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The increasing strength of World Superbike racing has no better illustration than the 2006 provisional entry list, unveiled recently by the FIM. Defending champion Troy Corser (Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) faces almost 30 permanent competitors this year, a solid line-up of talent, in impressive strength and vast depth. His own team-mate of 2005, Yukio Kagayama, is back in the mix, hoping to build on a ‘rookie’ SBK season which saw him score a win in round one at Qatar, and finish top five overall.
A welcome re-entry to the series in 2006 will be 2001 World Champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) while Briton James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda), the world champion in 2004, makes it three proven title holders aiming to engrave their names on the top trophy once more.
World Supersport provides more tried and tested World Champions for World Superbike yet again, with new boy Fabien Foret (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) plus 2005 SBK ‘veterans’ Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate) each having scored the middleweight crown; Pitt in 2001, Foret in 2002 and Muggeridge in 2004.
Proven riders of all kinds litter the field in 2006, boosting the numbers of riders with a genuine chance of a top five championship finish to almost unprecedented levels. Coming back to the World Superbike fray, when he recovers from a training injury, is exciting Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati), who will be teamed up with experienced privateer Marco Borciani. Runner-up to Neil Hodgson in SBK in 2003, Xaus has since claimed a podium finish in MotoGP, and currently has a total of nine World Superbike victories to his credit.
Perennial World Superbike force Pierfrancesco Chili comes back with his inimitable determination to succeed to the fore as usual, and the veteran rider will line up in a DFX-Treme Honda squad, alongside former European Superstock Champion Michel Fabrizio. Chili’s experience and Fabrizio’s youth should make for a dazzling combination, in one of many Italian-based ‘dream teams’.
None of those is bigger than the official Ducati Xerox outfit, and lining up alongside the prodigal Bayliss will be last year’s find of the year, Lorenzo Lanzi. A proven race winner already, with two victories under his belt, Lanzi will find year two an even tougher prospect than his rookie season. Nonetheless, few who saw him in 2005 will bet against his cool head and aggressive spirit breaking into the upper echelons once more.
Equalling Lanzi’s two win total from 2005 is SBK legend Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia), the third placed rider in last year’s series. Determined to make a better start to 2006 than he did last year, Haga is one of the most exciting riders to watch, in a group or on his own.
PSG-1 Kawasaki’s two man effort from the 2005 season has expanded to a three rider squad in 2006, and features quality from to top to bottom. The perennially competitive force that is Chris Walker is now allied to the French flair and impressive winning record of 2004 series runner up Regis Laconi. The talented trio is completed by 2005 rookie Fonsi Nieto, who enjoyed a couple of outings for the PSG-1 squad at the tail end of 2005.
After taking rookie of the year in Supersport in 2004, Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) was a podium finisher in Superbike in 2005. He continues his upward career path with the Klaffi Honda squad once more, and there is a space on the provisional grid for one more Klaffi Honda rider.
Riders with extensive 250cc experience abound this year, with the adoption of former MotoGP riders Roberto Rolfo (Team Ducati SC Caracchi) and Franco Battaini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) readying themselves to adapt their technique to a Superbike format.
The most unique machine in the championship returns once more in 2006, with the Petronas three-cylinder machine running under the banner of Foggy Petronas Racing. Team owner Carl Fogarty, the most successful World Superbike rider in history, once more places highly-respected Aussie Steve Martin on one of the 900cc FP-1 machines, and Steve’s team-mate this season is talented young Briton Craig Jones, taking part in his very first Superbike season at the highest possible level.
Last year one of the most experienced MotoGP riders of the past ten years, Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) enjoyed his rookie season in World Superbike, and this year he is joined in the squad by not just his 2005 team-mate Sebastien Gimbert, but another Japanese Superbike first-timer, Shinichi Nakatomi. Even the latest entry from Japan has a good pedigree on a Superbike, as he finished fourth in the 2005 All Japan Superbike championship.
In the ‘true’ privateer ranks, Italian teams once more dominate, with the Celani Suzuki team placing 2002-season European Superstock Champion Vittorio Iannuzzo on the grid, while the Pedercini Ducati squad features owner Lucio Pedercini and 2006 signing, Ivan Clementi. Further proof that the World Superbike series can create talent from within comes in the shape of Lorenzo Alfonsi, (Team PN Ducati Corse) the 2004 Superstock champion, and now back for his second season in the top flight.
Two more full time riders are expected on the final grid for 2006, a grid which, even without any further additions, will ensure the highest possible level of competition for any rider who wants to lay claim to the most coveted crown in Superbike racing.
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