Friday Afternoon Moto News - MotoCzysz Returns to Isle of Man & Noriyuki Haga

MotoCzysz is not worried about the Isle of Man issue between the TTXGP series and the local TT Zero race. In fact, they simply want to race their new 2010 E1pc electric motorcycle in the event this summer. The bike is 90% new, according to Michael Czysz, and is anything but a tame and quiet motorcycle. They are going for the 100 mph top speed prize as well as the win. For all the details, please take the link.


http://tinyurl.com/yhrsuex

Noriyuki Haga has now said that he thinks 2010 will be his toughest year yet in World Superbike. That is because he has a slew of former champions and several national champions now in the series as his competitors. Plus, he has many of the same tough adversaries from 2009. Haga has his work cut out for him...the man deserves a Championship!

http://tinyurl.com/ye3ch8u

Thursday Morning Moto News - Erik Buell & WSBK Valencia Testing

An exclusive interview with Buell man Erik comes to us via MotorcycleUSA, and it is rather long. If there are any burning questions you have about Buell's demise or the reasoning behind the whole thing, you might find an answer or two here. Otherwise, Buell is as much in the dark as the rest of us - only H-D knows some of the answers, and they won't talk about it until people start retiring.

http://tinyurl.com/yz3bmfr

At the second testing session for which the Aprilia World Superbike team has traveled to Valencia, a heavy downpour has caused them to stop their testing. They have nearly lost a full day's worth of information due to the unexpected storm. It looks like they will only have the Phillip Island test to finalize settings for Camier and Biaggi.

http://tinyurl.com/ylqtnbz

It wasn't only Aprilia's team having a hard time, we also see that the BMW WSBK team was 'washed out' of practice due to the heavy rain.

http://tinyurl.com/yz3jphe

Thursday Evening Moto News - Ducati Xerox and More

Ducati Xerox is getting ready for the first World Superbike test of 2010 at Portimao, Portugal on 22 January 2010. Well, now that their team manager is working for BMW, they have had to make some organizational changes. Of course, Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are still the team's riders, so that part is still in its place. For the rest, go ahead and take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yz5wogq

Two otherwise wealthy and successful guys decide to ride in an extreme enduro event in South Africa for five charities. They even managed to raise some £17,000 on their own for the causes. Dale Norton and Peter Coles, of a real estate company (property agents) known as Romans, took on this challenge together and had the time of their lives. The link takes you to a short article.

http://tinyurl.com/yfqxneb

Ducati Xerox Riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio at EICMA

Haga and Fabrizio are on a media tour now and so came out to see their fans and enjoy the show at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Both riders came up and visited the Ducati stand and looked over the motorcycles, then went on to some radio interviews there at the show. Fabrizio came up on Thursday and Haga stopped in on Friday. Both signed plenty of autographs and even chatted with the show attendees. Very good PR Ducati!

http://tinyurl.com/ybrsagf

More Management Changes at Ducati - Tardozzi And Suppo Both Leaving

We already read about Livio Suppo moving over to Honda (so the rumors say), but this is the first news of Davide Tardozzi leaving Ducati that I have seen. Tardozzi runs Ducati's World Superbike team, so that makes it both of the motorcycle racing world championships loosing Ducati managers. Tardozzi has said that he no longer has motivation to run the WSBK team and he has no plans for where he will go after he departs. Very interesting given the fact that Ducati has been hit hard by the sour economy and even the employees at the factory have taken large pay cuts. I hope Ducati is not in trouble again...they have been so profitable over the last several years...

http://tinyurl.com/yc5aa95

Haga and Fabrizio Test Their Ducati World Superbikes at Portimao

Each of them was out on the track for both days - so far- and both enjoyed the perfect testing weather. Both of them tried various new bits of technology and had mixed reactions to them. Their times stayed about the same, but they are among the fastest riders on the track.

http://tinyurl.com/yl7fftc

http://tinyurl.com/yhhx93l

Did Ducati Xerox Strategy - or Lack of - Loose the Title for Haga?

I would say, probably not, but there are some good arguments when you consider that it was Fabrizio won the second race of the weekend - if Haga had won and Spies finished in the same spot, only one point would separate them. But, this is all just a theory, as it is how it is and it is racing...Spies is World Champion.

http://tinyurl.com/yh2zb7c

WSBK Results: Ben Spies is the 2009 World Superbike Champion!

He managed to come back several times during the season. And then Haga came back from far back in the series to get right next to him and then pass him for the championship lead. And, finally, he went into Portimao ten points down on Haga, but he won one race and came in fifth in the second showdown making American Ben Spies the new World Superbike Champion for 2009. He will go into MotoGP with three American championships and a freshman champion in World Superbike. I can't wait until the 2010 MotoGP season! It will be worth watching every single race...

http://tinyurl.com/yka8f68

http://tinyurl.com/yh6denq

http://tinyurl.com/yj24a9n

More - concerning Guintoli: http://tinyurl.com/yzxqrhb

Ben Spies Takes Pole Position for WSBK Round at Portimao!

