The 2008 Superbike World Championship was the twenty-first season of the Superbike World Championship. Corona Extra ceased to be the championship's title sponsor, as it had been since 1998. The electronics manufacturer HANNspree took over as the title sponsor in 2008 and this arrangement remained in place until 2010, with the championship officially known as the "HANNspree SBK Superbike World Championship".
The Superbike World Championship returned to the United States on 1 June 2008, for the 6th round of the Superbike World Championship. The round took place at the Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Utah. This was the first time SBK had raced in the United States since the 2004 round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Superbike World Championship shared the weekend with the AMA Superbike Championship and its support classes. However to avoid direct comparisons between World Superbike and AMA Superbike, and because of sponsorship issues the two championships raced on different configurations of the circuit. World Superbikes used the Outer Track, while AMA Superbike and its support classes used the Main Track.
The provisional championship calendar was made up of 15 rounds but the Indonesian round in Sentul International Circuit was removed from the final calendar.
Australian rider Troy Bayliss won his third Superbike World Championship riding the factory supported Ducati 1098. He secured the title with his 50th race win at the second race at Magny-Cours.
Race calendar and results 2008 Superbike World Championship Calendar https://motorsportstats.com/series/fim-superbike-world-championship/results/2008 Round Country Circuit Date Superpole Fastest lap Winning rider Winning team Report 1 R1 Qatar Losail 23 February Troy Corser Noriyuki Haga Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 Fonsi Nieto Fonsi Nieto Team Alstare Suzuki 2 R1 Australia Phillip Island 2 March Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 Max Biaggi Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team 3 R1 Spain Valencia 6 April Max Neukirchner Noriyuki Haga Lorenzo Lanzi R.G. Team Report R2 Carlos Checa Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 4 R1 Netherlands Assen 27 April Troy Bayliss Max Neukirchner Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team 5 R1 Italy Monza 11 May Troy Bayliss Noriyuki Haga Max Neukirchner Team Alstare Suzuki Report R2 Noriyuki Haga Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 6 R1 United States Miller Motorsports Park 1 June Carlos Checa Carlos Checa Carlos Checa Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Report R2 Carlos Checa Carlos Checa Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 7 R1 Germany Nürburgring 15 June Max Neukirchner Troy Bayliss Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Report R2 Noriyuki Haga Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 8 R1 San Marino Misano Adriatico 29 June Troy Corser Jakub Smrž Max Neukirchner Team Alstare Suzuki Report R2 Troy Corser Rubén Xaus Sterilgarda Go Eleven 9 R1 Czech Republic Brno 20 July Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 Michel Fabrizio Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team 10 R1 Great Britain Brands Hatch 3 August Troy Bayliss Ryuichi Kiyonari Ryuichi Kiyonari Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Report R2 Michel Fabrizio Ryuichi Kiyonari Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 11 R1 Europe Donington Park 7 September Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 James Ellison Ryuichi Kiyonari Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 12 R1 Italy Vallelunga 21 September Troy Bayliss Carlos Checa Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Report R2 Troy Corser Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 13 R1 France Magny-Cours 5 October Noriyuki Haga Carlos Checa Noriyuki Haga Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Report R2 Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team 14 R1 Portugal Portimão 2 November Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team Report R2 Troy Bayliss Troy Bayliss Ducati Xerox Team
Entry list 2008 entry list Team Constructor Motorcycle No. Rider Rounds Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati Ducati 1098 RS 08 3 Max Biaggi All 111 Rubén Xaus All Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. Honda Honda CBR1000RR 7 Carlos Checa All 23 Ryuichi Kiyonari 1–12, 14 32 Martin Bauer 13 54 Kenan Sofuoğlu 1–13 65 Jonathan Rea 14 Ventaxia VK Honda Honda Honda CBR1000RR 9 Chris Walker 10–14 36 Gregorio Lavilla All Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9 10 Fonsi Nieto All 34 Yukio Kagayama 1, 3–14 76 Max Neukirchner All Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 11 Troy Corser All 41 Noriyuki Haga All Team Pedercini Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10R 13 Vittorio Iannuzzo 1–2, 4–14 86 Ayrton Badovini All Benimoto Suzuki Cetelem Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 14 Luís Carreira 14 ProRace Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 15 Miloš Čihák 9 Team Suzuki Motorrad Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 16 Sergio Fuertes 3 Lloyds British Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 17 Simon Andrews 17 Tristan Palmer 10 Team NB Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 