2013 SBK World Championship

• Mid December, The Victorian circuit of Phillip Island was in the midst of a major facelift, with the island's 4.445km race circuit treated to a two day, A$3 million resurface to create the smoothest, and one of the fastest race tracks in the world.  The resurfacing operation involved over 5000 tonnes of asphalt being mixed on site in a huge batching plant, and transported at a scorching 172 degrees trackside.
• The 2013 Provisional calendar was updated 15 January. The World Superbike race in India has been moved from the 10 March to the 17 November due to an insufficient period of time to properly finalise the final racetrack homologation and provide the relevant seminars about the different aspects involved in the sporting organisation of the event.One of the most high valued and regarded journalists in the motorcycle industry. Kevin Ash from England, passed away on Tuesday 22 January after a fatal accident during a BMW Motorrad launch event in South Africa.
• The SBK website has yet to be updates with 2013 teams. What we do know is teams have been testing for two days at the Almeria Circuit in Spain and moved to the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera where testing was spoilt by rain. Only 3-4 hours was dry.
  
• Aprilia Racing Team consists of Eugene Laverty and newcomer Sylvain Guintoli.
• Kawasaki Racing Team is Tom Sykes and Loris Baz.
• Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam had their first track outing in the new Pata Honda World Superbike livery. The team, based in The Netherlands, used its second test at Jerez to concentrate on the new electronics package that is being developed from Honda's MotoGP project. Rea and Haslam also tested a heavily-revised swingarm for their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade machines, together with an all-new exhaust system from Termignoni.
• Team SBK Ducati Alstare has riders Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini. Under the supervision of team manager Francis Battà and Ducati SBK project manager Ernesto Marinelli, the newly formed team were unable to complete much work on Saturday and Sunday at Jerez due to the persistent rain and strong winds but made the most of Monday, in improved conditions, completing as much as possible in the half day available to them and collecting important information.
• FIXI Crescent Suzuki has Leon Camier and new signing Jules Cluzel worked on a thorough testing schedule that will encompass updated electronics, improved aerodynamics and a new-spec engine for 2013. Both riders completed many laps today and the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R performed faultlessly. Cluzel was making his first appearance for the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team and his debut on a fully-fledged Superbike. The Frenchman looked comfortable from the start and adapted to the new bike quickly.
  
• The Pedercini Team unveils its rider line-up for the upcoming racing season. The Italian based team of Alex Lundh and Federico Sandi are the riders chosen to race the Kawasaki Ninja ZX 10R in the 2013 eni FIM World Superbike Championship.  In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup they will run Federico Dittadi, Leandro 'Tati' Mercado and Lorenzo Savadori. 
• Pata Honda has a new team in the Supersport category.  The Pata Honda World Supersport Team pairing of Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti, are both World Supersport debutants. 20-year-old Dutchman van der Mark, was the  European Junior Superstock Champion.  Zanetti, from Italy, competed in last year's World Superbike Championship.
• Also in the Supersport class Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret made their final European test on the latest specification Kawasaki Mahi Racing Ninja ZX-6Rs. Even though the first day was wet Sofuoglu set many laps in his quest to find a good set-up on his machine, something he feels had eluded him fully in rainy conditions in 2012 even though he won the title on a Kawasaki last season. In the dry he found even more improvements in front end feel and performance as he and his peer group experienced much better track conditions than on the first day. Now running his number 1 plate as 2012 Champion Kenan's best lap today was a 1'43.890, the fastest of the whole test in the Supersport class.
• David Salom also tested at Jerez for the Intermoto Kawasaki Team.
• Nineteen year old Alex Schacht joins an ever growing list of former Superstock 600cc riders to make the step into the World Supersport Championship for 2013. The talented Dane, will line up for his debut World Championship season with the vastly experienced Racing Team Toth.