It is his eleventh pole position of the season and it breaks Doug Polen's previous record. It is the perfect position for Spies as he races for the World Superbike Championship this weekend. Noriyuki Haga, the current leader, did not do so well in qualifying and ended up in tenth after missing the Superpole round. This could mean that Spies will be World Champion, but the race has yet to be run...

http://tinyurl.com/yzrkpq3

The Portimao Saturday Insider: http://tinyurl.com/yz2gode - Some very interesting news if you are unable to attend.

First Qualifying Practice at Portimao World Superbike Round

As Spies only made seventh in the first practice, this is an improvement for him; he managed third in this the first qualifying practice for Superpole. Haga actually moved from second down to ninth! Jakub Smrz dropped one spot to second after Jonathan Rea turned in a scorching lap on board his Ten Kate Honda. Tomorrow's qualifying will certainly be interesting...

http://tinyurl.com/yjtwgf8

World Superbike Championship Portimao First Free Practice Times

From the lovely nation of Portugal comes the Portimao round of the World Superbike Championship. Here are the results from the first full practice at the event - and Haga is doing well, but Spies is only in seventh. I wonder if this is any indication of what we will see in the races on Sunday - probably not.

http://tinyurl.com/yzld2zf

Ahead of Portimao WSBK Round, Racers Meet With Media

The top riders in the World Superbike and World Supersport Championship met with the media ahead of this weekend's racing activities in Portugal. Noriyuki Haga, Ben Spies, Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty all sat down with local and international media yesterday, and here is how it went...

http://tinyurl.com/yz7t7vr

2009 Portimao World Superbike Championship Round Preview

Will it be Haga or Spies? Who can win the weekend in Portugal? Well, the advantage rests with Haga, but he and Spies both have about the same knowledge of the track, so it could be anyone's race. Of course, there are spoilers as well - Fabrizio is a certain front-runner, Max Biaggi is riding well on an almost completely-sorted Aprilia, and Jonathan Rea is always ready to take a win or push someone off of the podium. It will be a race weekend worth watching!

http://tinyurl.com/ykmddkv

http://tinyurl.com/yzrzmld

http://tinyurl.com/yg5wtx5 - link will be updated periodically

And, another article asking the question, can Noriyuki Haga win the World Championship title? Well, yes he can!

http://tinyurl.com/yh8o9fe

World Superbike Finale Held at Portimao Will be Title-Deciding Race

You couldn't ask for much more than this for excitement. The 2009 World Superbike Championship comes down to at least two men at the 23 - 25 October event - Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga. Haga now has a ten point lead over Spies for the championship, but this is racing and anything can happen in the final races of the season. Don't miss it! A World Champion will be crowned...

http://tinyurl.com/yc9gv38

World Superbike Magny-Cours Superpole Results

Ben Spies managed to come back and take the Superpole qualifying by storm at the Magny-Cours track in France. His nearest rival in the qualifying run, Jonathan Rea, was almost a half-second behind him. What this means for today's races...well, we will see. However, just FYI, Haga qualified back in 5th place...should prove interesting!

http://tinyurl.com/yckuepa

Imola World Superbike Race Results

Don't read this unless you have already seen the race as you will be surprised. It seems that Noriyuki Haga is back on form and doing quite well, thank you very much. He managed to come back from his horrendous Donnington crash to take the Imola circuit by storm and now leads Spies in the Championship points battle...read it all here:

http://tinyurl.com/yae2hvl

Slightly better post: http://tinyurl.com/ycv7jag

World Superbike Imola Superpole Results

Fabrizio managed to keep himself at the front in the Superpole qualifying at the Imola circuit in Italy. American Ben Spies is right behind him on the grid and Fabrizio's teammate Noriyuki Haga is in fourth. This should make for very interesting and fun racing tomorrow. If you can watch it, don't miss it!

http://tinyurl.com/yedhmgd

Fabrizio Takes Pole at WSB Imola Round

The free practice and qualifying were both delayed due to rider complaints about the track surface - it was too slick. So, the track worked out this issue and the free practice became qualifying. Michel Fabrizio took pole while riding his Ducati, which put Honda's Carlos Checa in second and Yamaha's Ben Spies in third. One more provisional qualifying will set things up for Superpole.

http://tinyurl.com/ybbo7wa

Ducati Xerox to Have Live Streaming Video in Garage at Imola Round

So, during the weekend of 25 - 27 September, through the help of Ducati.com, you can watch all of the action in Noriyuki Haga's garage throughout the entire event! Check it out as it is worth watching if you have never had the fun of sitting inside a pit garage during a World Superbike Race, which most of us have not.

http://tinyurl.com/negtpk

Ducati Xerox Team Finished Testing at Mugello

Ducati World Superbike rider Noriyuki Haga was testing with his team in order to assess his fitness for this weekend's race at the Nurburgring; the testing let him get comfortable on the 1198 again. Michel Fabrizio was also on hand to join in the work.

http://tinyurl.com/lwbc5a

More on their race prep: http://tinyurl.com/n2893e