COUNTDOWN TO 1000: the 'Foggy Era' begins and the closest podium finish ever in WorldSBK races 101-250
As WorldSBK’s 1000th race approaches, we take a look at some of the key moments from the Championship’s history between races 101 and 250
A special milestone is approaching for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The Balaton Park Circuit is scheduled to host the Championship’s 1000th race and to celebrate the landmark occasion, we’re taking a trip down memory lane to look at just some of the iconic moments from history. You can read the first part in this series, covering the first hundred races, here while this part looks back on races 101 to 250.
THREE RIDERS WITHIN A SECOND: Estoril 1993 delivers a cracker in Race 1
WorldSBK first visited the Circuito Estoril back in 1988, before it returned to the calendar in 1993. Aaron Slight put his Kawasaki machine on pole by just 0.005s ahead of Fogarty, and the pair had a huge nine-tenths margin to Terry Rymer in third. However, Race 1 was a completely different story. Scott Russell and ‘Foggy’ both retired, leaving a three-way fight for victory between Fabrizio Pirovano, Piergiorgio Bontempi and Slight – with Pirovano taking the honours by half-a-second. Eight tenths separated the trio at the line in one of the closest finishes of the season.
THE FOGGY ERA BEGINS: titles in 1994 and 1995, countless victories
While three Champions were crowned in the first 100 races, there hadn’t been an ‘era’ belonging to one rider. That changed in 1994 when Carl Fogarty claimed the first of an eventual four titles. It was secured Down Under at the iconic Phillip Island circuit in a year where ‘Foggy’ battled injuries and a new bike in the first part of the season, but he was still able to go one better than 1993. He backed up his title with the 1995 crown – a remarkable season where he finished first or second in the first 12 races and was on the podium seven times in the final 12 races; six of these were victories. Of course, the Brit wasn’t just known for his titles, taking a double at Donington and Brands Hatch in 1995. In those two seasons, he won 23 races from a possible 46.
A SPECIAL MILESTONE: WorldSBK reaches its 200th race
After celebrating its 100th race at Jarama in 1992, four years later a new milestone approached: Race 200. It took place in the USA at Laguna Seca and was on by home hero John Kocinski ahead of fellow Ducati rider Troy Corser, with Kocinski denying the Australian victory by just 0.017s in California. The race was an all-Ducati podium with British star Neil Hodgson claiming third place, six seconds away from victory.
THE FIRST OF TWO: Corser claims 1996 crown on home soil
Australian star Troy Corser was a two-time Champion in WorldSBK and took his first title in 1996 at Phillip Island in Race 1. The race was remembered for Corser’s success, after taking seven wins and 13 podiums in his campaign, but also for an incredible battle between Anthony Gobert and Colin Edwards. Gobert, on the Kawasaki, took victory ahead of Edwards’ Yamaha by just two tenths of a second in a dramatic 22-lap race.
THE CLOSEST PODIUM OF ALL TIME: Monza Race 1, 1997
WorldSBK visited the high-speed Monza in 1997, and little did anyone know the history that was going to be made in Race 1. A circuit where slipstream was crucial, Monza delivered a historic result when the top three riders were separated by just 0.008s across the line after 18 laps. Kocinski claimed victory for Honda with teammate Slight 0.005s back from the American. Fogarty put his Ducati on the rostrum in third, three thousandths back from Slight. To give an idea of how crazy the gap was, the closest top-three since then was in 2020 at Phillip Island in Race 1, with a 0.041s gap separating the podium trio.
250 NOT OUT FOR WORLD SUPERBIKE: South Africa hosts the momentous occasion
Race 200 was in the bag and the next milestone came from Kyalami in South Africa, when WorldSBK held its 250th race in the opening battle of the weekend in 1998. This time, Troy Corser was able to claim victory on his Ducati as he finished more than seven seconds clear of Akira Yangawa and Doug Chandler, both on Kawasaki machinery. In fact, their fight for second went right to the line, with just 0.010s separating the two.
RACES 101-250 IN NUMBERS
Champions: Russell (1993), Fogarty (1994, 1995), Corser (1996), Kocinski (1997)
Number of race winners: 20 (top three: Fogarty, 46; Russell, Kocinski, 14; Falappa, Corser, 11)
Number of podium finishers: 41 (top three: Fogarty, 80; Slight, 65; Corser, 42)
Number of riders with fastest laps: 27 (top three: Fogarty, 36; Slight, 18; Corser, 15).
Number of circuits raced at: 23 (top three: Donington, 14; Sugo, Assen, Monza, Phillip Island, Albacete, Misano, 12; Hockenheim, 10)
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