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This article comes from AsphaltandRubber.com
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We typically don’t cover the Free Practice/Qualifying sessions in World Superbike, but considering that the entire season will come down to Sunday’s race, we’re making an exception. With QP1 in the bag already at Portimao, we get some insight into how the grid could come together for the last race of the WSBK season, and the results might surprise some people. More after the jump.
Before we get ahead of ourseleves, let’s be clear that there is still another qualifying practice session on Saturday, before the Superpole event takes place, so there’s still a great deal more shuffling that can occur on the WSBK starting grid. Still, the results are compelling for a Ben Spies victory on Sunday.
With Johnny Rea on the provisional pole, Spies trails the Honda rider by under a tenth of a second, and is provisionally 3rd right now. Better yet for the American rider, points rival Noriyuki Haga is swamped back in 9th place, and almost half a second behind Rea. In order to be competitive on Sunday, Haga will have to find an extra 4/10ths of a second per lap in order to keep a wheel on Spies.
Ben Spies needs to win both races this weekend in order to clinch the World Superbike Championship. A “double” on Sunday would mean that regardless of how Haga finishes Spies would either tie or beat Haga in the point standings. Tie-breakers in WSBK are decided on the number of race wins, which Spies has 15, while Haga has 8, meaning the Championship would go to Spies if he ties Haga in points at the end of Sunday’s race.
With the MotoGP Championship likely to be clinched at Sepang this weekend as well, Sunday should be an epic event of racing for motorcycle enthusiasts. We can’t wait.
QP1 Results from World Superbike at Portimao, Portugal:
PosNo.RiderBikeTimeDiff165J. ReaHonda CBR1000RR1′43.786-296J. SmrzDucati 1098R1′43.8660.080319B. SpiesYamaha YZF R11′43.8700.08447C. ChecaHonda CBR1000RR1′43.9450.159567S. ByrneDucati 1098R1′43.9470.161610F. NietoDucati 1098R1′44.0050.219784M. FabrizioDucati 1098R1′44.1540.36883M. BiaggiAprilia RSV4 Factory1′44.2100.424941N. HagaDucati 1098R1′44.2540.4681091L. HaslamHonda CBR1000RR1′44.3240.5381171Y. KagayamaSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′44.6740.88812111R. XausBMW S1000 RR1′44.8221.0361311T. CorserBMW S1000 RR1′44.8301.0441423B. ParkesKawasaki ZX 10R1′44.9631.17715100M. TamadaKawasaki ZX 10R1′44.9771.1911699L. ScassaKawasaki ZX 10R1′45.0771.2911714M. LagriveHonda CBR1000RR1′45.1331.3471866T. SykesYamaha YZF R11′45.2391.4531922L. CamierAprilia RSV4 Factory1′45.3331.5472015M. BaioccoDucati 1098R1′45.3451.5592125D. SalomKawasaki ZX 10R1′45.3901.6042250S. GuintoliSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′45.5081.722239R. KiyonariHonda CBR1000RR1′45.6761.8902477V. IannuzzoHonda CBR1000RR1′46.5122.7262594D. ChecaYamaha YZF R11′46.7752.9892688R. ReschSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′47.9614.175
Visit Asphalt & Rubber for more articles like this one
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This article comes from AsphaltandRubber.com
*
*
*
We typically don’t cover the Free Practice/Qualifying sessions in World Superbike, but considering that the entire season will come down to Sunday’s race, we’re making an exception. With QP1 in the bag already at Portimao, we get some insight into how the grid could come together for the last race of the WSBK season, and the results might surprise some people. More after the jump.
Before we get ahead of ourseleves, let’s be clear that there is still another qualifying practice session on Saturday, before the Superpole event takes place, so there’s still a great deal more shuffling that can occur on the WSBK starting grid. Still, the results are compelling for a Ben Spies victory on Sunday.
With Johnny Rea on the provisional pole, Spies trails the Honda rider by under a tenth of a second, and is provisionally 3rd right now. Better yet for the American rider, points rival Noriyuki Haga is swamped back in 9th place, and almost half a second behind Rea. In order to be competitive on Sunday, Haga will have to find an extra 4/10ths of a second per lap in order to keep a wheel on Spies.
Ben Spies needs to win both races this weekend in order to clinch the World Superbike Championship. A “double” on Sunday would mean that regardless of how Haga finishes Spies would either tie or beat Haga in the point standings. Tie-breakers in WSBK are decided on the number of race wins, which Spies has 15, while Haga has 8, meaning the Championship would go to Spies if he ties Haga in points at the end of Sunday’s race.
With the MotoGP Championship likely to be clinched at Sepang this weekend as well, Sunday should be an epic event of racing for motorcycle enthusiasts. We can’t wait.
QP1 Results from World Superbike at Portimao, Portugal:
PosNo.RiderBikeTimeDiff165J. ReaHonda CBR1000RR1′43.786-296J. SmrzDucati 1098R1′43.8660.080319B. SpiesYamaha YZF R11′43.8700.08447C. ChecaHonda CBR1000RR1′43.9450.159567S. ByrneDucati 1098R1′43.9470.161610F. NietoDucati 1098R1′44.0050.219784M. FabrizioDucati 1098R1′44.1540.36883M. BiaggiAprilia RSV4 Factory1′44.2100.424941N. HagaDucati 1098R1′44.2540.4681091L. HaslamHonda CBR1000RR1′44.3240.5381171Y. KagayamaSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′44.6740.88812111R. XausBMW S1000 RR1′44.8221.0361311T. CorserBMW S1000 RR1′44.8301.0441423B. ParkesKawasaki ZX 10R1′44.9631.17715100M. TamadaKawasaki ZX 10R1′44.9771.1911699L. ScassaKawasaki ZX 10R1′45.0771.2911714M. LagriveHonda CBR1000RR1′45.1331.3471866T. SykesYamaha YZF R11′45.2391.4531922L. CamierAprilia RSV4 Factory1′45.3331.5472015M. BaioccoDucati 1098R1′45.3451.5592125D. SalomKawasaki ZX 10R1′45.3901.6042250S. GuintoliSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′45.5081.722239R. KiyonariHonda CBR1000RR1′45.6761.8902477V. IannuzzoHonda CBR1000RR1′46.5122.7262594D. ChecaYamaha YZF R11′46.7752.9892688R. ReschSuzuki GSX-R 1000 K91′47.9614.175
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