For the second consecutive year, the Russian round of 2015 World Superbike at Moscow Raceway was canceled. Due to this, the 2015 World SBK calendar is down to 13 rounds -- the same as '14. The Russian round scheduled for July 5 was canceled after Dorna WSBK and FIM put forth their "best efforts." The scenario is "similar to what occurred last year when Russian World Superbike was canceled due to dire political situations." As a consequence of this year's cancellation, the Moscow Region Yakhnich Motorsport Team, which applied to the FIM Supersport World Championship, "will not participate in the series" (ULTIMATE MOTORCYCLING, 2/11). ... The Newmarket track announced that a new two-day "Future Champions Festival" meeting will be staged on the Rowley Mile from Oct. 9-10. The "long-term scheduling of the
three-day July Festival remains unclear," however, with the meeting
confirmed in its "controversial Thursday-to-Saturday slot" in '15. Newmarket Managing Dir Amy
Starkey said that the
course is "open" to the possibility of "reverting to a midweek position"
from '16. The new meeting will be run as the Dubai Future Champions Festival
following sponsorship by Sheikh Mohammed, the country’s ruler, "while the
prize fund for both the Dewhurst and Fillies' Mile" will increase to
£500,000 ($770,300) (London GUARDIAN, 2/12).
