WSBK – World Superbike Final in Portugal –

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World Superbike Final in Portugal

WSBK - World Superbike Final in Portugal -

A week after MotoGP, it is the turn of the World Superbike to run its last round. But this year, Portugal has the honor of closing the season, and it will not be in Estoril but on the brand new Portimao circuit. !

Ah, Portimão! "Ideally located for exploring the Algarve, a region truly unique in its diversity.The coast consists of sandy beaches, magnificent colorful rock formations, caves and protected nature reserves like Ria Formosa, Ria de Alvor and the Vicentina coast where birds migrants stop over in a calm environment", describes the official website of this seaside resort in southern Portugal….

Hmm, "calm" until the Superbikes start their engines, since this weekend the 1098, CBR1000RR, ZX-10R, GSX-R1000 and R1 – but also their 600 cc caddies – will invest in a brand new dedicated complex. motor sports !

Because Portimao for a few weeks, is also a city equipped with a whole new circuit homologated by the FIA ​​- for the A1 GP and the Le Mans series, while waiting for F1 – and the FIM – for the SBK World Cup while waiting for MotoGP ? – !

For a few weeks or rather for a few days, since the day before yesterday, FG Sport – the organizer of the SBK and SSP world championships – specified in its press release that "the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve" received "its final touches".

Officially launched at the end of February in the presence of the Portuguese Minister of Economy and Innovation and the Secretary of State in charge of Sports, the construction of the circuit therefore required eight months of work and almost 200 million Euros.

At the origin of this project, Paulo Pinheiro is passionate about motorsports who, at the same time, has also set up his own team in the World Supersport: the Parkalgar team. In this team was the late Craig Jones (read) and it is in tribute to the young English driver that one of the turns of the Portuguese track bears his name….

For this last event, therefore, this Portuguese team will be more than ever in the spotlight. Especially since, in addition to Michel Praia and his new teammate Josh Hayes, will line up on the handlebars of a third CBR600RR a certain Simonne Sanna, former GP125 driver !

"The first thing I want to say is that the new Parkalgar Algarve Motor Park is simply mind-boggling, one of the best circuits I have ever visited", says Parkalgar Honda team manager Simon Buckmaster.

According to him, the new circuit is a "real circuit for men", in the sense that "it offers a lot of blind passages and demanding turns", assures Simon, whose three pilots had the chance to ride on the new track, during very private tests last week..

Tests in which the Ducati Xerox team (which won the Superbike category driver and constructor titles at Magny-Cours, read) also participated! Thus, Michel Fabrizio confirms: "we saw that the circuit is really superb, like a roller coaster !".

And his team-mate Troy Bayliss is equally enthusiastic: "I can’t wait to race here because we saw in the last tests that it was a very impressive track !", assures the triple world champion, who will participate in Portugal in the last two races of his career.

Naturally, the legendary No. 21 of the Reds would like to conclude his fantastic ride – 152 races in the SBK World Cup, 99 podiums and 50 victories – with one or even two victories. Only, Troy himself admits on his personal website that he was less strict in preparing for his race weekend….

Invited to Sicily two weeks ago by Shell, sponsor of Ducati in competition, the kangaroo does not hide that he and his wife Kim have been accommodated in a good way … "I might arrive a little heavier for my last event but I’m sure my leather will hide my extra pounds", jokes Bayliss !

Just to mark the occasion, Ducati specifies that the 1098 F08 of Troy will be adorned "a commemorative livery". It should be remembered that Team Ducati Xerox is the only team registered for the world championship to have shot last week on the – then very dusty – track of Portimao….

Will the lead over the comrades allow them to end the year on a high note, with the n ° 21 and n ° 84 together on the podium, as they were in Phillip Island and Brno? ?

However, the British Superbike team "HM Plant Honda", made up of riders Leon Haslam and Carl Crutchlow – 2nd and 3rd respectively in the British Championship – also had access to the circuit last week and will benefit from wild cards this weekend. !

But the English team has already come to visit the World SBK in Donington Park. This resulted in some great brawls at the forefront and a superb second place for Carl in the second round. So these two Honda riders could well play the role of referees this weekend. !

Because if Troy Bayliss and Ducati have already won the driver and manufacturer titles, their competitors will fight to the end for the places of honor! We are expecting a lot from the two Yamaha boys – who will no longer be so next year -: Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser.

The first, Japanese, fiery, still too irregular this season to crown the world crown, has won three of the last four races contested. This allowed him to rise and overtake in the general classification Checa, Neukirchner and Corser. He is now 2nd with 325 points, against 410 for Bayliss but above all 316 for Corser.

The second Troy is therefore posted in 3rd place in the championship and will try – again and again! – to gain a first victory on the handlebars of the R1 before leaving the all new Yamaha model in the hands of Tom Sykes and Ben Spies.

Given the excellent health of the Yamaha lately, Max Neukirchner – on Suzuki – and Carlos Checa – on Honda – will certainly compete for 4th place: they total respectively 298 and 284 points. Naturally, Max aims higher: "for the moment I am 4th but Corser is only at 18 points so I will put the pressure on him and see if I can climb 3rd", calculates Francis Batta’s foal…

But both Max and Carlos have suffered a severe decline in power this summer … Since his double in Salt Lake City, the Spaniard has not returned to the podium. And it is the same for the German since his victory at Misano … Will n ° 7 and n ° 74 savor Champagne for the last time this year? Suspense.

Max Biaggi himself, had secured at least one podium per event before arriving at Magny-Cours last month. However, the French event did not succeed for the Roman Emperor: 4th then 6th on the Nivernaise track despite the support of many French fans – to whom Max addresses a "very affectionnate HELLO"on his personal website! – Max will have to beware in Portugal of Fonsi Nieto, who is only a small point in the general classification (235 against 234) !

In his statement, the Spanish n ° 10 does not hide his astonishment: "I thought we would all discover the track together, so I’m a little surprised to learn that some of our rivals have already tested here", emphasizes Fonsi.

We can bet that this will not prevent the Suzuki Alstare rider from staying focused in order to end his laborious season with two good results … A wish shared by his 3rd teammate, the stainless Yukio Kagayama, who is in 11th place in the standings with 153 points behind Xaus (171), Kiyonari (193) and Fabrizio (203).

Finally, let us underline the rather unusual decision of Ronald Ten Kate, who chose to swap two of his pilots … Thus, Jonathan Rea and Kenan Sofuoglu will exchange their mounts for the very last event 2008, in order to better prepare for the year 2009 !

Indeed, Johnny Rea saw the Supersport title slip between the gloves at Magny-Cours after the attack a bit cavalier of Harms in the Adelaide pin. Suddenly, the Englishman who rises next year in Superbike can, without regret, quit Supersport and discover his new category a little in advance. !

Conversely, the Turkish Kenan Sofuoglu will return to "his" Supersport category this weekend, after having lived a difficult year on a 1000 cc apparently incompatible with his driving style … The 2007 Supersport world champion will therefore find his CBR600RR on Sunday. and his favorite opponents: Parkes, Brookes, Harms and the French Fabien Foret, without forgetting of course his "replacement", the 2008 World champion: Andrew Pitt !

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