WORLDSBK.COM - bis 20.06.2011

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Chris Vermeulen has now been cleared to put weight on his right leg as his recovery from a serious knee injury moves to another level. Currently in his native Australia, Vermeulen is looking to make a comeback at Kawasaki's Sepang tests in mid January, but that comeback his not been completely confirmed yet.

"I am going well," said Chris. "I started walking earlier this week and everything is going to plan. It is not easy, as I can do five or ten minutes of walking around, then I have to sit down for a while. I still have lots of physio exercises to do every day. I can swim, ride a bicycle, surf-ski in the ocean. I am in discussion with Mr Yoda-san from Kawasaki about a comeback at Sepang. For sure I will be right to ride, but at what level I can ride we do not know yet. If I am not at a level that is competitive we are discussion whether it is worth me coming back straight away or not. I would like to ride but Mr Yoda has yet to decide."

Vermeulen had his first powered two-wheel ride since July today (Tuesday), in very modest circumstances. "I had my first ride on a motorbike today, on a little flat track circuit at my house, which has got a few left and right corners around it. Not motocross or anything like that, just a flat dirt track. I was pretty steady but it was good to get back on a bike. I only rode for about 20 minutes but I hope to ride every couple of days from now on. It wasn't actually that weird a feeling, but that was the first time I had ridden any motorbike since the Brno WSBK round."

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The return of the Donington Park Circuit to the WSBK calendar in 2011 is a welcome development for all involved in WSBK racing, but for ‘local boy' Sylvain Guintoli (Liberty Ducati), Donington in 2011 will have special significance.

A proud Frenchman through-and-through, Sylvain has nonetheless lived in Leicestershire, England for many years, and therefore Donington is something of a local track for him. He has experience of it from his GP days, but also less positive memories from a big crash there when a BSB rider in 2009. The badly broken leg he received in that crash, when another rider collided with him, has long healed, and Sylvain is now keen to get back to Donington, as he is a big fan of the circuit's unique layout.

"Donington has always been one of my favourite tracks and I've always loved going there," said Sylvain. "It's one of the best motorbike circuits in the UK and I really want to do well there after what happened last time. Although it has been altered slightly, the majority of the circuit hasn't changed. The best bits, like the downhill section, are still there, so I am really looking forward to trying it out again."

Sylvain will get his chance relatively soon, as Donington hosts the second round of the 2011 series, between March 25 and March 27.

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As of Friday 24 December the WorldSBK.com website will be closing down for the holidays but we will be back online in the early days of January 2011, with all the news you need to keep up with developments in the Superbike World Championship.

The new season is shaping up to be another classic, with seven manufacturers and some top names already signed up for a full season of action.

The first official test will take place at Portimao between 26 and 28 January, with the first round of the series kicking off at Phillip Island on February 27th.

So from all of us here at Infront Motor Sports, it's a very Happy Christmas and New Year!

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If awards were handed out for technical tenacity then Kawasaki Racing Team and the Paul Bird Motorsport squad deserve top slot, as they finally found a set-up which allowed competitive performances to emanate from the inside of arguably the most conservative and old-fashioned machine in the paddock. They simply never gave up shooting for podium places.

A final competitive set-up was the result of racing at a British Superbike round at Brands Hatch in the WSBK summer break, at a track the team knows well. Thereafter Sykes was a thorn in the flesh, even taking Superpole at Imola. The previous issue had been a difficulty in turning into corners, a characteristic much-improved near season-end.

A competitive power output of maybe as much as 220bhp on a good day was now working for Kawasaki, as clever brackets helped to alter the chassis stiffness and improve how the Kawasaki carried some of its widely spread mass. The engine was relatively tall and upright, fed by Magneti Marelli's ECU.

British made rear swingarms were aesthetically pleasing and made a huge difference to the handling, especially when chasing away chatter. Brembo brakes stopped the ship.

Unlike their main rivals, Kawasaki has stuck with Showa for suspension and in 2010 they saw some benefits of being the sole focus of the Japanese suspension supplier in WSBK. Adjustment of the newest Showa units is remarkably simple, with small screwdriver slots in the top of the forks or rear shock damper bodies.

