Ben Spies in his usual laid back style reviews his less than awesome weekend at the MotoGP of Spain at Jerez. It’s another good work from our friends at OTT… Enjoy!

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo Ben Spies and Colin Edwards produced dazzling performances under the Losail International Circuit floodlights in Qatar tonight.

Spies was in sparkling form to post a best time of 1.55.954 that secured him a stunning third place on the timesheets. Earlier on a balmy night in Doha, Spies had topped the timesheets for a brief period in the six-hour session that ran from 6pm to midnight.

What made the reigning World Superbike champion’s performance even more remarkable was he’d never ridden under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit before. Yet Spies finished just over 0.2s behind circuit specialist and triple Qatar race winner Casey Stoner with Valentino Rossi once again quickest on his factory Yamaha YZR-M1 machine.

The 25-year-old was forced to finish early after a crash at the second corner in the final hour while using a hard compound Bridgestone front tire. But he declared himself delighted with progress in his 44-lap stint.

Fellow Texan Colin Edwards was equally impressive in fourth position after he posted a best time of 1.57.541 in a 59-lap stint. Edwards continued to fine-tune the race-set-up of his YZR-M1 machine, working on Yamaha’s new swingarm and Bridgestone’s new hard compound front tire.

Ben Spies 3rd 1.55.954 – 44 laps

“I know this track from last year but riding under the floodlights is definitely a bit different and nothing I’ve experienced before. The perception of speed is much faster with it being at night but I’m having a lot of fun. It’s really well lit up but there are a couple of darker spots on the track that you have to get used to but I’ve not done too bad in adjusting to the lights. I know the track but any track I go to on a MotoGP bike makes it definitely different because of the lines you take. Some of the lines I’d take on the superbike just don’t work but I felt like it was coming together good and following a couple of people it felt like I was doing more of the right things than I was in Malaysia. Obviously it is great for me to be high up the timesheets but I’m still taking baby steps to improve and not getting carried away. The crash was nothing too serious. I was running the hard front and I wasn’t getting a good feeling from it. We changed the pressure to try and help for my second run but I just lost the front at the second corner. But to be third is fantastic for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. They have been giving me great support.”

Colin Edwards 4th 1.56.541 – 59 laps

“It was a good night. It didn’t start off too great and it took me a while to get into the groove. We played around with the set-up using some of the new parts I’d liked in Sepang and also running some of last year’s pieces to get some good information. The lap time was about the same so around this track the new parts aren’t making the difference like they did in Malaysia. I did a long run on the hard front and I like it. I did race distance on it and it felt really good. I ended up doing 27-laps on it, which is five more than race distance, and it still felt really good. I’m getting the feedback I need at full lean angle and it holds the turn much better.”

Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi signed off the second pre-season test of the year on top once again in Malaysia today, meaning he has been fastest at all four days of testing so far this year. The Italian smashed his own pole record by almost three tenths of a second, proving that he and the new YZR-M1 are on track for the season’s start in a month’s time.

Rossi spent the final day of the test trying electronic packages, a new tire for Bridgestone and just double-checking all the work done so far. He also had time to do a few laps on the Japanese test team’s bike, providing them with important feedback for the future development of the M1. The 31-year-old set his best lap of 2′00.271 on his 12th of 39 laps, with Casey Stoner second once again in a time of 2′00.512. It was a good day for Yamaha, with Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Ben Spies fourth and fifth respectively.

The next and final pre-season test comes at Qatar on 18th and 19th March, by which time Rossi’s injured team-mate Jorge Lorenzo hopes to have made a full recovery and to be back in action.

Valentino Rossi – Position: 1st Time: 2′00.271 Laps: 39
“I’m really happy to have beaten my pole record, it’s a good feeling to be this fast in testing. I did this with an old tire but we also got the chance to try a very good new tire from Bridgestone today, which I hope we will use from the first race. Our bike is in great shape; we need to do a bit more work on the electronics but in general everything is better, especially the rear grip and the engine. Yamaha have been very clever to develop this new bike whilst keeping the best parts of the old one, I’m very happy about it. It was good to get the chance to try the Japanese test bike, hopefully the feedback I gave them will help us in the future. Now we go to Qatar and then we will see our level because it is not one of mine or Yamaha’s best tracks! But we’re in great shape and this is very important at this stage of the season. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Edwards and Spies shine in Sepang sauna

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team concluded the second of three 2010 pre-season tests in Sepang today in confident mood after Colin Edwards and Ben Spies both finished in the top five on the timesheets.

In searing hot temperatures that peaked at an exhausting 37 degrees, Edwards rode his 2010 YZR-M1 machine to the fourth fastest time, the experienced American finishing with a best lap of 2.00.988. After completing 35-laps, Edwards declared himself delighted with his performance after he made significant progress in improving electronics and handling with his YZR-M1 machine. He was also happy with the performance of a new Bridgestone rear tire he evaluated this afternoon to finish just under 0.3s away from a top three finish.

Spies once again proved what a phenomenally fast learner he is after posting a series of consistently competitive lap times on only his second visit to the long and technical Sepang circuit. A best lap of 2.01.014 was just 0.026s slower than Edwards and the reigning World Superbike champion was able to significantly reduce the gap between himself and the best time clocked by Valentino Rossi to just over 0.7s. Spies was also able to showcase his prowess on worn race tires when he completed a long distance run today, the 25-year-old reeling off consistent and fast laps in the 2.01 bracket.

