Source: Supplied.

The 2016 Superbike World Championship will continue at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy this weekend, as defending champion Jonathan Rea leads the series into round eight of the season.

In 2015, Kawasaki pairing Tom Sykes and Rea split the wins down the middle, with Sykes victorious in the first and Rea in the second. The year before saw Sykes do the double, giving the man with three wins from the last four races good reason to be confident.

With a full 50 points from Donington, Sykes is now the chaser on his teammate’s tail too, having overtaken Chaz Davies in the fight for second in the title. The Yorkshireman has momentum on his side.

Davies heads back to Ducati homeland after two rockier rounds since he took an impressive and decisive double at Imola. With a DNF in Donington race one and fourth in Sepang race two, the Welshman’s deficit to leader Rea went from falling to once again looking like a difficult mountain to climb.

Teammate Davide Giugliano is another man flying the home flag at Misano, not only for himself in his home nation but for his Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. After a more difficult few rounds, the Italian came back with a bang, proving a real challenger for victories with pace to match and rival that of British teammate Davies.

Pata Yamaha is another team with a vested home interest in Misano success, with title sponsors Pata looking for glory in their home country. After a few difficult races marred by injuries for both Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli, the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round sees Lowes back on track and hoping to be back up in the hunt. The latter’s still out with injury.

Honda’s Nicky Hayden will be another force to be reckoned with. A first podium in Assen was soon followed by his first victory in Sepang and the veteran American legend also counts on a legion of experience at Misano World Circuit.

His teammate Michael van der Mark is another rider who has scores to settle not with the Italian track, but with the record books, as the Dutch podium contender chases his first victory and takes on Giugliano in the quest to be the next first time winner.

Althea BMW heads to its home track looking to bounce back from a difficult Donington. With both MV Agusta and compatriot rivals Aprilia heading back home in the wake of results to have equaled their season bests – with Leon Camier and Lorenzo Savadori respectively – the fight in the top 10 will as always be close.

Lone Australian regular on the grid will once again be last year’s British champion Josh Brookes, who enters Misano 14th in the championship standings as part of the Milwaukee BMW team on board his S 1000 RR.

As the odds change behind him, the man with no need for loaded dice at Misano undoubtedly remains Rea. On the podium in every race and with five wins by the halfway point, the Northern Irishman may not count on the same steamrollering momentum as he did in 2015, but his advantage is such that he can afford to keep one eye on the long game as one podium leads to another.

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing duo Kenan Sofuoglu and Randy Krummenacher are the two men to beat in World Supersport, running up to the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round. Title defender Sofuoglu once again heads the points table, and rookie Krummenacher is the first chaser in the fight to catch the defending champion.