World Superbikes

World Superbike Silly Season - All Quiet On The WorldSBK Front

Submitted by Kent Brockman on

It looks set to be a quieter year on the rider market for WorldSBK with the leading seats already filled for 2018 but there will still be some significant deals announced in the coming weeks and months.

Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri are all secure in their seats for next year but Sykes had been linked with a move away from Kawasaki earlier this summer. Prior to winning two races before the summer break the 2013 World Champion had been touted as a potential target of Yamaha but with wins in the bag it looks highly unlikely that he will make a switch.

For Ducati there is little reason to change their status quo and the only change in their ranks could be the addition of a second bike to the Barni squad. The Italian entry has thrived with Xavi Fores in the last year and came close to adding a second machine for this year. If there is a fourth Ducati on the grid it will likely have a rider bringing money to the table for Barni.

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Press Release Interview: Yamaha's Alex Lowes On Using A Sports Psychologist

Submitted by Press Release on

The Pata Yamaha team issued the following press release, containing an interview with Alex Lowes. In it, the rider talks about something others are not keen on discussing, using a sports psychologist in search of better results. An interesting read:

Alex Lowes Q&A: Working with a Sports Psychologist

Sports psychologists are becoming more and more common in motorcycle racing, with people curious about the affect they can have. Yamaha-racing.com caught up with Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's Alex Lowes to discuss his use of a sports psychologist and the difference it has made.

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's Alex Lowes has had a positive start to the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship season. The British rider has recorded two podiums so far this season and has added consistency to his undeniable pace to currently lie fifth in the championship standings. One of the things he attributes this new attitude to has been his work with a sports psychologist. In modern sport, most professional athletes will use a sports psychologist in some way or another, and with motorcycle racing being a sport that places so much mental demand on a rider, some people find it a shock that more people don't use them. Lowes answered our questions ahead of the WorldSBK summer break:

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Subscriber Only Feature: Which Direction For WorldSBK?

Submitted by Kent Brockman on

After Laguna Seca the future of WorldSBK was once again questioned. Asking the right question may be more important than finding the right answer immediately

“I've said it before and I'll say it again, democracy simply doesn't work,” so said this intrepid reporter when faced with reports that Bart's Comet would bring destruction to Springfield. It was a time of uncertainty and peril for America's greatest city but one from which it recovered by maintaining the status-quo.

While the WorldSBK paddock isn't standing on Mount Springfield singing Que Sera Sera and waiting for the comet to hit, it is facing a moment of truth about where the series is heading. It's always easier to swim with the tide but for WorldSBK patience and thoroughness are more important than being swift and decisive in making the wrong decision.

Since Imola the paddock WorldSBK has been filled with rumor and counter rumor about the direction that the series will take. Will there be a spec ECU? Will there be concessions for different manufacturers? Will there be testing restrictions placed on the successful teams? The list of possibilities has been the talk of the paddock with Dorna's Carmelo Ezpeleta even suggesting making the series into a Stock class, but what is actually best for WorldSBK?

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