Colin Edwards – Position: 4th Time: 2′00.988 Laps: 35
“It felt really hot out there today and I don’t think anybody was going to do a lot of laps in those conditions. I did 35 laps and all of them were productive and I’m leaving this test really happy. I worked on the electronics and a bit of suspension work today and I was happy with the new Bridgestone rear tire. We did full race distance on it in the middle of the day when it was really hot and I was still doing 2.02s on the last lap. So it really keeps a good level of grip for a long time. I feel ready to race right now. We’ve got the bike sorted out and the last test in Qatar should be another positive test to set us up nicely for the first race. We’re ready to go because Yamaha has done a fantastic job. Everything they have done has improved the bike and that’s a great achievement. I want to thank my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 again for all their hard work and congratulate Ben too. This is a tough track to learn but he’s doing a great job and he is impressing a lot of people. We’re working really closely together and that is going to be great to help the team have another great year.”

Ben Spies – Position: 5th Time: 2′01.014 Laps: 44
“It has been a positive test for me again because I have been able to improve my lap time by quite a bit. I’m 0.8s quicker than yesterday so that is a good step in the right direction. I did a race simulation and all my laps were in the 2.01s. I’ve always felt good at the end of races and I think that is what my strong point has been in the past. In Valencia when I raced the Yamaha for the first time I came on strong at the end. When the tires go off I feel a little bit better. I didn’t quite get to improve on my overall position but I’m convinced I had the speed to get into the high 2s, but I was only able to use one of the softer Bridgestone tires. But all in all it has been a positive day and the gap to the front has become smaller again.”

Test Times

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 2′00.271
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2′00.512
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2′00.703
4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2′00.988
5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2′01.014
6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2′01.320
7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2′01.439
8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2′01.478
9. Hiroshi Aoyama (JAP) Interwetten-Honda MotoGP 2′01.692
10. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2′01.732
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 2′01.980
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2′02.078
13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Aspar Team 2′02.080
14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Green Team 2′02.082
15. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Green Team 2′02.367
16. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2′03.689

Sepang: Record Lap
C. Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2′02.108

Sepang: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2009, 2′00.518

The Nurburgring GP circuit was witness to an incredible performance from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies today as he attacked the track to take the championship lead from rival Haga. Race one started well for the American but was almost immediately red flagged for a crash between Tamada, Hopkins and Parkes. The restart saw Spies move up into third behind Rea and Haga until the third lap where he took Rea on the brakes to move into second position. Rea briefly retook the position but held it for mere seconds before relinquishing again to the American missile. Spies then set about reeling in Haga, taking nearly half a second a lap off the Ducati rider’s lead until he had closed it to 0.3 seconds by lap 10. As they entered the chicane at the end of the lap, he pulled a swift move and took the lead, which he held to the line, throwing in an extra turn of speed at the end to increase his lead.

Race two saw a less than perfect start with Spies dropping to sixth amid a pack of riders. He fought through the pack to fourth, and gradually worked through to third behind Rea and Haga. Rea and Haga came together going into the first corner of lap four, taking Haga out of the race and leaving Ben to tuck in behind Rea to the finish line, taking second spot on the podium.

Tom Sykes got a great start off the line in race one, moving from 11th position up to seventh at the first corner before the restart. As the race restarted he got off the line in tenth, chasing down Nieto who he passed on lap six. He worked hard to close the gap on Corser and Fabrizio in front but had to settle for ninth across the line at the end. Race two saw him get off the line to ninth again, then moving up to eighth by lap two, following team-mate Spies. He continued to charge and on lap 14 took Fabrizio on the brakes going into the first corner of the circuit to take seventh. He dropped one place to eighth but held on ahead of Fabrizio to keep his position over the line.

Ben Spies heads to Imola in two weeks time having taken the lead in the World Superbike Championship with an 18 point advantage over demoted Haga with six races remaining. Team mate Tom Sykes leaves Germany sitting in eighth place in the standings just 12 points behind seventh position rider Carlos Checa.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st, 2nd)
“the first race was tough, Rea and I battled a bit for the first couple of laps and Nori got away so I had to reel him back in, using a lot of my tire to do that. When I got to him I knew he was really strong in the first few corners so I slowed the pace a bit and controlled him through there. With three laps to go we pulled the pin and got back down to some fast laps. The second race was a tough one, I didn’t get a great start and had to spend some time working through the pack, when I eventually got up to Rea he had a great pace on so I tucked in and was waiting for him to make a mistake, which unfortunately he didn’t! I used up a lot of my tires fighting through the pack and was starting to slide around a bit at the end so tucked in and took the points. It’s fantastic to be leading the championship, it’s what we came here to do, so we’re looking forward to getting to Imola and seeing if we can build on this. The team have been brilliant, and have worked really hard all weekend.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (9th, 8th)
” I’m really disappointed to be honest, my pace in warm up this morning was quite impressive and I knew going into the races that repeating those lap times would mean we were running at the front. Unfortunately we couldn’t repeat it, we were really struggling for grip which we could see in the data afterwards. My braking, corner entry and everything was the same but when I got on the gas I couldn’t use the same percentage of throttle that I was this morning. We tried to change something in race two but it didn’t seem to help. I’m certainly looking forward to putting this weekend behind me and moving on. We’ve got three rounds left now to come up with something special so we’ll see what we comes out.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“we came here with the target of catching Nori, we achieved that and now we are leading the championship. It would be impossible to get a better result. I think Ben really used his head in the second race, he saw that it was tough to catch Rea especially during the last lap so he took the points. This is the first time our team has led the championship so we are very happy. We are now even more motivated to continue like this. It was a really tough weekend for Tom. He had found a really good pace in the earlier sessions but struggled to repeat it in the race. It was disappointing not to see him get a higher position at the end. The settings which seemed to work really well in the practice sessions were not so good in the race for him. We will see if can achieve more at Imola.”

