Chili's DFX Honda team-mate
Michel Fabrizio has already proved his speed on his CBR, and lies eighth in the current championship standings, one place behind another former
MotoGP rider who has found instant SBK speed,
Roberto Rolfo, now riding for Ducati SC Caracchi. The top ten after rounds one and two is completed by two further former grand prix riders,
Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and
Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki).
Nieto, who forms one third of the official Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse entry in 2006, has great hopes for his home race, and after a superb showing in the most recent SBK tests at Misano for all three riders, his team-mates, Chris Walker and
Regis Laconi, are also looking at a possible challenge to the top places. With so many quick riders in the PSG-1 Kawasaki team this year, rivalries are amiable but strong, and currently forcing Kawasaki on to another level of competitiveness.
The Foggy Petronas squad has enjoyed some significant results at Valencia in the recent past and Steve Martin is fully expected to make an impact on the results at Valencia. His rookie team-mate, Craig Jones, is still earning the subtleties of the unique three-cylinder machine, but has experience of Valencia from the team’s testing programme.
The 2006 WSBK season enjoys a regular entry of close on 30 riders at every round, and is bolstered by no less than six wild-cards in Spain - including former race winner Anthony Gobert, riding a Coronas Suzuki.
In the World Supersport championship, Winston Ten Kate Honda's Sebastien Charpentier missed out on the most recent official test at Misano, but in the two rounds so far he hasn’t missed out on a single championship point, and thus leads the table by ten points from Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kevin Curtain.
Charpentier’s team-mate
Kenan Sofuoglu and Curtain’s fellow Yamaha rider Broc Parkes are also looking to podium finishes at Valencia, as each has a third and a DNF to their name.
