THREE-TIME WORLD
Superbike Champion Troy
Bayliss has revealed he will
contest the 2018 Australian
Superbike Championship in a
bid to win a national title – a
trophy which has so far eluded
the 48-year-old.
Bayliss will contest the
entire seven-round series
on board the DesmoSport
Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final
Edition, riding for the factory-
supported team he co-owns
with former Australian
Superbike racer Ben Henry.However, there won’t be an
up-and-coming second rider
alongside him – the racing
veteran will be the sole rider in
the factory-backed squad.
“Initially, I did want to see
another young guy on the
bike, but after I rode it I felt
that I needed to contest the
championship and try and win
myself that elusive Australian
Superbike title,” Bayliss
said. “I feel like I have some
unfinished business.”
Bayliss turns 49 in March,
and if he does manage toconquer his younger rivals to
claim the 2018 ASBK crown
it’s believed he’ll become the
oldest competitor to win any
domestic road racing series.
But he’s not alone. Brazilian
ex-MotoGP and World
Superbike rider Alex Barros is
also a regular campaigner in
his native domestic superbike
championship. Now 47, he
finished the 2017 season
second overall behind 21-year-
old Eric Granado, and the
youngster’s championship win
resulted in a berth in the 2018Moto2 World Championship.
Bayliss’s presence should
attract interest from
mainstream media outlets
and result in increased
coverage of Australia’s premier
domestic superbike series.
His first official outing will be
in the opening round which
coincides with the curtain-
raiser for the World Superbike
Championship at Phillip
Island over 22-25 February.
Tickets can be purchased at
http://www.worldsbk.com.au
KEL BUCKLEY120 amcn.com.au
sport
ASBKTroy Bayliss leads
Ducati title tilt
Strange but true: Triple
world champ Bayliss is
yet to win a domestic
Superbike crownThree-time world champ will fill his own team’s
seat in a bid to snare the one that got awayWho else?
The 2018 ASBK grid
continues to shape up with
the announcement that
Daniel Falzon will partner
Wayne Maxwell in the
factory-supported Yamaha
Racing Team. Making way
at Yamaha is Glenn Allerton,
who had his 2017 season
spoiled by injury but recently
signed a one year deal to ride
a BMW S1000RR with Next
Gen Motorsports, the team
that gave him his 2011 and
2014 titles.
The success of Josh
Waters and Suzuki has
prompted a surge in interest
for their GSX-R, with the most
unexpected news being two-
time champ Marty Craggill
may enter the series, subject
to a January testing program.
The good news continues for
Suzuki with Alex Phillis and
Corey Turner now confirmed
to be fielding privateer GSX-R
entries in 2018.
Bryan Staring is another
offseason signing, with the
West Australian switching
from Honda to Kawasaki with
the BC Performance team
alongside Kyle Buckley.
MATT O’CONNELL