Phillip Island to host World Superbike until 2011

World superbike racing will be staged in Australia until at least 2011 with confirmation today the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has secured a new five year contract for the category and been granted the championship’s prestigious opening round for 2007.

The Australian round of the Superbike World Championship will kick off the season with the world’s leading teams racing at the iconic island circuit from March 2-4, 2007.

The Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Pandazopoulos, announced the new deal at a media conference at the circuit today and confirmed that the Victorian Government and circuit owner, Linfox, have completed the new five year deal with world superbike organizers, FG Sport.

The contract ensures the track’s long-standing association with the production-based, four-stroke championship continues. The 2007 event will be the 17th time the event has been staged at Phillip Island with the circuit first hosting a round in 1990 and the event being a constant on the calendar, bar a round in 1993.

“Phillip Island’s position as the mecca of bike racing has been further cemented with the news that both the Superbike World Championship and Moto GP will be staged here for a further five years,” said Mr Pandazopoulos.

“The Superbike World Championship attracts more than 8000 interstate and overseas visitors, It also boosts our economy by nearly $17 million a year and attracts approximately 55 000 spectators to Phillip Island over the three days.

“The deal builds on the long tradition of motor racing at Phillip Island, a tradition which began with the first motorcycle race here 75 years ago.”

March’s three-day world superbike event will see the fearsome Aussie troika of current series leader Troy Bayliss, defending world champion Troy Corser and Andrew Pitt go into battle against a powerful international brigade, led by Japan’s Noriyuki Haga and former MotoGP star Alex Barros.

Bayliss, who’s firmly on track to win his second World Superbike title in 2006, is delighted that Phillip Island has been given a fresh mandate to host the Australian round for another five years.

“That’s great news and I’m really happy that World Superbikes will continue at one of the world’s best circuits until 2011,” said Bayliss. “Phillip Island is a really special place and I’ve had some great times there in the past. If they follow the island with somewhere like Qatar or possibly South Africa it will make a great start to the 2007 season.”

The managing director of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Fergus Cameron, said the new contracts for superbikes and MotoGP secured the circuit’s future and a $3 million upgrade would go ahead in the coming months. A new 20 bay pit garage will be built plus permanent Expo and corporate facilities.

“The circuit is only getting busier. We are now booked for over 290 days a year and we stage 18 race meetings a year and our facilities need to be revamped,” said Cameron.

“It is great to know that the world’s two leading bike championships make Phillip Island a must on their calendar and it shows once again what high regard the island track is held in by riders, teams, fans and the event organizers.”

The world superbike championship is beamed across the world to 170 countries on 85 television networks. It reaches a potential audience of over 2 billion viewers with an equivalent media value of almost $600 million.

Tickets for Australia’s March 2-4 round of the World Superbikes are on sale from the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit on 03 5952 2710 and Phillip Island Circuit website.