NEIL Hodgson could walk down a road in his home town of Burnley on a busy Saturday afternoon and not many people would give him a second glance.

But if the 27-year-old had even attempted to take a stroll round Donington Park on Sunday, he would have been mobbed by the 81,000 Superbike fans who are clammering for a piece of one of their heroes.

And that was before Neil sent the crowd wild by winning one of the World Superbike races and coming a close second in the other -- an almost perfect day on his home ground from the man who now lives in the Isle of Man.

The World Superbikes does have a huge following.

The British rounds -- at Donington and Brands Hatch -- attract more people than a Manchester United football match but the crowds are largely made up of bike enthusiasts in their leathers who love the sport and the characters it produces.

Blackburn's four-times World Champion Carl Fogarty could barely move as he walked through part of Donington with people throwing pieces of paper at him to sign and having their pictures taken with him.

He has projected the sport into the public eye and his achievements have led to him being widely recognised out of the sport.

And Neil's second excursion into the World Superbike scene -- his first ended three years ago after disappointing seasons by his standards -- could bring the same kind of popularity from the public at large rather than just the bike fans as he bids to make a major impact on the World scene. He currently lies fifth in the world standings.

Sampling the Superbikes at Donington Park is a unique experience.

First the road up to the park suggests what lies ahead with the grass jam-packed with parked cars and moreso bikes of every size, shape and model.

On entering the park, there are motorcycles worth tens of thousands of pounds on show, T-shirts on sale, hospitality tents, snackbars and people connected with the competitors hurtling around on smaller bikes as they prepare for the race.

Even one of the stars of the show, current World Superbike leader Troy Bayliss, cycled the 100 metres on a push bike from his motor-home to his garage before Donington had started to fill up.

And that is one thing which strikes you in the Superbike circuit. Many of the riders don't strut about like superstars.

They all seem genuine characters who, okay earn more money in a week than many people do in a year, have plush mobile homes to take to each site and may have glamorous model girlfriends, but they must have a sense of perspective as they risk their lives every time they get on a bike.

And while the riders are looked after, their bikes are treated like gold.

The huge lorries which transport the various teams' bikes are so clean you could eat off the floor in them.

The team spend hours working on them and those with the luxury of a press pass can see the bikes being fine tuned in the final hours as everything must be perfect for the rider as he prepares for 25 laps on the track.

As the crowd begin to build up, the riders go out and warm-up and then nip back to their motorhomes in the final hours to get away from it all.

Then, as the start of the 12 noon race gets closer -- which will be followed by the second race at 3.30pm -- it's back to the garage for the final preparations.

And there, just 45 minutes before the race, there is the regular 'pit walk' where members of the public are allowed to come into the pits and meet their heroes and get autographs and pictures.

The likes of Neil have to smile and shake hands with hundreds of their fans while in reality they must be churning inside as they prepare to take to the track for what they hope will be a taste of glory.

Can you imagine Alex Ferguson letting fans into the Manchester United dressing room 45 minutes before a game?

But the Superbike riders are made as accessible as possible to build up the sport and its image.

And then the race itself is amazing. Unlike a football match, it can never be a 'bore draw.'

Before Sunday's first race the ever-changing weather threw everything into chaos as the teams had to make a last minute decision between wet and dry tyres -- to get the maximum grip for their riders.

Thousands of pounds worth of tyres were getting thrown from the garage over the pit wall and into the start as hasty changes were made.

Everything has to be perfect for the rider and the team.

Meanwhile the thousands of fans were dotted around the various stages of the course, having picnics, relaxing and anticipating the spectacle they had paid around £35 a ticket for.

Then they were off and okay, when a bike is racing past you at 180mph there isn't a lot to see but that no means detracts from the event.

Stood on a corner, you can hear the crowd cheers go round the track like a Mexican Wave and then watch with anticipation to see, with just over a minute and a half a lap, who is leading the next time they come round.

On one of the bends in the second race, there was a crash as one rider pulled too wide as he tried to take the corner at around 60 mph, sending another rider off his bike.

There was a huge gasp from the crowd and an eerie momentary silence before the rider got to his feet and was escorted unhurt off the track -- to the applause of the relieved crowd.

But the applause usually rings out the loudest as riders one, two and three take to the podium -- the announcement, the presentation, the cheering and then the showering of champagne.

It was especially good as Neil won the first race although his champagne moment was a disappointment as his fellow riders got there first -- and sprayed it all in his face before he could shower the crowd!

Neil got the applause and the adulation on Sunday -- and it may only be a matter of time before the general public start taking note of him in the street.