Factory numbers to aid Hodgson's title bid?

With both Suzuki and Aprilia and possibly Honda running only one factory bike in the 2002 World Superbike Championship, leading privateer Neil Hodgson looks to have a better chance than ever to secure a dream World Championship aboard his GSE Racing Ducati. But then again, the early 2002 WSBK grid looks just as tough to conquer as in 2001.

In many respects the 2001 World Superbike Championship could have fulfilled Neil Hodgson's season-aspirations with a lone victory at Donington Park and a string of six podium finishes that resulted in a strong fifth place in the final Championship rundown ahead of among others; Ruben Xaus aboard the sister Infostrada Ducati to that of Champion Troy Bayliss, Castrol Honda's GP veteran Tadayuki Okada, both factory Suzuki and Kawasaki riders and the factory Aprilia of Regis Laconi. However Hodgson and his GSE team both believed that they had the potential to take the Championship fight to Bayliss despite their privateer status and neither rider nor team will be truly satisfied until they have achieved their realistic goal, the World Title.

World Superbikes may not be heading into its strongest year in 2002 with Yamaha still absent and only token efforts from Suzuki and, to an extent, Kawasaki who have said 2002 will be their last. But despite having just eight real factory 'front-runners' riders on the pre-Christmas entry list, the privateer presence in 2002 looks set to be far stronger than in recent seasons: a situation that can only bode well for GSE Racing.

In addition to the usual factory efforts from Ducati (Bayliss, Xaus - Infostrada, Bostrom - L&M), Honda (Colin Edwards + 1???), Aprilia ( Noriyuki Haga), Kawasaki (Chris Walker, Hitoyasu Izutsu) and Suzuki (Gregorio Lavilla), Benelli will be present with a two bike effort with most likely Peter Goddard and some Italian bloke as will the Sauber/Petronas/Carl Fogarty amalgam with riders James Haydon and (probably) Troy Corser. The long awaited Mondial Piega is set to make its debut, as will Foggy, during mid-season bringing the total of 'works' bikes to a possible, and more than healthy, 13-15 but with the latter three outfits named not yet contenders for race wins never mind Championships, regular top five finishes are dangling like carrots over the stalwart WSB privateers, as ever desperately seeking the finances to continue improving and harass the works boys.

Of the privateer bunch, GSE teammates Hodgson and James Toseland have to be considered top of the pile with a full season together as a unit on the world stage. Hodgson had the beating of just about everyone on occasion last year and would have scored maybe half a dozen more podium finishes at least through either better tyre conservation and fewer rushes of blood. However with new knowledge that only a full championship campaign can bring, Hodgson and the continually improving Toseland, who got almost too close for comfort to his teammate by season's end and Co., will be able to avoid the minor pitfalls and problems that may have caused the riders to override their machinery at times last year.

Snapping at the heels of the GSE bunch should be the newly unveiled Ducati NCR/Frankie Chili/Broc Parkes combination; a combination that could be the surprise of the year if Frankie decides he likes the young and superlatively talented Australian. If the partnership (which would also have to accommodate Parkes' manager Wayne Gardner) works as a unit, the results could be awesome. Chili on a Ducati can be a beautiful sight and Parkes, the recipient of yet more invaluable tutelage from one of the best, has already proved that he can mix it with the best. If things don't work out, the Ducati NCR repair shop could be kept quite busy.

Chili may be pleased to be back aboard a Ducati but there is noone happier than to be back on a Ducati than Juan Borja. And who would have thought that at the end of 2000. Following a year aboard (or not) the infamous Panavto Yamaha, Borja has fallen back to the clutches of the promising De Cecco team and will surely be more of a credit to the series than he was aboard the Yamaha. Panavto have stated their intention to return in 2002 but have been remarkably quiet of late.

Another possible dark horse for privateer supremacy is the Rumi Honda of Briton Mark Heckles. After learning the European circuits in the 2001 European Superstock Championship, Heckles and the crack-Rumi squad, could well be podium contenders in European races on a bike said to be 'identical' to that of Colin Edwards. A big jump for Heckles it may be - especially on a Honda, but the boy has skills. Lots of 'em.

Another Ducati outfit, DFX, should be a bigger nuisance to the factory boys next year. Steve Martin and Pirelli are both back and will always go well in the wet while former Aprilia tester Alessandro Antonello joins to form a more concerted, experienced, two bike team. Antonello had the equal of Troy Corser and Regis Laconi more often than not on his sporadic showings on a third factory Aprilia last year but was bereft of reliability and any form of luck. The Italian has developed into an excellent qualifier but he has two major hurdles to overcome before he can truly be competitive. 1. His Ducati is a Ducati and not an Aprilia, and 2. His Pirelli tyres are Pirelli tyres and not Aprilia's Dunlop tyres with which he is no doubt more than familiar. Once those problems are solved the future looks bright.

Perennial privateers Kawasaki Bertocchi will be back, hoping for better fortunes than in 2001 when the team hit new lows but once again equipment will stymie them. Former Team Pedercini rider Mauro Sanchini has signed on and has talent if not experience while Ivan Clementi will take the No.2 seat.

Lucio Pedercini's eponymous outfit is also expected back in the fray as can a number of the usual stragglers while British Superbike Champion team Reve Racing are still aiming to run a brace of Aprilia RSV1000's next year aswell. Throw in possible rides for WSB stalwarts Robert Ulm, Andy Meklau and Alex Gramigni and lace them under the 'have bike, trailer and spanner and will try to race' category and the series still contains plenty of colour and variety.

Although GSE will certainly not have things their own way on the privateer front they are at the head of the queue. A lot has changed on the factory front since the end of 2001 with only Edwards, Bayliss, Borja and Bostrom with the same teams and personnel as last year and GSE know they can capitalise on it. The 2002 World Superbike Championship could really be the year of the underdog.