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World Superbike
WSBK: America Welcomes The Anti-MotoGP
World Superbike isn't MotoGP and in many ways can be proud of that fact. This week the series is set to put on its brawling brand of racing on display in the States.
(Photo: BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The United States round of the Superbike World Championship from Miller Motorsports Park will air on SPEED Monday, May 28 at 4:00pm ET and 7:00pm ET.
It’s World Superbike week here in the USA; the tour is back for the annual Miller Motorsports Park round.
World Superbike is traditionally unpredictable and this season has shown a lot of parity in the field. Five men on four different brands have won races already in '12. The series is coming off an epic weekend at Donington, especially the wild second race that saw drama for almost all the main protagonists. Watching five men on four brands fight for the win says the formula is just about perfect. And that didn’t even include Suzuki (which finished fourth after the last-lap carnage) or Ducati.
The nature of the bikes, tires, and the riders makes for a good show. Compared to MotoGP, it’s much less clean and precise. Guys can make pretty big mistakes and still come back to win, as Jonathan Rea demonstrated in Donington.
In World Superbike pays to flog your bike -- it’s more hammers than scalpels.
The name riders in the series (Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa, Rea and Marco Melandri) have all made their marks this year, but Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki has upped his game to be a constant contender. He’s a star now.
Sykes has shown his form in Superpole, winning four of the five events this year. He also won big at Monza in the race called at half distance due to weather.
The Briton is fighting for the championship with Biaggi and seems to be the solid type to bring it home on a consistent basis. If there’s anything he is yet to prove, it’s that he can be as strong as those other cutthroats at the end of races on worn tires.
Max Biaggi doesn’t have the 2010 magic in his season but he’s been very consistent as well and leads the title fight as a result.
BMW riders Marco Melandri and Leon Haslam will be itching to get back into it in Utah. Melandri won BMW’s first World Superbike contest at Donington and Haslam nearly took Race 2 before Rea’s “chrome horn” treatment put both of them on the tarmac.
Checa’s DNF at Donington hurt him in the points and he’s slipped behind Rea in third -- but Carlos doubled at Miller last year and has always been exceptionally quick in Utah.
John Hopkins will be back to race the FIXI Crescent Suzuki and provide some American presence. Hopkins has missed some races this year with injuries and won't be fully healthy this weekend. And nor does he have any race experience on his 'home track' but expect 'Hopper' to be plenty motivated to impress in front of the American fans.
World Superbike lacks some of the glamour of MotoGP, but that's part of its charm. Miller Motorsports Park isn't Indianapolis and Tooele isn't Monterey, but that can be to its benefit too.
Expect another high stakes World Superbike brawl (well, two actually) this weekend, this time on American soil.
It’s World Superbike week here in the USA; the tour is back for the annual Miller Motorsports Park round.
World Superbike is traditionally unpredictable and this season has shown a lot of parity in the field. Five men on four different brands have won races already in '12. The series is coming off an epic weekend at Donington, especially the wild second race that saw drama for almost all the main protagonists. Watching five men on four brands fight for the win says the formula is just about perfect. And that didn’t even include Suzuki (which finished fourth after the last-lap carnage) or Ducati.
The nature of the bikes, tires, and the riders makes for a good show. Compared to MotoGP, it’s much less clean and precise. Guys can make pretty big mistakes and still come back to win, as Jonathan Rea demonstrated in Donington.
In World Superbike pays to flog your bike -- it’s more hammers than scalpels.
The name riders in the series (Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa, Rea and Marco Melandri) have all made their marks this year, but Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki has upped his game to be a constant contender. He’s a star now.
Sykes has shown his form in Superpole, winning four of the five events this year. He also won big at Monza in the race called at half distance due to weather.
The Briton is fighting for the championship with Biaggi and seems to be the solid type to bring it home on a consistent basis. If there’s anything he is yet to prove, it’s that he can be as strong as those other cutthroats at the end of races on worn tires.
Max Biaggi doesn’t have the 2010 magic in his season but he’s been very consistent as well and leads the title fight as a result.
BMW riders Marco Melandri and Leon Haslam will be itching to get back into it in Utah. Melandri won BMW’s first World Superbike contest at Donington and Haslam nearly took Race 2 before Rea’s “chrome horn” treatment put both of them on the tarmac.
Checa’s DNF at Donington hurt him in the points and he’s slipped behind Rea in third -- but Carlos doubled at Miller last year and has always been exceptionally quick in Utah.
John Hopkins will be back to race the FIXI Crescent Suzuki and provide some American presence. Hopkins has missed some races this year with injuries and won't be fully healthy this weekend. And nor does he have any race experience on his 'home track' but expect 'Hopper' to be plenty motivated to impress in front of the American fans.
World Superbike lacks some of the glamour of MotoGP, but that's part of its charm. Miller Motorsports Park isn't Indianapolis and Tooele isn't Monterey, but that can be to its benefit too.
Expect another high stakes World Superbike brawl (well, two actually) this weekend, this time on American soil.
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