A CIRCUIT FOR TWO Only 2 manufacturers won in Silverstone in the history of the championship, Ducati with 6 wins and Honda with 2. The same can be said for pole positions, 3 for Ducati and one for Suzuki, the one recorded in 2005.
AUSTRALIA WINS Australian riders are running a streak of 7 wins (since Qatar race 2), with two wins for Corser and 5 for Bayliss. It’s the third all-time streak for a country and the absolute record for Australia. The longest sequence belongs to Great Britain, with 12 races in a row from Valencia 2003 race 1 to Silverstone 2003 race 2. In that occasion Neil Hodgson recorded 9 wins in a row, then Toseland scored his maiden win in Oschersleben race 2 and Hodgson then went on to win 2 more races. The streak was broken by Xaus, that won in Misano. The second sequence of all times is made in U.S.A. and signed by Colin Edwards that won 9 races in a row from Laguna Seca 2002 race 2 to Imola 2002 race 2. Edwards’ last win is the last one from an american rider in the SBK™ World Championship.
FOCUS ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP With a third of the championship gone, it’s time to have a look at the standings. Bayliss leads by 36 points on Corser. In the history of the championship, after the 8th race only in 3 occasions a larger gap was recorded: in 1995 when Carl Fogarty led by 91 points over Aaron Slight, in 2003, when Hodgson led by 85 points over Xaus and last year, when Corser led team-mate Kagayama by 52 points. In all 3 cases the leading rider went on to win the Championship at the end of the year. In one occasion the same gap of this year, 36 points, was recorded: in 1999 Fogarty led Corser by 36 points (167 vs. 131) and at the end won the Championship in a 26 race season.
CORSER ON THE PODIUM In Monza Corser scored his 32nd third place in race 1 and reached Aaron Slight in the ranking with riders that scored more third places. Corser misses only 4 second places to reach Slight also in the second places ranking (42). Counting Corser’s wins (33), Troy sums up 103 podium places out of 202 races finished and 236 started.
ANNIVERSARIES OF THE WEEK · 24 may 1998, first pole position for Noriyuki Haga (Albacete), 10th pole for Yamaha. During his career the japanese rider recorded 2 poles, in Albacete 1998 and Sugo 2002. Albacete 1998 is the last pole scored by Yamaha – first podium for Gregorio Lavilla; · 27 may 2001, first pole, podium and fastest lap for Steve Hislop in Donington Park; · 28 may 1995, 25th win and 25th fastest lap for Carl Fogarty in Donington Park, first podium for Pierfrancesco Chili.
MILESTONES IN SILVERSTONE · 2002 100 race starts for Lucio Pedercini; · 2003 first fastest lap and 10th podium for Gregorio Lavilla; first front row presence for Yukio Kagayama; · 2004 first win and first fastest lap (75th for Honda) for Chris Vermeulen; 150 race starts for Lucio Pedercini; · 2005 10th fastest lap for Regis Laconi; 250th race start for Pierfrancesco Chili.
HIGHS AND LOWS OF 2005 IN SILVERSTONE · only win of the season for Toseland in race 2; · best season race result for Chili, a double 5th place. During 2005 Chili classified 6 times in 5th place; · Laconi scores one of the three wins of the season, he then won 2 races in Misano; · Kagayama scores the third pole of his career. From that moment on the japanese rider never managed to gain the front row again, during this season his best qualifying performance is a 7th place in Qatar; · Best season qualifying result for Haga with a second place; · Double retirement for Fonsi Nieto, definetely unlucky in Great Britain, since in 2005 he posted his only other double retirement in Brands Hatch; · Worst qualifying performance (24th) and race performance for Steve Martin (20th in race 2).
CHARPENTIER The absolute record of wins can be reached by the french rider in Silverstone. He is only one win short of Casoli’s and Muggeridge’s record of 11 wins.
GOOD TIMES FOR ITALY IN SUPERSTOCK 1000 4 riders at the top of the Championship (Polita, Badovini, Chiarello e Scassa), 2 wins and 3 fastest laps in a row for Alessandro Polita, 2 podiums in a row for Badovini and 3 straight front rows for Luca Scassa. These are the numbers of the consistency of the italian riders in Superstock 1000. The final touch is by Polita, that is running a streak of 11 races in the points, only 2 races short of the absolute record set by Van Keymeulen (Assen 2004 to Magny Cours 2005).