WSBK preview: Rd2, Thailand

After the thrilling season opener at Phillip Island, the 2015 Superbike World Championship continues on March 20-22 at the brand new Chang International Circuit in Thailand.

The track is located near Buriram in the country's north-east, and will be the 48th venue to host a WSBK event since 1988. The Chang International Circuit is also the fifth new venue to debut on the calendar in the past five years.

The track’s 4.554km layout has been built on completely flat terrain and features 12 corners, five left and seven right.

After round one, two riders sit atop the standings with one win and a second place apiece: former teammates Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).

Fellow Briton Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Superbike Team) left Phillip Island with two encouraging podium finishes and the confidence to consistently challenge for the top step aboard his Panigale R. The Welshman will be joined once again by three-time WSBK Champion Troy Bayliss, who is eager to improve his performance after his surprise return to the series at his home round. The soon-to-be 46-year-old will again be the substitute rider for the injured Davide Giugliano.

“I’d like to thank the team for giving me another chance to ride the Panigale R," said Bayliss. "I’m excited to get back on track, and at what is a brand new circuit for everyone, so we’ll all start on a level playing field. I’ve been training hard in recent weeks and am feeling well prepared for the challenge. I can’t wait to get started.”

Last year’s title contenders, the reigning Champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike) and runner-up Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), will be aiming to bounce back to the front after a difficult opening round which saw both riders playing catch-up both to the leading trio as well as to their respective teammates.

Still recovering from the neck injury suffered in a testing crash at Jerez at the end of January, Guintoli hopes to be fit enough to face the extreme heat and humidity the riders will encounter in Thailand. The Frenchman is looking forward to making the most out of the Honda package that proved to be very competitive in Australia in the hands of the reigning world supersport champion Michael van der Mark.

After the promising WSBK debuts of Spanish rookies Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Nico Terol (Althea Racing Ducati), the duo will start from the same level of track-knowledge at Chang as the rest of the field, a factor that could well boost their chances for impressive results in Thailand.

Keen on putting a difficult opening round behind them, the Voltcom Crescent Suzuki pairing of Alex Lowes and Randy de Puniet will try to make the most of the opportunity given by the Thai Round, hoping to quickly find a competitive set-up for their GSX-R machines which suffered a multitude of technical issues at the Phillip Island races.

BMW Motorrad Italia’s Sylvain Barrier and MV Agusta Reparto Corse’s Leon Camier are hoping to put on a good show on in Thailand as they are still familiarising themselves with the 2015 versions of their respective bikes.

David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) and Niccolò Canepa (Team Hero EBR) will tackle the second event of the year despite not being 100  per cent fit after injuries sustained at Phillip Island. It is a no-go for Gabor Rizmayer, whose place will be taken in Thailand by Polish rider Ireneusz Sikora.

Salom will be joined by former Superstock 1000 regular and WSBK debutante Greg Gildenhuys from South Africa, who will be Team Pedercini’s second rider. Local wildcard riders Chanon Chumjai (RAC Oil Racing Team BMW) and Anucha Nakcharoensri (YSS TS Racing Honda) elevate the number of entries to 26.

The WSBK riders – as well as their world supersport colleagues – will enjoy an extended, 75-minute opening free practice in order to familiarise themselves with the new track.

In world supersport, Frenchman Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) heads the standings after his win in Australia.

Cluzel's teammate Lorenzo Zanetti will be looking to maintain his strong start to the season aboard the second factory MV Agusta F3 675, while former champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will be hoping to show his true pace after finishing sixth at Phillip Island following a run off track in the early stages of the first race of the year.

Australia's Glenn Scott (Aark Racing Honda) is Australia's sole full-time world supersport rider.