While the MotoGP series faces dire straights filling its shrinking grid, the World Superbike series grid on the other hand is packed with talent and variety. Seven manufacturers will be raced in Superbike, including new entries by Aprilia and BMW. Ten different coutries will field riders, including one from the US, as AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies adds his name to the list of 32 riders competing in 2009. - ed.

The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has today published the entry lists for the 2009 Superbike and Supersport World Championships. Both championships, organized by Infront Motor Sports, are continuing their successful trend, with the Superbike category in particular going against the recent unhealthy global economic downturn by posting a record number of permanent entries and manufacturer representatives.
The 2009 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship entry list shows 32 inscriptions from 10 countries, and 7 different manufacturer bikes from Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, an unprecedented level of factory participation in a world championship.

The lion’s share of the entries goes to Italy, with 8 riders, while Britain, Japan, and Spain are all well to the forefront with 5 riders each. Australia has a healthy quota of 4, with the USA, Germany, Czech Republic, France and Austria one apiece. New arrivals in this year’s championship include three-time AMA champion Ben Spies, three of the top four from the 2008 British Superbike Championship (Shane Byrne, Leon Haslam and Tom Sykes), plus 2008 Italian Superbike champion Luca Scassa and 2008 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup winner Brendan Roberts.

On the manufacturer front, Honda have the largest representation with eight CBR1000RR machines split between six teams, followed by Ducati with seven 1098R (four teams), Kawasaki with six ZX10R (three teams), Suzuki with four GSX-R 1000 K9 (three teams), three Yamaha YZF-R1 (two teams) and Aprilia and BMW with two RSV4 and S1000RR each in the factory team.

Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, declared: “I am delighted with the success of the entry list for the 2009 SBK championship, which is the best ever. It is a true demonstration of the success of a formula that allows teams to compete in a high-level series with relatively low costs, and which also gives the possibility to private teams to go well. The validity and the stability of the technical regulations have also helped to bring about the entry of two important new manufacturers, Aprilia and BMW, which takes the number of manufacturers present to an all-time record for Superbike. The rider quality will also be very high, with the arrival amongst others of the reigning AMA and BSB champions, as well as a number of talented new riders. In a moment of global economic difficulty Superbike can look to the future with serenity and optimism.”

The Supersport World Championship sees 30 permanent entries, with Italy (6 riders) and Australia (5) making up over a third of the grid. The other nations represented are Spain, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Turkey, Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Indonesia. Honda provide the most CBR600RR machinery on the grid, as befits the most successful ever Supersport winner, with 16 bikes out of 30. 6 Yamaha, 2 Suzuki and 2 Kawasaki complete the Japanese manufacturer assault, with the only interloper being British factory Triumph, with four 675 triples coming from two different teams. New entries to watch in Supersport this year are Cal Crutchlow from BSB, Australian MotoGP refugee Anthony West, Irishman Eugene Laverty and Doni Tata Pradita from Indonesia, while 2007 champion Kenan Sofuoglu will be up against his successor Andrew Pitt in the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team’s stellar line-up.

FIM Superbike World Championship
Nr Rider Nat. Machine Team
41 Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati 1098R Ducati Xerox Team
84 Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098R Ducati Xerox Team
19 Ben Spies USA Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha World Superbike
66 Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha World Superbike
7 Carlos Checa ESP Honda CBR1000RR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda
65 Jonathan Rea GBR Honda CBR1000RR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda
53 Alessandro Polita ITA Ducati 1098R Sterilgarda
67 Shane Byrne GBR Ducati 1098R Sterilgarda
71 Yukio Kagayama JPN Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 Suzuki Alstare
76 Max Neukirchner GER Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 Suzuki Alstare
23 Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki ZX 10R Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team
100 Makoto Tamada JPN Kawasaki ZX 10R Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team
24 Brendan Roberts AUS Ducati 1098R Guandalini Racing
96 Jakub Smrz CZE Ducati 1098R Guandalini Racing
15 Matteo Baiocco ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R PSG-1 Corse
86 Ayrton Badovini ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R PSG-1 Corse
55 Régis Laconi FRA Ducati 1098R DFX Corse
9 Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Honda CBR1000RR Ten Kate Honda Racing
33 Tommy Hill GBR Honda CBR1000RR HANNspree Honda Althea
94 David Checa ESP Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha France GMT 94 IPONE
25 David Salom ESP Kawasaki ZX 10R Team Pedercini
99 Luca Scassa ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R Team Pedercini
36 Gregorio Lavilla ESP Honda CBR1000RR Pro Ride World Superbike
3 Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 Aprilia Racing
56 Shinya Nakano JPN Aprilia RSV4 Aprilia Racing
11 Troy Corser AUS BMW S1000 RR BMW Motorrad Team Alpha Racing
111 Ruben Xaus ESP BMW S1000 RR BMW Motorrad Team Alpha Racing
31 Karl Muggeridge AUS Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 Celani Race
77 Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Honda CBR1000RR Squadra Corse Italia
44 Roberto Rolfo ITA Honda CBR1000RR Stiggy Motorsport AB
91 Leon Haslam GBR Honda CBR1000RR Stiggy Motorsport AB
88 Roland Resch AUT Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 TKR Suzuki Switzerland

FIM Supersport World Championship
Nr Rider Nat. Machine Team
1 Andrew Pitt AUS Honda CBR600RR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda
54 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Honda CBR600RR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda
35 Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha World Supersport Team
99 Fabien Foret FRA Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha World Supersport Team
13 Anthony West AUS Honda CBR600RR Stiggy Motorsport AB
105 Gianluca Vizziello ITA Honda CBR600RR Stiggy Motorsport AB
50 Eugene Laverty IRL Honda CBR600RR Parkalgar Honda
117 Miguel Praia POR Honda CBR600RR Parkalgar Honda
77 Barry Veneman NED Suzuki GSX-R 600 Hoegee Suzuki Team
TBA Suzuki GSX-R 600 Hoegee Suzuki Team
21 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com
26 Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com
8 Mark Aitchison AUS Honda CBR600RR HANNspree Honda Althea
14 Matthieu Lagrive FRA Honda CBR600RR HANNspree Honda Althea
24 Garry McCoy AUS Triumph 675 Triumph BE1 Racing
69 Gianluca Nannelli ITA Triumph 675 Triumph BE1 Racing
7 Patrick Vostarek CZE Honda CBR600RR Intermoto Czech
55 Massimo Roccoli ITA Honda CBR600RR Intermoto Czech
51 Michele Pirro ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni
28 Arie Vos NED Honda CBR600RR Veidec Racing RES Software
127 Robbin Harms DEN Honda CBR600RR Veidec Racing RES Software
32 Fabrizio Lai ITA Honda CBR600RR ECHO CRS Grand Prix
83 Russell Holland AUS Honda CBR600RR ECHO CRS Grand Prix
19 Pawel Szkopek POL Triumph 675 Factory Racing
96 Matej Smrz CZE Triumph 675 Factory Racing
71 Jose Carlos Morillas Cuenca ESP Yamaha YZF R6 Holiday Gym Racing
88 Yannick Guerra ESP Yamaha YZF R6 Holiday Gym Racing
9 Danilo Dell’Omo ITA Honda CBR600RR Kuja Racing
30 Jesco Günther GER Honda CBR600RR RES Software Veidec Racing
5 Doni Tata Pradita INA Yamaha YZF R6 YZF Yamaha