2009 World Superbike Championship: season preview and predictions

It would be great to see 33-year-old Haga rewarded for the massive entertainment he has generated in WSBK in the course of being runner-up twice and third three times. Of the three here, he's the only one with big-time experience all around the SBK circuit, he's one of the greatest fighters in motorsport and he's clearly adapting very quickly to his new Italian bike.

Shakey dominated BSB this year on a Ducati, after doing very little with Japanese inline fours in his two previous campaigns - and he took a double win at Brands Hatch in a one-off World Supers appearance in 2002. At 32, he is still hungry for world-stage success after disastrous MotoGP tilts with Aprilia and KTM, and comes to SBK 2009 in an excellent position to clinch the title.

Spies has fought tooth and nail for his three AMA championships against a vicious opponent with the same equipment as him and skill and determination levels far above the rest of the American competition. Young at 24 but level-headed, he is sure to be a star on the world stage but took time to become a force in the AMA. He may suffer from a lack of experience around the SBK circuit - but then, he shot out of the gates to post a second-fastest time at Portimao on a brand-new R1 that's very early in its development cycle.

Failing revelation or disaster, it's got to be one of these three. And we're going to call it for the youngest guy, on the newest bike. Fresh from a three-peat in a torturous AMA apprenticeship, and mounted on the techno-warship R1 with its new crossplane crank engine, Spies is our pick for the 2009 World Superbike title... By a whisker!

What do YOU think? Check out the photo gallery for a bucketload of pics.

Loz Blain

Portimao test results - best overall times (from Motorcycle USA):

• 1. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.294;
• 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.484;
• 3. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.487;
• 4. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.546;
• 5. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.657;
• 6. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.674;
• 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.767;
• 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.951;
• 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.115;
• 10. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.170;
• 11. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.261;
• 12. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.425;
• 13. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.546;
• 14. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.610;
• 15. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.704;
• 16. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.108;
• 17. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.179;
• 18. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.199;
• 19. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'45.278;
• 20. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.393;
• 21. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.446;
• 22. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.672;
• 23. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.679;
• 24. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.820;
• 25. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.128;
• 26. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.916;
• 27. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.971