Home And Away: SBK's Italian Odyssey
Enthusiastic crowds with motorsport passion coursing in their veins, wonderfully scenic and atmospheric venues and normally great weather conditions, no matter the time of year. There are a lot of upsides about Superbike World Championship races held in Italy.
Maybe that is why we have been to so many different circuits in the Mediterranean homeland of SBK racing that have hosted races, and usually on multiple occasions. Six circuits in total, one more than any other country on the well-travelled SBK map, have hosted at least one full status Superbike world championship round within Italy.
Confusingly, many races held in the physical borders of Italy as a country have been, technically speaking, San Marino rounds, usually but not exclusively at Misano, near to the independent principality in the hills near Rimini. (This is not a unique situation, as we have had Andorran races at Jerez in Spain, and Irish rounds at Brands Hatch in England).
The most frequently visited Italian circuits are Monza and Misano, which have each hosted 40 individual races. Enna-Pergusa, on the Island of Sicily, is the least visited, having hosted only one round, way back in 1989. Vallelunga, near the eternal city of Rome and the headquarters of Infront Motor Sports, has hosted two rounds containing four races. Mugello, nestling in the Tuscan valleys that lead to Florence, has hosted three rounds/six races.
The first Italian venue we will visit in SBK's 25th anniversary year will be Imola, however, which has hosted 17 points scoring races, the first in 2001 and the most recent in September last year. Seventeen races - why the odd number? Well, in 2005, the second race had to be cancelled because of an uncharacteristic torrential amount of rainfall.
We will go to Italy three times in the 25th year of SBK racing in 2012, Imola from 30 March to 1 April, Monza from 4 May to 6 May and Misano (San Marino round) between 8 and 10 June.
