On the success of relative newcomers to World Championships

BMW has recently won its first World Superbike Championship. It took copying Yamaha in particular, and 15 years of hard work. By now superbikes are outlawed due to speed cameras and the market has shifted to adventure bikes. BMW is still doing well in this market, but the brand identity has been diluted and is now fading away. Competitors have caught up.

The hard work and persistence to achieve the above have destroyed countless lives through health damage and energy drain. The winner in this case is one person - Toprak Razgatlioglu. While he is ON TOP OF THE WORLD now, this will soon be replaced by the perceived need to prove himself again. His riding skills are under no question, however, this has been proven countless times in MotoGP, Formula 1, World Superbike and the WRC - the machine is ALWAYS what makes the package work.

True exceptions are Marc Marquez and Casey Stoner. However even they were unable to make this work long-term. The flashes of briliance always take a toll on a body as proven by early retirements of Casey, with other notable mentions being Neil Hodgson and Ben Spies. The true greats in one paragraph. And one name notably missing. You win fame by being a gentleman. That person was not. And neither is Marc, by the way, but at least his skills deserve him to be on this list.

Another great - James Toseland - has worked incredibly hard to achieve his fame. The last Superbike champion to be entangled in truly EPIC fights. To become a CHAMPION in a grid of ALL STARS - this is what RACING is ABOUT.