Spies: “I’m going for the big prize” 

Ben Spies maintains he can still win the World Superbike Championship despite being robbed of a result in Race 2 at Magny-Cours with a duff front tire.

Following a tough battle with title rival Noriyuki Haga in Race 1, Spies claimed a well-earned race win to retake the lead in the 2009 title race. But his lead was short lived with Haga bouncing back in style on his Ducati to take his second victory in seven days, with Spies languishing in fourth place unable to match the pace of the leaders.

Sterilgarda Yamaha's Spies said: “The track temperature in Race 2 was hotter and I changed to a rear tire that I’d done long runs on earlier in the weekend. But my problem was definitely the front tire. In a way I’m not even disappointed because I just had to give up in Race 2 because the front tire was the worse tire I’ve ever been on and there is no getting away from that. It wouldn’t turn and I couldn’t do anything on it.

“Once I lost touch I thought ‘right I’ve got to make this work’. I could see there were come passes going on in front and I wanted to be there to capitalize in case anything happened, but it was impossible. I was probably 10km slower through turn two.”

Spies’ fourth-place finish is a bitter blow to his title aspirations and means he now trails Haga by ten points with one round remaining.

“We had the pace to win in Race 2 if we’d of had the same bike as in Race 1. The pace wasn’t abnormal; it was actually slower than Race 1. For me it doesn’t matter because even if I’d have won Race 2 and Haga was second I’d only have a 13 point lead which would mean I’d still have to go to Portimao and win. There is no getting around it. It’s not like I could have gone and finished fifth and still won the title – I’ve just got to go and win.”

With three weeks until the final showdown at Portimao, Spies will have plenty of time to think and talk tactics, but knows that to fulfil his destiny of becoming world champion – only wins will do.

“We’re going for the title and to be in a position where I’m fighting with a team that have two years of data wherever they go and a guy that has been in the championship forever. We’re still kind of doing the impossible, but I want the title in my first year for sure. We’re still going for the big prize and we’re heading to a track that feels like a Miller to me. I’ll know where I’m going from Lap 1 and I know what the bike needs at that track. Since I was there last year the bike has over 20bhp more so that will definitely be helpful.”

Vermeulen Confirms Green Future
Current Rizla Suzuki MotoGP man Chris Vermeulen has signed a two-year deal that will see him ride for the factory Kawasaki squad in WSB. Despite disappointing results in recent years, Vermeulen has been convinced of the potential of the Kawasaki WSB project due to the increased budget and involvement of the Japanese manufacturer. Having withdrawn from MotoGP, Kawasaki are focussing their efforts on WSB and have previously confirmed that WSB is their priority. 

"WSB is going to be their main project, they are pulling out of MotoGP and they will not be running an AMA team nor a team in the Australian SBK championship - this WSB program is where all their engineers and budget will be focused. They haven't won in WSB for a long time and they really want to win races.”

Toseland Backs Spies
Outgoing MotoGP rider James Toseland has revealed that Ben Spies and Colin Edwards deserve to be in the Tech3 Yamaha squad in 2010. Toseland will swap places with Spies in the factory Yamaha WSB squad next season where he aims to secure the third WSB title of his career.

Toseland said: “Ben does deserve a crack at MotoGP, it’s just unfortunate that there is only one satellite Yamaha team in the series. He had to replace either myself or Colin and it has obviously been me. With the way Colin has ridden this year he deserves to keep his ride because he’s ridden great, but I don’t think it’s the ideal situation having two Americans in the team for commercial reasons.”

Neukirchner Comeback in Doubt
Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner’s career could be in jeopardy following reports that he could be out of action for anywhere between three and six months. Neukirchner was involved in a horrific first-corner pile up at Monza in May where he shattered his femur, but the career threatening injuries were sustained two months later. During his first ride back, the 26-year-old German sustained broken and compressed vertebrae and has been out of action ever since. While Neukirchner maintains that he is fit to race, circuit doctors are reluctant to let him ride in case of further even more serious injury.

Laconi Rides Again
Regis Laconi completed two parade laps onboard the DFX Ducati 1198 at his home Magny Cours race. It was the first time on a bike since suffering life threatening head and neck injuries at the Kyalami race in South Africa in May. The tough Frenchman is now nearing a return to full fitness, but it remains unlikely he will ever race again due to the extent of the neck and spine damage caused in the crash.

Simeon Crowned Champion
Xerox Ducati rider Xavier Simeon was crowned Superstock 1000 FIM cup champion with one round remaining after securing second place at Magny-Cours. The 20-year-old Belgium remains one of the paddocks brightest prospects having won previously won the Superstock 600 title in 2006. During 2009, he won four races and finished second five times from nine starts. He now has his heart set on a WSB ride in 2010.

It wasn’t all good news for the new champion who was fined $3000 because his exuberant crew jumped over the pit wall to celebrate the victory.