Record numbers of entries in World Superbike and Supersport The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has today published the entry lists for the 2009 Superbike and Supersport World Championships. Both championships, organized by Infront Motor Sports, are continuing their successful trend, with the Superbike category in particular going against the recent unhealthy global economic downturn by posting a record number of permanent entries and manufacturer representatives. The 2009 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship entry list shows 32 inscriptions from 10 countries, and 7 different manufacturer bikes from Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, an unprecedented level of factory participation in a world championship. The lion’s share of the entries goes to Italy, with 8 riders, while Britain, Japan, and Spain are all well to the forefront with 5 riders each. Australia has a healthy quota of 4, with the USA, Germany, Czech Republic, France and Austria one apiece. New arrivals in this year’s championship include three-time AMA champion Ben Spies, three of the top four from the 2008 British Superbike Championship (Shane Byrne, Leon Haslam and Tom Sykes), plus 2008 Italian Superbike champion Luca Scassa and 2008 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup winner Brendan Roberts. On the manufacturer front, Honda have the largest representation with eight CBR1000RR machines split between six teams, followed by Ducati with seven 1098R (four teams), Kawasaki with six ZX10R (three teams), Suzuki with four GSX-R 1000 K9 (three teams), three Yamaha YZF-R1 (two teams) and Aprilia and BMW with two RSV4 and S1000RR each in the factory team. Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, declared: “I am delighted with the success of the entry list for the 2009 SBK championship, which is the best ever. It is a true demonstration of the success of a formula that allows teams to compete in a high-level series with relatively low costs, and which also gives the possibility to private teams to go well. The validity and the stability of the technical regulations have also helped to bring about the entry of two important new manufacturers, Aprilia and BMW, which takes the number of manufacturers present to an all-time record for Superbike. The rider quality will also be very high, with the arrival amongst others of the reigning AMA and BSB champions, as well as a number of talented new riders. In a moment of global economic difficulty Superbike can look to the future with serenity and optimism.” The Supersport World Championship sees 30 permanent entries, with Italy (6 riders) and Australia (5) making up over a third of the grid. The other nations represented are Spain, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Turkey, Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Indonesia. Honda provide the most CBR600RR machinery on the grid, as befits the most successful ever Supersport winner, with 16 bikes out of 30. 6 Yamaha, 2 Suzuki and 2 Kawasaki complete the Japanese manufacturer assault, with the only interloper being British factory Triumph, with four 675 triples coming from two different teams. New entries to watch in Supersport this year are Cal Crutchlow from BSB, Australian MotoGP refugee Anthony West, Irishman Eugene Laverty and Doni Tata Pradita from Indonesia, while 2007 champion Kenan Sofuoglu will be up against his successor Andrew Pitt in the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team’s stellar line-up. FIM Superbike World Championship FIM Supersport World Championship 2009 Permanent Entry Lists FIM Superbike World Championship Provisional list Competition number, Rider, Nationality, Machine, Team 41, Noriyuki Haga, JPN, Ducati 1098R, Ducati Xerox Team 84, Michel Fabrizio, ITA, Ducati 1098R, Ducati Xerox Team 19, Ben Spies, USA, Yamaha YZF-R1, Yamaha World Superbike 66, Tom Sykes, GBR, Yamaha YZF-R1, Yamaha World Superbike 7, Carlos Checa, ESP, Honda