After some difficult early moments in the season Winston Ten Kate Honda rider
Chris Vermeulen overcame a first leg retirement to win the second race of the day at the recent Monza round, taking his four-cylinder machine to its first win of the year. The only non-Suzuki rider to have taken a win thus far, Vermeulen is another rider with previous British Championship experience of the shorter
Silverstone layout. The second Aussie in the Ten Kate team,
Karl Muggeridge, also largely broke his run of bad luck at Monza, almost scooping a podium after being fastest in regulation qualifying, held prior to Superpole.
After some dreadful misfortunes at the start of the season, the number one plate holder,
James Toseland, approaches the first of two home rounds this season very much on the up. His third and fifth place race finishes at Monza were a return to the form which made him champion in 2004. His Xerox Ducati team-mate, this year as last, is
Regis Laconi who has had his share of bad luck as well, missing both Valencia races through injury. He has now secured a respectable three podiums - in a year when the twin cylinder Ducatis have found the four-cylinder Japanese machines a tougher proposition than last year.
Lorenzo Lanzi, back from injury, and
Fonsi Nieto will also be fighting it out at Silverstone aboard their SC Caracchi Ducati's.
PSG-1 Kawasaki's Chris Walker is one of the most popular British riders ever to leave his home shores in search of global glory in World Superbike. The Nottinghamshire rider has already earned a podium this season, no mean feat given the prowess of the Suzukis so far, and in Mauro Sanchini Chris has an experienced team-mate to help with the sometimes fickle job of setting-up the big Kawasaki four. Other classy 2005 Kawasaki entries come from Giovanni Bussei and Ivan Clementi, in the Bertocchi squad.