With a new bike coming, and being tested extensively before the end of the year, Kawasaki could easily have given up on the old bike. But, even though it took a long time, the ZX-10R finally became a modern Superbike in full race trim in 2010.

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Marco Melandri has put the pre-Xmas clean-up surgery he underwent on his right shoulder behind him and the Yamaha team's new signing for the 2011 season is now focusing almost entirely on getting fit and ready for his debut season in World Superbike. The former 125 and 250 cc champion is currently resting at home but is doing one hour's training per day on an exercise bike.

Melandri's chief aim is to get in the best possible condition in time for the opening round of the season at Phillip Island on February 27, but he is also hoping to be fit to ride during the collective Infront Motor Sports tests at Portimao at the end of this month.

The Italian's first outings on a Yamaha Superbike at Valencia and Phillip Island revealed his immediate desire to be one of the front-runners in this new adventure. And via his Twitter profile page, Melandri confirmed that on Friday the next stage of his rehabilitation programme will see him switch from the exercise bike to the swimming-pool.

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The bike that nearly beat Biaggi, the 2010 vintage GSX-R1000 was an adept machine, making the best of its characteristics, as the Alstare team ended up doing all their own development and tuning work in-house.

On paper the GSX-R was less of a racebike than it showed on track, as the longer stroke 74.5 x 57.3mm engine was treated to a compression ratio of 14.5 to one, up there with the other big hitters. The motor was fed by Keihin injectors and Magneti Marelli Marvel 4 engine management, which controlled fuel mapping, ignition advance and all rider aids. Data acquisition was by Marelli and 2D. New piston design and cam timing were matched to the factory Arrow exhaust this year. The result, power over 215bhp, came in at just under 14,000 rpm. The stock chassis runs a custom swingarm, designed by the team, which was picked out after the winter test programme.

The approach of Alstare was measured and pragmatic, as the latest Öhlins TR25 forks were not used as no time was available to test them and only then back to back with the older TTX25 (with 135mm stroke) forks. The latest RSP40 rear shock was, however, adopted. The Suzuki guys used Nissin brakes in 2010 - and also Brembos. Haslam swapped to Brembo brakes after Monza.

Surprisingly for a racebike the Suzuki has a longer wheelbase in racing trim than its roadbike cousin, simply because of the longer swingarm and headstock offset settings. The new suspension and weight balance were two main points of focus in 2010, rear swingarm rigidity also.

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French youngster Florian Marino celebrated the Xmas period in the best possible way by reaching an agreement with the Ten Kate Honda team to take part in this year's Supersport World Championship. One of the top riders in European Superstock 600 in 2010, Marino went to the Dutch team's headquarters a couple of days after Christmas to sign the contract with the most successful team in the category. Marino made his Supersport debut in the final round of last season at Magny-Cours, where only a harmless crash prevented him from scoring a top 6 finish.

"Who said that Santa Claus is a stinker?!!! Not me!" joked Florian on his website. "On December 27 I signed a two-year contract to race in Supersport 600 with Ten Kate... thank you Ronald and Gerrit Ten Kate for opening the doors to the world championship. It was hard for them to find funding during these times of crisis and convince the investors to gamble on me, but I will not disappoint them. I am joining the most prestigious team in World Superbike, 9 times world champion, two of those with French riders... you know what they say... everything comes in threes!"

Marino's first official shakedown with the team's CBR will be on January 20-21 for private testing at the Aragon track in Spain followed a week later with 3 days during the first official Infront test at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.

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Regular Supersport World Championship competitors Parkalgar Honda will be aiming for the championship win again in 2011, and the expansion of the squad will continue beyond its previous level of three riders, with Romanian competitor Robert Muresan now joining the Performance Technical Racing team run by Simon Buckmaster.

The 19-year-old from Romania made his first appearance on the world scene in 2008 in 125 GP. After switching to four-strokes in 2009 he took part in World Supersport on a Team MS Romania Racing Triumph, while in 2010 he only did one race, in European Superstock 600 at Valencia, finishing 14th overall.

