World Superbike News

Noriyuki Haga 2009

This weekend the World Superbike Championship goes to the Losail circuit in Qatar for it’s second of the fourteen rounds scheduled for the 2009 season.

Stiggy Honda rider Leon Haslam has raised concerns about tyres in the blistering desert heat but is confident he and the team will select the right front tyre and set-up for the race.

Troy Corser, BMW rider, thinks that he and team-mate Ruben Xaus will struggle at the Losail circuit as the team have no data on the track.  The high temperatures in the desert are a concern for all the teams but the BMW are ready to give it 100% .

Jonathan Rea, the Ten Kate Honda rider, likes the Qatar track and admits to knowing the circuit pretty well.  The Irish rider suffered with tyre wear problems at Phillip Island and is well aware of the need to keep his eye on the rubber as the weekend progresses.

With a win and a second place, Noriyuki Haga is going for the top spot this weekend on the Xerox Ducati and has said that his aim is now to win every race.  The Japanese rider is thought to be the favourite to win the World Superbike Championship this year.

Althea Honda rider Tommy Hill, also suffered with tyre problems in the opening round of the championship and is this weekend hoping for a couple of top ten places.

Kawasaki riders Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada, had a disappointing outing in Australia after suffering from a severe chatter problem on their machines.

Both riders feel that the team has a lot of development issues that still need to be overcome before they can get on the pace of rival teams.

A total of 41 riders were fined for breaking the pit lane speed limit at Phillip Island last month after a new system was put in place which each rider had his times and speed calculated in each of five set-up sections.  Each rider was fined £140 and all were over the limit in the final of the five sections as they accelerated onto the track.