A vast programme of modernization and upgrading is currently being carried out, with the majority of the work set for completion by the end of March. The final result will be a facility with many key improvements from the one last used by SBK racing in 2007, for spectators and participants alike.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said in a recent press release, "Work on the circuit and venue is on schedule. The team has been working around the clock, through some pretty terrible weather conditions, to make sure the circuit is ready on time. The track works at Brooklands and Woodcote are now complete, including the new run-off area for the fast entry into Pits Straight, while the major new development - the new section of circuit from Abbey, up to the Arena Complex and round to the National Straight - is also coming along nicely. There is still a considerable amount of work going on at Silverstone, including the new elevated banks and spectator viewing areas, which will continue beyond March. Conference and hospitality buildings are also being built on the new Stowe Complex."

The whole SBK community is excited to be heading back to one of the great names in racing, particularly as the layout will feature some existing sections and some new parts which have been specifically designed to improve the spectacle for motorcycle events in general.

The chat will take place on Friday, March 12th at 15.00 CET on the following address:

http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/altri-sport/diretta/

Bmw Motorrad Motosport rider, Ruben XAUS will be there live to answer questions from Superbike fans.

This is the first in a series of live chats during the 2010 season which will enable all fans to interact live with one of the competitors of World Superbike.

There is another underlying fact about close SBK finishes in general that is apparent only when we look at a list of the tightest finishes over the past few years.

The faster circuits on the championship calendar deliver the closest finishes.

The top four closest finishes took place at, in order, Phillip Island (average speed around 171kmph), Monza (196kmph), Phillip island again and Assen (164kmph) - all circuits with fast average speeds and several chances to slipstream other riders, keeping the leading pack together. They are also circuits that, despite their hairpins and chicanes, still feel fast.

If we look at the top ten fastest finishes of recent years, Imola also (163kmph) comes into play. In fact, it takes us to the 12th ranked close finish until we reach Misano (156kmph) a circuit with many twists and slower turns - but, crucially, three fast right hand corners as well - before we hit a circuit with what can be considered to have a middle ranked average speed.

Of the top 16 closest race finishes, only that Misano one took place outside of the ‘fast four' comprising Phillip Island, Monza, Assen and Imola.

The logistics involved in bringing eight machines and enough personnel to look after four riders - and still go for podium finishes - proved to be a big challenge, but one with a positive outcome for Salom.

The Spanish rider was a fine fourth in a race that was stopped and then restarted, making his return to the class a pleasing one after spending a tough year in the Superbike World Championship in 2009. But being a racer, Salom always wants more, as his post-race comments attested. "I knew I could score a good result but, given the race outcome, a podium result would've been possible," said the 25-year-old Spaniard. "However, I'm sure there'll be other opportunities but the important thing is that we kicked off the season with a good result, which puts me fourth in the standings. I'm sorry I couldn't get a better start in the re-run. I'm sure I could've battled with Lascorz and Sofuoglu for the podium." Salom actually missed the first day of practice after a mix-up with his racing licence prevented him from starting with the rest of his peer group.

The American interest in Supersport racing at this level resides in Jason Di Salvo, who was eighth in his first ever race in this class. "I started the race pretty far in the back, but I improved a lot," said Di Salvo. "I battled with riders who went faster than me in practice and I had a really nice duel with Miguel Praia in the end."

For Briton Chaz Davies (who had an oil line let go in race one and was relegated to his spare bike) and returnee Supersport World Championship legend Sebastien Charpentier, the race was less kind. Davies could only post 12th after finding some electronics issues, while Charpentier was 13th. Having retired from this level of racing for two years, Seb still has to get more track time in before he can get back to his very best. Sebastien has 13 career wins, making him the second most successful rider of all time.

The leader for eight laps in the second PI race, Sylvain was only 0.837 seconds from victory in his fourth career WSB race. A new star has arrived under French colours and Sylvain is a welcome one from a country with a high degree of form in Superbike racing.

Guintoli has had a very long international career for a rider of 27, but he is a relative newcomer to Superbike racing, having spent most of his career in GPs. He was a BSB force immediately in his first season in 2009, but a serious injury early in the year, after a collision with another rider, prevented him from adding to his amazing starting statistics - one win and three other podiums from his first four races.

Sylvain, who lives in the UK, feels right at home in WSB racing now that the season has started for real. "I knew I was going to be loads faster in race weekend than in testing," said Sylvain. "This winter I concentrated on doing the best job in the set-up and I think we did a good job. I felt comfortable with the pace and when you ride like that it is such a great buzz."

At Phillip Island he showed that he would be a real asset to WSBK and despite qualifying only 16th in Superpole, he was right in the leading group for much of the two 22-lap races. But it's safe to say he will be in no hurry to get back to the first hairpin at Phillip Island next year, as this section track was twice to be his undoing.

