Rizla Suzuki wild card rider Ben Spies (Photo: Suzuki Racing)
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After having no British or American regulars at the start of 2008, the Superbike series will have at least one top American and five confirmed top British riders. The rookie class of 2009, will consist of at least six of the following ten, and possibly all ten.
Ben Spies (USA): '06-'08 AMA Superbike Champion
Shakey Byrne (GB): 2008 British Superbike Champion
Jake Zemke (USA): 2008 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion
Jonathan Rea (GB): Currently second in World Supersport. British Superbike runner-up in 2007
Alex Debon (Spain): Currently fourth in World 250 Championship.
Leon Haslam (GB): Currently second in British Superbike
Tom Sykes (GB): Currently third in British Superbike
Tommy Hill (GB): Top British hopeful, currently injured.
Xavier Simeon (Belgium): Former European Superstock 600 champ, currently second in European Superstock Championship
Alessandro Polita: Currently fourth in European Superstock Championship
Top riders coming in from other series often are successful
in getting their new teams to bring in their former crew chiefs. Ron Haslam will have crew chief Craig Cummings come over from the British HM Plant Honda team and Ben Spies hopes to have Tom Houseworth with him in 2008.
Haga, Checa, and Kiyonari: 2009 Favorites
The 2009 season seems wide open with a mix of young challengers and established veterans. Most World Superbike journalists pick Haga, Checa, and Kiyonari as the most likely to win next year, but this invasion of hungry rookies could shake things up as could the arrival of BMW and Aprilia. Little is known of relative BMW test times, but Roberto Rolfo´s time of 1'34.8 on a race tire at Valencia with the new Aprilia was well under the race record of 1'35.1 set by Noriyuki Haga this year at the Spanish venue.
As we wait for Troy Bayliss to wrap up this year’s title, the Superbike paddock is already buzzing with speculation about what promises to be a heated and exciting battle in 2009, a battle that could become all the more unpredictable if the 2009 freshman class is as good on the tracks as it looks on paper.
