News

The closest gaps entering the final round in Superbike history

Friday, 31 October 2014 14:45 GMT

The smallest margins between the title contenders ahead of the final round deciders.

Tom Sykes and Sylvain Guintoli head to the final season weekend separated by only 12 points. These are the occurrences when two riders came to the final round with a small margin between them.

2009: before the final race weekend Noriyuki Haga led the standings with 10 points over Ben Spies (436 to 426): the American managed to overturn the situation in Algarve, winning race one and, with Haga falling, taking the championship lead. In race two Ben needed only a fifth place to take the championship;

2004: the first three in the championship standings were separated only by 13 points: Regis Laconi at 295, James Toseland at 291 and Chris Vermeulen at 282. Despite the home advantage, Laconi wasn't able to control Toseland, which won race one from Haga and himself and in race two was third behind Haga and Toseland. The title went to the Briton, for only 9 points over Regis;

2002: one of the final weekends which made Superbike history. Before the final round in Imola Colin Edwards led Troy Bayliss by only one point. Bayliss gave it all, helped by team-mate Ruben Xaus, but Edwards won both races after an epic struggle, taking the crown with 11 points over Bayliss;

1998: the first three in the standings, after the penultimate round in Assen, were separated by six points: Troy Corser 328.5, Aaron Slight 328 and Carl Fogarty 322.5. Corser, after scoring pole, had to withdraw after a fall in the warm-up, with broken ribs and a damaged spleen. Fogarty in both races controlled Slight and won his third championship;

1994: Carl Fogarty led Scott Russell by 5 points ahead of the final weekend in Phillip Island: he won race one while Russell had tyre troubles, the same which will affect him in race two, allowing Fogarty to control his rival and claim his maiden championship, after having lost it the year before to the same Russell;

1989: Stephane Mertens after the races in Oran Park led Fred Merkel by only three points, and the title went down to the last weekend in Manfeild, New Zealand, in a rather dramatic way: in race one a front brake disc on Mertens' bike exploded, and his Honda caught fire. Merkel won and went to the final race with 12 points over Mertens, which, despite the aforementioned fall, took the start and won, but Merkel finished third and won his second championship by 7 points over the Belgian;

1988: in the first year of the championship, no less than four riders were enclosed in ten points before the final weekend: Davide Tardozzi led at 86, Fred Merkel and Fabrizio Pirovano followed at 83.5, then Stephane Mertens at 75.5. The decisive round was held in  Manfeild and Tardozzi claimed pole, with Merkel third in grid and Pirovano seventh. Race one was wet and Tardozzi had troubles handling his Bimota: Merkel won, Pirovano was second and Tardozzi only fifth, 50 seconds down the road. This meant that for the final race the first three riders were enclosed in only two points: Merkel 93.5, Pirovano 92, Tardozzi 91.5., while Mertens was out of the contest at 80.5. The rain stopped right before the start, making the tyre choice critical: Merkel and Pirovano went for wets, while Bimota fitted slicks on Tardozzi and Mertens' bikes. That was the right choice, but Tardozzi fell on the warm-up lap, and became a non-starter. His team-mate Mertens went on to win the race, while Pirovano tried to have the best of Merkel, but after changing to slicks he fell, leaving the championship to the American.