Troy Bayliss on his Ducati Xerox machine is now firmly in the position of champion elect but he still has a little work to do at the magnificent Autodromo Enzo e Dino
Ferrari to land his second World Superbike crown.
The 4.959km circuit is situated just a few junctions down the A14 Autostrada from Ducati's home base of Borgo Panigale, Bologna, and it was at this venue in 2002 that Bayliss had to give best in the championship fight to Honda rider
Colin Edwards, in the final round of the championship. This time around Bayliss is the one very much in the driving seat, even before first practice begins on Friday morning.
Only two riders have a mathematical chance of preventing Bayliss from being crowned champion at Imola, second place rider
Noriyuki Haga riding for the Yamaha Motor Italia team and third place man
James Toseland on the Winston Ten Kate Honda. Each has found a rich seam of podium form in recent races, and will no doubt provide fireworks of the brightest intensity in Italy, as they fight not only Bayliss, but each other, in their attempt to guarantee second in the championship struggle.
They have to rely on a serious streak of misfortune afflicting Bayliss to hope to prevent the ten-times race winner in 2006 from leaving Imola with the SBK Championship trophy, but with only six points between Haga and Toseland, the fight for second is expected to go all the way to the wire in the final round in Magny-Cours, next weekend.
With 100 points left for any single rider who wins all four remaining races, Bayliss is 87 points up on Haga and 93 ahead of Toseland.