Crutchlow crowned king of the ring

Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow was unstoppable today as he took an incredible fifth race win of the season at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Starting from pole, Crutchlow led the race from the off, laying down fast lap after fast lap, leaving the competition with nothing to do but fight amongst themselves. Such was his pace that midway through the race the British rider had almost a ten second lead on his closest rival, a gap which increased to just over ten seconds by the chequered flag.

Team mate Fabien Foret worked hard from a less than ideal grid start position, gaining six positions to take fifth by just past mid race. With the gap to fourth too far to bridge by this point the French rider held on to take well earned points away with him.

Crutchlow now heads to Imola in two weeks time with three races left on the calendar having extended his championship lead to 22 points over closest rival Eugene Laverty. Foret leaves Germany having moved up to fifth position, 29 points behind fourth placed rider Kenan Sofuoglu. Yamaha are also leading the manufacturer standings, four points ahead of Honda.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (1st)
“it was really good for me to come here to the Nurburgring, my team’s home circuit and win and prove I’ve still got the pace after Brno. We beat the field very well there and came here and did the same thing. It’s been a great weekend, the team have been brilliant and given me the bike to win on, I want to dedicate the win to my Aunt Rose.”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (5th)
“it could be worse, when you get some rain drops it’s not my ideal racing conditions. As soon as the rain stopped I pushed harder and I had a good pace. I tried to catch Roccoli but I was making a couple of mistakes with a couple of laps to go so held on for the end. I gained a place in the championship so we’ll see what happens at the next race.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“It was a brilliant result for Cal here today. His pace has been unbelievable all weekend. It was really good to see how he kept his rhythm when the rain came down as well. Obviously after Brno we were a little nervous watching the last few laps but it was a fantastic result, we look forward to him continuing to ride like this all the way to Portimao. For Fabien to start in 11th position and finish fifth was good. After Brno it was shame not to see him higher but we know that when some rain falls it’s not the ideal riding conditions for him. It’s been great to take the win here at our home race for the team, we’re looking forward to getting to Imola and doing it again!”

Yamaha Motor Company., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. are delighted to announce that an Agreement has been concluded with Ben Spies for his participation with Yamaha for 2010 and 2011. The program foresees a season in 2010 with the Yamaha World Superbike Team based in Gerno di Lesmo, Italy and a switch to Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP team for 2011.

Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Racing Manager Yamaha Motor Europe said – “We got to know Ben this season in our Yamaha World Superbike Team as a very talented, professional and dedicated person whom we are thrilled to continue working with. Not only is the relationship between Ben, the team and Yamaha in general very successful but also it’s a pleasure to work with him. This early agreement permits Yamaha and Ben Spies to now fully focus on their 2009 World Superbike campaign in their challenge to achieve their first World Superbike Championship titles together.”

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing said – “We are truly excited about the prospect of Ben’s arrival into our future MotoGP program. Ben is doing a great job for Yamaha in his first season in the World Superbike Championship. He is in great shape to challenge for the title this year and we will be rooting for him at the remaining four events this season. Ben’s primary mission is to win both his and Yamaha’s first World Superbike title. After that when Ben eventually makes the move to the MotoGP championship we will be ready for him and, in line with the new MotoGP regulations, we will create a place for him within the Yamaha satellite team and give him the support he needs for his next challenge.

Ben Spies:
“I am very happy to say that I will remain a part of the Yamaha family and will continue in the WSB series for 2010. This is an exciting period of my racing career and I look forward to even more. Yamaha has been great in the warm welcome that I have received entering the world level and I want to thank them for all they have done, and giving me their trust for a next career step into MotoGP in 2011.”

Tom Houseworth has worked as Crew Chief for Ben Spies for several years in AMA and moved over with the American rider to take on the World Superbike Championship with the Yamaha World Superbike Team.

For some fans the title Crew Chief is a little mysterious, could you define exactly what your role entails?
A – The number one priority is making sure the bike is set up for Ben. It’s also to make sure the technicians are working in the right direction to make sure the bike is ready on time of course, I make sure they know what needs to be done before the next session, whether it’s a qualifying session, a free practice or a race. I choose the tires with Ben, I work directly with the suspension technician to make sure the set up is working and also work with the data acquisition guys. Basically working with everyone on the team and the whole thing is driven towards the set up of the motorcycle and the bottom line is to make sure Ben is comfortable. I try to get the most out of all the guys for the best results.

How long have you been involved in motorsport racing? Is this your first time working with a Yamaha Team?
A – At the end of this year it’ll be 26 years, I’ve worked with a Yamaha team before in 1994, And then moved in-house with Yamaha USA from 1997 to 2001.

