[kropotkin thinks...] - 2009 World Superbikes And World Supersport Race Report

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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Ben Spies came to his home race - or the nearest thing he has to a home race - at Miller Motorsports in Utah looking to get a double and a bundle of points to get himself back into the World Superbike championship race. So when the lights went out at the start of race 1, the Texan set about the task with a gusto bordering on the insatiable. First off the line and first into Turn 1, Spies had gap by the first corner, streaking away to take a lead of over 2 seconds by the time they crossed the line to end the first lap. Spies was gone.

Behind Spies, Shinya Nakano had gotten an outstanding start, leading from Noriyuki Haga and Ryuichi Kiyonari, with Broc Parkes leading Carlos Checa further back. With Spies already disappeared, Ryuichi Kiyonari worked his way past Nori Haga, then set about passing Nakano, the Honda and the Aprilia getting a gap as they fought over 2nd. The two Japanese riders soon had the company of a Spaniard, as Carlos Checa also worked his way past Haga then went on to challenge Shinya Nakano.

Checa was determined to get past Nakano, and did so pretty forcefully, the Aprilia rider losing his concentration as Checa's Honda appeared underneath him, then losing the front and crashing out. Nakano's crash came just a lap too early, as a lap later, Celani Suzuki rider Karl Muggeridge also crashed out at the esses, leaving both bike and rider laying on the track. The stewards had no option but to red flag the race, so they could get to Muggeridge. The Australian was unhurt, but had just had his bell rung, and later walked to the ambulance under his own steam, and was taken off for further medical inspection.

The restart was frustrating for Spies, as the Texan was left to do it all over again. Spies' one consolation was that the race would be decided on aggregate times, which meant he carried a 4.5 second lead into the second heat, and didn't need to win the race.

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