In a couple of weeks we will see the opening on the 2013 racing season. And it begins, fittingly, at Phillip Island, with Round 1 of the World Superbike Championship. However, all in the garden is distinctly not rosy. Whereas in previous years the grids were full of bikes and riders in each of the categories competed, 2013 sees the full effects of the GFC plus the DORNA takeover of the franchise taking a big chunk out of the spectacle.
In 2012 the Superbike grid comprised 24 bikes; 2013 will see that number drastically reduced to just 19, and it isn’t just the numbers that are worrying. With the retirement of Max Biaggi, the field is also looking pretty thin for talent as well. Aside from the usual suspects, Melandri (if he doesn’t win this year, he won’t), Sykes, Checa and Rae, the rest of the riders enrolled are, at best, either journeymen looking for a way up or long-termers on the way down. Look at the list and tell me how many of these riders you would pay money to go and watch.
Competition Number, Rider, Rider Nationality, Motorcycle, Team Name
50, Sylvain Guintoli, France, Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory, Aprilia Racing Team
58, Eugene Laverty, Ireland, Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory, Aprilia Racing Team
19, Chaz Davies, UK, BMW S1000RR HP4, BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
33, Marco Melandri, Italy, BMW S1000RR HP4, BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team
66, Tom Sykes, UK, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Kawasaki Racing Team
76, Loris Baz, France, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Kawasaki Racing Team
34, Davide Giugliano, Italy, Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory, Althea Racing
65, Jonathan Rea, UK, Honda CBR1000RR, Pata Honda World Superbike Team
91, Leon Haslam, UK, Honda CBR1000RR, Pata Honda World Superbike Team
2, Leon Camier, UK, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Fixi Crescent Suzuki
16, Jules Cluzel, France, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Fixi Crescent Suzuki
84, Michel Fabrizio, Italy, Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory, Red Devils Roma
5, Alexander Lundh, Sweden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Pedercini Team
23, Federico Sandi, Italy, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Pedercini Team
31, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Italy, BMW S1000RR, Grillini DENTALMATIC SBK Team
18, Ivan Clementi, Italy, BMW S1000RR, HTM Racing
27, Max Neukirchner, Germany, Ducati Panigale 1199R, MR-Racing
7, Carlos Checa, Spain, Ducati Panigale 1199R, Team Ducati Alstare
86, Ayrton Badovini, Italy, Ducati Panigale 1199R, Team Ducati Alstare
Notice no Ten Kate Team this year also.
In World Supersports, the situation looks a little better. After suffering a few lean years with factories pulling their support, there is a provisional grid of 35 riders on 600′s
Nr. Rider Nat. Motorcycle Team
6 Vladimir Ivanov RUS Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team
88 Kev Coghlan GBR Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team
32 Sheridan Morais RSA Honda CBR600RR PTR Honda
87 Luca Marconi ITA Honda CBR600RR PTR Honda
37 David Linortner AUT Honda CBR600RR Team Honda PTR
64 Matt Davies AUS Honda CBR600RR Team Honda PTR
9 Luca Scassa ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki INTERMOTO PonyExp
44 David Salom ESP Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki INTERMOTO PonyExp
20 Mathew Scholtz RSA Suzuki GSX-R600 Suriano Racing Team
91 Roberto Tamburini ITA Suzuki GSX-R600 Suriano Racing Team
26 Lorenzo Zanetti ITA Honda CBR600RR Pata Honda World Supersport
60 Michael V der Mark NED Honda CBR600RR Pata Honda World Supersport
5 Raffaele De Rosa ITA Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini
25 Alex Baldolini ITA Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini
14 Gabor Talmacsi HUN Honda CBR600RR Prorace
11 Sam Lowes GBR Yamaha YZF R6 Yakhnich Motorsports
65 Vladimir Leonov RUS Yamaha YZF R6 Yakhnich Motorsports
4 Jack Kennedy IRL Honda CBR600RR Rivamoto
24 Eduard Blokhin RUS Honda CBR600RR Rivamoto
10 Imre Toth HUN Honda CBR600RR Racing Team Toth
59 Alex Schacht DEN Honda CBR600RR Racing Team Toth
61 Fabio Menghi ITA Yamaha YZF R6 VFT Racing
8 Andrea Antonelli ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Team GOELEVEN
17 Luca Salvadori ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Team PATA by Martini
55 Massimo Roccoli ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Team PATA by Martini
34 Balazs Nemeth HUN Honda CBR600RR Complus SMS Racing
7 Nacho Calero Perez ESP Honda CBR600RR Honda PTR
35 Mitchell Carr AUS Triumph 675 R AARK Racing
1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Kawasaki ZX-6R MAHI Racing Team India
99 Fabien Foret FRA Kawasaki ZX-6R MAHI Racing Team India
12 Christian Iddon GBR MV Agusta F3 675 ParkinGo MV Agusta Corse
47 Roberto Rolfo ITA MV Agusta F3 675 ParkinGo MV Agusta Corse
73 Dino Lombardi ITA Yamaha YZF R6 PATA by Martini Team
84 Riccardo Russo ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Puccetti Racing Kawasaki
50 Sergei Krapukhin RUS Yamaha YZF R6
Again, a pretty impressive list (well, more so than the Superbikes anyway, but, how many of these riders do you actually know?) And, it seems NO factory teams at all, just manufacturer-supported teams and no Ten Kate. Give Superglue the trophy and cancel the show.
It is worrying that DORNA is planning even more drastic surgery for the franchise in the next few years. They will no doubt spout platitudes like “building years” and “restructuring” but one wonders if they aren’t merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
I certainly hope not because the formula deserves to prosper, offering, as it does, a much closer experience to that which the normal road rider experiences than the ultra-trick MotoGp bike (which, of course, is the reason why it has done so well for so long)
My lovely wife surprised me last week with tickets to the Superbike races at Phillip Island.Last time i was there was in the 90′s when ‘Our Wayne’ won the 500 class race, by god that was a fantastic race too !
We are flying down this time ,unfortunately my health does not permit me to ride long distances anymore.
Hope the weather is fine & I’m sure the racing will be fantastic even though some of the riders are past there prime they always put on a good show.
Cheers
Aussies very ‘thin’ in numbers. (None in superbikes?) Where have they gone? Britain ? Germany? Do they not bring enough money now in comparison to others? Pity, as WSB seems to provide great racing and to watch an Aussie doing well is always pleasing.
Well, we certainly need to catch up while we’re down there. I’ll email you my mobile phone # and we can grab a coffee. That would be very cool.
Yes, Jeff. Britain and Germany seem to be the popular ones these days.