The sixth round of the 2006 FIM World Endurance Championship takes place this weekend, at the Oschersleben Motorsport Arena in Germany. The Oschersleben circuit is notoriously tough on man and machine, cramming 14 corners into just 3.667km (2.3 miles) of track and giving no rest for riders as they constantly chase up and down through the gears, forever either braking hard or accelerating at full throttle. There’s no respite for the bikes either, and it is not uncommon for the championship lead to change hands after an engine or gearbox failure for one of the top teams. Throw in the predictably unpredictable Oschersleben weather and the race becomes one of the toughest of the season. This year the forecast is for rain showers on Saturday and Sunday, which could favour teams with less powerful machines. Whatever the weather many thousands of spectators will pack the grandstands and throng through the paddock all weekend. With bands playing on Friday and Saturday night, stunt shows on the circuit after final qualifying and before the race, a full programme of support races and the paddock village and SuperMoto races running alongside the 24 hour main-event, there’s more than enough to keep even the most hardened race fan busy. For most, though, the excitement will be in following the race action on track. With 35 points available to the winner at Oschersleben and a further 35 going to the winner of the Bol d’Or season finale, the championship is still wide open. The Suzuka 8 Hour race saw a class win for Yamaha Austria and a poor result for Suzuki Castrol, closing the Suzuki team’s lead to just 21 points. The Austrians will be piling on the pressure from the moment the riders sprint across the track to start the race, and Fagersjo-el.se Suzuki, Yamaha Phase One Endurance and Bolliger Team Kawasaki will be poised to take advantage of any slip ups. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race will be a real challenge for the endurance riders and their machines, but it’s guaranteed to be a fantastic weekend for race fans. Qualifying begins on Thursday August 10th, with the 24 hour race starting at 3:00pm on Saturday August 12th. More information about the FIM World Endurance Championship can be found at www.worldendurance.com