2009 Nurburgring World Superbike Race 2 Result - Early Crash Shakes Up Title Race

Results of World Superbike race 2 at the Nurburgring:

Johnny Rea held off Ben Spies during the second World Superbike race at the Nurburgring, preventing a Spies double and saving Noriyuki Haga some valuable points, though Haga won't be thanking him for it.

Haga had gotten another strong start, pulling away from Carlos Checa and Troy Corser, while Ben Spies languished well down in 7th place. Johnny Rea, who had not got off to a good start, barged his way past Leon Haslam and Troy Corser, challenging and taking the lead from Haga and Checa on lap 4. Haga, knowing he had to collect as many points as possible to increase his ever-shrinking lead over Spies, passed Rea back going over the line to start lap 5.

Unfortunately for the Japanese rider, the effort to pass Rea meant running into Turn 1 a little wide, leaving just enough room for Rea to slide back underneath. But the Northern Irish rider appeared right where Haga was trying to slam the door, and Haga banged into Rea and went down, crashing out of the race.

With Haga out, Spies set about maximizing his points haul, reeling in the riders ahead of him, until he arrived on the back wheel of Rea on lap 13, after a particularly tough pass on Leon Haslam saw the Stiggy Racing Honda rider pushed off line and into the gravel. He pushed hard to get onto the back of Rea, but the Ten Kate Honda man was flying, and held the American off comfortably, taking victory by just under a second. Rea's team mate Carlos Checa came home in 3rd, putting two Ten Kate Hondas on the podium, with Spies' Yamaha between them.

Spies' 2nd place finish means he takes the championship lead for the first time this season, holding an 18 point advantage over Haga with three rounds (or six races) left to go. That's not much of a lead, but given that Spies has already come back from an 88 point deficit, the Texan must now surely be hot favorite to take the title this year.

Results: