Published in the Daily Mirror - Saturday 6 April 2002
WORLD Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss headed off to South Africa this weekend looking to extend his impeccable record of four wins out of four. The Australian leads the standings with 100 points; a clean sweep even Britain’s own two-wheeled hero Carl Fogarty did not achieve.Eyes twinkling at the prospect of the 2002 season, Bayliss said "I never expected such a good start, but it’s a long season and I just have to keep trying my hardest. Consistency is the key."
He won last year with his consistently good results and strong mental attitude, but this year seems to have risen to an untouchable level.
Debut
In fact, if it had not been for a few strong nudges from his wife Kim in 2000, Bayliss may not even be in the World Superbike Championship. He was originally drafted in from American Superbikes to replace Ducati’s injured Carl Fogarty and his debut could not have been more unsuccessful, crashing out of both races in Japan before completing a lap.
Disillusioned, he was overlooked by the factory for the next race at Donington Park, a track he knew well from his days winning the British Superbike Championship. With Monza approaching and a call from the Ducati team, Kim urged Bayliss to put Japan behind him and try again. A couple of fourth places re-lit his passion and he was off.
The following year he was World Champion and is now being compared to living legend Fogarty. So will he continue to blitz the field?
Honda’s Colin Edwards, a former world champion does not think so. "That number one plate was just on loan and I’ll be taking it back this year", he said.
Pitside, Edwards may be deep-chilled but on track he is hotter than a Friday night kebab with extra chilli sauce. So far this season we have not yet witnessed the Texan Tornado’s force 10.
Tests
He will be desperate tomorrow to add to his three wins in Kyalami. Edwards considers the South African circuit his playground and is not in the least bit interested in sharing the fun. Arguably, Edwards would have bagged double glory last year but for crank failure in the second race. Back then it was Bayliss playing second fiddle, but the Aussie topped the time sheets during the winter tests.Gloriously undulating, with teeth-grinding turns, Kyalami is not for the feint-hearted. And at 5,000 feet above sea level, engine power will be down by about 20%, making corner speed vital.
Bayliss and Edwards each cite the other as their main threat. But it is Californian Ben Bostrom who holds the superpole, qualifying and lap records and his race win last year earned him respect and self-confidence for the rest of the season.