End of month Superbikes overview - April 05
With April coming to an end , 2onT takes a look at the world scene, and how the manufacturers are doing so far in 2005.
Suzuki - undoubtedly the new K5 GSXR1000 has been the bike to be on in two of the three main series in the world. Had John Reynolds not broken his leg in pre-season testing, it may well have been a clean sweep for Suzuki. But so fast has young Riyuchi Kiyonari been on the 05 CBR1000RR, JR may not have had it all his own way. Looking at how team mate Scott Smart has struggled, indicates Rizla Suzuki have not got the job done in the same way they did last year. One can only wonder at what difference Paul Denning leaving to look after the Suzuki MotoGP effort has made. Looking across the pond, Mat Mladin has been utterly dominant in the AMA, taking an easy double at Barbour Motorsports Park last weekend. It was great to see him pushing the bike to 100% in Race 1 as he went past team mate Aaron Yates on the brakes into turn 1, then gunning it round the downhill right hander to ensure the move stuck. Thereafter he just eased away, and his comments after the race confirmed that he was riding within himself but still pulling a second a lap on the rest of the field. One can only hope the Hondas or Neil Hodgson can raise their game to give the Aussie some competition.
Much the same can be said of Troy Corser on the Alstare Corona Suzuki in WSB. Like Mladin, he is consistently the quickest in qualifying and racing by a distance, and like his fellow Aussie, he doesn't look like he's pushing anywhere near to his limit in the races. They are both setting themselves targets of gaining between 6 and 10 second gaps on the field, and then easing it back to preserve the tyres and bringing it home. These two are nailed on favourites to take their respective titles, and surely only some tyre issues or injuries might prevent them becoming champions again.
Honda - Fantastic start to the season in BSB, Kiyo's only competition seemed to be his team mate until he crashed at Mallory. It will be interesting to see how he goes when he comes back at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday. Will he be more cautious, and will his confidence have taken a knock? It seemed to happen last year, when he went into a serious mid-season dip in form, after a good start. The rest of the field will be hoping so, especially Michael Rutter, who has been desperate to beat Kiyo on equal machinery. He is clearly thinking this is his best opportunity ever to take the BSB title, that has so far eluded him. The advantage the Michelin tyres are giving the HM Plant Hondas is quite obvious, and Rutter must be thinking this could be his year.
Its been a disappointing start to the season in the AMA, with Jake Zemke and Kurtis Roberts suffering bike failures at Barbour, and Duhamel only coming home in fourth. Its strange the way the BSB team seems to have got it all sorted, but the American Hondas are suffering mechanically. They will be hoping for better. In WSB - Vermeulen on the Winston Ten Kate bike will be their big hope, although in young Max Neukirchner, they may have found a star of the future.
Ducati - So many teams have left the Italian factory this year, Ducati have gone from having too many satellite teams to too few. Airwaves Ducati in BSB have had a great start to the season, with Supersub Gregorio Lavilla showing everyone what a superb rider he is, to the point when the team hired him full time, at the expense of James Haydon ( who has got a chance to impress on the Rizla Suzuki at Oulton). The GSE team run by Colin Wright is one of the most professional in the paddock, and they may well be Hondas closest challengers this year.
Things have gone quite well for Neil Hodgson in the AMA. He has established himself as one of the quick guys, regularly running at the sharp end and finishing on the podium, taking second and fourth at Barbour last weekend. His performances have vindicated Ducati's decision to send him to the States, as team mate Eric Bostrom is still well off the pace, so Ducati needed a rider who would be quick from the get go on the V twin.
As for WSB, what a disaster ! Laconi is challenging for podiums like Hodgson, but he looks beaten by a fast Aussie on a Suzuki as well, and did not start at Valencia, after crashing in warm up. As for world champion James Toseland, this has been an absolute nightmare of a season's start. How embarrassing for the man with the No 1 plate to be qualifying and running in 24th position at Valencia in race 2. He was caught up in someone elses accident at turn 1 and ran off the track, scoring no points again. Has a world champion ever been sacked ?
Yamaha - the big bang engine is certainly an interesting development in BSB, with Emmett getting along quite well with it. He is challenging for podiums, if not wins.They may be disappointed with the R1's performance in WSB. They have two strong teams, four strong riders, but none of them have looked like challenging the Suzuki. Norrick Abe had a great ride at Valencia, and looked like he would have finished second, had he not come upon a difficult to pass Chris Vermeulen on the Winston Ten Kate Honda. Having followed him closely for lap after lap, he could find no way past, and then went down at an innocuous looking right hander in the infield. Andrew Pitt has been consistently quick in qualifying and at the start of races, but tends to fade or crash. Gimbert has doesn't much, and will be looking forward to his home round. Nori Haga is doubtless Yamaha's No 1 rider and will have been their main hope for the title, but its been a disappointing start, with Nori having only 40 points, 101 points behind Corser. Everyone at Yamaha will be hoping he can raise his game.
Kawasaki - Chris Walker performed fantastically well at Valencia, and everyone in his PSG team will have been delighted with his third and fourth position finishes. If he can keep this up, he may end up on a truly world beating bike next year, and have a genuine chance of a title challenge. One wonders if Scott Smart regrets leaving Hawk in BSB. His replacement Dean Thomas had the beating of him at Mallory. Glen Richards had a tremendous meeting, bagging two seconds and being the only man to get anywhere near the pace of the HM Plant Hondas. Lets hope Glen and Hawk can turn it up a notch, and give them a real run for their money - even beat them and get his first BSB win before long.
Pete Morrison - 27 - 4 - 05
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