Do you consider BSB a 'feeder' series?

[MrMetro]

The reason I ask is because recently a new 5 deal was signed for Eurosport to broadcast the BSB, and part of the deal includes broadcasts on other eurosport channels, not just British Eurosport. thus it makes a popular championship across the world. do you consider it a feeder or a rival series to the World Superbike championship?

[Mach24]

I reckon the Championships compliment each other. BSB is clearly the best domestic Championship going round (IDM is on the improve too). The general view seems to be a BSB Champion should go well in WSBK.

BSB is clearly a stepping stone to WSBK, but a classy Championship in its own right!

[Wim_Impreza]

I agree, BSB and IDM are by far the best national championships. I was at 2 IDM rounds this year (Nürburgring and Assen) and the starting fields were awesome: +35 in Superbike, +40 in Supersport, 125cc, Yamaha R6-Dunlop Cup and ADAC Junior Cup. They produce great racing.

I really like the BSB coverage on Eurosport 2 and I agree with Mach24.

[Mach24]

I agree, BSB and IDM are by far the best national championships. I was at 2 IDM rounds this year (Nürburgring and Assen) and the starting fields were awesome: +35 in Superbike, +40 in Supersport, 125cc, Yamaha R6-Dunlop Cup and ADAC Junior Cup. They produce great racing.

I really like the BSB coverage on Eurosport 2 and I agree with Mach24.


Interesting observation of IDM is that many of the riders appear to be at the end of careers, whilst BSB appears to be breeding a lot of new talent (particularly in the last 3-4 years).

IDM needs to produce some young guns for the world to sit up and take notice (But the racing I have been able to see here in Oz has been fantastic).

[Wim_Impreza]

This are riders that were running in the IDM when they are / were very young: Mika Kallio (MotoGP now), Jonas Folger, Marcel Schrötter, Sandro Cortese, Randy Krummenacher, Jasper Iwema (World Championship 125cc), Stefan Bradl, Arne Tode, Thomas Lüthi, Dominique Aegerter, Michael Ranseder (Moto2), Maximilian Neukirchner (WSBK), Kenan Sofuoğlu, Robbin Harms (WSS)...

You can see that the IDM produced a lot of 125cc talents, but not really much Supersport and Superbike riders in a World Championship.

[Mach24]

And Wim, just to be clear I am not taking a shot at the IDM, just noting that in the Superbike class they don't seem to be producing young talent to the depth of the BSB.

I hope a couple of young Aussies present again in 2011, Bryan Staring or Wayne Maxwell would be top notch, even Damo Cudlin moving up to Superbike (but I reckon he will goto Moto2).

Surely there must be some top Euro talent who would gladly ride in IDM.

Is there much money to be earned by riders in the IDM? There is no money for riders in Australia, many ride for nothing but the passion!

[Wim_Impreza]

Indeed Mach24, in IDM Superbike are only a few young talents. Don't forget Gareth Jones, who is also a promising and young talent from Australia. :) He has signed for the Wilbers-Witec-BMW team to ride again a full IDM Superbike championship next year. Karl Muggeridge signed recently again for 2 years in the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team.

Werner Daemen is now for 7 years in the IDM. He won the IDM Supersport title in 2004 and after that, he was each year a top contender in the IDM Superbike and he runs a Motorsportschool at the circuit of Zolder for young talents. Last year he was third in the championship and this year second. I don't know if he earned a lot of money in the IDM, but he was payed each year.

[Mach24]

I raced in the same class as Gareth in Australia, around 2003/4, the only difference was.... He was up front, I was waaaaay down back!

[Corny]

BSB have created some great WSBK champions.. Great series, ridden on great spectaculair circuits IMO. Maybe bit unsafe circuits sometimes..

Wasn't it 2003 or so, where the BSB riders kicked all WSBK riders' asses on Brands Hatch? Neil Hodgson could only manage fifth or so, wasn't it..

[MrMetro]

Wasn't it 2003 or so, where the BSB riders kicked all WSBK riders' asses on Brands Hatch? Neil Hodgson could only manage fifth or so, wasn't it..

Indeed it was, Shakey Byrne(who would take the BSB title that year) took victory in both races, john Reynolds took second in race 2

[Corny]

OK, so that means the BSB level was higher at that year I guess.. Don't know how it is today

[racer69]

OK, so that means the BSB level was higher at that year I guess.. Don't know how it is today

It depends how you look at it. BSB had already raced there in '03, and all of Friday was lost due to wet weather of that meeting, so that helped the locals abit.

Wildcards had regularly done very well (and in many cases dominated) WSB rounds over the years in Britain, USA, Japan and the early days in Australia. In 2000, of the 6 WSB races run in GB that year, BSB wildcards won 3 of the races (Hodgson two, Reynolds one, Walker got a few podiums too)

I love BSB, never miss a round when its on TV here, but the fact that HM Plant Honda were nowhere at Silverstone at the WSB round i think showed the level of it this year.

[patnicholls]

I think technically BSB isn't at *quite* as high a level as WSB these days as we saw from HM Plant at Silverstone.

BSB is going its own way with cost-cutting which means the privateers cup has gone to the Evo class with some spec ECU components, and there's the potential that the main class will go that way too (it was discussed for this year). Whether other national champs (and indeed, WSB) eventually follow suit remains to be seen, but it's benefitted the grid this year which is still above 30 bikes. In addition to the Evo stuff there's some grandfathering of chassis in there (old bikes, like Tommy Bridewell's which is a 2008 ex-Stobart WSB Honda) which again saves on the costs. This has meant that, for now, wildcards aren't as competitive as they used to be - hard to say whether that's down to BSB going too spec or WSB currently being too hi-tech (touched on in the other thread).

Talent-wise in a sense it's a feeder series for some younger riders coming through (see: current WSB grid) but the older guys like Michael Rutter and Chris Walker will now stay where they are, which is no bad thing as they're a useful talent yardstick.

[NinjaMaster]

I raced in the same class as Gareth in Australia, around 2003/4, the only difference was.... He was up front, I was waaaaay down back!

Haha, gold! :D

I consider BSB more as 'just' an excellent national series. It is a feeder, like all national series, in the sense that successful riders from there can move on to world championship rides but it is first and foremost a national championship. The likes of 125, Moto2, superstock and supersport are more feeder classes to the premier classes above them.