With the pitlane and main straight surrounded by gently rolling hills,
Brands Hatch is arguably the greatest naturally formed Motorsports amphitheatre in the world.
The fact that Brands is also the biggest event on the World Superbike calendar is subject of little argument, with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable local crowd helping to make Brands the highlight of the 12-round championship trail.
The magnificent 4.197km circuit, first used for cycle races in the 1920s, is stunning mix of undulations and variety of corners. From the up and down hairpin at Druids, to the high speed sections in the woodlands towards Hawthorn and Westfield, Brands offers a unique challenge to every level of rider, in this its 14th appearance on the SBK calendar. Such is the importance of this meeting that when an additional venue had to be found to complete the scheduled 2000 season, Brands got the nod, and therefore hosted two SBK events in the same season - one in August and the other in October.
Despite championship leader
Troy Bayliss on the Ducati Xerox having blasted his way to an impressive mid-season lead after the sixth round at Misano (including an eight-race unbeaten record only one short of the all-time best) the fates have now skewed the plot - in favour of everyone outside the official Ducati Xerox pit garage. Bayliss still enjoys a more than useful 73-point lead, but compared to the previous run of events, the last two rounds have certainly shuffled the face cards in the SBK pack.
Seldom is the World Superbike series predictable for any length of time, and the surprise beneficiary at the most recent round at Brno proved to be the mercurial Japanese
Yukio Kagayama riding for Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Robbed of a chance of an early season win at Qatar, Kagayama hit the bull's-eye not once but twice at Brno, scoring his first SBK double ahead of a host of more fancied riders, including his own team-mate
Troy Corser, the 2005 season race winner, who now sits fourth overall.