Have you ever wanted to be on the other side and be the rider?
A – No, I learned pretty much straight away in my early days on a tricycle that I couldn’t lean the thing over, I was pretty much a ground magnet with anything on two wheels. I’ve been technical side from day one.

This is your first year in World Superbike, how is it different for you from AMA?
A – The World SBK championship seems to be more organized, all the sessions tend to start on time and they seem to really stick to the schedule. Overall it’s not that much different, I make sure the bike is right for the rider, and do practice, qualifying and race sessions. I guess the big difference is you’re traveling the world, most of the races are much further away and of course the food is better!

How are you finding living in Europe? Is the culture very different for you?
A – It’s fun, it’s definitely a little bit of a culture shock at first, whether we do things better or worse in the US I can’t say. I’ve got pretty much 40 years experience in the US and it’s my first time in Europe. It’s definitely eye opening and they do a lot of things a little bit differently, it seems very open and friendly, especially the people. They do a lot more walking over there and the roads are narrower and the drivings kinda crazy and it’s really fun. I came home for the Salt Lake City race and the pizza was too thick and the coffee was too big. I like it, it’s fun, there’s obviously nothing like home but if you’ve never been to Europe and you get the chance you need to check it out.

You’re both working with the new R1 this year which is a pretty special machine being MotoGP derived, what are your feelings about the bike and its potential?
A – We’re into the seventh race now, the Yamaha team has the bike developed pretty good, we’re kind of at the point where we have to race now, there’s still things coming in for us to test, new radiators and other bits but for the most part the bike is developed. It’s been pretty good for such a short amount of time. Obviously there’s more potential there, we’re always looking for more power and there’s always room for some more acceleration. We’re still learning the cross plane crankshaft and how it works, I think we’re going to get even more bottom end and mid range out of it soon.

What are the biggest challenges working with a brand new bike in its first year of racing?
A – The challenges are simple, trying to get more torque off the corners and getting as much acceleration as possible. It handles very well, there’s not too much room for improvement at this point, we would need to develop new parts to make it even better. Right now the package is very complete and we’re just fine tuning it.

If not a Crew Chief in Motorsport, what would you be?
A – Some people think this would be very boring but I would be in physics, a physicist. I’m really into astrophysics, I’m into space and time space and how the world works, how the universe works around us. It’s kind of a deep thing but it gets my mind going. Astro photography is where it’s at. I’m actually building an observatory hosting site in New Mexico with my wife!

You are new to the Yamaha Team this year, how are you finding them?
A – The team’s great, better than I could ever have expected. Sometimes you can come into a team and as a new guy people can be stand-offish because you have so many personalities but these guys are great. They have been excellent since day one on both sides of the garage, Sykes’s guys and Ben’s guys, they’re all on an even keel and very open for suggestions, it’s been great.

If you could be Crew Chief for any rider at any point in the history of motorcycle racing, who would you choose and why?
A – It would have to be Eddy Lawson. I don’t know him personally, just some chance meetings but watching him working and his demeanour he shows publicly, he reminds me of Ben. When I was growing up he was the guy we rooted for, I believe he won a championship on the Yamaha. Steady Eddy Lawson.

Away from the race track what do you do to relax?
A – I play fantasy sports. The US is big into sports, basketball and baseball and then there’s fantasy sports which makes you an armchair quarterback or a pitcher. It’s kind of weird but a lot of people are into it. My wife’s into that too, we’re actually pretty competitive so if there’s a football game on we have to watch separate TVs! You sign up and get into a league and make a live draft before a game, sometimes you only get 30 seconds to pick your players, so you fill out your roster and then you have the results of their games and score points from their results. It’s very complicated now and it’s really got quite crazy as you have to really study to win, obviously I’m pretty competitive so I spend a lot of time driving people nuts. I have to have the internet everywhere I am so I can sign up for my teams! It’s only stick and ball or football though, I never bet on motorcycles!

Race day is usually a highly pressurized situation, do you stay calm and cool, if so how!
A – The secret for me is years of experience. I used to be the biggest wreck out there, I had a crew chief years ago when I was coming up who told me there’s nothing you can do when the green light goes out, because I was mess for quite a few races. Once he told me that and I realized I changed a lot. For the race the rider knows what he’s doing, we’ve spent the weekend getting the bike set up, so when the race starts it’s in Ben’s hands. I try to keep extra calm to help Ben’s mum out too, that’s her son out there on the track so she can get extra wound up so I balance us out.

Having done seven rounds now, which race has been your favourite and why?
A – That’s a tough one, so far they’ve all been good except two! I guess I like the first race at Assen, Ben dropped back to third, we had some small issues with the bike and we didn’t think we could have the speed in the middle of the race and it looked like Haga and Haslam were going to leave. Somehow our bike became better and the race came back to us, Haga became a little slower on the transitions and Ben could see and he was able to do it and get back in there. Phillip Island was close for that first win in the second race, but winning that second race in Assen has to be it for me. Watching Ben do his thing so well was pretty impressive.

Which circuit this year do you think is going to be the most difficult for you and why?
A – South Africa! We tested there, but at the race I just couldn’t get the bike set up right. Ben was riding hard and came out of his seat a little bit there, we ended up having to settle for third and just couldn’t get the bike to work for us. I’m not sure about the tracks we’re going to as they’re all new again.

