Here's some interesting numbers about the 2012 WSBKseason from Pirelli: • Total number of tyres taken to the 14 rounds of the 2012 season for all classes of the Superbike World Championship (Superbike, Supersport, Superstock 1000, Superstock 600, European Junior Cup) including those for tests: 65,867 • Total number of tyres taken just for the 28 races of the Superbike World Championship classes (excluding tests): 61,669 • Total number of tyres taken for the 4 official tests (Phillip Island, Imola, Aragòn and Moscow): 4,198 • Total number of tyres used and recycled during the 14 rounds of the season: 22,184, of which 9,454 front and 12,730 rear • Number of tyres taken on average to each round: 4,405 • Round to which the largest number of tyres were taken: Misano Adriatico, 5,261 • Number of tyres mounted on average in each round: 2,039, of which 820 front and 1,219 rear • Number of tyres used on average in each round: 1,585 of which 676 front and 909 rear • Number of tyres which each Superbike rider had available during the season: 466 front and 520 rear • Number of tyres available on average in each round for each Superbike rider: 34 front and 37 rear • Round to which the largest number of tyres were taken per rider: Brno 37 front, Misano Adriatico 42 rear • Number of solutions taken on average to each round per rider (including intermediate, wet and Superpole): 5 front and 7 rear • Number of different solutions developed for all Superbike World Championship classes: 46 of which 24 for Superbike and 22 for Supersport • Number of different solutions developed for the Superbike class and taken during the season besides the standard ones: 24 of which 7 front and 17 rear of which 17 dry (4 front and 13 rear), 4 intermediate (2 front and 2 rear) and 3 rain (1 front and 2 rear) • Solution most used by riders during the season: front SC1 N1159, rear SC1 R302 Tracks, Races and Tests • Longest continual energy input into a tyre: Phillip Island (turn 11-12) • Longest race of the year: Magny-Cours Race 1 in 44’06.299 to complete 23 laps and 101.453 km at an average speed of 138.016 km/h • Shortest race of the year: Monza Race 1 in 14’08.800 to complete 8 laps and 46.216 km at an average speed of 196.015 km/h • Number of races run: 18 on dry, 9 on wet, 1 not run • Highest speed reached by a Diablo Superbike tyre: 339,5 km/h (Tom Sykes / Monza – 2nd free practice session, 9th lap) • Highest speed reached by a Diablo Superbike tyre in a race: 332,9 km/h (Max Biaggi / Aragòn – Race 2, 5th lap) • Highest average speed during the fast lap in a race: 198,623 km/h (Tom Sykes / Monza – Race 2, 7th lap) • Lowest average speed during the fast lap in a race: 138,813 km/h (Sylvian Guintoli / Assen – Race 1, 9th lap) • Number of riders who took part in the Superbike class in 2012: 30, of whom 25 permanent and 5 wild cards • Superbike rider who achieved the highest number of Best Laps: Carlos Checa (Althea Racing), 8 • Number of different circuits on which tests were carried out with on-site Pirelli personnel (including private tests): 10 Other interesting numbers • Lowest track/asphalt temperature on which Diablo Superbike tyres raced: Assen (Netherlands) at 7 degrees Celsius (22.04.) • Highest track/asphalt temperature on which Diablo Superbike tyres raced: Phillip Island (Australia) at 54 degrees Celsius (26.02.) • Lowest air/ambient temperature in which Diablo Superbike tyres raced: Assen (Netherlands) at 9 degrees Celsius (22.04.) • Highest air/ambient temperature in which Diablo Superbike tyres raced: Phillip Island (Australia) at 34 degrees Celsius (26.02.) • Number of words written in Pirelli press releases devoted to the World Superbike Championship in 2012: 10,541 Pirelli Team in WSBK • Pirelli personnel present at each round: 25 people of whom 15 in the technical area dedicated to mounting/dismounting tyres • Average age of the Pirelli WSBK team: 34 years old • Total hours spent on average on a plane this year by each member of the Pirelli WSBK team: 72 hours (equal to 3 days) • Number of days away on average for each member of the Pirelli WSBK team during 2012: 105 (equal to 3.5 months) Pirelli Trucks in WSBK • Number of trucks present on average at each European round: 7 • Total kilometres travelled by each Pirelli truck in 2012: 32,197 km Pirelli in WSBK as sole supplier • The longest-lasting controlled tyre supplier in motor history: 10 years (2004-2013) • Total number of different solutions developed by Pirelli in those years for all the WSBK classes: 562 • Total number of solutions developed by Pirelli just for the Superbike class: 351 of which 260 dry, 23 intermediate and 68 wet • Number of circuits on which Pirelli tyres have run: 22 (Aragòn, Assen, Brands Hatch, Brno, Donington Park, EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Imola, Kyalami, Laguna Seca, Losail, Magny-Cours, Misano Adriatico, Monza, Moscow, Nürburgring, Oschersleben, Phillip Island, Portimão, Salt Lake City, Silverstone, Valencia, Vallelunga) in 13 countries • Number of Superbike races run as sole supplier: 229 of which 209 on dry and 20 on wet • Number of riders who have raced with Pirelli tyres in the Superbike World Championship: 422, of whom 227 permanent and 195 wild cards • Average number of Superpoles improved each year with respect to the previous year: 8 • Average annual improvement of race lap time: 0.5 seconds • Lowest asphalt temperature ever measured: 7 degrees Celsius at Donington (UK) • Highest asphalt temperature ever measured: 60 degrees Celsius at Phillip Island (AUS)
somewhere Rob McMinn is cringing at the thought of all those tyre changes as he remembers his time at Mission
