to WSB but his season was conditioned by injuries. His best result was fourth place in race 1 in Qatar.
Sykes confirmed alongside Vermeulen in Kawasaki factory team
World Superbike Press Release
The Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team has completed its 2010 season rider line-up by signing Tom Sykes to compete alongside Chris Vermeulen on the officially entered Ninja ZX-10R machines.
Sykes finished his first full WSB season last Sunday, in ninth place overall.
The jovial and popular Yorkshireman is a product of the strong UK racing scene and has indeed ridden for Kawasaki World Superbike Racing team principle Paul Bird's BSB team in 2007, with five podium finishes to his credit that year. Tom also has a second place WSB race finish on his CV, when riding as a wildcard at Brands Hatch in 2008.
Said Sykes of his move to Kawasaki in 2010, "I'm very excited to join Kawasaki and the Paul Bird team. I have worked with Paul before and the team is full of very capable people. It is good for me to be still working with a manufacturer and I see a lot of potential in the project. We all want to achieve the same goal. I learned a lot in my first full WSB season and I feel next year I can put that into practice. I am very fortunate to be in the situation I am in now, joining with Kawasaki, and I think 2010 is going to be a very exciting time. I have only spoken to Chris Vermeulen a couple of times but I am sure we will get on great. He seems very laid back and a down-to-earth sort of guy. The good thing for the team and myself is that he is very experienced and will bring a lot to the table. I am sure we can be a good partnership."
2010 World Superbike season tests start at full throttle
World Superbike Press Release
The first day of 2010 season testing got underway in dry and warm conditions at Portimao, with many new faces and rider combos in view for World Superbike.
It was an existing bike and rider combination which set the fastest time, when Jonathan Rea made a best of 1’42.156, closely followed by Michel Fabrizio on a 1’42.362. Cal Crutchlow set a blistering 1’42.795 to go third fastest in his first Yamaha WSB experience.
The riding line up featured some riders who are testing with their new teams for the first time, and several other riders either ‘auditioning’ for a ride in 2010, or having a ride to help gather data for off-season development.
The fastest rider on show early on was Jonathan Rea, with WSS regular Joan Lascorz fast on the official Kawasaki, despite a fall midway through the day.
Double World Superbike Champion James Toseland got to grips with a Superbike again, alongside his Yamaha YZF-R1 team-mate Crutchlow, who was himself moving to a new class after winning WSS on Sunday.
Max Neukirchner had his first taste of Honda power for a couple of years in the Ten Kate Honda pit, and was quick after his recent recovery from injury. Leon Haslam was also fast on his first Suzuki ride ever.
Tom Sykes rode a Kawasaki Superbike today, with an injured shoulder, while Regis Laconi and Javier Fores tried out their DFX Ducatis for size. The Althea team took its first Ducati footsteps, with their new signing Carlos Checa.
Not all riders had transponders fitted to their machines, therefore the times below are not official, but gathered from a number of sources. The tests continue for one more day, on 28 October.
Crutchlow and Toseland complete their first day of testing on the Yamaha R1
Yamaha Press Release
2010 Yamaha World Superbike riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow wasted no time today, getting straight down to business with their first ride on the championship winning R1. Both riders were working with their new teams for the first time, but gelled quickly and had got down to under the race pace of Sunday’s championship final before the end of the first sessions.
Today’s session was the first step in adapting the bikes to their new riders, both Toseland and Crutchlow will start again tomorrow morning to make further changes and close in on the perfect set up for their 2010 race season. Despite a high speed high side in the morning session, Cal Crutchlow showed no signs of slowing down and continued to make significant time improvements over the afternoon’s practice time. New team mate and fellow British rider James Toseland also showed solid improvement over the day, despite being new to the bike and track he quickly got down to business and continued to shave time off his laps over the course of the sessions.
Having achieved an incredible victory on Sunday and lifted the World Superbike title for the first time, the Yamaha team were straight to business today, working hard to develop championship winning riders for the next season.
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1'42.7): “It was a good enough day apart from a stupid crash this morning after about 30 laps, there seemed to be something wrong with my rear tyre which caused me to high side. I hit my head and have had a few headaches today but ok apart from that. The testing has gone well, we’ve done quite reasonable times, all credit to the guys who’ve worked really hard. We haven’t changed much on the bike today, just tried to make it my bike a bit, tomorrow we’ll do some more and see how we go.”
James Toseland, Yamaha World Superbike Team(1'43.7): “I’m feeling really positive, it’s obviously my first time on the bike, it felt a bit alien after two years on a GP bike but the balance of the bike felt good and I’m really impressed with how the team’s working, I’ve got an old friend of mine as a chief engineer. I’ve been really impressed to work with him today and Silvano Galbusera (Yamaha World Superbike Team Technical Co-ordinator) looking over him with his experience has been great. What’s been nice is the changes we’ve been making have always been in a positive direction, so to say we’ve got down to more or less race pace on a brand new track and a brand new bike is good, I’m pretty pleased with it.”
