World Superbike - What happened to the Sugo Rd

Was just looking at the WSBK Calender and it doesn't look like they're
going to go to Sugo this year. That's usually one of the more
interesting rounds with the strong wild cards mixing it up with the
locals. Anyone know why they canned this round, can only think it's
cos all the Jap bike companies have pulled their factory efforts from
WSBK.

Cheers

Chris

 

Have they deemed the track unsafe?

 

Not that I have heard, I know that Suzuka was canned this year due to
safety concerns.

Oh well.

Chris

 

Tyres.

Dunlop own Sugo. WSB run Pirelli's i

 

Tyres.

Dunlop own Sugo. WSB run Pirelli's i

 

Probably more likely a case of "if you're not going to enter factory teams in
our competition we're not going to run an event in your company" kind of
thing... and most of the Japanese tracks are owned by the motor companies
aren't they? On the SBK website there's still one TBA round vacant...

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

You can bring your bikes, but you can't bring your tyres?

 

X-No-archive: yes

No, you can only bring the bikes and tyres (and fuel and signage and helmets
and leathers etc etc..) that are homologated by SBK (under the FIM).
There's lots and lots of rules that the bikes must comply with and there's a
few that the tyres must comply with... one of which is that they must be
supplied by Pirelli (who bought the rights to the WSB and the WSS).
Clem

 

Interesting thing with Pirelli tyres from an insiders view of the tyre
ruling & package.

Pirelli want EUR4000 for the tyres per round from all teams (including
wildcards)- that equates to about AU$6200.

The package includes 11 Fronts & 16 Rears which is the limit for all riders.
This isn't too bad IF you use all 26 tyres. . AU$238 / tyre

Bearing in mind that this is rubber that we can't get in Australia & rears
are in 16.5" - not 17" which Australian Superbikes run so you have to find
the wheels to run the tyres on first. As well as find out about the tyres
that you are going to race on

So you think that a pretty reasonable cost? If you use 8 rears & 5 Fronts
over the weekend, the cost is still EUR4000 @ AU$500/tyre

The price goes up the less tyres that you use etc etc. Why use a tyre if you
don't have to?

As these are *special* Pirelli tyres that are brought in for the meeting,
they all have to go back to Pirelli for testing. You can't keep them due to
Australian Import laws etc etc so you have to give them back.

This is the situation with the Australian Wildcard riders - Maxwell, Tozer &
Normoyle

 

So does this mean you're taking a few sharp knives along to the track and
checking the tyres for puncture resistance before handing them back to
Pirelli?

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

Nah.. prolly means that they are subjected to sudden and extreme wear when
who ever wins, wins..

 

OK, that makes sense. Still a bit of a downer though. Oh well, maybe
they can figure something out and that TBA will be Sugo, I remember
they used to finish up the season at Sugo so there's a bit of history
there of it being the final round.

Chris

 

I remember the Aaron Slight / Neil Hodgson punch up at the end of one year -
97 or 98?

 

FAR CANAL!!
That's a biiiig entry ticket!
Clem

 

I'd like to see that