What are you predictions for the end of the season? Who do you think is on top and who’s following!
A – I’m not predicting anything! We have seven Superpoles and seven race wins, let’s see what happens, you’re not sucking me into that question!
-Yamaha World

Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies made it a clean sweep at Donington today, blowing away the competition to take both races with decisive and well earned wins. Race one saw the American rider take an early lead, closely followed by Aprilia rider Max Biaggi. No matter how hard Biaggi tried he was unable to close the final gap to challenge Spies and settled for second at the flag. Race two saw Spies again take an early lead, repeating the performance of Miller as he gained nearly a second a lap as he pulled away until he had over a 7.4 second advantage. He ran a lonely race at the front to claim his second win of the day, a separate class to the following pack.

Team-mate Tom Sykes had a less than perfect start to the first of his home races. Coming in hot to the hairpin on the ninth lap he braked hard over the bumpy surface and lost the front of the bike, crashing out. Race two saw a good start from the British rider who despite having issues with the front brakes managed to lay down consistent fast lap after lap, towards the end of the race he was the fastest man on the circuit and the only one to touch under the 1.32 mark in the closing stages. As others crashed out and Sykes rode faster he made it to fifth position at the flag.

After a serious crash ruled Haga out of race two, the day’s wins brings Ben Spies up to 294 points in the championship, now just 14 points from the top. Tom Sykes takes 11 points from his second race, keeping him in seventh position, just 14 points from nearest rival Max Biaggi.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st, 1st)
“it was a picture perfect weekend. It was a tough race, Max was there the whole time but we were able to do quick laps to stay ahead, the last three laps I rode as hard as I could just to make sure of the win. In the second race I knew Nori had a big crash and I hope he’s ok. It’s not the way we want to win it but you have to take the points when you can. It was a good second race for us though. The track was hot and a bit slick so we made some changes to the bike which made it better from race one. It was a good job for Leon, getting on the podium at his home round was great, I know how that feels. It was tough being out on my own, I had to focus lap to lap to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. I can’t thank the Yamaha guys enough we changed a lot of things around and they came and delivered me two really good bikes to win on.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (DNF, 5th)
“I found a good race setting in warm up this morning and was ready for the first race. I was very confident with my pace in the race but frustrated with my row three start. I was just breaking into a rhythm and unfortunately arrived into the last corner just a bit too hot and lost the front over the bumps, I couldn’t believe it as it was my first DNF of the year so I was looking to improve in race two. I had big issues with a lack of braking which held me up. I’m really gutted as I think it cost me a podium, and capped off a bad weekend for the points. I really thought we could come away from the weekend in fifth. On the plus side I think we’ve seen some more of the old Tom Sykes this weekend, consistent in practice and qualifying and fast and consistent in race two. I’m hoping to take this to Brno and make it work there.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Myself and the team want express our best wishes for Nori, we hope to see him back racing soon. The weekend has been really successful for us, a double win, Superpole and valuable championship points. We have reduced the gap down to 14 points. Ben rode incredibly well in both races, he was faultless all weekend in every session. Tom definitely got his confidence back on the bike which was really important for us, and only missed the podium by a few tenths of a second. We go to Imola now to learn the circuit and to prepare for the next race in Brno. A big thank you to the team who have worked very hard to make our weekend’s racing success possible.”

Home run as Crutchlow cleans up at Donington

Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow made sure the British fans got what they came for today as he aced the World Supersport race, leading from the fourth lap till the chequered flag. The win never looked in doubt as Crutchlow laid down lap after lap with a consistently fast race pace. He takes away with him not only the fastest lap of the race with a record of 1′32.449 but also the Best lap record from earlier in the weekend with a 1′31.701. Arch rival for the championship Eugene Laverty fell early in the race, and although he rejoined could not manage better than fifth at the end.

Crutchlow’s team-mate Fabien Foret had put his head down to work hard from his less than perfect grid position and had managed to battle up to fifth spot when three laps from the end a technical failure resulted in the Frenchman having to retire from the race, tantalizingly close to the finish.

Crutchlow leaves Donington having extended his championship lead to 185 points, 28 points ahead of rival Laverty as they head to the last race in Brno before the summer break. Foret remains in seventh position in the standings on 63 points, 12 points behind sixth place rider Anthony West.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (1st)
“it was great to come here in front of the home fans at Donington. I thought we could have a good go between me and Eugene but it wasn’t to be, unfortunately he fell off. All credit to him for getting back up to fifth. It was a very hard race for me, it’s pretty mentally challenging when you’re out there on your own. It was one of those races where you just try to keep your composure and reel the laps off. All credit to Yamaha they put a fantastic package in front of me this weekend. I got injured in the first lap of free practice which didn’t make it easy for us but we’ve done a good job in the end!”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (DNF)
“What a frustrating day for me! I didn’t have the best position to start from on the grid but I put my head down and worked really hard to work through some of the guys. When I got to fifth I could see the gap between myself and Sofuoglu was too big to close so I just focused on putting in fast consistent laps. Unfortunately I developed a problem just a few laps from the end and there was nothing I could do. I’m thinking about Brno now and hoping to have a better race day.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“It was again a spectacular race of course although very different from Misano. I think for Cal it was hard to know that Eugene had crashed, although he did come back to get fifth, giving Cal a 28 point lead in the standings which is fantastic. We are glad that Eugene is not injured but the bigger difference does make our lives a bit easier. It’s a pity that Fabien suffered from a technical fault, the bike stopped which is tough as he was going well in fifth and it would have been good to bring both riders home. A Big thank you to the team who have worked really hard this weekend as always to make it possible for Cal to go out and win.”