Muresan will race in PTR Romania colours for the team, sharing the pit box with another returning newcomer, Britain's James Ellison.

PTR Honda Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: "Romania does not have any team or rider competing at the top of the World Championships. Our aim is to change that. We are setting up PTR Romania to cater to the performance motorcycle market and bring our class leading tuning service to the country. We have identified a young talented rider from Romania to take to World Championship success, his name is Robert Muresan. It is critical for us to expand into Romania and that means nurturing a local racer to the very top, something we have a proud record of achieving. We are working with Romanian business and partners to develop this project and are looking forward to putting Romania on the map of World Championship motorcycle racing."

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After a winter of development the official Yamaha YZF-R1 entries pumped out an impressive 228bhp at the crank, at a giddy 15,000 revs, with a much nicer engine character compared to 2009, and a cleaner power band.

A new design of exhaust, lighter but also more free flowing, and some intake mods gave the increase in power. The Akrapovic pipe was a 4-2-1-2 unit, complicated, but keeping the road bike's twin exhaust exit design intact. A new camshaft came along to match these changes, to make the bike better at the very top.

A narrower radiator compared to 2009, a new design of rear seat/tank unit that is also the rear sub-frame and a carbon fibre tank, acting as a stressed member, were other main changes.

The winter development was not translated to results very early in the year, and there was a rush to get back to some 2009 parts and settings. Tyre life was an issue sometimes, the opposite of what should happen with their particular bike, with its cross-plane firing order. When settings matched to tyre choices, competitiveness was at hand.

The Marelli system used in 2010 was much like the 2009 version, with improved maps, but the same basic ECUs. Yamaha were enthusiastic Öhlins users, running a TTX40 rear shock (RSP40) and the TRVP25 front forks. Race distance was the issue for the Yamaha, but with Crutchlow scoring six poles it clearly had pace to spare, while Brembo brakes took care of scrubbing off speed.

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Following a disappointing weekend at Monza in 2010, during which Daisaku Sakai had an impressive number of crashes, Yoshimura Suzuki will again be back in World Superbike at the start of this season.

The Japanese team are on the provisional entry list for the opening round of the season at Phillip Island in Australia on February 27, with a wild-card slot for Australian rider Josh Waters.

22 year-old Waters, 2009 Australian Superbike Champion on a Suzuki, has also won over 80 national Dirt and Long Track titles in his career and will be making his World Superbike debut in this Australian Round.

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Hannspree, the well-known Taiwanese consumer electronics firm, has confirmed that it will continue its sponsorship of the Ten Kate Honda Supersport World Championship team for the forthcoming 2011 season. The combination of Hannspree and Ten Kate Honda has been almost unbeatable in recent seasons in WSS racing, the squad having won the Riders' Championship with Kenan Sofuoglu (in 2007 and 2010) and Andrew Pitt in 2008.

For 2011 the team will field class rookie Florian Marino and former world champion Fabien Foret - who shared his 2002 world championship with Ten Kate Honda. At 37 years old, Foret is still a leading light in WSS, and has accrued no less than 12 race wins and 27 podium finishes. Marino is 20 years Foret's junior, but is an exciting prospect, having shown great talent in the European Superstock Championship.

Team manager Ronald Ten Kate stated, "We are, of course, very happy to continue our partnership with Hannspree into 2011. I think we have a perfect match of riders for next season with young Florian Marino and a very experienced rider like Fabien. Of course, we still remember clearly our first world title that Fabien won with us in 2002, so you might call it déjà vu. We'd like to thank Hannspree and, in particular, Lukas Chong, for their continued support of our racing programme for 2011."

Foret stated, "This is a great news for me and I'm really looking forward to this season. It's such a good feeling to come back into the Ten Kate family - we know each other pretty well now and I have the same motivation end determination as in 2002. I hope obviously to enjoy my bike and my team and have some great moments again together. I have watched the development of the CBR600RR over the years and it remains the bike to be on because it has won so many championships. My own targets for the year are a personal thing, but when you are in the Ten Kate Honda team you probably have quite a good idea of why you're there! I am training every day and getting ready for some testing in Aragon and Portimao at the end of this month and I really can't wait to jump on my bike now."

