The 2009 British Superbike Championship was launched under the banner of 'new beginnings'. With the mass exodus of British riders to World Superbike at the end of the 2008 campaign, the championship was faced with the prospect of a close and tough battle between the young, fast emerging British talent and the influx of world renowned talent from the MotoGP and WSB championships. What we were, in fact, treated to was a dominating and crushing Championship onslaught by Leon Camier and the Airwaves Yamaha team.
Now in his third BSB campaign, the young Englishman was keen to enhance his profile and put his name on every World Superbike manager's wish list for 2010. Leon has performed outstandingly throughout the season and quite unfairly hasn't always been given the credit that he has deserved and earned.
It is important to remember that although this is Leon's third season in the British series, he has spent all three season's on different machinery, firstly on the Bike Animal Honda, then the Airwaves 1098 Ducati, before finishing up on the crossplane crankshaft YZF-R1. His performances have no doubt been helped by his close relationship with Andy Ibbott from the California Superbike School. Leon has always been only too aware of the need to continually adapt and learn new techniques, lines and tricks.
Admittedly Camier may have lost some of his closest rivals throughout the season through injury, however it is important to remember that Leon won three of the first four races when Sylvain Guintoli was present and fully fit. Even with Sylvain gone there was still a wealth of talent in the remaining roster to make a battle of the title.
Camier was simply magnificent from the moment the first wheel turned at Brands Hatch through to the final round at Oulton Park. To win 19 out of the 26 races is a staggering achievement, no matter what championship you are in or competition you are up against. Leon and the Airwaves team should be applauded on their dedication to perfection. Camier can now set his sights on the World stage for 2010 and hopefully he can transfer his dazzling form into whatever team he joins and add another crown to his growing collection.
On a slightly more sad note, it is disappointing to note the end of the GSE Racing/Airwaves partnership, the credit crunch has had a massive effect on the motorsport sector and it seems that even winning 24 out of the 26 races in the championship wasn't enough to see Airwaves extend their partnership with the team.
Apart from the champion, the other main stories of the year was the emergence of a number of new talents including Stuart Easton, Ian Lowry and Simon Andrews.
Ian Lowry has impressed in his debut season aboard the Relentless Taz Suzuki, adapting well and showing some really promising pace, if he can continue this into 2010 then he could find himself in the thick of it at the end of the season.
Stuart Easton and Simon Andrews enjoyed a strong campaign in 2008 with Kawasaki and Yamaha respectively, but both riders were able to take it to the next level in 2009 with some amazing performances for Hydrex Honda and MSS Colchester Kawasaki. Stuart managed to take two victories over the course of the season, while Simon Andrews was denied what could have been his first victory at Mallory Park in the now infamous hairpin accident.
Speaking about the Mallory Park hairpin, it seemed that Casey Stoner wasn't the only Australian that the British public had an unnecessary grudge against in 2009. Josh was at the centre of the two major talking points of the season, which included the tangle with Guintoli at Donington on the sighting lap, which may have been down to brake failure and not rider error as first thought, unfortunately Honda have a differing story about it every time the incident is mentioned. The second incident was rider error but certainly not intentional and the punishment handed out by the governing body was maybe a little harsh.
One thing I was hoping to look forward to in 2010 was the two members at the centre of the Donington incident, Guintoli and Brookes squaring off with Easton, Andrews and Lowry for the title. Unfortunately with Sylvain moving to WSB in 2010 we will now be denied that opportunity.
Hopefully two more names we will be able to add to the list of title contenders in 2010 will be James Ellison and Tommy Hill who as it stands at present are looking for work. James could find himself moving team if GSE racing can't find a title sponsor, which would be very hard on the Cumbrian rider who had a impressive campaign finishing runner-up to team-mate Camier.
Tommy has impressed on his return from the World series and is currently looking for a ride for 2010, rumours are rife around the paddock at the moment that he may join Yukio Kagayama at Suzuki or take the second seat at Hydrex Honda, either way it would be great to see Tommy back on the BSB grid in 2010 and challenging for the title.
Camier might be leaving, but with Brookes, Ellison, Hill, Easton, Andrews, Lowry and many, many more there is still a lot to look forward to in 2010 including the introduction of the Evo class.
Roll on 2010.