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Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) pulled off another amazing double triumph in the ninth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship in front of 61,000 spectators at Donington Park. The Texan has now reduced the 48 point gap at the top of the table to 14 from Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who crashed in race 2, picking up a broken vertebra in the process. Haga’s Italian team-mate Michel Fabrizio was third in race 2 and is now 51 points behind. Aprilia had a good first race, with Max Biaggi second at the finish, while the best of the numerous British platoon present at Donington was Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), who finished second to Spies in race 2.

SBK Race 1

Spies continued to steamroller his way to the wins in World Superbike as he took his ninth victory of the year in the first race. After setting his eighth pole in qualifying, the Texan rider dominated the 23-lap race but was shadowed all the way by Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). The Italian ran faultlessly in second until the final lap, when Ben upped the ante to power to the chequered flag, but Biaggi also encountered a fuel problem a couple of hundred metres from the flag and risked losing out on second. This was Biaggi’s first podium since Qatar. Third went to points leader Haga, who limited the damage in a race where he was not in a position to challenge for the win. In the all-British battle for fourth place, Haslam got the better of Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati). Aprilia’s excellent performance was completed by a sixth place for Shinya Nakano. Home idol and Misano winner Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) could only finish in seventh, ahead of John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda). Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) had a gear change problem and could only finish 12th, while Ruben Xaus scored one point for BMW.

Ben Spies: “It was a tough race for us, Max was there the whole time and we were both able to do quick laps. I got a bit of a gap then made a couple of mistakes and he got back on me. The last three laps I rode as hard as I could, we got down to the 30s, then I couldn’t hear Max coming into the chicane on the last lap so knew something was wrong and I took the last corners easy. We can’t be too conservative now, we have to claw back and get a whole lot of points in a couple of races.”

Max Biaggi: “I am very happy with this result after a very hard decision we made in free practice and qualifying. Yesterday we found a way to go fast and we made the right choice in tires and the balance was correct. In the warm-up we had some problems but for the race we fixed most of them. Just on the last lap at the last chicane we had some trouble, I don’t know what, the bike just stopped and then went back again in the last few metres before the flag. I think I deserved second!”

Noriyuki Haga: “I tried to do my best but the front two guys were very fast. I tried to catch up for the victory but I had to settle for third position. Of course during the laps I tried to push and catch them up but it was quite difficult. Our package was quite different but for the next race we try to change something to improve the riding of the bike.”

Results: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 34′57.230 (158,831 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 7.156; 3. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 10.968; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 18.843; 5. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 19.125; 6. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 21.286; 7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 23.644; 8. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 32.849; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 32.904; 10. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 33.192; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 34.535; 12. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 35.093; 13. Camier L. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 35.441; 14. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 39.034; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 41.067; 16. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 46.4

SBK Race 2

Spies also dominated the second race, but this time without any pressure from his rivals. The Yamaha man immediately pulled away at the start to pick up a seven second lead, which he administered easily to pick up his tenth win of the year. Spies’ double coincided with a disaster for Haga, who crashed out of second place on lap 5 while trying to make up ground on the leader. The Japanese rider was taken to hospital in Derby with a fractured vertebra and other injuries. Race 2 saw a British rider on the podium, thanks to Haslam, who held off Fabrizio. With the outcome of this race, the Italian keeps alive his title chances. Byrne put on another good show, finishing fourth ahead of fellow Brit Tom Sykes. Xaus again scored points for BMW, this time with a positive ninth place. Both Aprilia riders crashed out, Biaggi suffering a hairline crack in his right foot in the process, but remounting to finish 21st, while John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) did not make it to the start of race 2, the still-injured American totally exhausted after his race 1 efforts.

Ben Spies: “It was a picture perfect weekend, I know Haga had a big crash and hope he’s OK. That’s not the way you want to do it but you’ve got to capitalize when things go wrong. The track was definitely hot in the second race and a little bit slick so we made some changes to the bike that made it better. Fortunately we didn’t have to push to the absolute limit but it all worked great today.”

Leon Haslam: “We’ve been struggling for the past few rounds with unknown circuits and I really wanted to get on that podium today. I feel good, obviously feel sorry for Haga because I was pushing him hard and I was pretty happy to get second. In the first race I was really suffering from chatter but everyone in the team has been behind me all weekend so a big thanks to them.”

Michel Fabrizio: “Today Ben was very fast and it was impossible to catch him. In the first race I had a problem with the gear change, while in the second I had a great battle with Haslam. I am very happy with the result, but very sorry for Haga and his crash.”