18 Tommy Bridewell 14 Ducati Xerox Team Ducati Ducati 1098 F08 21 Troy Bayliss All 59 Niccolò Canepa 9 84 Michel Fabrizio All Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda Honda CBR1000RR 22 Luca Morelli 1–5 43 Jason Pridmore 6–10 50 Matt Lynn 11–12 88 Shuhei Aoyama All D.F. Racing Honda Honda CBR1000RR 22 Luca Morelli 8, 10–11 31 Karl Muggeridge All 69 Iván Silva 13 83 Russell Holland 1–7 99 Luca Scassa 14 113 Jiří Dražďák 9 122 Matěj Smrž 12 Fabricom – MCT Racing Ducati Ducati 1098 RS 08 28 Arie Vos 4 HM Plant Honda Honda Honda CBR1000RR 35 Cal Crutchlow 11, 14 91 Leon Haslam 11, 14 Honda Joe Darcey Honda Honda CBR1000RR 37 Diego Lozano Ortiz 3 YZF Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 38 Shinichi Nakatomi All HANNspree Honda Althea Honda Honda CBR1000RR 44 Roberto Rolfo 1–4, 6–14 200 Giovanni Bussei 5 Yamaha France GMT 94 IPONE Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 49 Michael Beck 5 94 David Checa 1–4, 6–14 194 Sébastien Gimbert All PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10R 55 Régis Laconi All 100 Makoto Tamada All R.G. Team Ducati Ducati 1098 RS 08 57 Lorenzo Lanzi 1–13 On The Throttle.TV Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 61 Scott Jensen 6 Grillini PBR Team Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 64 Norino Brignola 8 73 Christian Zaiser 9–14 77 Loïc Napoleone 1–7 Rizla Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 66 Tom Sykes 10–11 Hydrex Bike Animal Honda Honda Honda CBR1000RR 80 James Ellison 11 Guandalini Racing by Grifo's Ducati Ducati 1098 RS 0896 Jakub Smrž All Spring Ducati ASD Ducati Ducati 999 RS 110 Lorenzo Mauri 5 L'Oreal Men Expert Laglisse Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 131 Carmelo Morales 3Key Regular rider Wildcard rider Replacement rider
Notes
Championship standings
Riders' standings 2008 final riders' standings Pos. Rider Bike QAT AUS ESP NED ITA USA GER SMR CZE GBR EUR ITA FRA POR PtsR1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2R1R2 1 Troy Bayliss Ducati141122113RetRet222433112111Ret6163111 460 2 Troy Corser Yamaha372Ret355101282Ret42252483Ret3336336 342 3 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha141387Ret1Ret221Ret61110467192Ret DSQ1112Ret14 327 4 Carlos Checa Honda6116253238Ret1155588Ret68Ret9557427 313 5 Suzuki5875RetDNS35124233177574Ret144459Ret4 311 6 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki7153410Ret117458891210148557Ret1262855 256 7 Max Biaggi Ducati23RetRet16810125Ret94137Ret243312362Ret46Ret13 238 8 Michel Fabrizio Ducati95319Ret13RetRet953376Ret1132126Ret572Ret14Ret2 223 9 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda221996Ret47Ret63107121114135611Ret1Ret13811 206 10 Rubén Xaus Ducati4244Ret7164Ret714Ret6841RetRetDNSDNSRet8Ret12Ret59Ret 178 11 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki8RetRet6464Ret85DNSDNS11129942551997871523 154 12 Gregorio Lavilla Honda13141187119711101315Ret14814151414134714Ret101268 135 13 Jakub Smrž Ducati109Ret1814146810Ret6 DSQ11Ret79Ret11996121311Ret13Ret12 120 14 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati1661320112DNSDNS14111110Ret2066Ret131110Ret111118Ret11 109 15 Karl Muggeridge Honda172012106201413Ret67111012RetRet11Ret16Ret9RetRetRet12Ret1421 77 16 Régis Laconi Kawasaki1516Ret17891116RetRetRet91410RetRetRetRetRet16Ret1516911201010 61 17 Roberto Rolfo Honda1115101610172214201616171718Ret121014Ret13810Ret101218 59 18 Kenan Sofuoğlu Honda1210141112151219DNSDNS1214Ret2118Ret10101317RetDNSRetRet919 54 19 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha21Ret151511161515131216Ret18189151215DNSDNS131810814161317 51 20 Makoto Tamada KawasakiRet12Ret149Ret89RetRet1913913RetRet16171818Ret16201918181924 41 21 Tom Sykes SuzukiRet7210 35 22 Leon Haslam Honda8Ret73 33 23 Cal Crutchlow HondaRet2Ret9 27 24 Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki1817Ret2117211318Ret9171217RetRet1717RetRet2112Ret15Ret16171116 24 25 James Ellison Honda104 19 26 Jonathan Rea Honda415 14 27 Russell Holland Honda242117913191820161315Ret1919 14 28 David Checa Yamaha23RetRet121518RetDNSRetDNSRet151516Ret16172011Ret1720RetRet2022 12 29 Sébastien Gimbert Yamaha20181613RetDNS171715141817151616RetRetRetRet19RetRetRet1413Ret1620 12 30 Shuhei Aoyama Honda252218RetRet2419211816RetRetRet2413191818Ret221417191719221826 5 31 Chris Walker Honda1515RetRet181515151719 5 32 Niccolò Canepa Ducati13Ret 3 33 Michael Beck Yamaha1915 1 Luca Morelli HondaRetRetDNSDNS1823RetRet17RetWDWD2124RetRet 0 Martin Bauer Honda17Ret 0 Jason Pridmore Honda2118Ret23RetRet19192223 0 Vittorio Iannuzzo Kawasaki19RetDNSDNSDNSDNSRetRet221920RetRetRetRetRet20RetRetRetRetRetRet23RetRet 0 Honda1922 0 Loïc Napoleone YamahaRetRetRetRet20Ret2122RetRet2421Ret22 0 Christian Zaiser Yamaha212023RetRetRetRetRetRetRetRet29 0 Iván Silva Honda2021 0 Scott Jensen Suzuki2023 0 Arie Vos Ducati2023 0 Jiří Dražďák Honda20Ret 0 Matěj Smrž Honda2121 0 Luís Carreira Suzuki2128 0 Miloš Čihák SuzukiRet21 0 Matt Lynn HondaRetRet2222 0 Tommy Bridewell SuzukiRet25 0 Carmelo Morales YamahaRet25 0 Luca Scassa HondaRet27 0 Tristan Palmer YamahaRetRet 0 Lorenzo Mauri DucatiRetDNS 0 Sergio Fuertes SuzukiRetDNS 0 Norino Brignola YamahaDNSDNS 0 Giovanni Bussei HondaDNSDNS 0 Simon Andrews YamahaWDWD 0 Pos. Rider Bike QAT AUS ESP NED ITA USA GER SMR CZE GBR EUR ITA FRA POR Pts Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
Teams' standings