The World Superbike hits the halfway point at Miller Motorsports Park this weekend. The US event will have a Monday race day, instead of the typical Sunday races, for Memorial day weekend.
Coming into the event, Leon Haslam holds the lead in the WSBK standings. With 15 points over second place Max Biaggi, Haslam could be on his way to his first WSBK title. Biaggi is Haslam's biggest competition, with 66 points separating the top two from the rest of the pack.
But don't count out Jonathan Rea or Carlos Checa just yet. Rea has proven that he can do the double, and Checa is the only current WSBK rider who has a win at Miller Motorsports Park.
Fabrizio will also be hard to beat on American soil. The Italian has finished up on the podium the past two years at Miller Motorsports Park, and he is coming off of his first win of the season at Kyalami.
Roger Hayden is the only rider to represent America at Miller Motorports park. Hayden has just two points this WSBK season, but perhaps the thrill of racing in his home country can give Hayden the boost he needs to reach the top ten.
Rider Quotes
Michele Fabrizio - "I'm looking for a great weekend at Miller as I like the track and the American crowds and I'd love to be back on the podium there, maybe even on the top step this time! I don't know why but the track seems to suit my riding style and I'm really looking forward to going back there again. I'm in eighth position but with good points I hope to be able to catch the riders immediately ahead of me in the standings."
Leon Haslam - "Kyalami was a tough one and I'm looking forward to Miller because it is an easier circuit to deal with. Having said that, the altitude will make our bikes feel slow and we need to get them dialled in as soon as we can for the track and then push hard. Last year Miller was not such a good event for me, so I am really looking forward to showing what I and the Suzuki can do and hopefully get another couple of podiums. Max (Biaggi) is a threat and I want to make sure I either beat him or at least leave USA still in the championship lead. May is a busy month for us, with three races on three different continents, so it will be good to end it on top of the standings (with a good lead maybe?) and have a good break before the next round."
Jonathan Rea - "I feel optimistic about the races at Miller. Our bike has typically gone well there in the past. That's not necessarily the case year-to-year, but I am just looking forward to having a strong Saturday morning, getting a good base setting on the bike and working towards two podiums. We are at that midway point of the year where we need to start putting races together every weekend and get working towards the championship again. I am just looking forward to it now."
