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Post by MaYo (((d[0_o]b))) on Nov 24, 2009 21:37:54 GMT -5
Over the past couple of years, attention has been focused on the sparseness of the MotoGP grid, with just 17 permanent entries in 2009, and most likely the same number in 2010. The comparison was always made with the World Superbike grid, which had a bumper crop of 31 entries for the start of the 2009 season. Such a well-filled grid meant that the worryingly large number of teams and riders dropping out of World Superbikes throughout the season was largely ignored. The World Superbike grid for 2010, however, is looking disturbingly thin, with only 17 riders entered so far, and little sign of that number growing by any significant amount.
News emerging from Japan, however, suggests that at least one team is to swell the ranks of World Superbikes. More significant than the number of riders this team will bring is the name involved: It is not just any old team which is to make the jump from the All Japan Superbike championship, the team under discussion is Yoshimura Suzuki. The team has a long and rich history in the Japanese Superbike championship, with several JSB titles to its name, as well as wins in the prestigious Suzuka 8 hour race and a host of international events.
According to the Italian website Bikeracing.it (which reached us through the excellent Dutch site MOTOR.nl), Yoshimura Japan President Fujio Yoshimura announced that the legendary performance parts supplier had made the decision to move up to the World stage after spending many years in the Japanese national series. "Despite the period of economic crisis for us in Japan," Bikeracing.it reports Yoshimura as saying, "racing has been part of our sporting culture for some 60 years. For this reason, we have decided to take up a new challenge, a leap forward for all of us: To race in the World Championship. It will be a whole new challenge for Yoshimura, and we hope to have the support of all our sponsors and supporters in our attempt to become number 1 in World Superbikes." The move would see Yoshimura Japan switch its current All Japan Superbike team to the World Superbike championship, reportedly taking at least one of their riders - Daisaku Sakai is being named as the most likely candidate - up on to the world stage.
News emerging from Japan, however, suggests that at least one team is to swell the ranks of World Superbikes. More significant than the number of riders this team will bring is the name involved: It is not just any old team which is to make the jump from the All Japan Superbike championship, the team under discussion is Yoshimura Suzuki. The team has a long and rich history in the Japanese Superbike championship, with several JSB titles to its name, as well as wins in the prestigious Suzuka 8 hour race and a host of international events.
According to the Italian website Bikeracing.it (which reached us through the excellent Dutch site MOTOR.nl), Yoshimura Japan President Fujio Yoshimura announced that the legendary performance parts supplier had made the decision to move up to the World stage after spending many years in the Japanese national series. "Despite the period of economic crisis for us in Japan," Bikeracing.it reports Yoshimura as saying, "racing has been part of our sporting culture for some 60 years. For this reason, we have decided to take up a new challenge, a leap forward for all of us: To race in the World Championship. It will be a whole new challenge for Yoshimura, and we hope to have the support of all our sponsors and supporters in our attempt to become number 1 in World Superbikes." The move would see Yoshimura Japan switch its current All Japan Superbike team to the World Superbike championship, reportedly taking at least one of their riders - Daisaku Sakai is being named as the most likely candidate - up on to the world stage.
