James Toseland - 2004 Rider
Profile
Introduction
James Toseland is Britain's rising Superbike
star but the 23-year-old from South Yorkshire
has more racing experience than riders
more advanced in age. James becomes the
third rider to step up from the GSE Ducati
'satellite' team to the factory Ducati
squad, following in the footsteps of former
WSBK champions Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson
and like his predecessors, this becomes
his big chance for glory.
Early competition in trials and motocross
brought an impressive haul of trophies
and awards before James set his sights
on a career in road racing. He quickly
worked his way up through the ranks of
125cc racing and into Supersport, winning
the CB500 Cup on the way. His first season
in British Supersport, at the age of 16,
resulted in a third place overall.
In 1998 James was chosen by Castrol Honda
to ride the CBR600 in the World Supersport
Championship. Never one to turn down a
challenge, in the next two seasons James
finished 18th and 11th overall before
returning to Britain to ride in the 2000
British Superbike Championship. Despite
missing almost half the season through
injury, James finished 12th overall and
was snapped up by GSE Racing for their
World Superbike campaign. An impressive
thirteenth place in the 2001 championship,
including sixth at Brands Hatch, was enough
to confirm the rider as a permanent fixture
on the WSBK grid.
James Toseland has really emerged as
a rider over the past two seasons. In
just his second year in WSBK in 2002,
he became a regular top six finisher and
scored his first-ever podium finish at
Assen, while in 2003 he ended Hodgson's
winning streak with an impressive win
at Oschersleben and then earned his first
pole position in the final round at Magny-Cours.
- 2004: World Superbike Championship (Ducati
999F04)
- 2003: 3rd - World Superbike Championship
(Ducati 998F02)
- 2002: 7th - World Superbike Championship
(Ducati 998F01)
- 2001: 13th - World Superbike Championship
(Ducati 998)
- 2000: 12th - British Superbike Championship
(Honda)
- 1999: 11th - World Supersport Championship
(Honda)
- 1998: 18th - World Supersport Championship
(Honda)
- 1997: 1st - British Honda CB500 Cup
- 1997: 3rd - British Supersport Championship
- 1996: 11th - Superteen Championship
- 1995: 1st - Junior Road Race Championship
- 1994: Road racing on a 125cc Yamaha
- 1993: Retired from motocross mid-year
to focus on road racing
- 1992: Inter 100cc Youth Series - Best
Newcomer
- 1989-93: Trials
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