then start race two in fourth, fifth
and sixth, respectively.
For those in 10th place or
lower in race one, nothing
changes—they will take up their
positions for race two based on
how they qualified in superpole,
not how they finished race one.
General reaction to the news
has gone from it being potential-
ly unsafe when the fastest riders
will inevitably come through to
the front only after passing eight
slower riders, as proved by Sat-
urday's race result (and all in the
already hectic first few corners)
to just what's needed to spice
things up, especially after such
an obvious big-three dominated
in 2016.
There is a degree of greater
risk for sure, especially for wet
races, but few think it will make
much difference to the final
results each time.
The bigger—purely sport-
ing—question is does it devalue
a world championship event
to punish the riders who have
striven best and hardest to win
the first race? Until now this kind
of relegated start position was a
possible sanction to be issued to
naughty riders from race direc-
tion.
Whatever the personal opin-
ions are, however, it all works
out in practical sense on the
track in 2017, as the most
important first target has been
achieved; get everybody to no-
tice and engage with WorldSBK
on any kind of level.
Another big change will be
to the weekend race schedule.
Saturday and Sunday headline
WorldSBK races will remain, but
how to introduce the new Super-
sport 300 class into a weekend
with four big races (WorldSBK x
2, WorldSSP, European Super-
stock 1000 Championship) has
been a point of discussion for
months.
With more classes to play
within European rounds it
seems unlikely that there will be
four races on Sunday and just
one big headlining WorldSBK
race on Saturday. Running two
WorldSSP, WorldSSP300 or
STK1000 races per weekend
has already been put forward
to Dorna, by some in the pad-
dock at least, but that initiative
would make for a cluttered race
card in Europe. We can expect
a WorldSSP300 race on Satur-
days.
Officially, the Superstock
1000 FIM Cup is now called
the European Superstock 1000
Championship. Dorna, in fact,
will prefer to use the following
nomenclature across all is Su-
perbike operations—WorldSBK,
WorldSSP, WorldSSP300 and
STK1000.
The big news for the FIM
Supersport World Champion-
ship (or WorldSSP, of course)
is the introduction of flag-to-flag
races. So if weather conditions
change the riders and teams
can come in to change their tires
and suspension setup, with no
halt in track action. New regs
will allow modifications to axles,
related parts and fender mounts
to make wheel changes safer
and slicker.
No mention of a "naked" class
in WorldSSP's immediate future,
despite recent public comments
from the now-former Dorna
executive, Javier Alonso.
Gordon Ritchie
VOL. 53 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 13, 2016 P21
Big changes for WorldSBK
means the grid will get all
jumbled up in the hope of some
more bar bashing.
