British Superbikes - suddenly becoming very exciting!

Not so long ago, the British Superbike championship appeared to be all over for the season. Gregorio Lavilla romped to win after win, Airwaves Ducati looked unbeatable. Kiyonari fans like myself despaired weekend after weekend as the unstoppable Spanish juggernaut carried on like some relentless annoying thing.

Well, recently Mr Lavilla has slipped. And slipped badly. It appears he can't stay on his bike. And Kiyo is really hitting his stride. Leon Haslam keeps banging in the results, though appears to have no plans to win a race. ;)

As a result, the championship looks like this:

Kiyonari 274
Haslam 269
Lavilla 260

Roll on the next races! It's gonna be a hell of a climax!

I love British Superbikes!

I wouldnt say Lavilla cannot stay on his bike really, the Champ has had a couple of crashes yes but no more than anyone else. He has though had asome very bad luck, his bike ingested a stone in Scotland which stoped the bike, and the clutch packed up at Oulton which stopped him aswell, so yes the otehrs have raised their game but i hope that Greg can at least race themn from now on without mechanical problems getting in the way.
Kiyo is gonna take some stopping thoughm that bike is humming right now, lets hope he doesnt do anything silly at Suuzuka!

TWO British Superbike fans! :laugh:

I wasn't criticising Lavilla there, just my typical exaggeration thing!

Lavilla will hopefully get back to his imperious best. It could be an awesome fight between him and Kiyo. And if those two slip up, Haslam is waiting in the wings.

Tense stuff.

TWO British Superbike fans! :laugh:



Make that three...

When Kiyo came into the series, he was so exciting to watch... good to see his fire is cooking again! As for Leon Haslam, maybe he needed a bit of time to get the measure of Gregorio, but on last weekend's performance, he's well matched now. That must be a tense little space, in the Airwaves pit!

I havent seen much BSB this year since it moved to ITV, but I caught this weekend's first race and it looked excellent. I must try and get back into this for the remainder of the season.

Thing is the press keep going on about Leon not winning! And it really annoys me, you would think the lad has never won a race before, he won in 04 on a Duke on Pirellis at Brands and won arces last year after playing the team game with Lavilla when he was clearly quicker at the end of the year!
think its great to see Shakey get a win at last, and also its interesting to note that Kag got a double at Brno! Maybe Suzuki at last got thier bike sorted!

I don't dig Shakey. I don't reckon he is all that fast. And you know why? I reckon if I got on Steve Hislop's bike i'd be winning races too.

And that Brands thing, home town advantage with home town tyres. Puh-leease.

;)

I don't dig Shakey. I don't reckon he is all that fast. And you know why? I reckon if I got on Steve Hislop's bike i'd be winning races too.




The Sheppey boy rules! Well, maybe not... Maybe as a rider he's a bit unpredictable, but when he is on a roll, then he 's great to watch. But I like him as a character too. Its rare to hear him kvetch about anything... throw any **** at him (literally if you think about the team pulling those stolen bikes out of a pile of manure) and he laughs it off and just gets on with the job.

Can't knock Shakey at all. Not my favourite but he has my respect.

We move onto Croft for the latest BSB rounds.

The grid looks well set.

Johnny Rea took the pole followed by the three title protagonists, Haslam, Kiyonari and Lavilla in that order.

Couldn't ask for much more really.

Rea on pole - that's interesting. He's been pushing in that nether zone just outside of a podium place for the last few races at least.

I think Rea is a bit of like Hodgson used to be in his early days, seems to able to qualify real well but then cant seem to keep that same apce up for the rest of the race!

But he is very young and maybe the fact he is on Dunlops dosnt help as the factory HM Plant team run Michelin and they get more setup information praps.

Great stuff too from a real talent Simon Andrews 9th on the grid on a private R1!

Lets see if ITV coverage is any good this afternoon!

Race 2 - So did Karl Harris slow down too much or was Haslem just a man on a mission with the tyres for the job? Breathtaking display from both of them. Live timing doesn't seem to be working on the bsb site, but I'd like to have a look at laptimes for those last few laps.

Kiyonari 310
Haslam 307
Lavilla 292

Still very close! Well done Leon on that first win!

Amazing laps from Leon Haslam at the end, I thought the speed he appeared to be carrying it was all going to end in tears, but well done to him.

2nd race was really good this weekend, didn't think the first race was that exciting.

However, I think the championship will be decided at Brands Hatch and it will probably be in the 2nd race as well, with double points being rewarded.

My money is on Kiyo as he seems the fastest in the dry. Still, I hope Leo is gonna pull something out of the bag and run away with it (in the last race :) ).

I'm still rooting for Kiyo. But I must say, it has surprised me that he has managed to nab the lead after the start Airwaves Ducati had. It has been a sensational comeback.

