While the world economic crisis seems to have hit Moto GP harder than World Superbike, some cracks are appearing there as well. The Sterilgarda team (first-string customer Ducati) has announced that it will only be taking one rider to the first two events in Australia and Qatar, that being Brit Shane Byrne who’s been fastest overall in several pre-season tests. Alex Polita will have to sit out at least these two races, a big disappointment for the young Italian who took fourth in the ’08 FIM Superstock 1000 series for Sterilgarda.
Team owner Marco Borciani said, "Unfortunately the economic condition of companies at the moment means that we do not have the support of several sponsors who were supposed to help us for the 2009 season."
Borciani added that the team still hoped to be running the second bike at the first European round of the WSB series in Valencia on April 5.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. AMA series, even though British racer Neil Hodgson has been confirmed for the Corona Extra Honda squad, there’s some lingering monetary nastiness there as well. Jake Holden, who raced for the team last year and says he has a contract for 2009, has apparently been left out in the cold and has a lawyer chasing money he says the team owes him, plus the ride he’s contracted for.
Good luck getting both …
