World Superbikes
Jon Germany’s winning story
22 July 2003
At Brands Hatch two years ago we had just gone to our tents to sleep after a long drinking session. We were all woken to a loud voice yelling “You dirty bas**rd what are you doing”. We got up to see what was going on and discovered that my (very drunk) son who was sharing a dome tent with two others, had half-woken up and said to the others sharing the tent, “I need a pee.” “Well go on then, " ...
Put your questions to Neil Hodgson
15 July 2003
You can put your questions to Britain’s Neil Hodgson in the run-up up the Brands Hatch round of the World Superbike championship. Hodgson is still leading the championship by 122 points from factory...
Wildcards lead in WSB qualifying
08 July 2003
AMA Superbike racer Mat Mladin has stormed to provisional pole position for round eight of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca. Mladin, who rides a GSX-R1000 for the Suzuki Yoshimura AMA Superbike team, took the provisional pole with a time of 1:25.219, 0.3 seconds ahead of Yoshimura team mate Aaron Yates. Regis Laconi was the highest placed regular rider sitting in third place on the...
Chili and Xaus share Laguna wins
08 July 2003
Pier-Francesco Chili and Ruben Xaus took one win each at the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca, USA, on Sunday. Brit Neil Hodgson had to settle for second place in both races on his factory Ducati.
Mladin takes pole at Laguna Seca
08 July 2003
Wild-card rider Mat Mladin will start the eighth round of the World Superbike championship on pole with championship leader Neil Hodgson relegated to the second row of the grid. Mladin continued his hot pace from the qualifying sessions to set the fastest lap in the Superpole session. Regis Laconi and Franci Chilli take second and third on the grid followed by Mladin’s Yoshimura AMA Superbike...
WSB future in jeopardy: More details
08 July 2003
The future for World Superbikes looks bleak after manufacturers slammed new rule changes. The Motorcycle Sports Manufacturer Association, whose members include Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Aprilia, has stated " the large majority of the MSMA member companies who were considering entering World Championship SuperBike have reviewed their positions and decided not to enter World...
The MSMA release in full
08 July 2003
The MSMA and each of the individual manufacturers who are members of the MSMA would like to thank the media for all the work they put into covering motorcycle racing and for encouraging so many people to take an interest in, and give their backing to, the sport. On the assumption of implementation with the World Championship SuperBike from 2004, each of the participating manufacturers—members of...
Laguna Seca WSB: Brits abroad gunning for great results
08 July 2003
Neil Hodgson will be gunning for his first ever Laguna Seca win this weekend at round eight of the World Superbike championship. The current championship leader has never won a US round, and he’ll be...
Zongshen 1 wins 12-hour night race
24 June 2003
Zongshen No. 1 has won the fourth round of the World Endurance championship at Albacette in Spain. The 12-hour night race was beset by numerous crashes during the first qualifying sessions as riders...
Xaus does double in Italy
17 June 2003
Factory Ducati rider Reuben Xaus overshadowed team-mate Neil Hodgson with a double win at Misano in Italy. Xaus charged through the pack in race one after a crash by Hodgson upset the established order, with the British rider lowsiding out of a commanding lead on lap one. While Toseland, Laconi and Chili fought for the race, Rueben Xaus was able to get in on the action. In the later stages Laconi...
Foggy chooses Italian replacement for Haydon
17 June 2003
Young Italian Lorenzo Mauri will replace injured Foggy Petronas rider James Haydon for the World Superbike round at Misano this weekend. Mauri comes to the team on the recommendation of factory Ducati...
Hodgson fastest in Misano free practice
17 June 2003
Neil Hodgson has gone fastest in free practice for this weekend’s World Superbike races at Misano in Italy. The factory Ducati rider completed 29 laps, the most in the session, with a best time of...
American Honda opt out of WSB wildcard rides
17 June 2003
American Honda have decided not to field wildcards for the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca on July 13. This will rule out Ben Bostrom, Kurtis Roberts and Miguel DuHamel, all Honda riders in the...
Hodgson rules Misano superpole
17 June 2003
Britain’s Neil Hodgson has once again underlined his control of the World Superbike championship by taking pole position for tomorrow’s races at Misano in Italy. The factory Ducati rider has put his...
Martin on Misano provisional pole
17 June 2003
Australian Steve Martin has put his D.F.X. Ducati 998 on provisional pole for Sunday’s World Superbike races in Misano. Martin posted a best time of 1:35.276, just ahead of Pierfrancesco Chili...
Injured Haydon may not ride at Silverstone
10 June 2003
The first time that the Foggy Petronas World Superbike team races on British soil it could be one rider short. James Haydon is currently awaiting the results of a scan of his neck to see whether he is...
