East meets West in on two different sides of the world. Which girls do you prefer? The lovely MotoGP brolly girls from Sepang or the hot looking WSBK babes at Portimao?

Sepang and Portimao Paddock Girls

Continue reading: Paddock Girls from Sepang and Portimao

Ben Spies has taken the 2009 World Superbike Championship in his rookie year after finishing race two at Portimao in fifth place this afternoon.

Spies was the third Yamaha rider that took a championship title today; Valentino Rossi in MotoGP, Cal Crutchlow in Supersport and Spies’ win is also a first for the Japanese manufacturer at the World Superbike level.

The Texan won the championship separated by just six points ahead of Noriyuki Haga.

Michel Fabrizio won the race itself after an incredible and exciting dash through the field after another of his terribile starts. Team mate Noriyuki Haga took second, while Jonathan Rea was third after leading the race until the final laps when he went wide letting through Fabrizio and a few turns later Haga. Rea would finish third and Shane Byrne on his private Ducati impressed the field with his fourth place. Max Biaggi was sixth after putting on another fantastic race with his Aprilia but going wide too many times suffering from arm problems picked up in yesterday’s crash. BSB champion Leon Camier was seventh, while Jakub Smrz finished in eighth. Troy Corser took ninth and Sylvain Guintoli finished a solid tenth in his Superbike debut after pulling out of race 1 due to mechanical difficulties.

Spies now will head to MotoGP to take part in the final race at Valencia with his new Yamaha Tech 3 team with a another championship title in his pocket.

After the jump Race 2 results and final championship standings:

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao Race 2 – Michel Fabrizio wins, and Ben Spies crowned 2009 WSBK Champion

Ben Spies put one hand firmly on the title when Noriyuki Haga crashed out on the seventh lap while he was in sixth place in Race 1 at Portimao. Spies won the race and gained 25 points, fifteen more that Haga and needs just a 6th place in Race 2 to win the championship title

Spies won the race from pole position after getting the better of Jonathan Rea and Max Biaggi crossing the finish line with a 1.697 margin over Rea, second, who took advantage of an error by Biaggi. Shane Byrne took for fourth.

Fifth place went to Michel Fabrizio behind Bryne’s private Ducati. BSB champion Leon Camier took sixth on the Aprilia after climbing from 13th on the grid. Seventh went to Carlos Checa with Ruben Xaus on the BMW took eighth and Lagrive was ninth and Matteo Baiocco closed the top ten.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao Race 1 – Spies wins and Haga crashes

Ryuichi Kiyonari has withdrawn from the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Portimao. Kiyonari was 11th in the standings with 141 points before his pull out.

The Ten Kate Honda rider broke his right collarbone for the second time this year, the last time being at in Magny-Cours, and after taking part in free practice and Q1 on Friday and decided to pull out due to the pain, discomfort and for safety reasons.

“You can imagine that I am very disappointed to miss out on this final race of the season. I am especially sorry for my team, who have worked so hard this season. I would also like to apologise to Honda and the sponsors of the team. I wanted to race but, after I spoke with doctors and the team, we decided that it was not possible. It’s a shame to end the season this way but now I want to get my shoulder fixed so that I am fit again for next year.”

Kiyonari, despite taking two 3rd place podiums this year at Monza has not been re-confirmed by Ten Kate Honda, who slimmed down their rider line-up from three to two and prefering to keeo Jonathan Rea and sign up Max Neukirchner for their 2010 season. Kiyonari may return to the British Superbike Championship or back to racing in his home country, even if rumors have him in Stiggy Racing, if Stigfelt can find some financial backing.

Source | tenkateracing

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao - Kiyonari withdraws from final round

Today’s Superpole at Portimao saw what could completely change tomorrow’s title race outcome. Points leader Noriyuki Haga qualified only 10th and did not make it into the final qualifying stint, while his rival Ben Spies not only took his 11th pole position of the season with a blistering lap of 1’42”412 but was also almost a second faster that the previous circuit record and more that 0.584s faster than Shane Byrne on the private Ducati Sterilgarda who took second.

Michel Fabrizio on the factory Ducati took third, while Jonathan Rea was fourth and will close the front row. The second row will see a battered Max Biaggi, who crashed in practice session, in fifth and Fonsi Nieto on another private Ducati whotook sixth followed by Leon Haslam and with Troy Corser closing the second row, but more than a second adrift from Nieto after a crash in the last superpole stint.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao – Spies on Superpole and Haga to start in 10th

Jonathan Rea edged out Jakub Smrz to take Friday’s provisional pole position at Portimao. Smrz on a satellite Ducati, who lead the first free practice finished second.

Ben Spies jumped up from his 7th place in FP session to take third, just 0.084s from the provisional pole leader.

