AllAboutBikes.com Content Editor
If Ben Spies wins both races at the final round in Portugal Sunday, not only will the American take the championship title, but he'll also become a part of World Superbike history.
Going into Portimao, Spies has already won 13 races, stood on the podium 16 times, and set fastest-lap records an impressive six times. The WSB rookie created these stats on mostly unknown circuits, even saying his knowledge of the layouts was enhanced by playing video games. A Spies win will be good for the manufacturer also; if Spies goes all the way, he will be the first rider to take the title on a Yamaha.
But this feat won’t come easy. His rival, Ducati Xerox rider Noriyuki Haga, has a 10-point lead, which should make for an intense weekend of WSB action at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.
“I can't wait to get to the circuit and get set up for Sunday’s races,” said Spies. “We’ve been fighting hard for race wins all year, and as a rookie on a new bike I think we’ve achieved some pretty good results. My focus is completely on going for two race wins on Sunday, I would love to be able to deliver the title for the team as they really deserve it and have worked so hard to make it possible. We do go well on the Portimao circuit, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to challenge Nori for the wins. There will be a few fast guys up there as always so it should be an exciting race day.”
And if Nitro Nori and the Texas Terror are head-to-head, the excitement will ascend because they’ll fight it right down to the finish as usual.
“I tested here with Ducati at the start of the year and was very confident with the bike so I think I will like it more here this time,” Haga said. “My feeling is the same as all year, ten points is almost nothing, so I'm always thinking to start from zero and attack.”
The Japanese rider does have an advantage with the 10-point lead, but can also lose the title if both riders end up even in points; Spies would win the title “on count-back of number of wins this season.”
But don’t forget about Haga’s teammate Michel Fabrizio, or Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
Third in points, Fabrizio’s task this weekend will be to assist his teammate, contributing to the “Ducati cause”. Biaggi and Rea are in a heated battle for fourth, with the Italian having 14 points over Rea.
Biaggi has been a regular on the podium, and another win can give him more incentive for a hopeful title next year. As for Rea, the Northern Ireland rider made his WSB debut last year at the 2.915-mile track, so this alone may just push him a bit harder Sunday.
Portimao, which was completed last year before the final round, attracts the crowds and riders due to multiple elevation changes, blind corners and corkscrews. Last year Troy Bayliss won both races during World Superbike’s first meeting there, gaining his third title before retiring.
Also (yet another what if), if Spies grabs the pole and wins, he will have the highest number of poles in his winning year (11 with Portimao), and also the all-time season record of poles.