Said Leon - at 188cm tall the physical opposite of his diminutive team-mate Max Biaggi - "I'm very sorry about all of the mistakes I made. In race one I tried to pass the other riders at the first hairpin, but I overshot a bit while braking and in order to avoid hitting Max, I went off track. Then I really pushed to recover as many positions as possible."

He continued, "During the second race, I started off quite well and I was with the lead group, right behind Checa, who immediately passed Toseland. When I attempted to pass, we ended up a bit wide. Then I shifted into the wrong gear and overshot at the same corner as in race one."

Camier's ability to lap as quickly as the best on many occasions was a positive he can take away with him, but he feels there could have been much more. "I'm disappointed because I put in very good lap times and seeing how the race ended, I could have had an excellent result."

In finishing the PI races 11th each time, he is already inside the top ten of the championship, ninth. Leon will get his next points scoring chances at Portimao, Portugal, on 28 March.

Not bad at the very beginning of WSBK's 23rd season, and considering how many riders have multiple race wins to their credit. Giants of the class such as Carl Fogarty (59) and Troy Bayliss (52) are the class leaders in this field, but no fewer than 20 riders have at least ten wins to their credit.

With Haslam joining the winners' club, there are 15 full time 2010 WSBK riders who have won at least one race, from 'new boy' Haslam to Haga. The 'active' winners are, Noriyuki Haga (41), Troy Corser (33), James Toseland (16), Ruben Xaus (11), Chris Vermeulen (10), Max Biaggi (4), Makoto Tamada (3), Lorenzo Lanzi (3), Michel Fabrizio (3), Carlos Checa (3), Shane Byrne (2), Max Neukirchner (2), Jonathan Rea (2), Andrew Pitt (1), and Leon Haslam (1).

Fast in all Phillip Island sessions and the previous winter tests, Checa has been reborn in a season which some may have seen as a relative slow-down from being an official Honda rider in 2008 and 2009. He is after all, 37 years old! As he proved, however, there is plenty of racing left in the Catalan rider, as Carlos gave himself and his recently reorganised Althea Ducati team his third and their first ever WSBK race win.

Phillip Island was Checa's first race weekend on a twin cylinder four-stroke motorcycle, and his first meeting riding for his new team - two factors among several others that make his achievement highly noteworthy.

Carlos has now started 58 World Superbike races, but he spent the majority of his career in GP racing, winning two 500GPs, his first way back in 1996.

After his remarkable performance in Australia, Carlos put his win down to an immediate empathy with the nature of his latest bike. "I like the character of this machine", said Carlos. "It suits my riding style. This year, when I signed for this project it was because I wanted to have fun, to ride this bike, to ride a twin. At this stage of my career what more can I ask?"

Having been fast in testing over the winter months, Haslam has actually taken his debut win at the very first attempt as an official rider in an official team, have raced as a wildcard and privateer rider in the past. He followed up his win with a second place in Australia, only 0.307 seconds from his second win of the day.

Having started 62 races in this class, including those at Phillip Island last weekend, Haslam is actually something of a veteran at 26 years-old, simply because he started racing scooters at 14 years of age, winning the national championship in the UK in his first year. He went on to race everything from CB500 Honda twins to full MotoGP machinery in a wide-ranging career for such a young rider.

After moving back to BSBS racing full time in 2005 Leon enjoyed 16 wins in that class, and was second in the BSB championship in 2006 and 2008 - and never outside the top four in any year since 2005.

In 2009 Haslam was the top Honda in the WSBK series for a major part of the season, and was a top six finisher, in front of many official machines in the final rankings.

Leon's entire racing career has been run under the watchful eye of his father Ron, a successful rider in his own right in a large number of bike racing disciplines over the years.

Haslam - Leon that is - now has eight WSBK podium finishes, and has taken them on Ducati, Honda and now Suzuki machinery. His first was in Germany in 2004, his most recent as second place last Sunday. Given his form in 2010 already, we may not have to wait for too long before he adds to his already impressive haul of statistics.

His career on two wheels has been glittering already, but he could have possibly gone for glory in another sport altogether - football. Or if you are North American, soccer... The American reference is very apt, as Cal Crutchlow was named after legendary American racer, Cal Rayborn.

Despite his relative lack of height, Crutchlow was a very keen and gifted football player as a kid, and was involved in the youth systems of Coventry, his home city, and Aston Villa, the latter being a giant of the English game even now.

As a young kid Cal was not interested in racing much, despite his father Derek being a racer himself. But when Cal finally caught the bug for racing, at around age 11, any thoughts of a career in football went by the wayside. With one World Championship in his pocket already, and the real prospect of more, he's never looked back.