Results: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 35′14.788 (157,512 kph); 2. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 6.622; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.816; 4. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 7.349; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 8.145; 6. Camier L. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.463; 7. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 15.751; 8. Ellison J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 16.837; 9. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 22.891; 10. Andrews S. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 30.347; 11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 30.622;12. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 31.562; 13. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 32.148; 14. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 32.607; 15. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 32.806; 16. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 34.269

Points (after 9 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 308; 2. Spies 294; 3. Fabrizio 257; 4. Rea 177; 5. Haslam 167; 6. Biaggi 155; 7. Sykes 141; 8. Smrz 115; 9. Checa 114; 10. Byrne 113. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 383; 2. Yamaha 337; 3. Honda 273; 4. Aprilia 162; 5. Suzuki 131; 6. Bmw 70; 7. Kawasaki 47

World Supersport

Coventry man Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) had a terrific homecoming race at the Donington circuit as he shrugged off the broken ankle he picked up in qualifying to take a dominant fourth win of the year. His chief rival in the title battle Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), together with Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) tried hard in the early stages, but the Irishman crashed at the Melbourne Hairpin and the Spaniard had to take second best after Crutchlow upped the pace in the final part. Laverty rejoined and worked his way back up the field from 22nd place to fifth overall. It was a great result for veteran Australian Garry McCoy, who gave Triumph its first ever podium in Supersport. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) could only finish fourth and is now 64 points away from the top of the standings, while team-mate Andrew Pitt fared even worse to finish in tenth. Gianluca Vizziello (Stiggy Racing Honda) scored his best result of the year in seventh behind Barry Veneman (George White Ten Kate Honda).

Results: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 34′15.876 (154,981 kph); 2. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 5.391; 3. McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 14.918; 4. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 22.248; 5. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 37.054; 6. Veneman B. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 39.079; 7. Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 39.978; 8. Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 42.733

Points (after 9 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 185; 2. Laverty 157; 3. Sofuoglu 121; 4. Lascorz 106; 5. Pitt 79; 6. West 75; 7. Foret 63; 8. Aitchison 61; 9. McCoy 55; 10. Pirro 49. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 191; 2. Yamaha 185; 3. Kawasaki 117; 4. Triumph 69; 5. Suzuki 30

Superstock 1000

After four second places, Xavier Simeon scored his first win of the season on the Xerox Ducati 1098, the Belgian increasing his lead in the championship to 11 points over his closest rival, Claudio Corti (Alstare Suzuki). The Belgian led the race from lights to flag, gradually easing off towards the end. Corti had a great race, recovering to finish second from 22nd on the grid, while Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda) also ran well, setting fastest lap in 1′33″516, and taking the final podium slot after also moving up from row 6. Fourth place went to Javi Fores (Kawasaki Pedercini), who finished ahead of the two Frenchmen Sylvain Barrier (Garnier) and Loris Baz (MRS), both on Yamahas, and Daniele Beretta (Ducati Xerox) in seventh.

Results: 1. Simeon X. (BEL) Ducati 1098R 18′54.713 (153,161 kph); 2. Corti C. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K91.600; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 2.110; 4. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2.522; 5. Barrier S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 3.433; 6. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 5.596; 7. Beretta D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 9.556; 8. Schouten R. (NED) Yamaha YZF R1 10.646

Points (after 5 of 10 rounds): 1. Simeon 105; 2. Corti 94; 3. Berger 82; 4. Fores 64; 5. Barrier 54; 6. Beretta 45; 7. Baz 33: 8. Jezek 32; 9. Magnoni 19; 10. Burrell 19. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 105: 2. Suzuki 94; 3. Honda 92; 4. Kawasaki 64; 5. Yamaha 62; 6. MV Agusta 18; 7. Aprilia 8

Superstock 600

The Superstock 600 championship battle was thrown wide-open after points leader Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) crashed out on the second lap after being taken out by Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha) while in the lead. The Italian remounted to finish ninth, a result that allowed him to maintain his points lead. The chasing riders Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) and Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno) are now 4 and 11 points down on the leader respectively. The British rider and the Italian fought it out for the win at the end of a terrific scrap, and in the end it was Bussolotti who took the chequered flag for his first win of the year. Third place went to Frenchman Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Yamaha), while Eddi La Marra (Lorini Honda) missed a good chance by crashing out on lap 6 while in the lead of the race. The Italian recovered to finish 12th.

Results: 1. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 16′18.425 (148,022 kph); 2. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 0.213; 3. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 2.126; 4. Guittet B. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 6.948; 5. Kerschbaumer S. (AUT) Yamaha YZF R6 11.136; 6. Morelli N. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 14.695; 7. Chmielewski A. (POL) Yamaha YZF R6 14.780 8. Lonbois V. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 16.782

Points (after 5 of 10 rounds): 1. Petrucci 82; 2. Rea 78; 3. Bussolotti 71; 4. Guarnoni 70; 5. Lonbois 64; 6. Kerschbaumer 43; 7. Guittet 40; 8. La Marra 39; 9. Litjens 38; 10. Chmielewski 30.

-from Infront

Yamaha World Superbike superstar Ben Spies showed more of his unbeatable talent today, flying through the three Superpole sessions with ease. Despite rain drops starting to fall as the third and final session got under way, the American rider hit the track with an incredible display of speed and put down a pole grabbing lap less than two tenths off the Best Lap record put down in the dry by Fabrizio in the previous session. He was the only rider to drop under the 1.30 mark in the final session. Spies enjoyed a good qualifying session earlier in the day, perfecting his race set up and tire choice, and finishing in third, just two tenths from session leader Fabrizio. Spies time was just 1.1 seconds off Valentino Rossi’s 2007 qualifying time in the 2007 Donington MotoGP.

