World SBK: The Texas Terror Dominates Donington

Ron Lieback
AllAboutBikes.com Content Editor/Staff Writer

Another Texas Flood? That’s right, for the third time this season, Ben Spies stormed through Sunday’s races for a double victory at the ninth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park. In front of 61,000 spectators, Spies swept both races, following up on his double wins at Qatar and Miller Motorsports Park in Utah earlier in the season.

After leading every lap in both races, the Yamaha rider reduced the 48-point gap to 14 from leader Noriyuki Haga on the Ducati Xerox. Haga had a major high-side while in second place on lap 5 in race 2; the Japanese rider was immediately taken to the hospital in Derby with a fractured vertebra.

“I built a good lead early and then my focus was broken a little bit when I saw Nori crashed,” Spies said. “So many things were going through my head. I was hoping Nori was OK, but also excited knowing that, if I could manage to win that second race, I would be back in serious contention for the championship. I got my focus back and then worked the lead up to about seven seconds. On the tight corners I was able look back and monitor the battle for second.

“It was a picture perfect weekend for us. We needed to have one like this. The crew did a great job and gave me an excellent motorcycle all weekend. We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but we’re back in the championship now and that’s what counts.”

Third in the point’s race is Haga’s Italian team-mate, Michel Fabrizio, who placed third in race 2 and is now 51 points behind Spies. The other big news was Aprilia taking its best finish of the season with rider Max Biaggi coming in second in race 1, and Ruben Xaus driving the BMW S1000 to a ninth-place finish in race 2.

Race 1:

Spies started the 23-lap race from the pole, which was his eight of the season, and was challenged by Biaggi for almost the whole race until the very end. The two remained a second ahead of third-place Haga, who pretty much raced alone, the rest of the field seconds behind. With three laps to go, Spies gave it all he had, sliding the tires crazily to hold off Biaggi.
 
During the final set of turns, the Aprilia had some fuel-pump issues, and it appeared as if the bike ran out of gas, but Biaggi got the bike started again and finished second, 7.156 seconds behind Spies. Points-leader Haga took third, and in the all-British battle for fourth place, Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) overtook Shane Bryne on the Sterilgarda Ducati.

Results:
1.) Ben Spies (Yamaha)
2.) Noriyuki Haga (Ducati)
3.) Max Biaggi (Aprilia)

Race 2

Although he didn’t get the holeshot, Spies got into the lead within seconds of the first lap, and steadily pulled away from the field. But Spies didn’t feel the pressure from anyone in this race, and quickly had a 7-second lead before picking up the tenth win of his rookie season.

Besides Spies dominating performance, crashes consumed much of the other talk of race 2, including Haga’s vertebra-breaking wreck on lap 5. Both Aprilia riders also crashed out; Biaggi suffered a hairline crack in his foot but still finished 21st. Stiggy Racing Honda’s John Hopkins didn’t start race 2, the still-injured American exhausted after his race 1 efforts.

British rider Haslam held off Fabrizio on the Ducati Xerox in a good battle for second over 6.5 seconds behind Spies. Due to the outcome, the Italian rider now has a shot at the title…but that’s if he can slow down the King of Texas.

Results:
1.) Ben Spies (Yamaha)
2.) Leon Haslam (Honda)
3.) Michel Fabrizio (Ducati)

In a little over a half season Spies has already cracked into the top-20 on the all-time World Superbike wins list. He is tied with Fabrizio Pirovano and Chris Vermeulen for 18th all-time.

As the series takes a nearly month-long summer break Spies finds himself right back in the thick of the championship chase, just 14 points behind Haga. That sets up an exciting dash for the championship going into the final five rounds (10 races) primarily between Haga, Spies and Fabrizio

The next World Superbike race is in Brno, Czech Republic, on July 26. Spies said he would take a few days off to relax then get back to his rigorous training program. And as for Haga’s injuries, updates are expected soon.

June 28, 2009