Stiggy quit WSB
Added on Monday, December 14th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Stiggy quit WSB
Stiggy Honda has withdrawn from the World Superbike and Supersport championship with immediate effect due to financial difficulties.
The Swedish based team, who competed in the World Superbike championship for the first time in 2009 after four successful years in WSS, have struggled with financial problems for much of their time in WSB and team manager Johan Stigefelt has decided to pull the plug on the factory Honda entry.
Doubts over the team’s future grew in October after admitting that they were unable to offer WSB rider Leon Haslam an extended contract in 2010, with the Brit eventually joining Alstare Suzuki. At the time it was also reported that Haslam was owed a “significant” sum in unpaid wages. His teammate at Stiggy, John Hopkins, was also not offered a contract for 2010. WSS rider Anthony West is expected to move to the Moto2 series.
Despite the financial problems, the team had a strong year in their debut WSB campaign. On their debut in Australia, Haslam secured a sixth and a third place finish before going on to three more podium finishes; a third and second in Assen before a second place finish at his home circuit Donington. Haslam eventually finished the season in sixth place as the highest ranked privateer rider, just one place behind factory rider Jonathan Rea.
In World Supersport, Anthony West failed to match the team’s best finish of third in 2008, finishing the 2009 championship in seventh place.
Stiggy Honda has withdrawn from the World Superbike and Supersport championship with immediate effect due to financial difficulties.
The Swedish based team, who competed in the World Superbike championship for the first time in 2009 after four successful years in WSS, have struggled with financial problems for much of their time in WSB and team manager Johan Stigefelt has decided to pull the plug on the factory Honda entry.
Doubts over the team’s future grew in October after admitting that they were unable to offer WSB rider Leon Haslam an extended contract in 2010, with the Brit eventually joining Alstare Suzuki. Haslam’s teammate at Stiggy, John Hopkins, was also not offered a contract for 2010. WSS rider Anthony West is expected to move to the Moto2 series.
Despite the financial problems, the team had a strong year in their debut WSB campaign. On their debut in Australia, Haslam secured a sixth and a third place finish before going on to three more podium finishes; a third and second in Assen before a second place finish at his home circuit Donington. Haslam eventually finished the season in sixth place as the highest ranked privateer rider, just one place behind factory rider Jonathan Rea.
In World Supersport, Anthony West failed to match the team’s best finish of third in 2008, finishing the 2009 championship in seventh place.
