Submitted by David Emmett on
The addition of the EVO category to the World Superbike class has had the hoped-for effect on the grid. From a modest entry list of 19 riders last year, the grid is up to a healthy 27 entries for 2014. The number of manufacturers has increased as well, up to 9, with MV Agusta, EBR (Erik Buell's latest venture) and Bimota all taking part, racing this year under the EVO banner. Bimota's entry is still provisional, subject to homologation of the BMW-based BB3 being approved.
The gamble of introducing a cheaper, lower-spec form of racing appears to have paid off, with 12 riders entered in the EVO category. Like the CRT class in MotoGP, the EVO category makes competing cheaper, with tuning restrictions closer to Superstock levels on engines, while chassis regulations remain the same as for the full SBK class entries.
The expansion in the World Superbike class has been partially at the expense of World Supersport, with teams such as Team Toth and Yakhnich using the opportunity to move up to WSBK. The World Supersport field is down to 23 entries, after years of fields of 30+ riders. The list of manufacturers in WSS is shorter, with just Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and MV Agusta represented. The World Superbike and World Supersport entry lists are shown below.
The 2014 World Superbike rider line up. The latest, updated list can be found here.
N° | Rider | Nat. | Motorcycle | Class | Team Name |
33 | Marco Melandri | ITA | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Aprilia Racing Team |
50 | Sylvain Guintoli | FRA | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Aprilia Racing Team |
52 | Sylvain Barrier | FRA | BMW S1000 RR | SBK EVO | BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team |
1 | Tom Sykes | GBR | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK | Kawasaki Racing Team |
44 | David Salom | ESP | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Kawasaki Racing Team |
76 | Loris Baz | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK | Kawasaki Racing Team |
22 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | SBK | Voltcom Crescent Suzuki |
58 | Eugene Laverty | IRL | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | SBK | Voltcom Crescent Suzuki |
65 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Honda CBR1000RR | SBK | PATA Honda World Superbike Team |
91 | Leon Haslam | GBR | Honda CBR1000RR | SBK | PATA Honda World Superbike Team |
2 | Christian Iddon | GBR | Bimota BB3 * | SBK EVO | Team ALSTARE |
86 | Ayrton Badovini | ITA | Bimota BB3 * | SBK EVO | Team ALSTARE |
24 | Toni Elias | ESP | Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory | SBK | Red Devils Roma |
59 | Niccolò Canepa | ITA | Ducati Panigale 1199 R | SBK EVO | Althea Racing |
21 | Alessandro Andreozzi | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Team Pedercini |
23 | Luca Scassa | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | Team Pedercini |
32 | Sheridan Morais | RSA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team |
84 | Michel Fabrizio | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team |
10 | Imre Toth | HUN | BMW S1000 RR | SBK | BMW Team Toth |
56 | Peter Sebestyen | HUN | BMW S1000 RR | SBK EVO | BMW Team Toth |
7 | Chaz Davies | GBR | Ducati Panigale 1199R | SBK | Ducati Superbike Team |
34 | Davide Giugliano | ITA | Ducati Panigale 1199R | SBK | Ducati Superbike Team |
9 | Fabien Foret | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | MAHI Racing Team India |
11 | Jeremy Guarnoni | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-10R | SBK EVO | MRS Kawasaki |
71 | Claudio Corti | ITA | MV Agusta F4 RR | SBK | MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport |
20 | Aaron Yates | USA | EBR 1190 RX | SBK | Team Hero EBR |
99 | Geoff May | USA | EBR 1190 RX | SBK | Team Hero EBR |
* STH: Subject to homologation
The 2014 World Supersport rider line up. The latest, updated list can be found here.
N° | Rider | Nat. | Motorcycle | Team Name |
54 | Kenan Sofuoglu | TUR | Kawasaki ZX-6R | MAHI Racing Team India |
16 | Jules Cluzel | FRA | MV Agusta F3 675 | MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport |
65 | Vladimir Leonov | RUS | MV Agusta F3 675 | MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport |
26 | Lorenzo Zanetti | ITA | Honda CBR600RR | PATA Honda World Supersport Team |
60 | Michael van der Mark | NED | Honda CBR600RR | PATA Honda World Supersport Team |
21 | Florian Marino | FRA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres |
99 | Patrick Jacobsen | USA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres |
88 | Kev Coghlan | GBR | Yamaha YZF R6 | DMC Panavto-Yamaha |
161 | Alexey Ivanov | RUS | Yamaha YZF R6 | DMC Panavto-Yamaha |
11 | Christian Gamarino | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | Team GO Eleven |
44 | Roberto Rolfo | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | Team GO Eleven |
24 | Marco Bussolotti | ITA | Honda CBR600RR | Team Lorini |
84 | Riccardo Russo | ITA | Honda CBR600RR | Team Lorini |
4 | Jack Kennedy | IRL | Honda CBR600RR | CIA Insurance Honda |
7 | Nacho Calero | ESP | Honda CBR600RR | CIA Insurance Honda |
5 | Roberto Tamburini | ITA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | San Carlo Puccetti Racing |
61 | Fabio Menghi * tbc | ITA | Yamaha YZF R6 | VFT Racing |
14 | Ratthapark Wilairot | THA | Honda CBR600RR | Core PTR Honda |
TBA ** | Honda CBR600RR | Core PTR Honda | ||
89 | Fraser Rogers | GBR | Honda CBR600RR | Com Plus South Tyneside College SMS |
9 | Tony Coveña | NED | Kawasaki ZX-6R | Kawasaki Ponyexpres Intermoto |
TBA ** | Honda CBR600RR | Lorini Racing Team | ||
19 | Kevin Wahr | GER | Yamaha YZF R6 | Team Wahr by Kraus Racing |
*tbc: To be confirmed
**TBA: To be announced
Comments
shame about WSS
this past year I've been enjoying WSS immensely! Some of the best races of the year happened in that category. I'm happy for Iddon in WSBK but I was really looking forward to seeing him try to take it to Kenan this year! I think van der Mark is my guy this year
Such a shame!
Not one Australian rider to support in the bunch, and that WSS field looks ridiculously light on :(
Number 1!
Great to see that Sykes will wear the number 1 plate this year! Kudos to him! It's so cool to actually see the world champion really visible on the grid, being chased by the rest (or vice versa). Such a pity that so many riders nowadays stubbornly stick to some number they got when they started or had a good season with. Guys, show the outside world what you accomplished last season! Not just to be proud of what you did, but also because it's such a help for the viewers, especially the new ones and the occasional ones (which is where the viewer growth must come from).
Sticking to a number undoubtedly has a bit to do with superstition, but probably more with merchandise sales. As for the latter: It actually would be much better to change the number to whatever your position was the last season, because then it will create a reason to collect a whole series of caps and shirts over the years. So that's a win-win situation, I think.
Next step: make the numbers readable again. That too would be a big help when watching the races.
The ZX-10R's are comming!
I dont think I have ever seen that many Kawi's on the WSBK grid ever?
Seems like it is the preferrred EVO platform. Could bode well for them next year.
US TV Coverage
Any word on this years TV package. Is BEINSPORT going to stream for free again?
Dorna
SBK is now under Dorna control and they have have plans to add a video service (paid, of course) to the series' website.