The Brands track presents an awesome challenge to the riders, and the circuit is effectively split into two distinct halves. The section that houses the pit lane and main paddock area is nothing short of a green amphitheatre, with unrivalled views around almost half the full track’s length two and a half mile length. The other section, a fast and undulating blast out into the tree-lined countryside, almost reminiscent of Hockenheim or Monza, sorts the men from the boys.

A SBK venue like no other, Brands has hosted some classic pitched battles between some of the best SBK riders ever, with the large crowd closer to the action than most other circuits; often a great spur to the local riders.

Were it not for the Superhuman efforts of the reigning World Champion, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda) would be a virtual certainty for this second world crown this season. As it stands, however, Bayliss is the man with a significant advantage; his 14 race wins so far the second highest single year winning total in the history of the SBK series.

Bayliss’ team mate Ruben Xaus may be one man in with a chance of genuine honours at Brands Hatch, running the statistically dominant Michelin tyres which have won all bar one of the races this season.

The best of the Dunlop riders thus far has proved to be HM Plant Ducati rider, Neil Hodgson, who has used his 2001-spec Ducati Testastretta to great effect, although he is still looking for his first win in the 2002 season.

Hope comes for Hodgson with the fact that Brands has a habit of kicking up a variety of sometimes unexpected winners, Ben Bostrom (L&M Ducati) being the most recent, a double winner in 2001.

Lone Playstation-2 Aprilia force of nature, Noriyuki Haga is another yet to taste Brands Hatch victory champagne.

Other factory riders will be looking to Brands to deliver them their best results of the year, especially the perennially unlucky Briton Chris Walker (Kawasaki Racing Team) who is no stranger to the Kentish venue’s twists and turns.

His team-mate for this race should be his regular partner, Hitoyasu Izutsu, although the severity of his wrist injury, sustained at Sugo, does not make his inclusion an automatic one even at this stage.

Alstare Suzuki’s lone warrior Gregorio Lavilla will be looking to score his first 2002 podium, in a season that has been an extra tough one for the four-cylinder riders.

James Toseland, the riding partner of Neil Hodgson, may find Brands his best chance of a maiden podium finish, such is his familiarity with the undulations of the Brands tarmac assault course.

The Benelli Tornado triple adds a unique and sonorous exhaust note to proceedings at every round, and with the experienced Peter Goddard at the helm, this may be the chance for the small Italian marque to break into the top ten.

A significant number of top privateers will be in attendance at Brands, the most famous of whom is undoubtedly the series’ father figure, Pierfrancesco Chili (Axo NCR Ducati). Just off the podium at Silverstone, he will be hoping for even more at a venue that he, like many of his SBK peer group, enjoys raising his game for.

Local wild cards may play a significant part in the proceedings, with Michael Rutter, Shane Byrne, Dean Ellison and British-based Aussie Glen Richards all present to take on the best riders in the Superbike firmament.

Pick a winner?

Well, Colin Edwards leads the Brands Hatch race winners’ league with four, but because the 4.221 kilometre track is a test of every aspect of a rider’s armoury, the bravest entrant, with the best equipment, is usually the man to succeed.

In round nine of the World Supersport Championship, the main challengers have grown in number from three to four, with Katsuaki Fujiwara’s recent run of success bringing him into the gravitational pull previously only exerted by the previous big three, Stephane Chambon (his team-mate in the Alstare Suzuki squad) current points leader Fabien Foret (Ten Kate Honda) and the reigning World Champion Andrew Pitt (Kawasaki Racing team).  The regular Supersport shock troops are joined at Brands by local wild cards Stuart Easton (Ducati) and Scott Smart (Honda).