Still in recovery mode after a monster week at the Island Classic, it appears that I am heading back to the Island in just a few weeks for the opening round of the World Superbike/Supersport championships, again working for MotoPod.
Speaking of MotoPod, my first set of interviews have been published and you can download them at the MotoPod web site, Episode 393. Hope you have plenty of time to listen because the broadcast lasts for about FOUR hours. Man, these riders can talk!
In one of the interviews you will hear Australia’s Steve Martin give his thoughts on the direction that WSBK is taking. Unsurprisingly it is remarkably similar to the views expressed by former WSS champion, Chris Vermeulen, when I interviewed him last year. It seems that the company now running the show are determined to cut costs and, more importantly, make the bikes ones that the average punter will find more appealing. Martin, ever the incisive and thinking mind, said what we all know to be so and that is that the current crop of WSBK bikes are really MotoGp bikes with lights (more or less). CV said that the best fun that he ever had racing was racing an old-skool WSBK bike that was not far removed from a production bike. So it seems that returning WSBK to its roots, so to speak, is very much the focus. “Win on Sunday – Sell on Monday” still works.
However, it will take a while for the Flammini days of excess and high-tech prototype bikes to work its way out of the paddock mentality. Like most major changes that take place in any organisation, there has to be some pain before there can be gain and the paddock is experiencing that right now. Oddly enough, the big bike class now appears to be more healthy than the 600’s a situation that I found a little perplexing. Here are the provisional teams for both classes.
N° | Rider | Nat. | Motorcycle | Class | Team Name |
33 | Marco Melandri | ITA | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Aprilia Racing Team |
50 | Sylvain Guintoli | FRA | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Aprilia Racing Team |
52 | Sylvain Barrier | FRA | BMW S1000 RR | SBK EVO | BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team |
1 | Tom Sykes | GBR | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK | Kawasaki Racing Team |
44 | David Salom | ESP | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Kawasaki Racing Team |
76 | Loris Baz | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK | Kawasaki Racing Team |
22 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | SBK | Voltcom Crescent Suzuki |
58 | Eugene Laverty | IRL | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | SBK | Voltcom Crescent Suzuki |
65 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Honda CBR1000RR | SBK | PATA Honda World Superbike Team |
91 | Leon Haslam | GBR | Honda CBR1000RR | SBK | PATA Honda World Superbike Team |
2 | Christian Iddon | GBR | Bimota BB3 * | SBK EVO | Team ALSTARE |
86 | Ayrton Badovini | ITA | Bimota BB3 * | SBK EVO | Team ALSTARE |
24 | Toni Elias | ESP | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Red Devils Roma |
59 | Niccolò Canepa | ITA | Ducati Panigale 1199 R | SBK EVO | Althea Racing |
21 | Alessandro Andreozzi | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Team Pedercini |
23 | Luca Scassa | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Team Pedercini |
32 | Sheridan Morais | RSA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team |
84 | Michel Fabrizio | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team |
10 | Imre Toth | HUN | BMW S1000 RR | SBK | BMW Team Toth |
56 | Peter Sebestyen | HUN | BMW S1000 RR | SBK EVO | BMW Team Toth |
7 | Chaz Davies | GBR | Ducati Panigale 1199R | SBK | Ducati Superbike Team |
34 | Davide Giugliano | ITA | Ducati Panigale 1199R | SBK | Ducati Superbike Team |
9 | Fabien Foret | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | MAHI Racing Team India |
11 | Jeremy Guarnoni | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | MRS Kawasaki |
71 | Claudio Corti | ITA | MV Agusta F4 RR | SBK | MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport |
20 | Aaron Yates | USA | EBR 1190 RX | SBK | Team Hero EBR |
99 | Geoff May | USA | EBR 1190 RX | SBK | Team Hero EBR |
A pretty impressive grid size of 27, certainly an improvement although quantity does not always reflect quality and it is a bit “thin” in that regard.
Here is the WSS provisional entry.
N° Rider Nat. Motorcycle Team Name
54 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Kawasaki ZX-6R MAHI Racing Team India
16 Jules Cluzel FRA MV Agusta F3 675 MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
65 Vladimir Leonov RUS MV Agusta F3 675 MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
26 Lorenzo Zanetti ITA Honda CBR600RR PATA Honda World Supersport Team
60 Michael van der Mark NED Honda CBR600RR PATA Honda World Supersport Team
21 Florian Marino FRA Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres
99 Patrick Jacobsen USA Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres
88 Kev Coghlan GBR Yamaha YZF R6 DMC Panavto-Yamaha
161 Alexey Ivanov RUS Yamaha YZF R6 DMC Panavto-Yamaha
11 Christian Gamarino ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Team GO Eleven
44 Roberto Rolfo ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Team GO Eleven
24 Marco Bussolotti ITA Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini
84 Riccardo Russo ITA Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini
4 Jack Kennedy IRL Honda CBR600RR CIA Insurance Honda
7 Nacho Calero ESP Honda CBR600RR CIA Insurance Honda
5 Roberto Tamburini ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R San Carlo Puccetti Racing
61 Fabio Menghi * tbc ITA Yamaha YZF R6 VFT Racing
14 Ratthapark Wilairot THA Honda CBR600RR Core PTR Honda
TBA ** Honda CBR600RR Core PTR Honda
89 Fraser Rogers GBR Honda CBR600RR Com Plus South Tyneside College SMS
9 Tony Coveña NED Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Ponyexpres Intermoto
TBA ** Honda CBR600RR Lorini Racing Team
19 Kevin Wahr GER Yamaha YZF R6 Team Wahr by Kraus Racing
Now this is VERY worrying. From the lack of depth in this field you may as well hand Kenan Sofoglu the trophy now and send him home. I am certain that he won’t be happy at the lack of quality in this grid.
In any event, it will be great to talk to the man again and I look forward to being able to bring you the thoughts of riders and officials about the state of play in WSBK/WSS.