PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH TRACK TO HOST SUPERBIKE ONCE AGAIN 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. NOT ONE BUT TWO CHANCES TO MEET THE STARS 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. SBK STARS SET TO DAZZLE AT SILVERSTONE 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. PITT HEADS UP A SCRUM OF MID-SEASON TALENT 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. MIDFIELD MAESTROS READY TO MOVE ON UP 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 GOES ‘HOME’ AS FOGGY PETRONAS BOYS MAKE A SHORT JOURNEY 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.