And just to add to his confusion, he has to figure out whether to promote his new World Supersport champion
Kenan Sofuoglu, 23, to the superbike team.
You’ve got to figure that there’s going to be room for Hodgson in the movement that will take place in superbikes this autumn. At 33, he has pedigree, experience, and desire.
And superbike promoters FG Sport desperately need a major Briton – or more – to keep the crowds healthy at its two UK rounds next year.
Ten Kate could launch satellite teams
As Ronald and Gerrit Ten Kate juggle with this human sudoko puzzle, their task might be eased by a plan to field more of their Hondas in 2008.
“There will definitely be more bikes on the grid,” Ronald said. “But we haven’t decided how many and whether it will be a satellite team or an in-house operation.”
He says the extra team will run in the Superbike class next year, with another in the Supersport category later. The Ten Kates are building towards a kind of rider academy, where the chosen few would spend maybe four, five or six years developing their careers with the Dutch team.
“We could start a rider in the second Supersport team, move him up to the main one, where he would race for the world title, transfer him to the second Superbike team and finally to the main one with the aim of winning the world title.”
It’s a bold, imaginative plan – just what you would expect from one of the best-run racing teams in any championship anywhere in the world.
GSE commits to Ducati
Ducati is another team looking for fresh talent. Troy Bayliss’ contract will end in 2008, and his partner
Lorenzo Lanzi has not really fulfilled expectations. Lanzi may not be retained next year, but if the 25-year-old Italian is dropped, Ducati will not seek a big name to replace him.
“We don’t have the budget for two top riders,” Ducati spokesman Julian Thomas said. “We’re looking for a young up-and-coming rider.”
