World Superbike 2008 - Round Nine - Brno (Czech Republic)

World Superbike 2008 - Round Nine - Brno (Czech Republic) - Preview

World Superbike turns 500 races old this Sunday at the much-loved Brno circuit in the Czech Republic, with Australian Troy Bayliss out to tighten his grip on the championship lead.

Bayliss and compatriot Troy Corser (Yamaha) are first and fifth respectively in a season where seven riders have already won races - well up on the whole of 2007.

Despite the even nature of competition, Bayliss was the only rider who consistently put it together at the start of the year, and his five wins from the opening eight races saw him build a massive championship buffer that no one has managed to whittle down beyond 29pts.

That was after Spain’s Carlos Checa (Honda) stormed to a clean sweep in America’s round five, while Bayliss failed to score any points.

Since then, the 39-year-old Aussie has settle while Checa has floundered, with the gap now back out to 49pts - albeit with impressive German Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) now doing the chasing.

Bayliss is on 259pts, from Neukirchner (210pts), Checa (207pts), Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha, 101pts) and Corser (185pts).

With a maximum of 300pts up for grabs in the final six rounds, the new world champion will surely come from that quintet, with the first battleground the scenic and undulating curves of Brno this Sunday.

World Superbike only returned to the Czech Republic circuit in 2005 after an eight-year gap, and four-cylinder Japanese machines have won all six races since, with Suzuki leading the way on four. That might be a portent for this weekend, as Bayliss fights a twin-cylinder battle against the might from Japan Inc.

The 5.403km layout been somewhat of a bogey track for Bayliss, whose record over the last two years includes two crashes and a couple of finishes well outside the podium - far removed from his normal prolific output.

“One of the reasons we haven't gone so well in the last couple of years is because we were missing acceleration with the (old Ducati) 999,” said Bayliss. “This was definitely a factor at Brno and we hope that the situation will be much improved this year with the 1098.

“Also, Ducati has had a good package for a long time and then other teams have caught up in recent years and so it’s been hard for us at Brno, and it seems to have had something to do with the hot temperatures there.”

It’s not that Bayliss is slow around Brno, because in 2003 he produced one of his best MotoGP performances there, jostling with Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau the whole way. He eventually finished third, just 0.668secs behind the victorious Rossi.

Bayliss has logged some serious testing miles over the last month.

“We tested at Mugello a few weeks ago and then just last week at Vallelunga too,” said Bayliss. “At Vallelunga we had the chance to test various new tyres, as well as having two days of practice on a track where we’ll race in a couple of months. I was feeling better on the bike than I have done in a while so hopefully that feeling will continue for the coming races.”

Brno has always tested the limits of adhesion, and that’s going to be even more vital this weekend now that the circuit has been resurfaced. Corser, a three-time Brno winner, is acutely aware that tyre choice is going to be critical.

“It will all come down to how many laps we can get out of them (the tyres) at full pace,” said Corser. “We'll see how the track temperature is with the resurfacing, and it's usually a hot weekend over there. Last year Brno wasn't too bad for us at some stages. The bike is certainly better this year as well.”

The resurgent Corser, using Öhlins electronic suspension for the first time, completed the tyre development test at Vallelunga (with the fifth best time behind Ruben Xaus (Ducati), Niccolo Canepa (Ducati), Bayliss and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati).

After a last-start win at Misano and his performance at Vallelunga, Xaus will be one to watch at Brno, as will 20-year-old Italian sensation Canepa, who will compete alongside Bayliss and Fabrizio in the factory team as a wildcard. Canepa was the 2007 Superstock champion.

Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama also show a good turn of speed around Brno, while Haga will be keen to bounce back from an average performance at Misano, especially now that his injured collarbone is nearly 100 percent.

Karl Muggeridge remains 15th in the title on his Honda, but the Aussie is definitely riding well enough to begin inching his way towards the top 10.

The Superbike World Championship began at Donington Park on April 3, 1988, and this weekend's round at Brno will see races 499 and 500.
In world Supersport, Australian Andrew Pitt (Honda) has been in all-conquering form, and is now a 16pt leader over Frenchman Fabien Foret (Yamaha), followed by countrymen Broc Parkes (Yamaha) and Josh Brookes (Honda).

The Aussie trio will all be in the thick of it again, as will British Honda duo Jonathan Rea and Craig Jones, while Newcastle’s Mark Aitchison is on the cusp of placing his rapidly improving Triumph on the podium.

On the other hand, it’s been an underwhelming season for Gary McCoy (Triumph), but the former 500 GP winner cannot be discounted on sheer pedigree alone.