World Superbikes

Year: ALL

Lavilla steals provisional pole

02 September 2003

Gregorio Lavilla has taken the provisional pole position for Assen World Superbikes beating Chris Walker to the top spot by just over a tenth of a second after the session was red flagged. The first...

Neil Hodgson becomes a father

02 September 2003

Neil Hodgson can start celebrating early after becoming a father today, Tuesday September 2. Holly Hodgson was born a 2:30pm weighing seven pounds after being induced a week early to allow Neil to be present at the birth. Both baby and mother Kathryn are doing fine, allowing dad Neil to concentrate on the World Superbike races at Assen this weekend, which could see the Brit become the world...

Foggy rides again

01 September 2003

Carl Fogarty indulged himself with a few laps in the saddle of the Petronas FP1 during the first day of a two-day private test at Valencia in Spain. ” I am officially old! ” said team boss Fogarty. ...

Send your support for Hodgson

26 August 2003

Britain’s Neil Hodgson is aiming to claim the World Superbike championship at Round 10 in Assen on September 7. And we want your messages of support. The former British Superbike champion has...

Zongshen 1 on pole for Oschersleben 24 hours

19 August 2003

Zongshen 1 will be on pole for the start of the Oschersleben 24 hour World Endurance race after Warick Nowland set the fastest time of the weekend on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Nowland was the only rider to...

Phase One take title lead at Oschersleben 24 Hours

19 August 2003

The British Phase one team have finished second at the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the World Endurance Championship. This moves them into first place in the championship with one round left. The...

Foggy drops Haydon

12 August 2003

James Haydon will not be riding the FP1 in World Superbikes next year after the Foggy Petronas team decided not to renew his contract for 2004. The decision comes after Haydon’s disappointing...

Yamaha signs van den Goorbergh for 2004

05 August 2003

Yamaha has announced Jurgen van den Goorbergh will continue to race for the Yamaha Belgarda team in World Supersport in 2004. The 33-year-old Dutchman is currently second in the championship on an R6.

Suzuka Eight Hour underway

01 August 2003

The opening practice sessions for this weekend’s Suzuka Eight Hour endurance race have begun. Honorary Brit and BSB star Yukio Kagayama and team-mate Atsushi Watanabe recorded the fastest lap of the...

Honda triumph at Suzuka after top three crash

01 August 2003

BSB star Yukio Kagayama lost his chance to win the Suzuka eight-hour endurance race when an oil spill took out his team after just one lap. Kagayama’s team mate Atsushi Watanabe started second on the...

Kagayama second on the grid at Suzuka

01 August 2003

BSB star Yukio Kagayama has qualified in second place for the start of tomorrow’s Suzuka eight-hour endurance race. Kagayama, who has competed in the World Superbike, British Superbike, GP and now...

WSB tyre manufacturer announced

29 July 2003

Pirelli has been officially announced as the manufacturers of the ‘control tyres’ for the Superbike World Championship in 2004 and 2005. The tyre firm will supply rubber for all the teams in the three...

Your pictures and stories from Brands

22 July 2003

Here are all the pictures and stories from Brands submitted by the readers of motorcyclenews.com. if you have any you’d like to share, email them to mcn.online@emap.com. Brands – It’s changed my...

Biggest Brands ever

22 July 2003

A staggering 120,000 people turned up to Brands Hatch to make the WSB round the biggest ever motorcycle meeting in the UK. Even the sun turned up on Sunday, making the weather as hot as the racing,...

The stars

22 July 2003

Here is where you will find our pics of the racers and stars at Brands Hatch. Send your pics to mcn.online@emap.com.

Have you won Brands WSB tickets?

22 July 2003

Are you one of the lucky winners in our Brands WSB ticket giveaway, in association with Bennetts Insurance Services? One winner was selected for sending us the funniest tale from previous Brands events, and two more were selected at random after sending us an email with the answer to our quick question. The funniest story winner is Jon Germany (Jon, could you email mcn.online@emap.com with your...

Alstare 1-2 in free practice

22 July 2003

Fujiwara Katsuaki and Stephane Chambon made it an Alstare Suzuki 1-2 as they set the fastest times in this morning’s World Supersport free practice session at Brands Hatch. The weather conditions had improved significantly from the torrential rain on Friday leaving a dry track for the 600cc machines. Katsuaki put in 21 laps in the 45 minute practice session to take the top spot with a best time of...

Superstock qualifying practice: Two Brits on front row

22 July 2003

James Ellison and Luke Quigley will be starting from the front row for the European Championship Superstock race at Brands Hatch. Pole was taken by Italian Michel Fabrizio, but the two British riders are second and third, with Gianluca Vizziello fourth. Fifth is John Laverty, with Ben Wylie in seventh, Kelvin Reilly ninth, Ben Wilson twelfth and David Gatenby in 28th. Tom Van Looy and Gerry Gepts...

