Written by:
Kevin Krefting
Troy Bayliss, James Toseland, and Troy Corser (Photo: Ducati Corse)
» More Photos
Alfa Romeo is determined to play a bigger role in the world of motorcycling by teaming up with two exceptional partners: the SBK SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ® and DUCATI CORSE.
Starting this season, Alfa Romeo will be present at all 13 SBK World Championship race meetings (11 in Europe, 1 in Australia, and 1 in Qatar). The series is attracting an ever greater public, track side (over one million visitors) and at home (over two million viewers in 2006), and there is no doubt that this public is completely in tune with the sporting values expressed by Alfa Romeo.
Each race of the new SBK season will see the 23 world championship riders escorted by the new Alfa Romeo safety car, a pastel black 159 Sportwagon TI. This vehicle has been carefully chosen to attract the attention of a broad public that will be targeted by a co-ordinated advertising campaign at the racetracks, in the press and on TV. This impressive campaign will extend not only to race track visitors but to Alfa Romeo dealerships and their customers too.
Alfa Romeo will also be playing a leading role in motorcycle racing with Ducati Corse, both in Moto GP with top riders like Loris Capirossi (third overall in 2006) and Casey Stoner, and in Superbike with Troy Bayliss, winner of the 2006 SBK Word Championship, and that great Italian talent Lorenzo Lanzi.
Alfa Romeo will gain intensive, top quality exposure in the SBK World Championship thanks to Ducati Corse, who won the manufacturer's title in 2006. Ducati's riders won a total of 12 races and climbed on to the podium an amazing 18 times in the SBK season. The success achieved in 2006 by the super-fast Ducatis (5 pole positions) is inducing many to forecast a repeat performance this season too, when Ducati will be back with an eye-catching new livery.
Alfa Romeo will also be performing their track duties during the warm up session and before each race in the other competitions held alongside the Superbike World Championship, namely the Superstock 600 European Championship, Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and the Supersport World Championship.
During the presentation of the sponsorship agreement, it was announced that Alfa Romeo will also be taking part in the fifth World Ducati Week, the great meeting that welcomes bikers from all over the world to the riviera of the Romagna region of northern Italy.
The 2007 WDW will be held from Thursday 28th June to Sunday 1st July at the prestigious Misano World Circuit in Misano Adriatico near Rimini, the perfect setting for a great celebration of the world of Ducati.
Before the much awaited race season starts, Alfa Romeo will be joining Ducati for the next DRE (Ducati Riding Experience) that attracts crowds of motorcycle enthusiasts to a festival of dream bikes, exciting circuits and professional instructors. The Ducati Riding Experience is designed to satisfy the vastly varying needs of all riders, novices and experts alike, offering experiences tailored to match skills and preferences. Alfa Romeo will be at the event to provide added excitement and satisfaction for motor racing fans and all those who want to keep the sporting spirit alive.
The new sponsorship projects were presented by Alfa Romeo's Marketing Manager Sergio Cravero, Fiat Sponsorship Manager Dario Destefanis, FGSPORT® Managing Director Paolo Alberto Flammini, and Ducati Racing's Director of Superbike Paolo Ciabatti, with the participation of Ducati riders SBK Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo Lanzi.
Alfa Romeo has scheduled an intensive programme of co-operation with the SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ® and DUCATI CORSE lasting until the end of 2008. The current boom in the popularity of motor racing has induced Alfa Romeo to set up a dedicated subsidiary, Alfa Romeo Motor Racing Team, precisely to manage activities in this field. The combination of the Alfa Romeo logo and the Motor Racing Team name emphasises the strong team spirit that is fuelling these partnership projects.
Alfa Romeo will start playing its part in the SBK World Championship as official sponsor, official car and safety car supplier on the 24th February 2007 at the Losail circuit in Doha, Qatar. Bridges, curves and pit lanes will be dressed in Alfa Romeo promotions, and every market in which a race is held will be given the opportunity to insert an advertising slot into the race broadcast. Alfa Romeo will be hosting an area dedicated to VIP guests, merchandising and organising test drives for the racing public and Alfa's own special guests at all European meetings.
As an event, the SBK World Championship attracts 94 television channels, providing total air time of 2,800 hours over the course of the season.
