"Julian Bond" <julian_bond.DeleteThis@voidstar.com> wrote in message
news:AwJZY2wqDEWAFAZg@jblaptop.voidstar.com...
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/Mar/040317a.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/Mar/040317a.htm</font</a>>
>
> Interesting read. I was a bit stunned to realize that Japan has no WSB
> round this year. I wonder how I missed that.
>
> This para should wind up Mark N
> "2004 looks to be the most convincing yet for a series that has
> consistently grown in terms of support, competitiveness, and profile.
> The championship will see official (ranging from 'importer official' to
> 'Japan official') participation from Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki,
> and Yamaha. And when the season kicks off at Silverstone in less than
> two weeks, the grid will feature 16 riders designated with the full
> 'Championship' status (a title reserved for factory riders, although the
> term is more apt in some cases than others), alongside a sturdy band of
> 16 privateers entered in the 'Cup'-a pretty serious group that
> includes a former factory competitor and a 999RS."
You probably should have mentioned that they're referring to BSB there and
not WSB - had me in shock the first time I read it! Anyway, not really any
news there, is there? Seems like the article is really a speculative slam on
WSB and the possible intentions of Dorna in Europe, but that very
speculative. The big news in BSB is (finally) the factory Honda entry this
year, right? Beyond that, things are much as they've been the last few
years, except that this looks awful good compared to WSB, which has
plummeted. They mention the decline in factory participation in AMA SB (but
also saying "the teams, riders, and machines that make up the factory AMA
Superbike contingent this season might be pound-for-pound the most
impressive ever" and regarding Monstermob "now stands as perhaps the top
customer Ducati Superbike team in the world, trailing only Ducati Fila and
Ducati Austin in the Bologna Superbike hierarchy") and that "Mladin,
Bostrom, and co. Are going to have to work hard just to keep the Superstock
series from stealing too much of the spotlight", which is what we've been
discussing here lately - where is the future of national-level and/or
production-based racing? They specifically mention the three BSB
factory-backed teams and the two big importer-backed teams for Kawi and
Yamaha (what the AMA is missing, although everyone tends to forget about
Attack Kawasaki in that regard, fielding a self-developed SB with a
factory-contracted rider this year).
What they don't really talk about much is riders, where it seems to me BSB
has seen a decline over the last several years. They do say this: "The
British Superbike series hasn't just seen an increased level of mechanical
support from Japan, they've also had their ranks bolstered by 'Triple-A'
Japanese talent lately as well", citing Kagayama and Kiyonari. Of course,
given how poorly Japanese major-league talent has done on the world scene,
this isn't necessarily something to boast about. Maybe more an indication of
the weakness of local talent today? They also conveniently forget to mention
the level of Ducati dominance in BSB in recent years, something that
ultimately played a big part in the decline of WSB, and could turn off the
Japanese some as well in BSB if that pro-Europe thinking also exists there.
Anyway, on the speculative part of this, it makes some sense that Dorna
might be maneuvering in on SB with the problems WSB is having. Since WSB is
becoming essentially a European championship now, BSB would be the obvious
foothold there for expansion. That the current teams there are largely
privately-financed makes expansion possible and maybe even desirable. On the
other hand, they own the Spanish championship and haven't done anything with
that, and it may just be another property ("just be a case of Dorna doing
what they do, having no particular intentions beyond keeping a good thing
keeping on"). Their goal might well be to continue to weaken WSB until it
collapses, then sweep in and take over production-based racing in order to
replace 125 and 250 in GP with something 600-based or with SS, leaving the
carcass of SB behind. I don't think it's clear that SB as we know it has a
solid future as a racing class anywhere at this point.
Anyway, just another interesting aspect of the changes going on in racing
right now. If Dorna's move means we'll get to see BSB on TV over here, I'm
all for it.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
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