PODIUM CREDITS AND TITLE FIGHTERS…
Wed 10th February 2010

Like me, you’re probably still getting your head round the new BSB rule changes, especially with regards to the new points scoring system which will determine the outcome as well as the modifications to qualifying and the setting of the grid for race two.

One of the attractions of British Superbikes in recent years is it has been innovative in its vision. The organisers were the first to bring in the 1000cc fours rule, the first to use the deployment of the safety car and the first to bring in the knockout qualifying so on the face of it, we should have every faith in the new and it has to be said, rather complex system working well as if we’re to believe what we are told, it has been hatched with the full co-operation of the teams. So how will it work?

In simple terms regarding points scoring, there are no differences for the opening nine rounds (or 19 races – remember Brands in August is a triple-header) and it will be the usual bun fight with points scored as in the past, 25 for a win, 20 for second, 16 for third and so on down to 15th place and one point. But here’s where it radically changes. Because after Cadwell, the ninth venue of the twelve round season, the points tables are consulted, and everyone has to drop their two worst scores giving each rider a nett total minus those two worst results.

Here there is a golf style ‘cut’ with the top six riders being ‘promoted’ into the repecharge entitled ‘Title Fighters’ and their existing points totals are scrubbed and each of those six riders are awarded a base total of 500 points. This is complemented by the awarding of ‘podium credits’ for wins (3pts), seconds (2 pts) and thirds (1 pt) out of those preceding 19 races to be added to their base score of 500 points and thereafter it’s a free for all over the final seven races and the bloke who ends up with most points come race three at Oulton Park in October is El Campeon… Simple eh?

Well yes it is, and it sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is and here lies one of my fears. Just how will Joe Public, maybe those attending a BSB round for the first time, comprehend the concept? As part of the team who will be entrusted to explain the format over the PA each meeting, I’ve tried it out on a couple of guinea pigs in the office and on each occasion, I’ve been asked ‘can you just run through that again..?’ Maybe it’s my communication skills, I don’t know, but believe me; it is quite easy once you eventually get your head round the format!

So maybe we need to draw an analogy. The likes of soccer World Cup and the domestic FA Cup are not won until the very last game of the tournament, nor is Wimbledon for that matter and for those who know the minority sports of Autocross and Rallycross, a series of heats set the grids for the one-off final whereby the winner is declared. Not dissimilar at all…

We’ve all witnessed the runaway GSE show in recent seasons and if we’re being honest, it became boring so I’m all for spicing it up and if a radical shake up of how we end up with a deserving champion is what’s needed, then so be it.

From a positive perspective, if we go to Oulton Park next autumn, with five riders in with a chance of being crowned champion that weekend, then the system will have done its job as it was devised to do and given, as we always keep saying, we are in the entertainment industry, then it is vital that we come up with a package that makes the series as exciting as possible right up to the climax.

Scores On The Doors…

If the 2010 series rules had been applied to the 2009 championship, here’s how it would have panned out:

After Cadwell

Leon Camier 399.5 less 0 and 4 (worst scores) = 395.5 nett
James Ellison 302 less 9 and 10 = 283 nett
Stuart Easton 258 less 0 and 0 = 258 nett
Karl Harris 120.5 less 0 and 0 = 120.5 nett
Si Andrews 119.5 less 0 and 0 = 119.5 nett
Ian Lowry 114 less 0 and 0 = 114 nett

Therefore, the above six riders go into the final races as the designated ‘Title Fighters’ and added to their 500 base points, are podium credits as follows:

Camier - 15 x 1st (45), 1 x 2nd (2) = 47 + 500 = 547
Ellison – 3 x 1st (9), 5 x 2nd (10), 3 x 3rd (3) = 22 + 500 = 522
Easton – 5 x 2nd (10), 5 x 3rd (5) = 15 + 500 = 515
Harris – 2 x 2nd (4) = 4 + 500 = 504
Andrews – 1 x 3rd (1) = 1 + 500 = 501
Lowry – no podiums = 0 + 500 = 500

So into the final seven races:

Croft Silverstone Oulton
Camier 10 + 25 25 + 20 20 + 25 + 25 + 547 = 697
Ellison 20 + 13 20 + 25 13 + 16 + 4 + 522 = 633
Easton 25 + 20 13 + 13 25 + 20 + 0 + 515 = 631
Harris 2 + 0 0 + 2 0 + 0 + 0 + 504 = 508
Andrews 0 + 11 7 + 9 10 + 7 + 0 + 501 = 545
Lowry 11 + 9 8 + 7 8 + 0 + 13 + 500 = 556

2009 Championship (old system) 2009 Championship (new system)

1 Camier 549.5 1 Camier 697
2 Ellison 413 +136.5 2 Ellison 633 + 64
3 Easton 374 + 39 3 Easton 631 + 2
4 Brookes 188 + 186 4 Lowry 556 + 75
5 Lowry 170 + 18 5 Andrews 545 + 11
6 Andrews 163.5 + 6.5 6 Harris 508 + 37
7 Da Costa 163 + 0.5 7 Brookes 188 + 320
8 Guintoli 147 + 16 8 Da Costa 163 + 25
9 Walker 141 + 6 9 Guintoli 147 + 16
10 Laverty 130.5 + 10.5 10 Walker 141 + 6
11 Hill* 127 + 3.5 11 Laverty 130.5 + 10.5
12 Richards 125 + 2 12 Richards 125 + 5.5
13 Mason 125 + 0 13 Mason 125 + 0
14 Harris 124.5 + 0.5 14 Hill* 123 + 2
15 Gowland 101.5 + 23 15 Gowland 101.5 + 23.5

(*The rules state that dropped scores have to be counted from rounds which riders qualified for so most riders DNF’d in at least two of those races. Guintoli qualified at Donington but didn’t race after his clash with Brookes on the out lap so those two races would count, meaning only Tommy Hill had a further score to drop)

Conclusion: Camier would have still won but the margin of victory would have been much smaller and the gap between Ellison in second and Easton in third, just two points rather than 39. Brookes would have finished three places lower than he did with both Andrews and Lowry elevated one place. However, the big winner would have been Harris who ended up in 14th in the actual 2009 standings but had the new rules have been applied, he’d have finished 6th despite scoring just four points from the last seven races.

Bring it on, and just for your peace of mind, Fred and I are planning a crash course in ‘A’ level maths before we get to Cadwell. After all, it was at Cadwell and with a dropped scores scenario I seem to recall us getting our abacus in a twist when Tommy Hill won the inaugural R6 Cup back in 2003!

Best not let history repeat itself!

Scoop!