Spies rides to record pole
Added on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Spies rides to record pole
Ben Spies secured the final Superpole of the 2009 season, ahead of tomorrow’s World Superbike double-header.
The championship contender scored his eleventh pole of the season, out of fourteen races, making it an outright record for the series. Having rode to this landmark achievement at the Portuguese circuit has prompted viewers to vote for Spies as the favoruite to take to the top step of the podium in Sunday’s duo of outings.
Spies’ nearest titel rival, Noriyuki Haga endured a difficult session, which left him only on the third row of the gird in tenth. Despite still having a chance of taking the 2009 WSB title, Haga will have some work to do if he is to stop the pole-man stealing honours.
Shane Byrne took his Ducati to second on the grid ahead of tomorrow’s final, with Michel Fabrizio and Jonathan Rea joining him on the front row.
Behind, young hot shot Leon Haslam recorded the fifth fastest time, with Max Biaggi in sixth and Fonsi Nieto seventh. The remainder of the top ten saw Troy Corser put in a strong showing for his Motorrad BMW S1000 RR in eighth, Jakub Smrz ninth and Haga tenth.
With a bit of a mixed-up grid, in terms of the 2009 WSB championship fight, it is sure to be a thrilling duet of races tomorrow.