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Having the all-new Ninja ZX-10R to compete with in 2011, Kawasaki's official squads in the Superbike World Championship and the Superstock FIM Cup will be well represented at the forthcoming tests at Sepang (January 10-14), with an impressive total of 10 men on ‘Green Machines'.

The three official Superbike riders - Tom Sykes, Joan Lascorz and Chris Vermeulen - will be joined by test-rider Katsuaki Fujiwara and PBM ‘real' road-racer Stuart Easton.

Donato and Lucio Pedercini's Superbike team will also use these tests as a chance to put 2011 signing Roby Rolfo on their Superbike, while Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi will also test the Superbike, with a view to a potential WSBK ride.

The Superstock class is also an important one for Kawasaki, and Pedercini will field several Superstock riders at this test, Bryan Staring, Marco Bussolotti and Leandro Mercado plus another rider having a try-out, Michal Salac.

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With less than two months to go before the start of the new Superbike World Championship season, over the coming weeks the 2011 teams and riders will be making the most of the limited time available to conclude their test schedule and get ready for the opening round of the season in Australia.

As per tradition, the first collective appearance of the year for Superbike will be at the Infront Motor Sports organized test session at the Algarve circuit in Portimao from January 26 to 28. Almost all the top official and privateer teams will be present in Portugal, with the notable exception of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, who have opted to focus their pre-season build-up on Australia, with two sessions at Eastern Creek from January 26-28 and then Phillip Island from January 30 to February 1.

But even in the next few weeks several teams will be in action in Europe and the Far East. Despite not being a part of the SBK calendar, the Sepang circuit at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia will see the Paul Bird Motorsport and Pedercini Kawasaki Superbike teams on track for four days in total - January 10 and 11 then January 13 and 14. January 11 and 12 meanwhile will mark the first outing for Liberty Racing Ducati at Guadix in Spain.

Superbike and Supersport testing activity in Spain will then switch to the Motorland Aragon circuit at Alcaniz, a new entry on the 2011 calendar, where Ten Kate Honda continue their testing with Ruben Xaus and Jonathan Rea between 20 and 21 January. The Dutch team then heads to Phillip Island for some more testing on 16 and 17 February, shortly before the official pre-season tests start at Phillip Island on 21 and 22 February.

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Carlos Checa's spectacular performance throughout the 2010 season earned him a sort of investiture as Ducati's ‘official' rider for this season and the Spaniard is now gearing up to tackle one of the most important moments of his long career.

The Althea Racing man has been given a chance to spearhead the Ducati attack in this year's championship, but he also knows that it will be more difficult this year to remain at the top starting at the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island on February 27.

"The team is working really well," declared Checa. "Personally I feel very confident that I'll be able to fight for the title, even though I'll have some stiff competition, starting with Biaggi."

A keen extreme sports enthusiast, Carlos spent the Xmas break relaxing with his family but over New Year he went into the mountains to do some skiing and cross country enduro riding, as well as some mountain climbing.

Checa aims to start this year in the same way as he did last season, quick off the mark at the Phillip Island opening round, but his main New Year's resolutions remain "to be a better person and a better rider!"

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In 2010 he scored a second place at Monza and a third at Misano, earning third overall in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup behind Badovini and Berger, but this season Michele Magnoni's options will not be able to take part in the series full-time after signing up for the Italian Championship with the Baru Racing Team.

The 22-year-old Italian will have the bike that dominated the international scene however, a BMW S1000RR, and will be aiming for the title, but he will find time to take part as a wild-card rider in the three Italian rounds...at least for the moment.

"We tried to finalize the budget to take part in Superbike but without any luck," declared Magnoni. "After my third place overall in the FIM Cup last year I will try and win the Italian title and do the best I can in the three International rounds I'll be taking part in. The BMW is the most competitive bike out there and I can't wait to step up and race it".

