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2003 WORLD SUPERBIKE

16th WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINALE: R12 of 12, MAGNY COURS, OCT 19

2003 MAJOR CHANGES
NO EDWARDS, BAYLISS, HAGA
DEBUT OF CARL FOGARTY TEAM
ENTRY OF 4 CYLINDER 1000cc BIKES

HODGSON WINS WORLD TITLE
He needed to finish 5th or better at Assen to claim world championship title. He has dominated the season by winning the first 9 races. He finished the season with 13 wins.

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2003 STANDING:
1 HODGSON, 489 pts
2 XAUS, 386
3 TOSELAND, 271
4 LACONI 267
5 LAVILLA, 256
6 WALKER, 234
more below

CHAMPIONS:

SUPERBIKE
2003: Neil Hodgson
2002: Colin Edwards
2001: Troy Bayliss 2000: Colin Edwards
1999: Carl Fogarty
1998: Carl Fogarty
1997: John Kocinski
1996: Troy Corser

SUPERSPORT
2002 Fabien Foret
2001 Andrew Pitt

New Ducati 999R

2003 SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONS:

US AMA SBK:
Mat Mladin

BRITISH SBK:
Shane Byrne

CANADIAN SBK CHAMPION:
Pascal Picotte

AUSTRALIAN SBK:
Craig Coxhell

WORLD SUPERBIKE 2003:

NEIL HODGSON (DUCATI) 2003 WORLD CHAMPION:
" .. I wanted to be world champion so bad. .. it's taken such a long time to get here ...It's the biggest thing ever, winning the world title .. It means so much to me to win this championship ... I've been racing since 1990, I've had an up-and-down career but now I've proved a few people wrong by winning the title and I truly feel I can move on from here.. I'd just like to dedicate the title to Kathryn and our baby girl, as well as my chief engineer and right-hand man Ernesto Marinelli.... It was all a total team effort and to win a World Championship you need to be in the best team with the best bike with the best tyres and that's what I've had all this year ... From day one I've felt that I've been a real part of the Ducati team and welcomed into the family.."

2003 RACE RESULTS:

R12 of 12, MAGNY COURS, OCT 19 - win by Hodgson (R1); Xaus (R2); pole Toseland
**** FINAL ROUND ****
R11 of 12, IMOLA, SEP 28 - double win by Xaus
R10 of 12, ASSEN, SEP 7 - win by Xaus (R1); Hodgson (R2)
*** 29 year old Neil Hodgson becomes 2003 world superbike champion ***
R9 of 12, BRANDS HATCH, JULY 27 - - double win by *Byrne; pole *Reynolds (*wildcard)
R8 of 12, LAGUNA SECA, JULY 13 - win by Chili (R1); Xaus (R2); pole Mladin (wildcard)
R7 of 12, MISANO, JUNE 22 - double win by Xaus; pole Hodgson
R6 of 12, SILVERSTONE, JUNE 15 - double win by Hodgson; pole Hodgson
R5 of 12, OSCHERSLEBEN, JUNE 1 - win by Hodgson (R1); Toseland (R2); pole Hodgson
R4 of 12, MONZA, MAY 18 - double win by Hodgson; pole Hodgson
R3 of 12, JAPAN, APRIL 27 - double win by Hodgson; pole Laconi
R2 of 12, AUSTRALIA, MAR 30 - double win by Hodgson; pole Hodgson
R1 of 12, VALENCIA, MAR 2 - double win by Hodgson; pole Hodgson

HODGSON LIKELY TO MOVE TO MOTOGP (JULY 22)
Neil Hodgson is likely to move up to MotoGP next year with Ducati.
R BURNETT (HODGSON'S MANAGER): " .. Neil has entered into discussions about MotoGP with Ducati ...He has a 2 year contract with them and Ducati spoke to Neil to ask what he thought about MotoGP and whether he would be prepared to make the switch .... Bayliss and Edwards have done quite well in MotoGP this year and Neil challenged them in World Superbikes on a year old bike and what could be said to be not the best tyres, so he feels he can measure himself against the MotoGP riders ... "

