Blog: Brits on the superbike world stage

After 14 rounds in 12 countries across five continents you’d think that the WSB paddock would be ready for a winter break, but after witnessing the two-day test at Portimao I personally can’t wait for the season opener at Phillip Island in February.

Standing on pit wall on the final afternoon of the test gave me butterflies thinking about just how cool next year’s championship in going to be.

In under two minutes stood trackside, this is what I witnessed: Ten Kate Honda man Jonathan Rea bursting into view over the crest at the beginning of the front straight.

His 230bhp Honda Fireblade howling with the 22-year-old perfectly poised and tucked and on his way to another pace setting lap.

A split-second later James Toseland emerges, the distinctive note of the crossplane crank Yamaha at full chat as he desperately tries to pick-up the tow of Rea down the 835-metre straight.

As I watch in awe of the two men disappearing, coming back four gears under braking for turn one, and I’m thinking how good it’s going to be to see Rea and Toseland go head-to-head next year, Haslam bursts into sight on his all black, 2010-spec, screaming GSX-R1000 and man does this thing look fast.

Seconds later it’s the wail of the stunning Aprilia RSV4 with Camier on board. Unlike the others he takes a sweeping curve that brings him close to the pit wall before reverting to the other side of the track for the approach to turn one.

For a split second there is silence and I look behind me to see Tom Sykes leaving his garage on the factory Kawasaki, while Gino Rea and James Ellison lurk outside the Yamaha WSS pit following their rides earlier in the day.

My attention is quickly drawn to the exhaust note another Yamaha on full noise as Crutchlow explodes into view,  already looking fast, menacing, yet comfortable on the factory superbike.

The competition between the Brits, never mind the rest of the riders is going to be intense next year.

The stakes are high because they know that they are at a level where one of them could be crowned the next World Superbike Champion.

I’m not expecting them to become or even remain good friends next year because it’s hard to see how that could ever be possible when the stakes are so high.

Each man wants the accolade of being the UK’s best and, for the first time, they are all going to be in the same place so there can be no arguments.

There’s never been such an abundance of British talent in a world championship, which is good news for each and every one of us.

I just hope that there is not so much in-fighting that they forget about the real challenge of becoming world champion.

Who’s your money on?