After watching the footage of thre races inbetween bouts of SJY afflicted satellite disease!
Its become apparent that Michelin have pretty much built a tyre for Kiyo to use in the UK and he didnt get that tyre til a bit into the season, hence his sudden upturn in form as a result of that!

Would love to see him and Noda win it actually, even though they are money no object!

Also great to see Emmett win Supersport race!!

that double points thing is ridiculous, by the way - caused by the cancelled Mondello Park races, but a completely artificial way of affecting the championship. If whoever wins the title does it purely due to extra points from that, it will leave a pretty bad taste.

As for Shaky, he won a lot more races on the bike in one season than Hizzy did. Don't forget his success in 2001 as a privateer, or his domination of Haydon when both have been fit this year (not very often, but Haydon is totally crash-prone).

I dont know about that, I think it adds a lot to the weekend, to everyone I know that wants to go it is all they are talking about really!

And riders are still in control of their destiny really, it only really gets bad if someone is like 80 points in front and then would have still won the title with the two races left if they didnt finish either race.

I think it adds a bit of spice to the end of the season and you can be sure the action will ba superb. More championships should have a go at this, it might be a bit false but those of us paying 25 quid plus wnat to see entertaiunment and riders racing flat out not cruising for points maybe??

Why should a rider with a lead of more than 50 poitns go into the last round with the title still up for grabs, when he has done all the hard work? A double points round should be longer, or different in some other way.

It does seem completely daft and ill advised. I have the feeling we will see a season of hard work thrown away for someone through this daft 50 points per race farce.

I'm still rooting for Kiyo. But I must say, it has surprised me that he has managed to nab the lead after the start Airwaves Ducati had. It has been a sensational comeback.


I haven't really watched BSB this year but this seems like a total role reversal of 2005, when Kiyonari was dominant early on and then Lavilla came back to win the title at the end.

Kiyo did injure himself last year though.

Kiyo did injure himself last year though.

True, but he was leading the championship with 2 rounds to go.

I am from the forms of racing where entertainment is the key though so maybe that explains why i think this is a good idea.

I mean if you go in with a fifty point lead you are obviously pretty handy on a superbike so you are not gonna suddenly slump to scoring a couple of ninths are you!

And the riders and teams cant be that bothered about it can they coz I dont think there were too many complaints!

Things have opened up again, as Airwaves Ducati dominated at cadwell park today.

Haslam 352
Lavilla 337
Kiyonari 326

Kiyo retired in race two.

But with the double points in the final round, I guess it is actually still very close barring some odd results in the penultimate rounds.

With double points, that order could easily change. It will be a thrilling end to what has become a very thrilling title chase.

I havent seen much BSB this year since it moved to ITV, but I caught this weekend's first race and it looked excellent. I must try and get back into this for the remainder of the season.Ditto, except in my case I didn't catch up with the coverage until Cadwell.

I'm sure BSB gets better viewing figures by being on terestrial TV, and the production costs will be less but it's nor the same as seeing it live, is it?

Ditto, except in my case I didn't catch up with the coverage until Cadwell.

I'm sure BSB gets better viewing figures by being on terestrial TV, and the production costs will be less but it's nor the same as seeing it live, is it?True enough but I've got the English Channel between me and the nearest permanent circuit so it'll have to do ;)

The two Silverstone races have been completed today.

A double win for Kiyonari, from Lavilla. Haslam dropped the ball a little with a DNF in race one and a 3rd place in race two.

New standings going into the final round:

Lavilla 377
Kiyonari 376
Haslam 368

Nicely poised and I can't wait! I wish they were using the normal points though, it'd be even better!

Onlly eight points covering Byrne, Rea and Harris for 4th place as well. I just hope the double-p-oints system doens't change the outcome too much.

Great pair of races from Kiyo though, thigns have really turned around again.

I liked the "Black Mint Airwaves" livery GSE were running. Very nice!

It's ok, but I preferred the red livery. From a distance it is hard to make out a difference between that bike and the HM Plant Hondas. Maybe it's just me...

Regarding the championship...it is so changeable right now that any of those 3 riders could easily win it. It will certainly be an exciting final round.

Finally got to see the Brands races yesterday. Well done Kiyo! Completely deserved champion. :beer:

Haslam endurede a frustrating time, but really it would have been irritating if he had won the title. People who finish second all year are dull.

Lavilla had a total nightmare, nil points.

All took place in changing conditions. Rain, no rain, rain. Madness and thrilling.

Roll on 2007!

Was bloody awful mate I can tell you, i think i put up and put down my brolly at least ten times.
Forst race was inside of Druids and saw Shakeyts crash which was horrid, then moved to the bottom of Hailwood Hill, sitting there on the inside of the bend in a hail storm, avoiding falling trees!

Strangely enough I was in the car about ten minutes, I ahve done my time watching anything in the rain and it was no fun, especially trying to get up the hills in trainers!

Sahme for BSB though that both races were red flagged! Pressure was mounting coz of the stoppages though I think