2003 STANDING, FINAL:

1 Neil Hodgson (UK), Ducati 999R, 489 points *** 2003 champions ***
2 Ruben Xaus (SPA), Ducati 999R, 386
3 James Toseland (UK), Ducati 998R, 271
4 Regis Laconi (FRA), Ducati 998RS, 267
5 Gregorio Lavilla (SPA), Suzuki GSX 1000R, 256
6 Chris Walker (UK), Ducati 998R, 234
7 Pierfrancesco Chili (ITA), Ducati 996R, 197
8 Steve Martin (AUA), Ducati 996R, 139
9 Lucio Pedercini (ITA) 112
10 Marco Borciani (ITA) 111

2003 CALENDAR:

Mar 2 to Oct 19, 2003
12 ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP - SUPERBIKE
11 ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP - SUPERSPORT
9 ROUND CHAMPIONSHIP - SIDECAR
New races:
Malaysian race at Sepang - May 4, 2003
French race at Magny Cours - Oct 5, 2003
No South African race

PRE-SEASON TEST, HODGSON QUICKEST- VALENCIA, FEB 21-23, 2003
Neil Hodgson, Ducati quickest on Day 1; Troy Corser riding the new Foggy Racing bike was 9th.
Ruben Xaus quickest on Day 2. Hodgson quickest on Day 3.

Overall, the two factory 2003 spec Ducati 999 of Hodgson and Xaus were follwed by five 2002 spec Ducatis; then Troy Corser riding the new Foggy Petronas bike at 8th overall. Best Suzuki was Lavilla at 10th; best Kawasaki of Sanchini at 15th; best Yamaha of Gramigni at 16th.

2003 RIDERS + TEAMS: (complete rider list)

No Edwards, Bayliss - current and former champions Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliis have both moved to MotoGP this year
Hodgson join factory Ducati - Neil Hodgson moves up from satellite team to factory Ducati team filling the seat vacated by troy Bayliss
Foggy Petronas team debut - Carl Fogarty's new team will finally make its racing debut with Troy Corser and James Haydon.
Laconi joins Ducati - former MotoGP rider Regis Laconi will join NCR Ducati team
UK riders: Neil Hodgson, Chris Walker, James Toseland

QUOTES BEFORE SEASON OPENER:

NEIL HOGDSON (Factory Fila DUCATI): " The Ducati 999 is a big improvement on my last year's bike and I feel really comfortable with it and confident about the season ahead .... "

RUBEN XAUS (Factory Fila DUCATI): " ... with the new Ducati 999 I'm enjoying it much more. The 999 seat is wider than the 998 and it's easier to move the bike around so I feel more comfortable .... "

CARL FOGARTY (FOGGY PETRONAS OWNER/MANAGER): " ... Everybody has been talking about our race debut for a long time and now it is here ... The whole world is watching to see how we go and I think we might just surprise a few people ... On the basis of last weekend's test we would be in the points, which is positive on a brand new bike - and we were not too far off 3rd or 4th fastest ... I know we can improve .... "

JAMES TOSELAND (HM Plant Ducati): " ... I have learnt a lot in the past two seasons and my aim is to be consistently fast on the HM Plant Ducati. This will hopefully lead to a string of good performances, podium finishes and a top three championship placing at the end of the year ... "

CHRIS WALKER (HM Plant Ducati): " ... There is no doubt that the HM Plant bike has race winning potential and I am confident in my own ability to adapt to its power and handling characteristics over the course of the season. The support the team has given me has been immense and now it is up to me to repay them for the faith they have shown in me ...

LAST SEASON

LAST YEAR: 2002 CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY COLIN EDWARDS

2002 RESULTS

AMERICAN COLIN EDWARDS WON THE LAST 9 RACES IN A ROW AND TOOK HIS 2ND WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE. DEFENDING CHAMPION TROY BAYLISS BEACAME THE FIRST RIDER IN SUPERBIKE HISTORY TO WIN ALL FIRST 6 RACES, AND THE FIRST RIDER TO WIN 6 RACES IN A ROW. HE WON 14 RACES BUT FINISHED RUNNER-UP.

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