Japan
65. Suzuka
After the first corner, which in itself is a handful, comes a series of left/right/left bends leading to the ‘Dunlop’ curve a long double left hander – and then to make it worse Dunlops curve is over a blind summit! Challenging! The rest of the track is just as hard until you arrive at the stop/start chicane before the start/finish line – here you’ve just come round a 4th gear corner really fast in to a 1st gear chicane, it always looks hard on the telly, and I can assure you it is!
USA
66. Daytona
There’s nothing quite like this! 350 banking in a tri oval shape, with a ‘Micky Mouse’ infield section that’s totally mismatched to the rest of the track. They call slipstreaming in the US ‘drafting’, this is the home of drafting, oh and by the way, having a very quick bike helps!
67. Barber
In Alabama, if you’re there, you MUST visit the worlds biggest motorcycle museum – it’s awesome! The track is a beautiful circuit with lots of elevation changes and blind crests. A chicane, where going over the kerb is almost mandatory. Very challenging last couple of corners on to the start/finish straight, very difficult to find the apex. Really enjoyed riding there.
China
68. Macau
The Big Cahoona! When asked what it’s like to ride here, I can only say it’s like an arcade game – except that it’s for real!
Very fast long straights and a mixture of hairpins with tight twisty bits all thrown in.
Oh and yes, there really is NO run off, and lined with steel and concrete barriers.
I enjoyed it, with pole positions and a couple of wins, but would not like to fall off there!
69. Zhuhai
A circuit designed for cars, a succession of straights leading to hairpins or sharp 90 degree corners. Ideal for ‘late braking heros’.
Bahrain
70. Bahrain International Circuit
Oasis circuit is relatively short and simple to learn, very grippy and smooth, long main straight only one blind corner.
The GP track is more flowing than the Oasis track however, uses most of that layout as an infield section, loads of run off, proper car / GP circuit.
Australia
71. Phillip Island
Ultimate holiday venue with a fantastically charismatic circuit to play on; it’s a very fast flowing track, long radius corners all need to be linked together, couple of steeply banked corners with one hairpin – a real must if you’re in the area!