Silverstone the First of Two British Engagements
for World Superbikes
24 May 2006
The humble beginnings of Silverstone, a former airfield, belie its
current globally recognised status. Britain's F1 track is now
a firm favourite on the SBK calendar, originally hosting the global
SBK series over its full layout in 2002 and most recently in its shorter,
but more intense, National layout, used for the first time in 2005.
The 3.561km circuit features a plethora of challenges, with the slow
corners of the Brooklands and Luffield complexes ensuring that any advantages
for the absolutely fastest machines on the straights can be made up
during braking, delivering close battles throughout the field.
The second open paddock of the season will take place at Silverstone,
and to give the public the maximum chance of meeting their favourite
riders, and getting a treasured autograph along the way, there will
be two open paddock sessions, one on Thursday 25th May (from 2pm) and
one on Saturday 27th May (from 12.30pm to 12.45pm). On Thursday, in
anticipation of the forthcoming World Cup football competition, key
World Superbike riders will also don their national colours for the
‘Silverstone World Cup'. This crowd-pleasing contest is a ‘beat
the keeper' penalty competition, against the clock. The ‘Silverstone
World Cup' will take place in the middle of the circuit, close to the
paddock.
For the majority of the SBK stars about to descend on Silverstone
there is one clear mission in mind. Beat the championship leader Troy
Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), and – in all probability – score
both wins in the process. Bayliss has been in stunning form of late,
winning the last five races on the bounce, but his rivals will take
even more heart from the fact that he has never ridden on the current
layout, while in World Superbike trim. Chasing Bayliss is 2005 champion
Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), with British favourite James
Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) in third. Toseland and his
old Ducati factory team-mate Regis Laconi shared Silverstone wins last
year, yet each runs a four-cylinder machine at present. Such is the
multi-rider competitiveness behind the consistent Bayliss and Corser
that Toseland leads Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) and Noriyuki Haga (Team
Italia Yamaha) by only two and four points respectively. Barros is looking
for his first SBK win, while Haga is looking for his first win in 2006.
Currently Bayliss has five victories, Corser two and Toseland one.
Andrew Pitt (Team Italia Yamaha), the 2001 World Supersport champion,
lies sixth in the championship currently, partly thanks to his first
career World Superbike podium at Qatar, but mostly due to an impressive
level of front running consistency, whatever his final race positions.
In overall seventh place Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) has shown flashes
of the sheer brilliance we saw at the tail end of 2005, and his double
podium placing at Valencia, in round four, demonstrate that he still
has the ability to run at the front when all the pieces mesh together.
Thus far the most consistent, and highest scoring private rider is former
MotoGP runner Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi). Almost crowned champion
in the 250 GP class in 2003, Rolfo has powered his booming vee-twin
to a personal best of fifth in Australia race one, and for him Silverstone
will be another new experience. A super-talented top ten currently hosts
Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) in ninth place, with the top Kawasaki
runner Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) only three points behind Abe.
Such has been the increased level of talent and equipment in World
Superbike this season that many big names still reside outside the top
ten places overall. One exceptionally good, or unexpectedly bad, meeting
for any rider outside the cadre of current winners, and a multitude
of places can be gained or lost. From 11th to 15th in the current championship
demonstrates this point perfectly. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda),
Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati), Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki),
Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten
Kate) are currently, after eight individual races, separated by only
six points. For Walker, Silverstone is a home race, and with huge local
support, he will be going all out to turn the Kawasaki's obvious potential
into a solid gold podium result.
Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), currently in an artificially
low 16th place overall, enjoys any race in the UK, having been a leading
runner in the British series before his move up to World Superbike.
For the Foggy Petronas squad, based in Burton-Upon-Trent, Silverstone
is a short cross-country hop away, and the tight nature of some parts
of the track will be good news for Steve Martin and Craig Jones. Local
boy Jones will have his first chance to impress in front of his home
crowd, and after many years of UK competition, knows all the intimate
secrets of the Silverstone track. British fans, robbed of the chance
to see Pierfrancesco Chili on track, due to injury, will nonetheless
be able to get their programmes signed by the most experienced rider
in SBK in the pre-race autograph sessions. Ebullient Italian Gianluca
Nannelli once more replaces Chili, while former WSS rider Josh Brookes
takes over the Bertocchi Kawasaki ride vacated by Franco Battaini.
World Supersport Championship
Until the previous Monza round, 2005 champion Sebastien Charpentier
(Winston Ten Kate Honda) was in danger of providing a virtual whitewash
in this normally highly competitive class - but it was not to be in
Italy. Third for Charpentier, after a jump-start penalty and a further
excursion up an escape road, seemingly left the way open for his biggest
challenger so far, Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kevin Curtain. A technical
failure for his machine, however, finally left the way open for two
of a new breed of rock-hard youthful Supersport talents, Yoann Tiberio
(Megabike Honda) and Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda).
Tiberio's win, in only his fourth World Supersport race, ignited
the championship's profile all over again, and with Harms second
the immediate battle for second is a fascinating prospect for Silverstone.
There are several other potential Silverstone podium finishers. Kenan
Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and Curtain's fellow Yamaha
rider Broc Parkes are two obvious candidates, plus of course the immense
Supersport talent that is Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda). Once more
Scottish rider Stuart Easton will ride the Ducati SC Caracchi machine,
after an impressive sixth place at Monza. British WSS series regular,
Tom Tunstall (Hardinge Ice Valley Honda) will also be looking to Silverstone
as his first real chance for a ride into the very top echelons.
Superstock 1000 FIM Cup
Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki) has taken both race wins so far, at
Valencia and Monza, but in this class for younger riders, on DOT tyres
and machines very close to road spec, anything can happen from race-to-race.
Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) provides the closest
challenge to Polita in the championship fight right now, with experienced
rider Riccardo Chiarello (Lightspeed Kawasaki) third overall. Luca Scassa
(EVR Corse Ormeni MV Agusta) rides the second MV in the top four, in
this series dominated by all kinds of 1000cc four-cylinder equipment.
European 600 Superstock Championship
Just like Polita in Superstock, Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) has been fastest out of the blocks in the Junior Superstock class,
designed for even younger riders than the 1000cc version, and using
600cc four-cylinder or twin-cylinder 750cc machinery.
Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki) has moved from sixth in the
championship to second after his Monza runner-up finish, while Niccolo
Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior team) now fills third place, after a second
place at Valencia and an unfortunate DNF at Silverstone.
FGSport Group
See 2006 series calendar for World
Superbike Championship