Haydon will miss Silverstone
10 June 2003
Foggy Petronas rider James Haydon will be forced to sit out the World Superbike round at Silverstone this weekend. The British rider is still suffering from a neck injury after a big crash at the last...
Hodgson fights hard for 11th win
10 June 2003
Neil Hodgson has won both the World Superbike races in the sixth round of the world championship, at Silverstone. The British rider fought through an ongoing infection to win both races in front of...
Brits on form at Silverstone
10 June 2003
John Reynolds and Chris Walker are on the provisional front row for the sixth round of the World Superbike championship at Silverstone. Gregorio Lavilla took the top spot in the first qualifying...
Meet the WSB riders at Silverstone
10 June 2003
You can meet all your favourite riders on Thursday afternoon when the World Superbike paddock at Silverstone is opened to the public. Entry to the paddock will be free of charge. You be able to watch...
Pole for Hodgson – Kagayama second
10 June 2003
Neil Hodgson has taken pole position for the sixth round of the World Superbike championship at Silverstone. Hodgson started the weekend badly, still recovering from a throat infection and trying out...
Renegade and Rizla wildcards at Silverstone WSB
10 June 2003
Renegade Ducati and Rizla Suzuki have both entered their riders as wildcards in the British round of the World Superbike championship at Silverstone this weekend. Suzuki riders John Reynolds and Yukio...
Brits dominate at Silverstone
10 June 2003
British riders are dominating the top of the timesheets after the first practice session in the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship, at Silverstone, with Frenchman Regis Laconi the only...
Toseland takes first win in WSB
01 June 2003
Neil Hodgson equalled Colin Edwards nine-race winning streak at the fifth round of the World Superbike championship in Oschersleben, Germany, but it was James Toseland that impressed the most,...
Brits head first practice at Oschersleben
27 May 2003
Neil Hodgson is leading the times from the first free practice for the Oschersleben WSB round this weekend. The works Ducati rider completed 25 laps with a best time of 1:28.349. James Toseland is...
Hodgson takes pole after near crash
27 May 2003
Neil Hodgson has taken his fourth pole position at the fifth round of the World Superbike championship in Oschersleben, Germany, setting the best time of the session on his final lap. A heavy rain...
Suzuki fill World Endurance podium
27 May 2003
Suzuki dominated the second round of the World Endurance championship in Assen at the weekend with al three Podium places taken up by GSX-R1000 riders. The 200 mile race was close throughout with the...
Chili on provisional pole: Hodgson seventh
27 May 2003
A rejuvenated Pier-Francesco Chili has qualified on provisional poleafter the end of Friday’s first qualifying for Sunday’s round five of the World Superbike Championship at Oschersleben. Chili...
Laconi tops fast practice session at Monza
13 May 2003
The first free practice session at the Monza World Superbike round has finished with Regis Laconi heading the table on his Ducati 998RS with a time of 1:47.976, just 0.5 seconds outside Troy Bayliss’...
Crash sees Xaus miss Superpole
13 May 2003
Ruben Xaus crashed out of the second qualifying session for round four of the World Superbike championship in Monza. The factory Ducati rider was following Bertocchi Kawasaki’s Ivan Clementi when...
Hodgson does the double in Italy
13 May 2003
Neil Hodgson claimed a seventh and eighth consecutive victory at Monza in Italy today. The first race was a historic event as it marked Ducati’s 200th victory. Hodgson has also surpassed the six...
Hodgson fastest in wet Superpole
13 May 2003
The rain caused havoc for the Superpole session at the fourth round of the World Superbike championship at Monza, Italy. It began to pour down half way through the session while Gregorio Lavilla was...
Things heat up at Monza
13 May 2003
Increased temperatures saw times drop in the first qualifying session at round four of the World Superbike champioship at Monza despite the fact that all the teams are still looking for a proper setup...
Endurance win for Zongshen
06 May 2003
The first round of the FIM World Endurance championship kicked of in Imola this weekend with the Zongshen No.1 Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Warwick Nowland and Stephane Mertens taking the win. Suzuki GB Phase...
Wild-cards threaten Ducati’s winning streak
22 April 2003
The Fila Ducati team will be looking to continue their winning streak at the third round of the World Superbike champioship at Sugo, Japan, this weekend but all the riders in the championship are...
Laconi takes pole at Sugo
22 April 2003
Regis Laconi took a surprise pole position in today’s Superpole session at round three of the World Superbike championship in Sugo, Japan. The French rider – whose only Superbike podium was when he...