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The official Kawasaki Racing Team commenced its first 2011 tests today at Sepang in Malaysia, giving Chris Vermeulen his first chance to ride the all-new Ninja ZX-10R, alongside his KRT team-mates Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz. Although familiar with the new bike already, this was a first ride at this particular track for Tom and Joan.

Vermeulen is an old hand at lapping the Sepang circuit, but he only did a few laps compared to the others, to get his body used to the rigours of track action once again. Said Chris, who has only recently started walking and riding again after a knee rebuild operation last summer.

"I eased into it today and only did a limited number of laps, over three separate runs. I stopped before lunch today and then the rains came later in the afternoon, but we will go out again tomorrow. The new bike feels really good. The last bike I rode around Sepang was a GP machine, so to be impressed with this motorbike already shows it is a very good start. All the guys have done a great job in developing it. I was happy to come away with that positive impression, even after a relatively short number of laps so far. Right now I cannot quite bend my knee enough when going round right hand corners, but my knee has improved a lot over the last couple of weeks. Everything in the recovery of my knee is going to plan, and in fact I am quite a bit ahead of what the doctors expected. My muscle growth is good, particularly considering I have only been walking for three weeks."

The Pedercini Kawasaki team was also testing at Sepang and the action will continue on track tomorrow, with a rest day scheduled for the 12th, before the tests complete on the 13th and 14th.

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Last year Dino Lombardi finished the European Superstock 600 Championship third overall, with a second at Magny-Cours and two thirds at Brno and Assen his best results. This season the young Italian aims to go even better for the Martini Corse team following positive results in recent testing at Jerez De La Frontera. Despite slight rain and a crash, the 20-year Italian stopped the clocks in a time of 1'48.05, after getting a good set-up with his Yamaha R6 machine.

"The test went well," said Lombardi. "The winter is long for a rider and I couldn't wait to get back on the track. The new WP suspension offers good performance; now we have to try it on a track we already know. I'm happy to have gotten over the problems with my right arm. I had pain throughout the season and it was quite an effort to bear. Now I can't wait to get started".

Another talented young Italian rider was also present for Martini Corse at the tests: Francesco Cocco, who had his first taste of Superstock 600. Cocco lapped quickly throughout and his best time was 1'48.04, not bad at all considering he was unfamiliar with the track, the bike and the team.

"I can't say anything yet about signing a contract, but I can say that I found a good feeling with the bike and everyone in the team. I'm still talking to a few teams and because I'm still young, I want to make the right choice for my career. For sure I'll make a decision this week."

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In 2011 the BWG Racing Kawasaki Team will make a big leap upwards from domestic Superstock 600 to the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, switching category, rider and championship following good performances in Italy by Leandro Mercado.

The Rome-based squad will take part in Superstock 1000 with the young Swiss rider Thomas Caiani, who will line up on a 2011-spec Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Just 23 years of age, Caiani has already raced in the Italian, Spanish and German championships and is now getting ready to tackle the European circuit.

"I immediately established a good feeling with all the team members and this is very important to be able to go well. The thing that makes me the happiest however is that after six years racing in 125 GP, Supersport and Superstock in a number of different competitive domestic championships, I can now finally race in an international series and for a Swiss rider this is an excellent starting-point. Switzerland is a country that loves all forms of motor sport".

Caiani will be followed in the team by crew chief Enrico Folegnani, a man who in the past has contributed to the successes of Max Biaggi, Troy Corser and Tetsuya Harada. Team manager Marco Lobello was also pleased with this agreement.

"Every piece is now in place. Last year was a test-bed for us and now the technical and professional experience of the team has made a major step forward, now becoming our strong point. Superstock 1000 is a fascinating championship and we aim to do our best with the available resources."

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In 2010 British rider Gino Rea was one of the revelations of the Supersport World Championship series. The 2008 European Superstock 600 champion lined up for his debut season in the upper class and after quickly learning the ropes he often ended up in the top 5 positions. The young Londoner of Italian origin showed on occasions that he could take it to the top guys, and he even stepped onto the podium in his home round at Silverstone.

