WSBK

Readers of this blog should know that I have a passion for cars, like the Mini, and obviously motorcycles. This passion is not limited to the actual machines, but also racing. For a very long time I was a hard-core fan of Formula 1 racing, but unfortunately money ended up corrupting this sport to an extent that I simply lost interest. Luckily there is still motorcycle racing, a motor-sport that has suffered as well from being corrupted by money, but that has nevertheless been able to maintain a level of pure passion through the mindset of the riders. It takes something special to become a world class motorcycle racer, and for having known some of them, and been a fan of many more, my passion for what they do remains intact.

It is with considerable anticipation then that I am able to tune in to the first major race of the year. Traditionally the World Superbike Championship, or WSBK, kicks off at Philip Island in late February. Apart from being eager to finally get to watch some motorcycle racing after the long winter break, this track is by far my favorite for several reasons. For starters, most racers will agree that it is one of the last pure motorcycle tracks available, with fast sweeping corners almost all the way. It is an old-school track, and only the best really get to the top here. Because of its layout, the racing is always good too.

The other main reason I so love this track is that I know it intimately for having ridden here myself. Roughly ten years ago, I went there to partake in the superbike school in an effort to improve my own riding skills, and to experience the thrill of racing around a proper track. After spending two full days completing the first two levels of the superbike school, I then came back to the track a couple of years later to complete the remaining two levels of the school so as to be able to comfortably go around the track at speed, emulating those racing heroes of mine. Having learnt all the intricacies of the track, I have been able to better understand what it means to race there, and as I sit comfortably in front of my TV and watch a race there, I know how it feels to come in to Doohan corner at full speed, then flick the bike over to the other side to fly through the double apex corner of the Southern Loop. Accelerating hard then up through the recently baptized Stoner corner, where the top racers have the rear of the bike slide out while going 230kmh, and then stand on the brakes to slow down enough to get through the Honda hairpin. Exiting the hairpin, there is a short straight to get some speed, and then you hit Siberia to turn left up through the sweeping Hayshed where again you are nearly flat out but leaning over as far as you can to make it through. Next you go up over Lukey Heights as you turn right. As you pass the blind crest, you again sit up with your heart in your throat because the MG hairpin is suddenly right there and it is time to flick the bike to your right as hard as you can. From here on there is a wonderful succession of left hand corners that gradually open up and lead you back to the start/finish straight and time to fully open up the bike.

I know the track by heart, and can race around it in my mind, timing myself to pretty much the same lap times I can accomplish on a 600 Supersport bike. Sometimes, to relax, I close my eyes and let my mind go there, doing lap after lap until I fall asleep. I can feel my knees touching down in the corners, and my body being pressed on to the bike as I try to accelerate harder in a corner. I always lose my nerve as I approach Doohan, and slow down too much, kicking myself when I am finally in the corner as I know I could have gone faster. It is just the sloping hill leading towards the Bass Straight that scares me each and every time, but it helps me then take the Southern Loop with even more rage. Charging up through Stoner curve is always thrilling as this is a very fast one, but it is also humbling as here the black marks left by the racers tells you just how much they are sliding while going through, and so suddenly you feel like you are crawling in comparison. The Honda hairpin is a bit of a mixed bag; sometimes I get it spot on and it feels great, whereas other times you get the fear of going too fast before leaning in, causing you to get back on the brakes just a little bit more. You don’t actually need that extra brake, but by now your mind is playing tricks on you so there is no way you manage to get through smoothly. But you get the picture, if I close my eyes I am there!

So, this last weekend the WSBK championship for 2015 kicked off. It was with extra anticipation that I sat down to watch the two races though for two main reasons. First of all, a good friend of mine has worked through the winter in getting an all-new set of rules out resulting in perhaps slightly slower lap times but also an evening out of the performance of the various bikes. Secondly most of the riders have been switched around on the various bikes. Yes, Sykes is still on a Kawasaki, but he has been joined there by Johnny Rea after a long stint with Honda. Guintoli has taken his No.1 from Aprilia and placed it on the Honda vacated by Johnny. Leon Haslam has moved to Aprilia and Chaz Davies is now on a Ducati. Oh and retired legend Troy Bayliss was back with a wild card for the first round at nearly 46 years old! That makes him older than I was last time I rode at Philip Island!

There have been times in the past when I may have struggled a bit to keep my eyes open all through one of these races, but not so last Sunday! Both races were incredibly intense, with a tight group of some 7 or eight riders being very closely matched on different machinery. If we include the fact that Suzuki had dominated in practice, we then find Kawasaki, Honda, Aprilia and Ducati evenly matched. That makes for 5 different top brands with very good chances to win races and ultimately the championship, with some added entertainment from MV Agusta and EBR (yep, that stands for Eric Buell Racing!). It is a pity that BMW has pulled their factory support as I have no doubt they would be equally in the mix as well.

The rule changes certainly seem to be a success, for the racing was exceptional. Granted, Philip Island usually does bring good races due to its flowing layout, but the rules certainly have not messed things up. And the factory teams are up to the challenge!

Now bring on the rest…