Bayliss predicts three way fight for WSB 2009

Three times World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss expects his replacement rider at Xerox Ducati, ‘Nitro’ Noriyuki Haga, to be among the contenders for the 2009 WSB crown but is equally sure that young riders Michel Fabrizio and Ben Spies will not make it easy for Haga.

Haga tested the Ducati in South Africa at the beginning of December 2008 and crashed the bike no less than three times on his first day of practise. However by day three the Japanese rider was getting to grips with the torquey machine and recorded the third best time of the day.

Haga has proved throughout his career that he is among the fastest and most exciting of motor cycle racers, however his over exuberance has often cost him dearly and he will need to show some consistency on board the Ducati if he is finally to break his duck and win the WSB championship.

Michel Fabrizio began the 2008 season as team mate to Troy Bayliss at Xerox Ducati and despite some early promise the youngster had to have surgery to his forearm shortly after the Assen race, cutting his season short. Bayliss has seen enough of the Italian to predict that his World Superbike results will put him in contention for the title at the end of the 2009 season.

Having won the AMA Superbike for three consecutive years, American born Ben Spies was rewarded for his endeavours with a starting place in the British Moto GP as stand in for injured rider Loris Capirossi. Spies finished the race in 14thplace and earned himself a test ride with Rizla Suzuki, where he was disappointingly slow.
In contrast to the Suzuki tests, Spies has proved that he is no slouch and has shown his credentials at Yamaha Motor Italia, when testing the potent new R1. In the South African tests at the Kyalami circuit earlier this month, the Worls Superbike news was that Spies had recorded the second fastest time of testing overall, despite riding a totally new bike and visiting the WSB testing circuits for the first time.

Source:
http://www.worldsuperbikenews.co.uk