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team: “Cal’s first day went pretty well, it was easier for him compared to James as he already knew the track, but it was still a really good first test session for him. For James everything was new today, the bike, the track, tyres, many things! I think tomorrow he will make another step. For the first day we are very satisfied with both riders.”
Spies makes history with Yamaha to claim first ever World Superbike victory
World Superbike Press Release
Ben Spies and Yamaha made history yesterday at Portimao, claiming the first ever Word Superbike title for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. In yet another Ben Spies Masterclass of riding, the American rookie sensation took a race win and a well executed fifth place finish to lift the title for Yamaha for the first time.
Race one saw a textbook performance from Spies, taking the holeshot on the first corner and leading from the first lap. Perfectly executed lines and smooth riding saw him cross the line nearly two seconds ahead of a determined Biaggi who had stalked him for the entire race. Championship rival Noriyuki Haga crashed out six laps into the race, leaving Spies some breathing room for race two.
With the extra points behind him and less pressure for an outright race win Spies kept himself in check for race two, monitoring Haga's position and keeping a steady race pace as he counted the laps down to victory. The American let a couple of riders passed then tucked in behind Biaggi for a number of laps. After the Italian rider ran wide a couple of times, Spies turned on some extra speed to pass him and brought his championship winning Yamaha R1 home in fifth place to take victory.
Spies can now claim 14 Superbike race wins and 11 pole position race starts in his rookie year, breaking all records since the championship began. He leads the standings with 462 points, six clear of rival Haga.
Yamaha World Superbike rider Tom Sykes unfortunately missed out on the last two races of the 2009 Championship. The British rider continues to struggle with an injury sustained to the Labrum in the shoulder socket following a collision with Carlos Checa at the previous round in Magny Cours. Sykes gave 100% effort in the early riding sessions of the weekend but struggled to cope with the very physical Portimao circuit. The Yamaha Superbike Team expressed disappointed not to have been able to end their one year relationship with Tom on a high note, but supported his decision not to ride, putting riders safety and health first.
Ben Spies said: "I've got to thank Yamaha for giving me the bike I need to win. We had a really good first race, in the second we did what we had to do to win. It was quite difficult to keep it in check as the pace was pretty fast, I saw I had a couple of people behind me and I knew that if Nori won I had to be in sixth and that's where I was so I tried to get a bit of a gap on them and stay out of trouble. Max came through the inside of me and ran off a couple of times which really freaked me out so I went to get past him and then settled in for some nice fast laps to the end. It's been a spectacular day and I can't thank those people enough that have been behind me. It's been incredible to do it for Yamaha, and especially in my first year here. I don't think I really realize what's happening right now but I'm sure it's going to hit me in a couple of days!"
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager, declared: "I feel great! This is the first time I've had this victory feeling. I was so nervous for this whole weekend. Ben showed us that the speed he had was ok but I know Nori very well and Ducati as well so I was always worried that something was going to come. Fortunately we finished very well. I want to thank everyone, not just the people here in the team and Yamaha but the people at home, mine and the team's families, they give us a lot of support and are patient, I think it is hard for them to so thank you to my wife!"
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The opening weekend of the WSB season at Phillip Island was a monumental occasion for some, but for most, it was filled with 
Due to winning the 2009 
Another Hayden has risen to global racing status. For the 2010 season, Roger Lee Hayden will join Pedercini Kawasaki in 
“I have experience on the 
After his dominating performance, the 2009 World Superbike Champion Ben Spies is a candidate for Speed TV’s Performance Award “Rookie of the Year”.
At the end of a World Superbike season in which he had a number of crashes and injuries that prevented him from expressing his and his Aprilia RSV4's potential, Japanese rider Shinya Nakano has decided to step down from racing. His decision was announced in a press conference held in Japan on October 28th. 
The Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team has completed its 2010 season rider line-up by signing Tom Sykes to compete alongside Chris Vermeulen on the officially entered Ninja ZX-10R machines. 
The first day of 2010 season testing got underway in dry and warm conditions at Portimao, with many new faces and rider combos in view for World Superbike.
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1'42.7): “It was a good enough day apart from a stupid crash this morning after about 30 laps, there seemed to be something wrong with my rear tyre which caused me to high side. I hit my head and have had a few headaches today but ok apart from that. The testing has gone well, we’ve done quite reasonable times, all credit to the guys who’ve worked really hard. We haven’t changed much on the bike today, just tried to make it my bike a bit, tomorrow we’ll do some more and see how we go.”
James Toseland, Yamaha World Superbike Team(1'43.7): “I’m feeling really positive, it’s obviously my first time on the bike, it felt a bit alien after two years on a GP bike but the balance of the bike felt good and I’m really impressed with how the team’s working, I’ve got an old friend of mine as a chief engineer. I’ve been really impressed to work with him today and Silvano Galbusera (Yamaha World Superbike Team Technical Co-ordinator) looking over him with his experience has been great. What’s been nice is the changes we’ve been making have always been in a positive direction, so to say we’ve got down to more or less race pace on a brand new track and a brand new bike is good, I’m pretty pleased with it.” 
Ben Spies and Yamaha made history yesterday at