Russia to Host WSBK in 2012

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Insert Yakov Smirnoff "In Russia ..." joke here

InFront Motorsports has reached an agreement with a Russian promoter that would see the country host a World Superbike Championship round in 2012.

Yaknich Motorsport has signed on to organize a Russian round of the WSBK Championship. Yakhnich Motorsportalso acquired the television and marketing rights for the series in Russia. No venue has been confirmed yet but a number of Russian circuits are currently applying for homologation with the International Motorcycling Federation.

“We are honoured to have reached this prestigious target,” says Alexander Yakhnich, chief executive officer of Yakhnich Motorsport. “Thanks to the vital support of the Russian Government, specifically the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Russian motorcycling is getting ready to play host to the Superbike World Championship and in this way help the growth of the sport in our country in the best possible way.”

Official press release after the jump.

Rome (Italy), Saturday 21 May 2011 – In a packed press conference yesterday at the Russian National TV centre in Moscow, Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports and Alexander Yakhnich, CEO of Yakhnich Motorsport announced that a partnership agreement had been reached between the two companies.

As a result Yakhnich Motorsport becomes the organizer of the Russian Round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, and also acquires the TV and Marketing rights for the Russian market. The declared intention is to bring World Superbike to Russia already in 2012, and with this aim in mind negotiations are being held with a number of circuits currently in the process of applying for FIM homologation.

Paolo Flammini declared: “We are very satisfied with this agreement and we wish to thank Mr. Yakhnich for his warm welcome and for the truly professional work carried out by his team. Russia is one of the most important nations in the world, with a rapidly-growing economy. We think that the Superbike World Championship is the most suitable way to help develop the Russian motorcycle market, together with a plan that foresees the growth of young Russian riders on an international level in our four categories”.

Alexander Yakhnich added: “We are honoured to have reached this prestigious target. Thanks to the vital support of the Russian Government, specifically the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Russian motorcycling is getting ready to play host to the Superbike World Championship and in this way help the growth of the sport in our country in the best possible way”.

The ceremony, which in addition was attended by Paolo Ciabatti, SBK General Manager, and Alexander Lunkin, President of the Russian Motorcycling Federation, also saw the presentation of the ‘Two Countries Cup’, the UEM-organized trophy for Italian and Russian riders with ‘Open Stock 600′ bikes, the two rounds of which will be held at Misano on 12 June as part of the San Marino Round of the Superbike World Championship, and at the new Canyon circuit in Kazan (Russia) on 21 August.

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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