Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/135930
VOL. 50 ISSUE 23 JUNE 11, 2013 pension, brakes and gearbox options. Crucially, there will also be an engine number limit, in the form already adopted in MotoGP. It will most likely be 12 engines spread between a two-man team for the season. This has been included to try and prevent extreme levels of tuning by manufacturers willing to sacrifice financial gain on their engine packages for an edge in performance that would require more frequent or extensive engine refreshes than their rivals. Arguably the most important element is that some manufactur- ers got their wish of the changes arriving in stages, starting in 2014 but continuing for two more years, while those who wanted to make one big change for reasons of future stability appear to have lost that argument. After 2014 the technical rules and machine costs will reduce annually to arrive at what is hoped to be the final basic spec and overall machine cost for the long term in 2016. Figures look like (Euro) 300,000 in 2014, 250,000 in 2015 and 200,000 in 2016. Each manufacturer will also have to provide a minimum num- P39 ber of six bikes, of the same state of tune and in the same technical spec, available for sale or lease. This is seen as the best way to entice privateers back into the class, by ensuring that the gap between factory and non-factory bikes is reduced far more than it is now - irrespective of which manufacturer any new privateer team chooses to go with. The rules in their entirety will be presented soon, with the next stage of provision coming along on Friday at the Barcelona GP next week. Gordon Ritchie W orld Superbike Championship director Daniel Carrera confirmed at Portimao that trying to get good Australian riders into the paddock on good machinery is a priority for him and his new team from Dorna, who took control of the series some months ago. "Yes, we are working closely with the circuit at Phillip Island and the Australian Federation because we would like to find a young talented rider and we will help as much as we can to find a place for this rider in the championship," Carrera said. He also had a more immediate nugget of potentially good news for Aussie fans of World Superbike racing. "Most probably we will have a wild-card rider in Jerez, Broc Parkes, with a Yamaha Austria team, for whom he races in World Endurance. This is to also make some noise in Australia, but we are working for next season to have an Australian rider. We would like to have a rider from each country we are racing in. For example, here in Portugal, we have the situation where we were able to put Miguel Praia in Supersport [with Team Lorini Honda] because it is a good promotion for the circuit and they can sell some tickets with this." PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE AUSSIES ON THE WAY UP? Broc Parkes will likely ride as a wild card in the Spanish round of the World Superbike Series. Gordon Ritchie NUZZOLILLI KING OF FREEMANSBURG V inny Nuzzolilli took the Unlimited class win and posted the fastest time of the day in round two of the AMA Pro Hillclimb Series on the Freemansburg Hill in Pennsylvania on Sunday. John continued on next page