Team Alstare Suzuki 2008
After the split with Corona Extra - Team Alstare Suzuki's partner for ten years - it has been very difficult to find a new sponsor to replace the Mexican beer.Alstare and their General Manager Francis Batta have worked flat out during the winter to find a replacement for Corona. During November there was a great option with a potential sponsor. In the end this failed to come to fruition, but it still remains a possibility for the 2009 season.
During these difficult times, Francis Batta refused to give up his search for a suitable sponsor because he wanted to protect his company, all the staff and guarantee the continuity of its racing activities. Alstare took part in the winter tests in Qatar and Australia in order to be competitive at the start of the season, even though they had no sponsor at the time.
Fans and World Superbike personnel had started to get worried about the team's possible non-participation this year, especially after Alstare missed the official presentation of the SBK World Championship in the beginning of February, and were afraid that their favourite team would not be on the start-line for the opening race in Qatar next weekend.
But Francis and Patricia Batta have never doubted the resourcefulness of their abilities. They worked tirelessly to find a suitable replacement and therefore not disappoint the thousands of fans of the Belgian team. Francis kept on researching, went to many, many meetings and persevered until he was able to finalise a solution with new partners so that Alstare could be part of the 2008 season.
Now, after months and months of hard work, preparing the look of Team Alstare Suzuki 2008, we are proud to present our new sponsors and new bikes which - as usual - will be talked about for their original and trendy style. Thanks to Alstare's new energy and enthusiasm, Yukio Kagayama, Fonsi Nieto and Max Neukirchner will be able to compete head-to-head with all the other stars of the SBK World Championship - much to the pleasure of all their supporters looking forward to seeing their idols on the track again!
