World Superbike News

Karl Muggeridge - 2008

The 2004 World Supersport champion Karl Muggeridge, is to race for the Celani Team who are making their comeback in World Superbikes series for 2009.

The Suzuki team ‘Celani’ will have the backing of Alstare for the preparation of the all new GSX-R1000 K9 which is to be ridden by the 34-year-old Australian.

After several years in Motocross, Muggeridge turned to circuit racing in 1994 on a 250cc Suzuki, he then went on to race an assortment of bikes, mostly 600cc Supersport machines.

He moved up to the Supersport World Championship in 2000 after spending two-years in the British Championship and then in 2004 won seven races and qualified eight times in pole position for the Ten Kate Honda team.

In 2005, the Ten Kate Honda WSB team extended their riders to two and Muggeridge joined Chris Vermeulen, who had won the title for the team in 2003.

Things didn’t go well in 2005 when the Australian finished the season down in eleventh place and then in 2006 after suffering back injuries he ended the year in twelfth place.

He lost his ride in 2007 and was instead offered a ride in the Supersport World Championship for the team, however, he stayed with the WSBK series and moved to the Alto Evolution team alongside Josh Brookes.

After a crash in practice at his home track he was unable to compete in the race and then crashed again at Monza after starting in sixth position.  The whole team were out of contention at the Misano round after legal issues arose and then Brookes left the team, but Muggeridge returned to the track at Brno, finishing the season in sixteenth place overall.

Muggeridge has been riding DFXtreme Honda for the 2008 season in the World Superbike series and managed sixth position in both Spain and Italy.