World Superbike News

Leon Haslam - Stiggy Honda Racing 2009

It has been confirmed that the Stiggy Honda team will not be taking part in the 2010 season in either the World Superbike  or the World Supersport series due to financial difficulties.

An official team statement read;

‘The Stiggy Racing Honda team has over its five years of participation been very successful, but nevertheless found itself put in a difficult economic situation and has been forced to withdraw from the World Superbike and World Supersport championships in 2010.

The decision has been made after a close evaluation of the team’s poor economic situation, which was created during this year’s expanded venture by participating in both championship classes, a huge financial project that was poorly executed by the team’s investors as a result of failing to fulfil their financial commitments for the 2009 season.

The Stiggy Racing Honda team has since its beginning shown great potential, starting up in 2005 in the Supersport class, slowly building its ground in the championship and year-by-year advancing to finally set a solid mark as a top contender. The team managed its best result in 2008 by finishing third in the Supersport championship with Joshua Brookes.

Being a private team in a championship like Superbike – consisting of seven factory teams – means not only stiff competition on-track but also an immediate financial weakness, making it very difficult to survive without solid financial back-up and support.

Despite financial disadvantages, the team has been able to achieve incredible performances in its Superbike rookie year, debuting the season with a third-place podium finish and repeating another three podium places during the season including eleven top five finishes – giving Leon Haslam the title of best privateer rider in sixth place in the championship. The team ended the year as the fifth-best ranked team in both SSP and SBK classes in 2009.

‘[This was] a magnificent result by everyone involved with the Stiggy Racing Honda team since its beginning – an achievement to be proud of and one that allows it to finish its career with heads held high.’