The 'Magnificent 7' ride again at Silverstone

The revised Silverstone Circuit is now getting ready to welcome the FIM Superbike World Championship at the end of July. With seven British riders regularly contesting the top spots in the series, the ‘Home of British Motor Racing' will be expecting another big crowd on 30 July to 1 August. The ‘Magnificent Seven' Brits will all be aiming for home glory, but it is Suzuki Alstare's Leon Haslam and Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea who have the most at stake. The pair lie second and third in the series' standings respectively and will be looking for home support to help them catch series-leader Max Biaggi.

"I am looking forward to Silverstone as it is the only time we get to race at home," said Haslam. "With the new developments it is effectively a new circuit for everyone so there is no real track advantage, but hopefully the home advantage and the fans will give us a boost to get us onto the top step of the podium. There should be good racing, high speed flowing corners and some good overtaking opportunities."

Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea sits just behind Haslam in the points table but will be feeling confident after a 1-2 finish in the last round in Brno, Czech Republic. "It felt so nice to win a race again," he commented. "Our bike is difficult to take from track to track, but we definitely got the best out of it in Brno. Now I'm off to Japan for the Suzuka 8 Hour, but I'm looking forward to getting back in front of my home fans in a couple of weeks at Silverstone."

Richard Philips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, is excited to be hosting another major international Championship so soon after MotoGP and Formula One. "We are having an incredible summer at Silverstone and now really looking forward to having the World Superbikes back," he said. "It is a very vibrant series with seven motorcycle manufacturers involved. With our seven British riders, plus some British wildcards, there will be plenty of excitement for the fans. I think that the success of the MotoGP racing at Silverstone in June showed that the changes we have made to the track over the winter work well for bikes. We have also worked hard to improve the spectator experience here and so I expect good crowds, fantastic racing and a great atmosphere."