Supersport World Championship

Supersport World Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2015 Supersport World Championship season

Former logo
Sport Motorcycle sport
Founded 1997 (World Series)
1999 (World Championship)
Country Worldwide
Most recent champion(s) Netherlands Michael van der Mark (rider)
Japan Honda (manufacturer)
Gianluca Vizziello riding the RG Team Yamaha YZF-R6 at Phillip Island

The Supersport World Championship is a motorcycle racing competition, based on mid-sized sports motorcycles, racing on paved surfaces. Competition machines are based on 600-750cc (depending on the number of cylinders) production-based motorcycles. The championship runs as a support class to the Superbike World Championship, which is similarly based on large production-based sports motorcycles. The championship, organized and promoted as its parent series by FGSport—renamed Infront Motor Sports in 2008[1]—until 2012 and by Dorna from the 2013 season onwards,[2] is sanctioned by the FIM.

Overview

Supersport was introduced as a support class to the Superbike World Championship in 1990 as a European Championship. The series allowed four-cylinder machines up to 600 cubic centimetres (37 cu in) and twin-cylinder bikes up to 750 cubic centimetres (46 cu in). In 1997 the championship became a "World Series" and the European title was given to the European Motorcycle Union's European Road Racing Championship. The full title Supersport World Championship was introduced in 1999.[3] Supersport racing has also been one of the most popular classes of national racing for many years.

Several riders who were successful in World Supersport have moved on to high-level competitions, notably, Cal Crutchlow, Chaz Davies, and Chris Vermeulen, though others such as Fabien Foret and Kenan Sofuoğlu have spent several years in this championship.

Competition in the championship is typically fierce, and season domination by a single competitor is unusual. The 2001 championship was particularly notable in this respect, the champion being Andrew Pitt who did not win a single race, but amassed a championship-winning total of points by finishing near the front of the field in almost every race.

Regulations

Technical regulations

In 2012, to be eligible for Supersport World Championship, a motorcycle must satisfy FIM's homologation requirements and have a four-stroke engine in one of the following configurations:[4]

As of 2015, the homologated motorcycles are Honda CBR600RR, Kawasaki ZX-6R, MV Agusta F3 675, Suzuki GSX-R600, Triumph Daytona 675 and Yamaha YZF-R6;[5] formerly homologated motorcycles include Bimota YB9, Ducati 748, Ducati 749, Honda CBR600F, Triumph Daytona 600 and Yamaha YZF600R.[6][7]

Supersport regulations are much tighter than in Superbikes. The chassis of a supersport machine must remain largely as standard, while engine tuning is possible but tightly regulated. For instance, the displacement capacity, bore and stroke must remain at the homologated size. Modifying the bore and stroke to reach class limits is not allowed.[4] As in World Superbike, a control tyre is used, although World Supersport regulations dictate that the tyres must be road legal and therefore slicks are not allowed.

Sporting regulations

A Supersport World Championship race takes place at almost every Superbike World Championship round. Starting positions are decided by the riders' fastest laps from two 45-minute qualifying sessions. Each race is approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) long. Typically, the race takes place between the two Superbike races.

The points system is the same for the riders' championship and the manufacturers' championship, but only the highest-finishing motorcycle by a particular manufacturer is awarded the points for the latter championship.

Points scoring system
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Supersport World Champions

Season Rider champion[8] Team Motorcycle Manufacturer champion[9]
World Series
1997 Italy Paolo Casoli Ducati 748 Ducati
1998 Italy Fabrizio Pirovano Team Alstare Corona Suzuki GSX-R600 Suzuki
World Championship
1999 France Stéphane Chambon Suzuki Alstare F.S. Suzuki GSX-R600 Yamaha
2000 Germany Jörg Teuchert Alpha Technik Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha
2001 Australia Andrew Pitt Fuchs Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-6R Yamaha
2002 France Fabien Foret Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600F Suzuki
2003 Australia Chris Vermeulen Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2004 Australia Karl Muggeridge Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2005 France Sébastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2006 France Sébastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2007 Turkey Kenan Sofuoğlu Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2008 Australia Andrew Pitt Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2009 United Kingdom Cal Crutchlow Yamaha World Supersport Yamaha YZF-R6 Honda
2010 Turkey Kenan Sofuoğlu Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR Honda
2011 United Kingdom Chaz Davies Yamaha ParkinGO Team Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha
2012 Turkey Kenan Sofuoğlu Kawasaki Lorenzini Kawasaki ZX-6R Honda
2013 United Kingdom Sam Lowes Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha YZF-R6 Kawasaki
2014 Netherlands Michael van der Mark PATA Honda World Supersport Honda CBR600RR Honda

See also

References

  1. "Infront rebrands leading promoter in motor sport, FGSport, as Infront Motor Sports". infrontsports.com (Infront Sports & Media). 31 October 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  2. Sam Tremayne (2 October 2012). "Dorna to organise both World Superbikes and MotoGP from 2013". autosport.com (Haymarket Media Group). Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  3. "110th FIM anniversary – Flash Back 1996–1999". fim-live.com (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme). 8 December 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Road Racing FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championships & FIM Superstock Cup regulations 2012". v2-fim-live.com. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  5. "Listing of FIM homologated motorcycles for 2015". fim-live.com. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  6. "Superbike/Supersport World Championships: rules, time schedule, wild-card riders in Kyalami, list of homologated motorcycles". fim.ch. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. 18 March 1999. Archived from the original on 11 October 1999. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. "Listing of FIM homologated motorcycles for 2007". v2-fim-live.com. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  8. "Supersport Champions - Riders". oldsbk.perugiatiming.com. Superbike World Championship. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  9. "Supersport Champions - Manufacturers". oldsbk.perugiatiming.com. Superbike World Championship. Retrieved 20 March 2015.

External links