Final World Superbike Championship standings

After 14 rounds, 28 races and a rollercoaster of emotions, Ben Spies has been crowned the World Superbike Champion for 2009.

An outstanding achievement for a man that, at one stage in the season, was 88 points adrift of long-time leader Noriyuki Haga, the American's triumph on his first attempt comes after a series of record-breaking feats that included 11 pole positions and 14 races wins.

Spies and Haga were a cut above the opposition this year, even if both suffered their fair share of bad luck. As it happens, Haga's fall in the first race at Portimao would prove to be the pivotal moment, the Japanese rider having to settle for runner-up in a season in which he led for almost its entirety.

74 points further back, Michel Fabrizio was relatively lonely third, but his rapid rate of improvement over 2008 was certainly evident this year, the Italian being increasingly touted for a title tilt in 2010 having re-signed for Ducati Xerox.

The battle for fourth was eventually decided in Max Biaggi's favour after Jonathan Rea cost himself the chance to edge his rival on the final lap of the season with an off that dropped him to third. Nonetheless, fifth in the standings is a great achievement for the rookie, who too is expected to be a front runner next season.

Despite failing to finish either race, Leon Haslam ended his outstanding year on the privateer Stiggy Honda in sixth, ahead of the factory machine of Carlos Checa. Shane Byrne's late flourish helped him vault past the crocked Tom Sykes for eighth, while Jakub Smrz ends his best season of racing with tenth in the overall standings for Guandalini Ducati.

Suzuki endured a disappointing year to miss the top ten, Yukio Kagayama its top representative in 12th, although Troy Corser will be pleased with 13th after a development season on the BMW. Kawasaki's top rider, Broc Parkes, ends up 18th in the standings with 51 points - nine less than he scored in three races at British Superbike level earlier this year.

In all, 42 riders would score points in 2009, up from 33 in 2008, while 52 riders would participate in at least one race. Five riders won races - Spies, Haga, Fabrizio, Rea and Biaggi -, but only four scored pole positions - Spies, Haga, Fabrizio and Smrz.

In total, 13 riders stood on the podium in 2009, the lowest full-time classified rider to do so being Yukio Kagayama, while the highest placed rider not to get on the rostrum is Sykes.

Having not fielded a single full-time rider in 2008, United Kingdom & Northern Ireland were the most successful nation in 2009, picking up a total of 976 points, followed by Japan (823), USA (489), Italy (447) and Spain (326).

Finally, the biggest improver between 2008 and 2009 was Fabrizio, finishing five places higher this year than he managed last season, while Corser suffered the biggest drop, from second to 13th by virtue of his year spent with the fledgling BMW outfit.

Final 2009 World Superbike Championship rider standings (Previous 2008 position in brackets)

1. (-) Ben Spies Yamaha WSB 4622. (3) Noriyuki Haga Ducati Xerox 456 points3. (8) Michel Fabrizio Ducati Xerox 3824. (7) Max Biaggi Aprilia 3195. (-) Jonathan Rea Ten Kate Honda 3156. (22*) Leon Haslam Stiggy Honda 2417. (4) Carlos Checa Ten Kate Honda 2098. (-) Shane Byrne Sterilgarda Ducati 1929. (21*) Tom Sykes Yamaha WSB 17610. (13) Jakub Smrz Guandalini Ducati 16911. (9) Ryuichi Kiyonari Ten Kate Honda 14112. (11) Yukio Kagayama Suzuki Alstare 12813. (2) Troy Corser BMW Alpha 9614. (-) Shinya Nakano Aprilia 8615. (16**) Regis Laconi DFX Ducati 7716. (5**) Max Neukirchner Suzuki Alstare 7517. (10) Ruben Xaus BMW Alpha 7418. (-) Broc Parkes Kawasaki WSB 5119. (-) Matthieu Lagrive Althea Honda 3420. (-) Leon Camier Airwaves Yamaha/Aprilia 3221. (6**) Fonsi Nieto Suzuki Alstare/DFX Ducati 2222. (15**) Karl Muggeridge Celani Suzuki/Suzuki Alstare 2123. (-) John Hopkins Stiggy Honda 1724. (-) Matteo Baiocco Guandalini Ducati 1725. (-) Marco Simoncelli Aprilia 1626. (14**) Lorenzo Lanzi DFX Ducati 1527. (12**) Gregorio Lavilla Guandalini Ducati 1228. (20) Makoto Tamada Kawasaki WSB 1229. (-) Luca Scassa Pedercini Kawasaki 1130. (-) Jamie Hacking Kawasaki WSB 931. (25*) James Ellison Airwaves Yamaha 832. (-) Sheridan Morais Kawasaki WSB 833. (-) Simon Andrews MSS Colchester Kawasaki 624. (-) Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki Alstare 635. (-) Tommy Hill Althea Honda 636. (-) David Salom Pedercini Kawasaki 537. (28) David Checa Yamaha GMT 94 438. (17**) Roberto Rolfo Stiggy Honda 339. (-) Brendan Roberts Guandalini Ducati 340. (-) Vittorio Iannuzzo SCI Honda 241. (-) Jake Zemke Stiggy Honda 142. (-) Alessandro Polita Celani Suzuki 1

(*) Only completed part-season in 2008
(**) Only completed part-season in 2009

Final 2009 World Superbike Championship manufacturer standings (Previous 2008 position in brackets)

1. (1) Ducati 572 points2. (2) Yamaha 5053. (3) Honda 4314. (-) Aprilia 3295. (4) Suzuki 1736. (-) BMW 1417. (5) Kawasaki 76