WorldSBK wildcards for Herfoss and Toparis

Reigning Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss will join last year's Australian Supersport Championship runner-up Tom Toparis on the world stage next month, after both riders gained wildcard entries into the opening round of the 2019 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island (February 22-24).

For the second consecutive year, Herfoss will be campaigning in the Superbike category under the Team Penrite Honda banner, while Toparis will once again line up with the World Supersport class on his Cube Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Related reading:
Herfoss clinches 2018 ASBK title
Toparis nabs two Moto3 wildcard entries

"It's a huge honour to be able to represent the number-one plate in the domestic championship and be able to represent Australia in World Superbikes," Herfoss said, who'll be hoping to improve on his 2018 result: a mechanical DNF in the opening race and a DNS in the second.

"Last year didn't go as well as I'd hoped so the team are really appreciative that we've got another opportunity. I'm 100 per cent certain we'll be a lot more competitive this year. Last year we jumped right in the deep end; we tried to build a bike in a very short period of time and with very limited testing.

"Now we're going to have a bit more of a competitive bike and a bit more knowledge on how the weekend works and hopefully we can get in there and get amongst it."

It'll be Toparis' fourth appearance within a world championship paddock and his second in World Supersport, and he's confident his experience will make the weekend easier.

"Last year it was my favourite weekend of the year because I won all the Australian Supersport races and I scored a point in World Supersport," he said.

"So let's hope I can do a little bit better this year and score a couple of points to reward the team for all the effort they've been putting in.

"I've been given a great opportunity to try and do well at my home round … I'm so keen to get out with those guys again."

The pair will race the both their respective wildcard and domestic events at the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship, which runs as a support category to the Australian round of the World Superbike Championship.