Carmelo Ezpeleta has spoken and revolution, not evolution, is in the air as he announces he wants to see Superstock regulations in Superbike racing.. Since it was wrestled from the control of the likeable Flammini brothers, WorldSBK has struggled to find its place the Dorna group where MotoGP rules the roost.
It is run by a knowledgeable group of people who knew that change was necessary to renew spectator interest but were caught between the conservatism of manufacturers and the desire of Dorna not to offer any challenge to MotoGP, which is why they bought it.
But the continued dominance of two teams, and British riders, resulting in the series being decided halfway through a season, meant that more was required than a mere moving of deck chairs on the Titanic.
Playing with grid positions didn’t change much much and the idea of a standard ECU, while bringing the series into line with MotoGP and BSB, is a move in the right direction it may not change much because the top four teams use Magneti Marelli anyway. And BMW objected wholesale, threatening to withdraw.
Presumably on the basis that the lunatics should not be allowed to run the asylum, Dorna CEO Ezpeleta decided to step in. He has guided MotoGP to a position where it is the envy of every other motorsport series in the world, including F1. Nine different winners last year, it is by far the best it has ever been. And to do that he had to face down opposition on some of his proposals from manufacturers, particularly the Japanese big four, previously all-powerful.
His interview with BSN’s Maria Guidotti eminded everyone concerned that WorldSBK was a production series not a prototype championship rivalling MotoGP; it should be more Superstock than Superbike; it should be for bikes derived from the production line as it has not been recently and the results are now obvious. Fans should be able to buy showroom models as similar possible to the ones ridden by their heroes.
However much leverage Dorna has with manufacturers, via MotoGP, this will not be an easy sell. But full marks to the boss for coming to the conclusion that enough is enough and that threats from manufacturers were not going to deter the promoter, whose job it is to achieve bigger audiences by enhancing the entertainment value on behalf of fans, the sales value to those manufacturers, and the monetary value to his investors who take the risk, from taking decisions to benefit all of the above.
Nothing is without risk. After all, that is what racing is all about. But execution is everything. Series Director Daniel Carrera should be delighted with such support.