After his experience with the Czech Intermoto Honda team last year, in 2011 Rea has decided to remain in the same category, with exactly the same team that helped to launch him in World Supersport.

"I really can't wait for the 2011 World Supersport Championship to start, I'm glad that I finally signed for the Intermoto Czech team again. It means I'll be continuing with the same team, same bike and same crew chief, Andrew Stone - so I'm expecting to bring the team some wins and podiums from the off. At the start of last year in Phillip Island, the bike was still being built so it was the first time I'd ridden it. Andrew and I worked well together and gradually developed the bike throughout the year. Now we know what we need from the bike, I know the championship and our potential is much higher already."

The Intermoto Czech team are currently building all-new 2011 CBR600s for the forth-coming season, which will start at the official pre-season test at Portimao on 26-28 January.

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For a team with a relatively short history in Supersport World Championship racing at factory-backed level, the Provec Motocard.com squad has made a big impact in the class.

One-time successful Honda privateers, the base of the team (including their star man Joan Lascorz) moved up to be the officially supported Kawasaki WSS team in 2009, and Joan improved his finishing place each season - culminating in third overall in 2010. Lascorz has secured a total of 14 podiums for the modern-day Kawasaki outfit, with Broc Parkes (29) also posting a podium last year, when he replaced Lascorz in the final few races, after Joan got injured at Silverstone.

For 2011 Parkes is a fixture in WSS again, having gone full-time now with Provec and Kawasaki after almost two seasons in WSBK racing. As a rider who has won five races in the Supersport World Championship and who has a whopping 24 podiums to his credit, he is a well-proven entity on a 600, with the desire to win the title outright still burning in his heart.

Alongside Parkes in 2011 will be David Salom, who had several highlights last year when riding a Triumph three-cylinder machine, although never quite making the rostrum. The 25-year-old rider from Mallorca in Spain has that target in sight first of all, and given that he is riding in a team based in Barcelona, team communication should be clear and concise.

Once more the Provec Motocard.com team is the officially supported Kawasaki entry and will be overseen by Guim Roda, himself a former racer. Always a team that looks capable of a long-term championship challenge, the Provec boys and girls will be out to emulate the success of Andrew Pitt in 2001 - so far the only rider to have won the WSS riders' crown for Kawasaki.

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Television coverage of the 2010 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship has increased its audience by 33% compared to 2009 figures. With more than 3,000 broadcast hours this year's edition of the world's leading production-based bike racing championship reached a cumulative audience of 498 million motor sport fans worldwide and provided excellent returns for the sponsors involved. The online demand is also on the rise, with the official website seeing a 30% increase of unique visitors compared to 2009.

Broadcast coverage in 175 countries

The 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship visited prestigious circuits across four continents and was broadcast in a total of 175 countries. Besides Italy, where the series is a constant in the annual sports calendar, audience figures were remarkable across Asia, as well as in South Africa, Australia, Brazil and the UK. Overall live TV coverage also increased by 18%. This year's series was broadcast across 94 channels such as Eurosport (Europe), ESPN STAR Sports (Asia), SuperSport (Africa), Speed Channel (USA) and Al Jazeera (Middle East), totalling at 3,015 broadcast hours worldwide. On average, each of the 13 rounds generated 223 hours of coverage and was watched by a cumulative audience of 40 million people.

More than 35 million visits on www.worldsbk.com

The increasing popularity of the FIM Superbike World Championship is not only indicated by the TV figures, but also by the growing demand for additional online content. The www.worldsbk.com website is today a state-of-the-art reference point for all news and data related to the series. Fans appreciate the new design and improved navigation as well as the real time information given and the video streams. As a result, the number of unique visitors reached 4 million in 2010, while total visits have also increased to over 35 million. The interaction between SBK and its fans is also on the rise on other new media platforms. The official SBK channel on YouTube saw a total of 11.6 million video views and the SBK fan group on Facebook is constantly growing, therefore further multiplying the scope of the series.

