British Superbike Championship

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BSB logo.gif
British Superbike Championship
Teams 5 manufacturers
Sport Motorcycle sport
Founded 1988
Country United Kingdom
Champion 22px-Flag of Japan.pngRyuichi Kiyonari (Rider)
22px-Flag of Japan.pngHonda (Manufacturer)

The British Superbike Championship series is the leading motorcycle racing championship in the United Kingdom.

The Series, known to most as "BSB", is managed and organised by MCRCB-Events. The commercial and television rights have been delegated to DORNA UK Limited, part of the wider DORNA Sports group which is the commercial and television rights holder of MotoGP.

The Series and Race Director is Stuart Higgs. Event marshals are provided by the Racesafe Marshals Association.

In 2007 it features 13 meetings, including a single overseas event at Mondello Park in Ireland, each featuring 2 races. Races are covered live by ITV and Sky Sports, with sponsorship from Bennetts bike insurance. The grids usually consist of more than 30 riders, consisting of production-based bikes from Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Most teams use Dunlop tyres, although Pirelli and Michelin also feature. Team sponsors include Eddie Stobart trucking, Airwaves chewing gun and Rizla tobacco paper.

A "Cup" class exists for riders running in privately owned teams; past champions of this include Shane Byrne in 2001, and James Ellison in 2004. There is also a Manufacturer's Championship, in which the top bike from each constructor scores.

In 2005, the overall championship was won by Spanish rider Gregorio Lavilla on a Ducati 999 F04 (1000cc vee-twin), ahead of 1000cc in-line four Hondas ridden by Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari and Michael Rutter. 2004 champion John Reynolds endured an injury-hit season, after which the veteran (he also won the 1992 and 2001 championships) announced his retirement from racing. The 2003 champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne returned to the series for 2006 on the Suzuki Reynolds vacated.

The 2006 British Superbike season was won by Kiyonari at the final round in Brands Hatch in front of a capacity crowd and a reported 1.5 million Live TV viewers. Second was Leon Haslam with Lavilla third.

Niall Mackenzie was the most successful rider of the 1990s, with three titles. Other past champions include Neil Hodgson, Australian Troy Bayliss and Steve Hislop. Chris 'the Stalker' Walker has finished as runner up 4 times. Many riders from the series have gone on to race in World Superbikes or MotoGP.

BSB Superbike Champions

Year Series Rider Country Bike Team Notes
1987 Superbike 22px-Flag of Wales 2.png Gavin Bennett Wales Ducati Gavin went on to race snails professionally across the pub circuit
1988 750cc / TT F1 22px-Flag of England.png Darren Dixon England Suzuki Dixon went on to pilot sidecars alongside passenger Andy Hetherington
1989 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Brian Morrison Scotland Honda
1990 750cc / TT F1 22px-Flag of England.png Terry Rymer England Yamaha
1991 750cc / TT F1 22px-Flag of England.png Rob McElnea England Yamaha
1992 750cc / TT F1 22px-Flag of England.png John Reynolds England Kawasaki
1993 Superbike 22px-Flag of England.png James Whitham England Yamaha Fast Orange
1994 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Ian Simpson Scotland Norton rotary F1
1995 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Steve Hislop Scotland Ducati 916/955 Devimead Whitham was suffering from/treated for Hodgkin's_Disease, a form of cancer
1996 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Niall Mackenzie Scotland Yamaha YZF750
1997 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Niall Mackenzie Scotland Yamaha YZF750 Cadbury's Boost
1998 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Niall Mackenzie Scotland Yamaha YZF750 Cadbury's Boost Included a total of 387 points, 6 race wins, 1 pole position, from 24 races
1999 Superbike 22px-Flag of Australia.png Troy Bayliss Australia Ducati 996 INS GSE Included a total of 394 points, 7 race wins, 6 pole positions, from 24 races
2000 Superbike 22px-Flag of England.png Neil Hodgson England Ducati 996 INS GSE Included a total of 422 points, 7 race wins, 5 pole positions, from 24 races
2001 Superbike 22px-Flag of England.png John Reynolds England Ducati 996 RS Reve Red Bull Included a total of 536 points
2002 Superbike 22px-Flag of Scotland.png Steve Hislop Scotland Ducati 998 RS Paul Bird MonsterMob Included a total of 452 points, 8 race wins, 5 pole positions, 17 podiums, & 1 dnf, from 26 races
2003 Superbike 22px-Flag of England.png Shane 'Shakey' Byrne England Ducati 998 F02 Paul Bird MonsterMob Included a total of 488 points, 12 race wins, 5 pole positions, 21 podiums, & 1 dnf, from 24 races
2004 Superbike 22px-Flag of England.png John Reynolds England Suzuki GSX-R1000 Crescent Q8 Rizla Included a total of 446 points, from 26 races
2005 Superbike 22px-Flag of Spain.png Gregorio Lavilla Spain Ducati 999 F04 Airwaves GSE Reynolds injured in pre-season testing. Included a total of 461 points, from 26 races
2006 Superbike 22px-Flag of Japan.png Ryuichi Kiyonari Japan Honda CBR1000RR FireBlade HM Plant HRC Included a total of 466 points, 11 race wins, from 26 races
2007 Superbike 22px-Flag of Japan.png Ryuichi Kiyonari Japan Honda CBR1000RR FireBlade HM Plant HRC Included a total of 433 points, 8 race wins, from 26 races
2008 Superbike

See Also

References