World Superbike champion Colin Edwards moved a step closer to retaining the title with victory in Australia on Sunday but this coming Sunday's fourth round in Japan will offer one of the sternest tests of the year for the American.  "I took pole position then had my best ever finishes at Sugo last year when I took third and fifth so I'm heading back there knowing that wins are possible. It's a tricky circuit but we've improved the VTR this year and Michelin have improved the tyres so there's plenty for me to be positive about."

One of the serious challengers for the races at Sugo will be Edwards' Japanese team-mate, Tadayuki Okada.  Okada has a strong superbike record at the Sugo track winning an end of season race there in 1998, setting the current lap record and beating his current team-mate Edwards and also reigning 500cc champion at the time, Mick Doohan. Okada's 1m 29.5s lap record was equaled by Edwards as he took pole position for last year's Japanese round.  "I like the Sugo circuit and I know it's a big chance for me to win my first World Superbike race. I realise that a lot of the local riders will be competitive but that's only something I'm going to have to deal with this year. Wild card riders in Japan, Britain and America are always strong." said Okada.

Britain’s World Superbike riders Neil Hodgson and James Toseland are hoping for some better luck this weekend.  “I’m hoping to make up on lost ground at Sugo,” said the 27-year-old reigning British Superbike Champion. “Everyone knows how well the local wild card riders go. However, I’ve raced at Sugo on three previous occasions, twice with Ducati and once with Kawasaki, so I have a good idea of what to expect.  Doing the best possible Superpole lap is vital in Japan. They’ve been running this system in their domestic series for years, which has given the wild cards the edge and makes things interesting for the World Championship riders. However, I’ve enjoyed Superpole so far this season and will be doing everything in my power to maintain a good starting position on the grid.”

Team mate 20-year-old James Toseland is eager to add to the championship points he has scored in Spain, South Africa and Australia, and is looking forward to racing again in Japan.  “Phillip Island was a real challenge,” said the young rider from Sheffield. “I’ve got a good feel for the bike now and can tackle almost any conditions on it. I just hope that Japan can put on better weather than Australia!  I’m aiming for two strong finishes this weekend and I want to come home with some more points. I know the Japanese are going to try to be dominate at their home circuit, but everyone’s in the same boat so it should be a good challenge.”

Troy Bayliss moved to the head of the championship after his third place on Sunday in Australia but the former British superbike champion has bad memories of Sugo. He joined the Ducati team to replace Carl Fogarty at Sugo last year and crashed on the first lap of both races.

Team Suzuki Alstare's Italian Superbike rider Pierfrancesco Chili finished third in the first race at Sugo last year and is looking forward to returning to his happy hunting grounds.   Despite this race being billed as one of the toughest on the calendar, with plenty of wild-card entries by Japanese championship riders familiar with the circuit, Team Suzuki Alstare knows it is in with a chance of success at the track. 

The Team has had six races to develop the new for 2001 GSX-R750 and is getting more confident with every result. Chili recorded a steady seventh at the last round at water drenched Phillip Island in Australia, while his team-mate Stephane Chambon took eighth, his best result on a Superbike to date.

Pierfrancesco Chili - "Sugo is very, very hard and it will be difficult to get a result there. But I will give it 100 per cent, and with every race the bike is improving as we learn more about how it handles and drives." 

Stephane Chambon - "Sugo is going to be a tough one and I can't say that I'm looking forward to it yet. There are so many very fast local riders who know the circuit like the backs of their hands and that makes life very difficult for us regular riders. If I can take good points in both races at Sugo, I will be very happy coming back to Europe." 

Troy Corser relinquished the lead in the championship last weekend to his compatriot Troy Bayliss but Troy will be keen to recoup that gap this weekend.  "Phillip Island should have been a good one for us, but it didn't turn out that way. I was looking for a couple of wins, but the weather put paid to everything. I don't think we should've run the first race ­ it was that bad. The organisers actually wanted us to go out for the second, but I told them it was too dangerous. In the end, they saw reason and abandoned it. It was definitely the right thing to do, but it's a pity they took so long to do it. Sugo doesn't have particularly fond memories for me because of my crash there before. But this year, I am in really good condition ­ mentally and physically ­ and Sugo is just another race that has to be won. I'll be treating no differently then any other race. The 'wild card' riders always cause us regulars a problem, but it's something we all have to deal with, so there's no point worrying about it."

Wildcards
48 Akira Ryo (JPN-Suzuki) Team Suzuki MFJ
49 Makato Tamada (JPN-Honda) Team Cabin Honda MFJ
50 Shinichi Itoh (JPN_Honda) Team Cabin Honda MFJ
53 Wataru Yoshikawa (JPN-Yamaha) Yamaha Racing Team MFJ
54 Tamaki Serizawa (JPN-Kawasaki) Kawasaki Racing Team FIM
56 Yujio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki) Team Suzuki FIM

World Superbike riders visited an ancient Japanese temple today for a photographic opportunity prior to this weekend's fourth round of the series at Sugo.

The riders posed at the Takekoma Jinja temple, 20 miles from Sendai city and 25 miles from the Sugo circuit.

The temple is 1600 years old and is one of around 1000 religious temples in Japan, still used as a praying point for visitors.

Castrol Honda's Tady Okada was present at the photo shoot but his memories of the day were soured on the return journey to Sugo circuit.

Okada explained: "It was good fun and good to see all the non-Japanese riders in kimonos but I was stopped for speeding on the way back. I could have done without the US$100 fine!"