Carlos Checa went from 6th to 4th, while Shane Byrne, Fonsie Nieto and Max Biaggi also moved up in the grid into the top ten. Noriyuki Haga slipped back from second to ninth place while Leon Haslam closed his session in 10th.

The first ten riders are all in less than five tenths of second from the Ten Kate Honda rider. Sylvain Guintoli who is debuting with Alstare Suzuki was 22nd.

QP1 Results after the jump

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao QP1 – Jonathan Rea takes provisional pole

Just three days ago it seemed that Aprilia would be fielding three bikes for this weekend’s race at Portimaom instead Shinya Nakano has decided that he would not be present for the final round as his neck injury is still not fully healed.

Nakano missed Race 2 at Nurburgring and the last two rounds due to neck pain and was substituted by Marco Simoncelli at Imola and BSB 2009 Champion Leon Camier at Magny-Cours. Camier is now at Portimao subbing for Nakano and was 17th in the first free practice while Max Biaggi was 13th.

According to the Japanese rider, who has struggled to come to terms with the all new Aprilia superbike and match team mate Max Biaggi’s performances on the RSV-4 Factory, felt that the long journey from Japan to Portugal with three days of riding would be too difficult.

This also means that Nakano will miss the two day post race tests at Portimao that take place next week. Aprilia has yet to confirm Nakano for the 2010 season.

Source | crash.net

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao - Nakano misses final round of the season

The owner of Autodromo do Parkalgar circuit in Portimao Paulo Pinheiro, unveiled a statue at the entrance of the circuit to pay tribute to Craig Jones. The track already bears a corner dedicated to the English rider.

Jones, who raced for circuit owners Parkalgar Honda, lost his life in an accident during the World Supersport round at Brands Hatch last season .

The provisional statue will be replaced by one in stone in the future.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao - Craig Jones Statue Unveiled

The first free practice session for this weekend’s title bout between Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga at the final round of the WSBK Championship in Portimao, opened with a couple of surprises, with Jakub Smrz from Guandalini Racing taking the top spot.

The Czech rider beat out Haga who was second, with a best lap of 1.44.855 ahead of Haga by 0.079s. The second surprise was Yukio Kagayama who’ll be riding in BSB with Worx Crescent Suzuki next year, was third and in fourth Kawasaki’s Broc Parkes who lost his 2010 ride to Tom Sykes.

Fifth went Leon Haslam, who is Stiggy’s only rider at Portimao because the team’s continuing financial difficulties have stopped Supersport rider Anthony West from taking part in the final round of the 2009 season.

Sixth to Ten Kate’s Carlos Checa who’s heading to Althea Racing in 2010 aftering losing his ride to Leon Haslam.

Ben Spies was seventh at 1.45.118, only 0.263 from the top spot. Spies will have to score more than 10 points than Haga in both races to win the title.

Michel Fabrizio was eighth followed by Jonathan Rea and Fonsie Nieto closed the top ten.

Results after the jump.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao - Smrz heads FP1

Tom Sykes has confirmed that he’ll be riding for the Kawasaki World Superbike team next year and will partner Chris Vermeulen in the all new 2010 team line up.

The British rider who’s currently 8th in the standings, has had a lacklustre season with the factory Yamaha, if compared to his team mate, rookie sensation Ben Spies, who’ll be fighting for the World Superbike championship title this Sunday at Portimao against Noriyuki Haga.

Sykes, who lost his factory Yamaha ride to Cal Crutchlow who’ll be moving up to the superbike series and James Toseland who be switching back to WSBK after two years in MotoGP.

The soon to be Kawasaki rider will get his first taste of ZX-10R next Tuesday and Wednesday in the official post race tests at the Portimao circuit.

The now ousted riders Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada have yet to reveal where they’ll be heading in 2010.

Source | mcn

Continue reading: WSBK - Tom Sykes confirmed in Kawasaki

According to crash.net Aprilia Racing has decided to field three RSV-4’s for the final round of the WSBK Championship at Portimao this weekend.

Regular rider Shinya Nakano will be returning for the last round of season after missing Imola and Magny-Cours due to neck problems that kept him out of the second race at the Nuruburgring round.

The third bike will go BSB champion Leon Camier who already took measure the Aprilia superbike at Magny-Cours but failed to finish both races due to engine problems.

Aprilia has yet to announce their rider line-up for the 2010 season, nor if they will be fielding a second team in the series. Max Biaggi has a two year contract with the team and his option was renewed, while Nakano’s 14th place in the standings, despite his injuries, does not bode well in keeping the same ride next year especially after Marco Simoncelli’s wildcard appearance at Imola.

Names linked for Nakano’s ride have been MotoGP rider Alex DeAngelis and Leon Camier.

Continue reading: WSBK - Aprilia to field 3rd Bike at Portimao