MOTORSPORT VISION:

In 2010 the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship (BSB) will have an innovative new look following the approval by the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board of a new BSB ‘Evolution’ class.

BSB Evo has been proposed by series promoters MSVR and backed by the BSB manufacturer and team liaison groups and will replace the current Privateers Cup. It will be open to anyone in the series from the official manufacturer-backed teams through to independent entries and will allow homologated machines with full Superbike racing rolling chassis to retain the very important visual impression but engines will have to be built to very stringent “Stock” regulations. Along with standard engines a series specified control ECU device that eliminates any form of traction control, launch control and anti-wheelie devices will be compulsory.

The new class will be introduced next season alongside existing full FIM World Championship specification Superbikes and is planned to encourage new rider, team and manufacturer participation as well as yielding significant annual budget relief in the region of up to £200,000 per team in tuning, engine rebuilds and complex electronic packages.

BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs said: “This is a significant development for BSB.  With the support of the manufacturers and teams we have safeguarded the future of the series by opening up opportunities that were being obstructed simply by the prohibitive costs. The objective is that the BSB Evo class will compliment the current full FIM WSB specification bikes and provide our audiences with a full grid of the best teams and riders on as many different eligible makes of motorcycle as possible. By radically grasping the issue of electronics we will eliminate a significant cost and regain some of the spectacle that fans and riders are clearly missing. There will be a minimal performance difference between the two specifications, however the overall situation of more teams, riders and manufacturers and above all significant cost savings will fully vindicate the introduction of the BSB Evo class.”

As a preview to this new era of Superbike racing, the newly crowned National Superstock 1000 Champion Alastair Seeley will make his BSB debut at Silverstone this weekend (September 25/26/27) riding a Relentless TAS Suzuki in the general conformity of the new BSB Evo class regulations of a Superbike chassis with a stock GSXR1000 Suzuki engine/gearbox/clutch and standard Yoshimura ‘EM Pro’ electronics without any form of traction control.