It’s been a while since I had a proper check of how the Brits are doing in the Superbike World Championship. And things have changed.

Johnny Rea picked up a race victory a couple of meetings ago in Misano – the first for Honda this year. He now finds himself 4th overall, and both top Honda rider and top Brit – titles formerly held by Stiggy Honda’s Leon Haslam, who is now 5th in the standings.

Tom Sykes is 7th in the championship, which still compares worryingly unfavourably with his factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies, who is very much in contention for the title.

There are, therefore, already rumours about who might be after Sykes’s ride for next year. One is Supersport World Championship leader Cal Crutchlow, who probably deserves an opportunity of some sort for 2010. Another is Leon Camier, who I’m not so sure about, simply because the level of competition in British Superbikes isn’t as high this year, so it’s hard to tell how much of an achievement it is to be leading as he is.

Last year’s British Superbike champion, Shane Byrne, is the last regular Brit, in a still pretty reasonable 10th. It is perhaps slightly disappointing given how well he did in pre-season testing, but that just goes to show how little that means.

Tommy Hill parted company with the Althea Honda team in the Superbike World Championship a couple of months ago, having achieved very little. He now finds himself drafted in to the Worx Crescent Suzuki team in British Superbikes, as the latest replacement for the injured Sylvain Guintoli. He’s done well in the national championship before, so he’ll be hoping to restore his reputation.

Unfortunately that does mean that Michael Rutter is without a ride in British Superbikes for a second time this season, having first not impressed on the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, and then not managed to translate good qualifying into results on the Worx Crescent Suzuki. I fear we may have seen the last of Rutter in British Superbikes, which is a shame, but everyone’s time has to come.