- Jan 9, 2004
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- Kawasaki Racing, Falcons, Pelicans
So, the 2017 season of the World Superbike Championship Championship is going to see some very significant changes to both riders and machinery and the rules.
Starting with the rules, there has been a large - and controversial - change to the grid format for race 2. Race 1 (which will remain on Saturday), will be determined by the same qualifying format they've used for the last few years. For race 2, the riders who finish on the podium in race 1 will be relegated to the third row of the grid and in reverse order. So, finishers 1, 2, and 3 will now start from grid positions 9, 8 and 7 respectively. Riders 4 through 9 will fill the first two rows in the order they finish the first race. If a top 9 qualifying rider DNF's, they will start race 2 from 10th.
In my opinion, this is ridiculous. It is trying to conjure up contrived excitement on the back of three riders aboard two different brands dominating the last two years of the championship but in doing so, they rob this world championship of it's integrity. It's akin to a boxing commission deciding that a handful of fighter are dominating the sport so to create variety, the boxer leading the points halfway through a fight has to fight with one arm tied behind their back for the second half. Sure, it will create more diverse results but it will quickly wear thin and even the casual observer will be able to quickly realise that the results are tarnished.
This all reeks of the organisers not believing in their own product. The glory years were so popular because there was a variety of machinery and rider nationalities at the pointy end. Next year sees an influx of rider and machinery talent to battle against the dominant trio of reigning champion, Johnny Rea and his Kawasaki teammate, Tom Sykes and Ducati's Chaz Davies. Coming across from MotoGP is Stefan Bradl (Germany)to team up with American, Nicky Hayden aboard a brand new Honda Fireblade. Potentially the most talented rider on the grid, Michael van der Mark of the Netherlands has moved onto the Yamaha R1 with a year of development under it's belt. Aprilia are back with a factory team headed up by another MotoGP returnee in Irishman, Eugene Laverty. Partnering him is Italian young gun Lorenzo Savadori who impressed in his rookie year last season. Also returning to the championship is multi-race winner Marco Melandri aboard the factory Ducati.
So there's 8 riders from 5 different nations and 5 manufacturers that I think are race win capable and more who could get podiums. That's pretty bloody good and it doesn't require artificial help to provide exciting racing.
In other news, the Supersport championship falls into line with flag-to-flag races next year in what is shaping up to be there last season of racing before being replaced a new class of 1,000cc nakedbike racing.
Starting with the rules, there has been a large - and controversial - change to the grid format for race 2. Race 1 (which will remain on Saturday), will be determined by the same qualifying format they've used for the last few years. For race 2, the riders who finish on the podium in race 1 will be relegated to the third row of the grid and in reverse order. So, finishers 1, 2, and 3 will now start from grid positions 9, 8 and 7 respectively. Riders 4 through 9 will fill the first two rows in the order they finish the first race. If a top 9 qualifying rider DNF's, they will start race 2 from 10th.
In my opinion, this is ridiculous. It is trying to conjure up contrived excitement on the back of three riders aboard two different brands dominating the last two years of the championship but in doing so, they rob this world championship of it's integrity. It's akin to a boxing commission deciding that a handful of fighter are dominating the sport so to create variety, the boxer leading the points halfway through a fight has to fight with one arm tied behind their back for the second half. Sure, it will create more diverse results but it will quickly wear thin and even the casual observer will be able to quickly realise that the results are tarnished.
This all reeks of the organisers not believing in their own product. The glory years were so popular because there was a variety of machinery and rider nationalities at the pointy end. Next year sees an influx of rider and machinery talent to battle against the dominant trio of reigning champion, Johnny Rea and his Kawasaki teammate, Tom Sykes and Ducati's Chaz Davies. Coming across from MotoGP is Stefan Bradl (Germany)to team up with American, Nicky Hayden aboard a brand new Honda Fireblade. Potentially the most talented rider on the grid, Michael van der Mark of the Netherlands has moved onto the Yamaha R1 with a year of development under it's belt. Aprilia are back with a factory team headed up by another MotoGP returnee in Irishman, Eugene Laverty. Partnering him is Italian young gun Lorenzo Savadori who impressed in his rookie year last season. Also returning to the championship is multi-race winner Marco Melandri aboard the factory Ducati.
So there's 8 riders from 5 different nations and 5 manufacturers that I think are race win capable and more who could get podiums. That's pretty bloody good and it doesn't require artificial help to provide exciting racing.
In other news, the Supersport championship falls into line with flag-to-flag races next year in what is shaping up to be there last season of racing before being replaced a new class of 1,000cc nakedbike racing.
