World Superblke Championship Series
t was, for all present at Qatar, a new
start of some kind. Strange to say
maybe as the rules and regulations
were largely the same as last year,
but there were examples of either a
new birth or rebirth littering the desolate
landscapes that surround the outstandingly well-appointed Losail International
Circuit.
In SBK terms, even the venue was
new, a glittering jewel of a place surrounded by desert sand and frequently
covered in dust. The great track layout,
featureless though the surroundings may
be, provided a good backdrop for SBK's
200 horsepower behemoths,
even if it took some time to
sort out a wide enough clean
line to really go racing on.
I
The kings of the rebirth, complete with
Corona Extra Crowns on their heads,
were the Alstare Suzuki team - all of them.
With a disappointing World Supersport
campaign last year, and no Superbike riders in 2004 at all, they slashed and tore the
opposition to bits, with only one other
rider able to stay with their two Arabian
knights. Even the Suzuki rider lineup - of
comeback kid Troy Corser, lost in the doldrums of three-cylinder uncompetitiveness for three seasons on the
Petronas, and of new
Yukio Kagayama, an
import of an import
from the
British Superbike scene - consisted of a
prodigy and a new kid, respectively.
After leading preseason testing and
most of qualifying, they speared a race
win each, the first time Suzuki pilots have
headed both podiums in World Superbike
in its 18-year history.
With a second place and win to his
credit in a huge field of possible winners,
class new boy Kagayama instantly made
himself leading
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