Enhanced value for sponsors

Be it on television or online, the increasing popularity of the FIM Superbike World Championship is good news - not only for the sport and its fans, but also for the partners involved. In the 2010 season, Title Sponsor HANNspree and Top Sponsors Pirelli and Alfa Romeo each received over 400 hours of brand exposure from television coverage. The various opportunities for online interaction further enhance the contact between fans and brands.

Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports said: "The worldwide broadcast distribution and audience figures for the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship clearly demonstrate the value of the series as a communication platform for established as well as upcoming brands. Its growing fan base and outreach of the motor sport series provide sponsors with an effective platform for targeting an attractive demographic within sport."

Extended HD coverage with on-board cameras

The 2011 season will consist of 13 rounds starting on 27 February in Phillip Island, Australia. As promoter of the motor sport series, Infront handles not only the media and marketing rights, but also oversees the new media and host broadcast production of the series. In 2011, the TV audience can look forward to extended HD coverage, including the introduction of new on-board cameras - adding even greater excitement for the audience as they experience the fast on track action from the viewpoint of the rider.

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Triumph Suriano has confirmed its participation in this year's Supersport World Championship with a two-rider team made up of Italian Danilo Dell'Omo and South African Ronan Quarmby. Team manager Antonio "Ninetto" Suriano has decided to switch from long-term partner Suzuki to Triumph and will enter two Daytona 675 machines made available by BE1 Racing. Development is already underway, in collaboration with Giuliano Rovelli's BE1 outfit and the team will then leave for the pre-season tests and the opening round in Australia.

"To race with Triumph and to return to World Supersport is a great satisfaction for me and I'd like to thank Giuliano Rovelli and the BE1 Racing staff for their collaboration," declared Suriano, "I can't wait to start to work on the new bikes. There's not much time left and we've got a lot to do but we're full of enthusiasm and we'll be giving 110% to get ready for the opening round".

Dell'Omo, who has taken part in the last three Supersport Seasons on a Honda, will be one of the riders, and he rejoins Suriano, for whom he finished third overall in the domestic Superstock 1000 series last year (photo). "It's a perfect situation with Ninetto," said the 27 year-old from Latina. "I couldn't ask for more because I will be backed by a team I know well and I'll be on a bike that has proved to be competitive. After an early learning period, I expect to be competitive and I'm sure the team will give me a bike capable of scoring good results. As we have always done".

Quarmby will be the other rider in the team, the South African continuing in Supersport after three races on a Honda last year. "I've dreamed about racing in the world championship since the start of my career," said the 19-year-old from Johannesburg. "I've already tried the Daytona Superstock, it's right for my size and I'm ready to start this new challenge. A big thanks to Ninetto Suriano for giving me the chance to race with Triumph, I hope to be able to repay his confidence in me with some good results".

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Bogdanka PTR Honda is a new Polish Supersport World Championship race team that will enter the 2011 championship with high hopes of success. Experienced riders James Ellison and Pawel Szkopek will use race-winning PTR (Performance Technical Racing) Honda CBR600RR machinery for their championship assault, the first stage of what is a multi-year partnership between Bogdanka Racing and PTR.

LW Bogdanka is an undisputed leader in the Polish coal mining business while PTR is well known in racing circles as the force behind the Parkalgar Honda World Supersport team that has won 12 out the 25 most recent WSS championship races.

Bogdanka Racing Director Michael Igor Piasecki said: "This partnership sees Poland's first World Championship full-time race team and it is starting at the very highest level, with proven technical ability and a realistic chance to win a World Championship thanks to PTR. This is a partnership; it is not a sponsorship. PTR will help to operate and organise the team alongside Parkalgar Honda out of the same garage and there will be shared branding with the Parkalgar squad. Bogdanka PTR Honda is employing Polish staff to work on the project alongside British engineers."

Ellison, twice Superstock Champion who made his name in the WSBK paddock, said, "I made the choice to ride for this team and in this Championship because I know I have the ability to win the World Championship. I could have taken different rides but I believe in this project and my only aim is to win the title - that gives me a strong platform to advance my World Championship career."

Pawel Szkopek, a WSS runner in 2005, said: "This is my big break and I intend to take it. The Bogdanka PTR Honda bikes will be some of best on the grid and James will be an inspiration to me to learn from - and with time I want to race with him and challenge at the front of the races."

