Title race opened up after Monza thriller
Added on Monday, May 11th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Title race opened up after Monza thriller
Michel Fabrizio secured his first ever World Superbikes win on his home circuit to open up the championship race in an incident-packed round five meeting at Monza yesterday.
The Ducati rider bridged the gap between the top two and the rest of the field as both Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies suffered freak results over the weekend.
Yamaha rider Spies, who maintained his 100% Superpole record a day before, was on course for a fifth win of the season in race one before dramatically running out of fuel on the final bend, handing victory to Fabrizio. His Ducati teammate Haga finished just behind in second. Third was Max Biaggi although a 20 second penalty for cutting a chicane meant that Ryuichi Kiyonari was promoted to the podium.
That result put the pressure on Spies in race two and the American got the break that he was looking for. The former AMA champion dominated throughout the second running to take the victory ahead of Fabrizio but the victory proved to be even more valuable as Haga crashed out after a freak bird strike on lap three.
Fabrizio boosted his title credentials once again with a second place finish, Kiyonari once again finishing third.
The result cut Haga’s lead in the championship from 80 points to just 54 points ahead of Spies on 146. Fabrizio’s 45-point haul has seen him jump ahead of Leon Haslam to 125 points, closing the gap on the top two.
Speaking after a thrilling weekend, Spies said: “Race one was a tough pill to swallow, it was a hard one to get by but that’s racing I guess. Race two, I had a clear strategy and made sure I got into a really good rhythm in the first 12 to 14 laps to build a safety buffer.
“Obviously we had a problem at the end of race one which I didn’t want to repeat so slowed a bit there and short shifted a bit to make sure everything was good to the end. The bike was good and could have run fast times all the way through but I wanted to make sure we got this one in the bag.”
Michel Fabrizio was also understandably delighted with the result that signalled something of a return to form for the 24-year-old.
“I am so happy with today’s results,” he claimed. “It’s gone well all weekend so I knew I had the chance to fight for the win and at last I’ve done it!
“Mid way through race one I was having trouble with the gears, especially when Ben passed me, but I didn’t give up and fought till the end. It’s a shame for Ben that the race finished as it did because it makes mine a bit of a false win but I’m very pleased of course.
“Race 2? Well Ben deserved the win in the first race so I’m pleased he took it instead in Race 2.”
World Superbike Championship, Round Five: Monza. Race One
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
| 1 | Michael Fabrizio | ITA | Xerox Ducati | 31:50.758 |
| 2 | Noriyuki Haga | JAP | Xerox Ducati | +0.239 |
| 3 | Ryuichi Kiyonari | JAP | Ten Kate Honda | +8.175 |
| 4 | Yukio Kagayama | JAP | Suzuki Alstare | +11.001 |
| 5 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +12.447 |
| 6 | Tom Sykes | GBR | Yamaha WSB | +13.693 |
| 7 | Ruben Xaus | ESP | BMW Motorrad | +19.172 |
| 8 | Regis Laconi | FRA | DFX Corse Ducati | +24.989 |
| 9 | Carlos Checa | ESP | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +26.930 |
| 10 | Broc Parkes | AUS | Kawasaki WSB | +27.418 |
| 14 | Shane Byrne | GBR | Sterilgarda Ducati | +31.414 |
| 20 | Tommy Hill | GBR | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +51.706 |
| RET | Leon Haslam | GBR | Stiggy Racing Honda | 17 Laps |
Race Two
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
| 1 | Ben Spies | USA | Yamaha WSB | 31:49.252 |
| 2 | Michel Fabrizio | ITA | Xerox Ducati | +2.665 |
| 3 | Ryuichi Kiyonari | JAP | Ten Kate Honda | +2.810 |
| 4 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +7.706 |
| 5 | Max Biaggi | ITA | Aprilia Racing | +7.863 |
| 6 | Tom Sykes | GBR | Yamaha WSB | +10.383 |
| 7 | Leon Haslam | GBR | Stiggy Racing Honda | +11.586 |
| 8 | Jacob Smrz | CZE | Guandalini Racing | +21.112 |
| 9 | Ruben Xaus | ITA | BMW Motorrad | +21.112 |
| 10 | Carlos Checa | ESP | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +22.261 |
| 16 | Tommy Hill | GBR | HANNspree Ten Kate Honda | +43.825 |
| 18 | Shane Byrne | GBR | Sterilgarda Ducati | +1:00.917 (20 sec pen) |
Rider’s Championship after Round Five
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Noriyuki Haga | 200 |
| 2 | Ben Spies | 146 |
| 3 | Michel Fabrizio | 126 |
| 4 | Leon Haslam | 103 |
| 5 | Tom Sykes | 90 |
| 6 | Max Biaggi | 81 |
| 7 | Regis Laconi | 77 |
| 8 | Jonathan Rea | 77 |
| 9 | Max Neukirchner | 76 |
| 10 | Ryuichi Kiyonari | 66 |
