Superbike World Championship

The current Superbike FIM World Championship began its history in 1988 at Donington Park in Great Britain and has been a success story ever since it became established as the foremost production-derived race series on two wheels. The mix of affordable global racing on accessible road-based machinery was a seductive amalgam for riders, teams and spectators alike.

Kawasaki was an early winner in the Riders’ Title chase, thanks to Scott Russell in 1993, and there have been a total of 36 race victories stamped with a K, the first from Adrien Morillas in year one. Since then Doug Chandler, Rob Phillis, Aaron Slight, Scott Russell, Anthony Gobert, Akira Yanagawa, Hitoyasu Izutsu and Chris Walker have taken race wins – and in 2011 Tom Sykes added his to the roll of honour on the latest Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. An even wider panoply of riders has contributed to Kawasaki’s current total of 165 WSBK podium places.

Rules and regulations in this ever-evolving class have changed to keep pace with changes in the sportsbike marketplace, but Kawasaki has kept a near constant presence in SBK, whatever path the championship followed.

The regulations which limited multi-cylinder machines to a mere 750cc were changed for the 2003 season, but it was in 2004 that this had a first real influence on the championship, and by 2005 1000cc four-cylinder machines made up the vast majority of the grid. The adoption of control tyres has helped make WSBK racing an even playing field for all manufactures, as every rider has the same tyre options on any individual race weekend. For 2012 a new one-bike-per-rider rule will be brought in, to cut costs for all.

No fewer than seven major manufacturers competed in WSBK in 2010 and 2011 and six will do so again in 2012.

A new racing adventure for Kawasaki and all in SBK will take place this year, as one of the 14 rounds will take place near Moscow in Russia for the first time, as this outward looking series expands once again.

Supersport World Championship

The Supersport FIM World Championship (WSS) was started way back in 1999 and all the main Japanese manufacturers have had won the title along the way; Kawasaki scoring top spot in 2001 with Andrew Pitt. This season the championship will comprise 13 rounds, as this class will not compete at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA on May 30. Supersport will join the fun at the new Moscow Raceway in Russia, making for one more round in the series than in 2011.

In general WSS is even more closely based on road-going machinery than World Superbike is and after a single bike rule was introduced for 2011, the grid has once more grown, with 32 permanent riders registered for the 2012 season.

The chassis of a supersport machine must remain largely as standard, engine tuning is tightly regulated and the control tyres must be approved for highway use – to keep the link to roadbikes as close as possible.

Rules

Briefing

A meeting of sporting or technical character, generally called by the Race Direction, involving riders and/or team managers.

Marshals

The people responsible for signalling to the riders, by means of special flags, and also for assisting them if they come off the track.

Lap chart

The document drawn up by the timing personnel at the end of the race, showing the placings and times of each rider at the end of each lap.

Pit-lane

The lane that runs alongside the circuit and that teams occupy to work on their bikes; also the point from which the riders first take to the track.

Race director

The person responsible for ensuring that the Rules are respected, and for ensuring that practice sessions and the race itself run smoothly.

Entry

Registration for a race. An 'Entry List' is published before each race and lists all the riders who have registered to take part, together with the names of their teams, and the type of motorcycle they will be riding.

Age

The minimum age for participants in a Superbike race is 18.

FIM or F.I.M

The International Motorcycling Federation, the coordinating body for international motorcycle racing.

IMS

Infront Motorsports – Series promoters and organisers, who hold the rights issued by the FIM.

Warm Up Lap

The lap that riders complete before returning to their positions on the starting grid ready for the actual start of the race.

Sighting lap

The lap that riders complete from the pit lane to the starting grid. This lap is not obligatory and riders may choose to push their machines from the pits to the starting grid.

Starting grid

The grid on which riders have to line up to start the race. In Superbike, the starting grid is made up of 4 riders per row. The riders in each row are arranged at intervals, with the fastest in front. Each row is separated by a gap of 9 metres. Positions on the starting grid, determined in qualifying practice and in the superpole session, remain valid for both races in a meeting.

Jump start

Occurs when a rider starts before the starting lights change. Incurs a penalty.

Open paddock

An event that is characteristic of Superbike (and almost unique to it in top level motorcycle racing). On the Thursday before the race, the public are allowed free access to the paddock, where riders hold autograph sessions.

Paddock

The area behind the pits where the various teams park their motorhomes and trucks.

Pit walk

Entry to the pit lane. A privilege restricted to pass holders, who are permitted to visit the pit lane at times when the riders are not busy with practice or racing.

Pole position - Superpole

The first position on the starting grid, determined by Superpole qualifying.

Free Practice

Practice sessions in which lap times do not count towards determining starting grid positions.

Qualifying Practice

Practice sessions in which lap times count towards determining starting grid positions. Riders are placed according to their fastest lap time. To participate in the race, riders must record one lap no longer than 107% of the pole position lap time.

Superpole

The means of qualifying for the top 16 grid places in the WSBK class. For 2012 it comprises three sessions, in a shootout format, in which the slowest riders in the first session miss out on the second session, then the slowest riders in the second session miss out the final Superpole session, when the top eight riders fight it our for pole and grid places on the front two rows.

Protest

The means by which a team can contest the result achieved by a rider from a rival team, generally on the basis of technical or sporting considerations.

Ride-through

An enforced ride-through the pit lane at a reduced speed during a race. Used as a penalty for riders who infringe the rules. Riding through the pit lane at a reduced speed (60 km/h) greatly increases lap time compared to a normal track lap.

Lights

Used to signal the start of the race. Lights are also installed at the exit from the pit lane to tell riders whether it is safe to re-enter the circuit or not.

Technical checks

Checks performed on the bikes to ensure that they comply with Technical Rules.

Warm up

The test session held in the morning of the race day to ensure that bikes are set up ready for the race itself.

Wild card

Riders permitted to take part in a specific championship race meeting. The host federation may nominate up to four wildcard riders, and the FIM/IMS another two.

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