Team-mate Tom Sykes continued to show his potential today as he spent the majority of the second qualifying session in the top three, only dropping to sixth as the session drew to a close. Sykes started the Superpole sessions well, and went through to the second with ease. The second session saw him take what was thought to be a safe fifth place, only to be dropped to tenth at the last minute. With not enough time to get back out he missed out on the third and final session.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st, 1′29.846)
“It was a good Superpole session for us, we almost got caught out as I think I was the last one to leave the garage. As soon as I came out of the pit lane I could see the drops start to come so I had to really attack the warm up lap. I told myself to nail the first sector so I could relax a little bit in the back half in case it rained a bit more. The first sector was brilliant, in the second and third rain drops were coming so I wanted to be careful not to touch any paint down. It was good to get up there to the front as it’s a short start to turn one so it’s a good position for us. The bike is working great on race tires as well so I’m looking forward to what will be an exciting race.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (10th, 1′30.229)
“A bit of a shame, obviously I’m not impressed, on the qualifier I ran wide on lap one a little bit and didn’t make it happen. It’s especially frustrating as looking at the times in Superpole three a front row start was definitely on the cards for me. We messed up a bit in session two, really disappointing as race pace is up there and I wanted a good clean start for tomorrow. We’re on row three so let’s see what happens. I’m going to have to dig deep and make some passes. The qualifying session was ok, we definitely have a fast race pace, if we can get away clean we are in with a good chance tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Another Superpole is great, it just gives us more confidence for tomorrow with Ben. Tom has also been making great improvements compared to the last races. I think tomorrow the results will depend a lot on the weather, it could be wet or dry. I really hope it’s dry as its always better to have a dry race, but whatever happens we are ready for both conditions.”

Yamaha World Superbike riders Ben Spies and Tom Sykes took to the Misano circuit for the first time today in what was without a doubt the hottest riding day so far of the 2009 championship. With temperatures approaching 40 degrees Spies got straight down to business on the unknown circuit, spending a large part of both the free practice and the first qualifying session running at the top of the time chart. He ended Friday’s qualifying session in second position less than one tenth of a second off leader Michel Fabrizio having spent the entire qualifying session working on race pace on a single set of tires.

Team-mate Tom Sykes continued to improve his set-up from previous races and although ending the day in 19th position his times we less than seven tenths off his team-mate’s time as he searched for the optimum setting for the Misano circuit. The British rider lost valuable time in the morning free practice session fixing an issue with the bike but looked to be making it up quickly in the afternoon qualifying and was confident of more improvements for day two.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (2nd, 1′37.102)
“It was a good first day for us, the second session we opted to run race set up and we never put any new tires on. A race is 22 laps around here, on the 22nd lap today we were half a second off the fastest lap done here. I’m pleased with that and we ran our whole race simulation in the 37’s. I’m ecstatic about the bike and tomorrow if it stays dry we know we’ve got a good package. We know if we put sticky tires on it’s definitely going to go fast. If it rains, I guess we get some good rain time and go play in the rain. It’s still tough for us coming and learning these new tracks so I’m glad we picked it up as quickly as we did. There is still some more settings to find to be more comfortable but the speed is there. If it is wet then I hope we’ll be up there too, I don’t have as much time on this bike in the wet but I like riding in the rain.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (19th, 1′37.992)
“I think today we’ve made big improvements, this morning we lost a bit of track time with a couple of things but this afternoon we went from a high 39 to a 37.9 so we’ve found two seconds. I’m only eight or nine tenths of the front guys which is not a lot and considering it’s my first time here it’s not bad. We can still make improvements over the weekend and hopefully we’ll make it work and see what tomorrow brings.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“We started in the right way today, we are already close to the top of the times. Ben led part of both sessions which gives us a lot of confidence for Sunday. We have to solve some issues for Tom around the front end feel of the bike and also we have to wait and see what the weather is going to do as its forecast for some rain. If it’s raining it might be a good opportunity as we’ve not tested in the rain yet and I’m confident we can get good results.”

Crutchlow fastest on day one in Misano

Lack of track knowledge and incredible temperatures in the Italian sunshine didn’t stop Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow from conquering the Misano circuit on his first session today. Having never ridden here before it was an impressive turn out for Crutchlow who was within two tenths of a second of the lap record of 1′39.398 set by Broc Parkes last year.

Team-mate Fabien Foret was also on good form, having worked on some front set up changes the Frenchman put in consistently fast laps to end the first free practice session of the weekend a respectable fifth on the time sheet, less than a second off his team-mate.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (1st, 1′39.442)
“Today was good enough, my first time ever at Misano. I did six laps running around the track over the last couple of days and had a look at it. I’ve been watching it a bit on TV as well but that’s about it. It was a good first session. We were the fastest Supersport bike out there today and that’s good enough for me. Hopefully we’ll continue that over the weekend.”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (5th, 1′40.560)
“It was a good first day for me and I was happy with the bike by the end of the session. In the first half, before the session was red flagged for oil on the track I was not too happy with the front end but we made some changes and switched to a new tire and it felt much better. I’m looking forward to starting again tomorrow and improving the set up even more for Sunday’s race.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“It was an impressive first practice for Cal I have to say, he rode 28 laps and managed to be within one tenth of the lap record from last year and we’re happy with that. Everything feels ok on the bike, hopefully tomorrow we’ll have stable weather as I think it will be better for everybody. Fabien was also quite pleased with the bike, we tried a different front tire which worked well, He started ok and we made some changes to the front end which improved a lot and he got even faster. We’re all looking forward to tomorrow with confidence.”