The team will debut at the official WSBK Portimao test in Portugal on 26-28th January before moving on to Aragon in Spain on 31st Jan - 1st February. At Aragon the team will also welcome Marcin Walkowiak on a Bogdanka PTR Honda Fireblade that he will campaign in the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship in 2011.

 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The latest incarnation of an iconic team has returned to the World Superbike championship following today's launch of the new Castrol Honda team, with the global lubricants brand announcing title sponsorship of Honda's superbike effort for the upcoming 2011 title race. The new team will feature riders Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus campaigning Honda's CBR1000RR Fireblade, with the squad being run by the Netherlands-based Ten Kate Racing outfit, who have led Honda's World Superbike effort since 2004.

Castrol's association with Honda's motorcycle racing activities goes all the way back to the Japanese manufacturer's first foray into the sport at the Isle of Man TT in 1959 and the two companies celebrated 50 years of racing together in 2009. While Castrol has maintained support of Honda's annual World Superbike championship effort in recent years, its previous title sponsorship of the Castrol Honda team generated no fewer than three world titles, with John Kocinski in 1997 and then twice with fellow American rider Colin Edwards in 2000 and 2002.

Donald Smith - sponsorship manager, Global Marketing Unit, Castrol: "Castrol are delighted to join Honda once again to see the return of the famous Castrol Honda World Superbike team to racetracks around the world. Motorcycle racing provides Castrol with the ultimate environment to test and develop our advanced Castrol Power One technology and the Castrol Honda World Superbike team provides a powerful and exciting platform to demonstrate the performance of our Castrol Power One products."

Carlo Fiorani - racing operations manager, Honda Motor Europe: "We are absolutely thrilled that Castrol has shown this level of faith in Honda and its World Superbike championship team. We are really looking forward to the 2011 season and to achieving even more wins under this famous racing banner. It's great to have an such an iconic motorsport brand as title sponsor for the team and, personally, I think the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR race machine looks absolutely fantastic!"

Ronald ten Kate - manager, Castrol Honda World Superbike Team: "When our world championship racing adventure was first beginning, many years ago now, Castrol Honda was the one team in the paddock which everyone looked up to, whose professional and performance standards we all wanted to achieve. It is an honour for us now to be racing under this famous and historically successful banner and we are privileged to be following in the footsteps of the team we admired so much in the past. You can be sure that everyone in the Ten Kate Racing organisation - riders, mechanics, and all the workshop staff - will give 100% commitment to this really exciting new phase of our World Superbike campaign.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Both the riders of the recently-unveiled Castrol Honda CBR1000RR machines, Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus, are unable to hide their enthusiasm for the new season which gets underway at Phillip Island in Australia at the end of February.

For 23-year-old Rea, the new season will be his third in the World Superbike championship. The Northern Irishman finished in fifth place in 2009, taking two wins, a tally which he doubled last season on his way to fourth place in the championship.

"One of my main inspirations for racing was watching Castrol Honda's Colin Edwards battle Troy Bayliss for the World Superbike championship in that epic season in 2002," he declared. "It's a real honour for me to be racing under those same famous colours for the 2011 season and I'll be trying my hardest to recreate what Colin did for the Castrol Honda team. I think the bike looks fantastic and I know the Ten Kate guys back at the workshop have been working really hard on its technical development since last season finished so now I just can't wait to get started."

Ruben Xaus, meanwhile, first competed in the World Superbike championship in 1998 and finished as runner-up in 2003 before a two-year spell in MotoGP. The 32-year-old Catalan rider has 11 career wins to his name and a total of 35 podium finishes to date.

"After many years of racing at world championship level it is very nice and important for me to be part of a big project like the new Castrol Honda team. The biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world is joining together with one of the biggest lubricants companies in the world and supporting the Ten Kate team, which has had a lot of success with many world championship titles. All together it's a big and really exciting mixture and I will give my talent and every effort to help Castrol and the Honda CBR1000RR become a regular winning partnership in the 2011 championship."

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