Round three heralds return to Europe, Valencia set to provide another thrilling weekend. Now a regular and much nticipated stop on the World Superbike trail, the Circuito Ricardo Tormo, located near the port of Valencia on Spain’s East coast, once more hosts a busy World Superbike weekend from 21-23 April. The series returns to Europe for the majority of the remainder of the 13-round season, with only the final race in South Africa bracketing the Euro-trail. At 4.005km, Valencia packs a lot of action into a stadium style amphitheatre, with its generally tight layout and frequent changes of direction leaving little time for riders to relax. Virtually all of the top riders on show on the forthcoming weekend have already tested their 2006 equipment at Valencia, some during both private winter tests and then the recent official FGSport Superbikes sessions, held in late March.
Weekend Starts With A Maritime Theme For SBK RegularsWith the Americas Cup Sailing contest having a strong connection with Valencia this year, the pre-race press conference will take on a maritime theme. In co-operation with the Mascalzone Latino Capitalia team sailing team a press conference will be hosted at the Port Americas Cup, at 16.30 on Thursday 20th April. A strong SBK rider presence is planned, with local heroes Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) and Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) very much to the fore.
Championship Headed By Tri Of Proven Talent The entire dynamic of the 2006 Superbike World Championship has already been influenced by the return of a previous King; the actions of the reigning monarch, and the quick transition to four-cylinder power by yet another former ruler of the class. 2001 champion Troy Bayliss has been almost as dominant in races as he has been in testing and Superpole, and his new circuit record at Valencia in the recent official test will be the new benchmark for all during qualification for Sunday’s two SBK races. 2004 champion, James Toseland (Winston ten Kate Honda) has had a bright start in his first season ever on a 1000cc four-cylinder machine, and sits only a point behind Bayliss in the championship table. With two race wins and one DNF to his credit already, 1996 and 2005 champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) sits third in the series, with the three former champs forming a regal trinity of overall victors currently atop a blisteringly competitive field of riding talent. The 2006 season enjoys a regular entry of close on 30 riders at every round, and is bolstered by six wildcards in Spain, including Anthony Gobert (Coronas Suzuki Motorrad).
Barros Ready To Rumble Thanks To Machine ImprovementsDespite not having a full race-ready spec machine until the recent official tests at Misano, former MotoGP veteran Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) has written his name large in the collective consciousness of the World Superbike scene, taking podium finishes and points scores, to leave him fourth in the series. With new suspension and engine modifications now at his disposal, Barros is expected to be right there again at Valencia, another circuit on the SBK trail he has extensive experience of, even before his most recent Valencia test.
Yamaha Pairing Pushing Each Other On Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) have enjoyed the taste of podium champagne already this year and the prospect of being top Yamaha rider on the return to Europe will be a major incentive to their close battle to get back on terms with the early championship leaders. Other Yamaha entries of note include a rider who was in contention for a podium finish at Valencia in his rookie SBK season of 2005, the otherwise vastly experienced Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone). Another fiercely competitive Japanese rider, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) was skittled on his way to a seemingly certain victory at the opening round in Qatar this year, and is another combatant well worth watching in Spain.
Supersubs Replace Regulars At Valencia2004 season World Supersport Champion Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) and SBK legend Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda) will not be present in Spain, as Muggeridge recovers from a back injury sustained during official testing at this very venue, while home tarmac at Misano proved cruel to Chili, who broke his pelvis last week, during an official test. Muggeridge is to be replaced, for one race only, by the experienced Italian rider, Giovanni Bussei, with Chili giving way to WSS race winner, Gianluca Nannelli, for a probable four rounds in total.
Fast learner in SBK, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda) has already proved his speed on his CBR, and lies eighth in the current championship standings, one place behind another former MotoGP rider who has found instant SBK speed, Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi). The top ten after rounds one and two is filled by the aforementioned Xaus and Nieto. After some great testing performances, following on from misfortunes in the early race rounds, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) is expected to force the pace at Valencia, as his confidence grows week-on-week.
Kawasaki Trio Return To Valencia In Good Spirits Fonsi Nieto, who forms one third of the official Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse entry in 2006, has great hopes for his home race, and after a superb showing in the most recent SBK tests at Misano for all three riders, his team-mates, Chris Walker and Regis Laconi, are also looking at a possible challenge to the top places. With so many quick riders in the PSG-1 Kawasaki team this year, rivalries are amiable but strong, and currently forcing Kawasaki on to another level of competitiveness.
Martin Ready For ValenciaThe Petronas squad has enjoyed some significant results at Valencia in the recent past and Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) is fully expected to make an impact on the results at Valencia. His team-mate, Craig Jones, in his rookie season, is still earning the subtleties of the unique three-cylinder machine, but has experience of Valencia from the team’s testing programme.
World Supersport ChampionshipSebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) missed out on the most recent official test at Misano, but in the two rounds so far he hasn’t missed out on a single championship point, and thus leads the table by ten points from Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kevin Curtain. Charpentier’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu and Curtain’s fellow Yamaha rider Broc Parkes are also looking to podium finishes at Valencia, as each has a third and a DNF to their name. Solid and consistent high points scores have put Scandinavian riders Robbin Harms and Johan Stigefelt (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) third and fourth. Surprise of the season so far is Christian Zaiser (LBR Ducati) who has shown that the 749 series has lots of Supersport life left in it yet, especially during the most recent tests. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda) returns to action at Valencia, as he recovers from the broken scaphoid that kept him out of contention at the previous rounds.
Superstock 1000 FIM Cup The first round of the larger capacity 2006 season Superstock series takes place at Valencia, and with most of the 2005 contenders moving on to the next stage of their careers, it promises a great mixture of emerging and brand new talent in this established class. Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki) was a major force in pre-season, and with the European 600 Superstock champion Claudio Corti (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni) making the transition to a 1000cc machine, Polita will have at least one more major talent to deal with this year. A smattering of exquisite MV Agustas will join machines from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. With 36 permanent starters, Superstock is proving a huge draw to younger riders intent of climbing the racing ladder.
European 600 Superstock ChampionshipDesigned for virtually standard streetbikes, the 600cc Superstock class (also open to 750cc twins) was a smash hit in its inaugural year of 2005. For 2006, and the first round at Valencia, an astonishingly cosmopolitan field of riders (from over 12 countries) each aim to be the next Claudio Corti or Yoann Tiberio, and get promoted upwards after challenging in the European championship. Ducati Xerox Junior team rider Niccolo Canepa was a 2005 inductee to Superstock, but in such an open series, predicting likely challengers will only be possible after the first rounds have been completed.
Monza The Next AppointmentThe classic city centre speedbowl of Monza is the next venue for all SBK classes, on Sunday 7 May. After that the first of two British based rounds, at Silverstone on May 28th, welcomes the series.
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