CBR1000RR, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda 65, Jonathan Rea, GBR, Honda CBR1000RR, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda 53, Alessandro Polita, ITA, Ducati 1098R, Sterilgarda 67, Shane Byrne, GBR, Ducati 1098R, Sterilgarda 71, Yukio Kagayama, JPN, Suzuki GSX-R1000K9, Suzuki Alstare 76, Max Neukirchner, GER, Suzuki GSX-R1000K9, Suzuki Alstare 23, Broc Parkes, AUS, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team 100, Makoto Tamada, JPN, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team 24, Brendan Roberts, AUS, Ducati 1098R, Guandalini Racing 96, Jakub Smrz, CZE, Ducati 1098R, Guandalini Racing 15, Matteo Baiocco, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-10R, PSG-1 Corse 86, Ayrton Badovini, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-10R, PSG-1 Corse 55, Regis Laconi, FRA, Ducati 1098R, DFX Corse 9, Ryuichi Kiyonari, JPN, Honda CBR1000RR, Ten Kate Honda Racing 33, Tommy Hill, GBR, Honda CBR1000RR, HANNspree Honda Althea 94, David Checa, ESP, Yamaha YZF-R1, Yamaha France GMT 94 IPONE 25, David Salom, ESP, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Team Pedercini 99, Luca Scassa, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Team Pedercini 36, Gregorio Lavilla, ESP, Honda CBR1000RR, Pro Ride World Superbike 3, Max Biaggi, ITA, Aprilia RSV4, Aprilia Racing 56, Shinya Nakano, JPN, Aprilia RSV4, Aprilia Racing 11, Troy Corser, AUS, BMW S1000 RR, BMW Motorrad Team Alpha Racing 111, Ruben Xaus, ESP, BMW S1000 RR, BMW Motorrad Team Alpha Racing 31, Karl Muggeridge, AUS, Suzuki GSX-R1000K9, Celani Race 77, Vittorio Iannuzzo, ITA, Honda CBR1000RR, Squadra Corse Italia 44, Roberto Rolfo, ITA, Honda CBR1000RR, Stiggy Motorsport AB 91, Leon Haslam, GBR, Honda CBR1000RR, Stiggy Motorsport AB 88, Roland Resch, AUT, Suzuki GSX-R1000K9, TKR Suzuki Switzerland FIM Supersport World Championship Provisional list 1, Andrew Pitt, AUS, Honda CBR600RR, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda 54, Kenan Sofuoglu, TUR, Honda CBR600RR, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda 35, Cal Crutchlow, GBR, Yamaha YZF-R6, Yamaha World Supersport Team 99, Fabien Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF-R6, Yamaha World Supersport Team 13, Anthony West, AUS, Honda CBR600RR, Stiggy Motorsport AB 105, Gianluca Vizziello, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, Stiggy Motorsport AB 50, Eugene Laverty, IRL, Honda CBR600RR, Parkalgar Honda 117, Miguel Praia, POR, Honda CBR600RR, Parkalgar Honda 77, Barry Veneman, NED, Suzuki GSX-R600, Hoegee Suzuki Team TBA, Suzuki GSX-R600, Hoegee Suzuki Team 21, Katsuaki Fujiwara, JPN, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com 26, Joan Lascorz, ESP, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com 8, Mark Aitchison, AUS, Honda CBR600RR, HANNspree Honda Althea 14, Matthieu Lagrive, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, HANNspree Honda Althea 24, Garry McCoy, AUS, Triumph 675, Triumph BE1 Racing 69, Gianluca Nannelli, ITA, Triumph 675, Triumph BE1 Racing 7, Patrick Vostarek, CZE, Honda CBR600RR, Intermoto Czech 55, Massimo Roccoli, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, Intermoto Czech 51, Michele Pirro, ITA, Yamaha YZF-R6, Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni 28, Arie Vos, NED, Honda CBR600RR, Veidec Racing RES Software 127, Robbin Harms, DEN, Honda CBR600RR, Veidec Racing RES Software 32, Fabrizio Lai, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, ECHO CRS Grand Prix 83, Russell Holland, AUS, Honda CBR600RR, ECHO CRS Grand Prix 19, Pawel Szkopek, POL, Triumph 675, Factory Racing 96, Matej Smrz, CZE, Triumph 675, Factory Racing 71, Jose Carlos Morillas Cuenca, ESP, Yamaha YZF-R6, Holiday Gym Racing 88, Yannick Guerra, ESP, Yamaha YZF-R6, Holiday Gym Racing 9, Danilo Dell’Omo, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, Kuja Racing 30, Jesco Gunther, GER, Honda CBR600RR, RES Software Veidec Racing 5, Doni Tata Pradita, INA, Yamaha YZF-R6, YZF Yamaha