There may have only been four rounds of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship completed but already history has been made at each of the opening four events and the official British Superbike Championship website brings you some fascinating facts and surprising statistics ahead of the next round at Knockhill.

There have been six different riders who have been race winners already this season from the opening eight races - Shane 'Shakey' Byrne (HM Plant Honda), John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki), Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha), Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha), Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) and Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki).

In addition to the six different winners there have been a further four riders who have scored podium finishes - Stuart Easton (MSS Colchester Kawasaki), Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda), Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) and Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki).

At the opening round at Brands Hatch Byrne set a blistering pace in qualifying to set the fastest ever lap of the Indy circuit with a time of 45.112s - the previous best lap of 45.460s had been set by former champion Gregorio Lavilla in October 2007.

The MSS Colchester Kawasaki team have had their best results to date over the opening rounds of the championship. Nick Morgan's team had only scored one podium before the start of this season (Simon Andrews, Cadwell Park, 2009) and with Stuart Easton's impressive start prior to his crash in the NW200 they secured their first second place finish at Oulton Park which he then followed up at Croft. Gary Mason also secured a maiden podium finish at the third round to bring the team's podium tally to four in eight races. The team also claimed pole position for the first time last weekend when Alex Lowes pipped Hopkins in the final stages in Thruxton qualifying.

The Championship has two new race winners this season - Hopkins who also became the first American victor at only the second round and his Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki team-mate Jon Kirkham at Croft.

Peter Hickman and Mason also enjoyed their first visit to the BSB podium after a second and third place respectively, with the Tyco Honda rider's second place at Thruxton and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider at Croft in third.