Your essential guide to Brands World Superbikes

22 July 2003

Your essential 16-page guide to Brands World Superbikes is free with MCN, July 23. Find out how you can help Hodgson on his way to victory, and find out why he thinks BSB star Yukio Kagayama will give...

The girls

22 July 2003

Here are all the brolly babes we could find. If you have any more, email them to mcn.online@emap.com.

Chambon takes Supersport Victory

22 July 2003

Stephane Chambon led from start-to-finish to take a commanding World Supersport victory at Brands Hatch. The Suzuki rider posted the fastest lap on his way to building up a 7.045 second lead at the...

Brits dominate in Brands first practice

22 July 2003

Seven out of the top ten riders in today’s World Superbike free practice session at Brands Hatch are British and five of them are wildcards. HM Plant Ducati rider Chris Walker took the fastest time in...

Byrne does Brands double

22 July 2003

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne has done the double at Brands after a scintillating second race. BSB regulars Byrne and John Reynolds made the race their own after early leader Sean Emmett was black-flagged for...

BSB regulars lead WSB qualifying practice

22 July 2003

Shane Byrne has gone fastest in qualifying practice for Sundays WSB races at Brands Hatch. Sean Emmett and John Reynolds complete the provisional front row with Regis Laconi the only WSB regular on the front row. HM Plant riders Toseland and Walker are fifth and sixth, in front of championship leader, factory Ducati rider Neil Hodgson in seventh. Gregorio Lavilla was eighth quickest on the Alstare...

Hodgson answers your questions

22 July 2003

We asked you to send in the questions you would ask World Superbike championship leader Neil Hodgson. Well we’ve taken the best and the factory Ducati rider has taken the time to reply. Read on to...

Reynolds on pole for WSB

22 July 2003

John Reynolds will be on pole position for the start of the World Superbike race at Brands Hatch on Sunday after topping a rain drenched Superpole session. A light rain started just before the session...

Xaus on provisional pole

22 July 2003

Ruben Xaus has taken provisional pole after a very wet first qualifying session for World Superbikes at Brands Hatch. The Fila Ducati rider upped his pace from the mornings practice session knocking a...

Jon Germany’s winning story

22 July 2003

At Brands Hatch two years ago we had just gone to our tents to sleep after a long drinking session. We were all woken to a loud voice yelling “You dirty bas**rd what are you doing”. We got up to see what was going on and discovered that my (very drunk) son who was sharing a dome tent with two others, had half-woken up and said to the others sharing the tent, “I need a pee.” “Well go on then, " ...

Put your questions to Neil Hodgson

15 July 2003

You can put your questions to Britain’s Neil Hodgson in the run-up up the Brands Hatch round of the World Superbike championship. Hodgson is still leading the championship by 122 points from factory...

Wildcards lead in WSB qualifying

08 July 2003

AMA Superbike racer Mat Mladin has stormed to provisional pole position for round eight of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca. Mladin, who rides a GSX-R1000 for the Suzuki Yoshimura AMA Superbike team, took the provisional pole with a time of 1:25.219, 0.3 seconds ahead of Yoshimura team mate Aaron Yates. Regis Laconi was the highest placed regular rider sitting in third place on the...

Chili and Xaus share Laguna wins

08 July 2003

Pier-Francesco Chili and Ruben Xaus took one win each at the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca, USA, on Sunday. Brit Neil Hodgson had to settle for second place in both races on his factory Ducati.

Mladin takes pole at Laguna Seca

08 July 2003

Wild-card rider Mat Mladin will start the eighth round of the World Superbike championship on pole with championship leader Neil Hodgson relegated to the second row of the grid. Mladin continued his hot pace from the qualifying sessions to set the fastest lap in the Superpole session. Regis Laconi and Franci Chilli take second and third on the grid followed by Mladin’s Yoshimura AMA Superbike...

The MSMA release in full

08 July 2003

The MSMA and each of the individual manufacturers who are members of the MSMA would like to thank the media for all the work they put into covering motorcycle racing and for encouraging so many people to take an interest in, and give their backing to, the sport. On the assumption of implementation with the World Championship SuperBike from 2004, each of the participating manufacturers—members of...

WSB future in jeopardy: More details

08 July 2003

The future for World Superbikes looks bleak after manufacturers slammed new rule changes. The Motorcycle Sports Manufacturer Association, whose members include Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Aprilia, has stated " the large majority of the MSMA member companies who were considering entering World Championship SuperBike have reviewed their positions and decided not to enter World...

Laguna Seca WSB: Brits abroad gunning for great results

08 July 2003

Neil Hodgson will be gunning for his first ever Laguna Seca win this weekend at round eight of the World Superbike championship. The current championship leader has never won a US round, and he’ll be...

Zongshen 1 wins 12-hour night race

24 June 2003

Zongshen No. 1 has won the fourth round of the World Endurance championship at Albacette in Spain. The 12-hour night race was beset by numerous crashes during the first qualifying sessions as riders...