Troy Bayliss to run Australian superbike title!

Troy Bayliss' rapidly expanding events management company can now add the Australian Superbike Championship to its portfolio, with news that it will take over promotion of the series from the second half of 2016.

The announcement was made at today's opening day of the 2015 Sydney Motorcycle Show, with Troy Bayliss Events (TBE) to steer the Aussie superbike title into a new frontier when a summer-based calendar kicks off in October 2016 and concludes in April 2017.

TBE has signed a three-year joint venture with Motorcycling Australia, and as part of the partnership the Australian Superbike Championship will carry the 'motoSBK' moniker.

“There is a big job ahead for all of us but the vision is to create a strong championship, competitive and affordable for people to race in,” said Bayliss. “It is not just about being a promoter: the manufacturers, MA, all of our racers who are serious about their racing need to pull together to make it work.

“It won't happen overnight but when there is one championship, with the right changes in some classes we will see good close racing and full fields which is the first step.

“We also need to bring our younger riders to a better level before they take off without the experience they need and have their dreams crushed.

“Our intention is to work as closely with the manufacturers as possible to ensure all brands are represented on the grid.

“While there will be strategic changes to increase participation in the sport a key component of our plan is a renewed focus on the fan experience."

MA Board member Peter Goddard said at today's announcement: “To be able to lock away the next four years of the championship and partner up with Troy Bayliss Events highlights how far MA has come with the series in the past 12 months.

“We knew it was going to take a lot of hard work to get the series back to this point, and the next four years promises to see continued growth, development and security, which is what we all want."

motoSBK joins the growing stable of motorcycling properties under the management of TBE including the Sydney Motorcycle Show, the Moto Expos in Melbourne and Brisbane, the Troy Bayliss Classic and Baylisstic Scramble.

Before TBE takes on the motoSBK project, the 2016 Australian Superbike Championship will continue to be run by MA with assistance from local clubs. The six-round calendar will begin in February and end in June, which will then give competitors ample time to prepare for the start of the inaugural summer series of motoSBK in October 2016.

The provisional calendar for the 2016 Australian Superbike Championship is as follows:

Round 1: WSBK PI 26-28 February
Round 2: Wakefield Park 25-27 March (Easter)
Round 3: Sydney Motorsport Park 16-17 April
Round 4: Winton Motor Raceway 29 April – 1 May
Round 5: Barbagallo Raceway 3-5 June
Round 6: Morgan Park 17-19 June