WSBK Race Reports

Ben Spies finishes fifth in the final race of the season to win the 2009 World Superbike Championship

Noriyuki Haga has retaken the lead of the World Superbike Championship standings, despite being denied a double victory at Imola by Michel Fabrizio.

Noriyuki Haga has clawed back significant ground on Ben Spies in the World Superbike Championship standings after taking an impressive victory at Imola.

Max Biaggi has taken Aprilia to their first victory since returning to the World Superbike Championship after capitalising on a collision between Ben Spies and Michel Fabrizio during the opening race at Brno.

Ben Spies has taken his eighth World Superbike victory of the season at Misano after unleashing a searing pace when it mattered in an entertaining wet-to-dry race.

Ben Spies has completed a double victory on home ground at Miller Motorsports Park to make some headway into Noriyuki Haga's substantial World Superbike Championship lead.

A week after being struck by an errant bird at Monza, Noriyuki Haga clinched a double victory in round six of the World Superbike Championship at Kyalami, fending off Xerox Ducati team-mate Michel Fabrizio on the final lap to ensure that he leaves South Africa as he arrived - the only Kyalami win

Noriyuki Haga claimed victory in the opening race of the Kyalami WSBK weekend, fending off Ducati team-mate Michel Fabrizio and Yamaha polesitter Ben Spies to the line.

Michel Fabrizio has taken his first World Superbike Championship victory after benefitting from a problem for Ben Spies, who dramatically slowed on the final corner whilst leading at Monza.

Ben Spies has taken victory in the second World Superbike race of the season at Phillip Island after resisting the attentions of a charging Noriyuki Haga.

Troy Bayliss has signed off his World Superbike career in the best way possible after completing a double victory in his final races at Portimao.

Noriyuki Haga has won his second World Superbike race of the weekend at Vallelunga, but the big news was Troy Bayliss' failure to score when he came down just three corners from the chequered flag - and the title!

Ryuichi Kiyonari kept his cool in terrible weather conditions to claim victory in the second World Superbike race of the weekend at Donington Park.

The Sterilgarda Ducati team enjoyed a dream race two at Misano with Ruben Xaus taking victory ahead of team-mate Max Biaggi at the end of an eventful, restarted, second race.

Max Neukirchner has won his second race of the season, and taken second place in the World Superbike Championship standings, during race one at Misano.

Carlos Checa has scored his first world championship race victory in ten years after charging to glory in the first World Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Miller Motorsports Park.

Noriyuki Haga survived intermittent clouds of smoke from his Yamaha R1 to overtake countryman Ryuichi Kiyonari for victory on the very last turn of a dramatic, incident packed, second race at Monza.

Race two at Assen proved to be harder fought up front between Haga and Bayliss but further back the battles were a little less fraught than in race one.

Making mistakes seemed to be the order of the day for many riders at Assen in the first Superbike race as most of the top men had one moment or another in the Dutch sunshine.

Haga had lost the front of his Yamaha Italia while holding fourth position early in race one, but showed no lack of faith in his R1 as he charged confidently forwards during the second outing - overtaking Troy Bayliss for the lead on lap 8 of 23.

Prior to that point, Neukirchner had remained clear of the accidents and incidents behind him and looked set to take a perfect lights-to-flag debut victory.

The race win went to Noriyuki Haga on the Yamaha Italia machine who rode a faultless race, leading from lights to flag. He lost out on the title by just two points. Toseland actually finished in sixth place but it was sufficient to clinch his second World title.

The World Superbike Championship has just been blown wide open due to Lorenzo Lanzi suffering a turn one high side. The Xerox Ducati rider crashed mid pack, causing the other riders to scatter around him.

"That was a tough race," he said, "Congratulations to everyone who is on the podium as it was very easy to make a mistake out there.