Australian round of WorldSBK confirmed for November 20
The long awaited confirmation that we will indeed get a round of the 2022 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island has finally been confirmed. Phillip Island will host the 2022 WorldSBK finale on the weekend of November 20. The World Supersport Championship will also race that weekend but the World Supersport 300 Championship will not journey to Australia.
Victoria’s thrilling 4.445 km Phillip Island Circuit, considered by many in the paddock as their favourite track in the world, has for 14 years launched the world’s leading production bike championship. However, this November Phillip Island will stage the final curtain call and, if the title fight goes down to the wire as it did in 2021, we could be set for a scintillating season-decider.
Fresh off the back of the Indonesian round just the week prior, World Superbike and World Supersport teams, including Australia’s Oli Bayliss and Ben Currie who will compete in the World Supersport Championship, will head down under.
The seventh round of the Australian Superbike Championship will be a support act over the course of the weekend and we believe the categories that race will be ASBK Superbike, ASBK Supersport and ASBK Supersport 300.
While Phillip Island has not been confirmed as the 2023 World Superbike season opener, MCNews.com.au believes that we will indeed host the opening round of the 2023 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island, along with pre-season testing.
David Bennett – General Manager, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
“Everyone from the world superbike community is keen to get back to Phillip Island, and we are raring to go, so it’s great news that we’re back on the championship calendar in 2022. We thank DORNA and the Victorian Government for their assistance in securing the final round of 2022 for Australia, and we look forward to potentially crowning the champion at Phillip Island.”
The 2022 season will conclude with the only double header of the year, as the Australian Round will take place just one week after the Indonesian Round. It will be the first time since 2010 that the WorldSBK season has finished with back-to-back rounds, and the 11th time in the Championship’s history.
The iconic Phillip Island Circuit has featured on the WorldSBK calendar every year since 1990, aside from 1993 and last year due to the pandemic, and has hosted the highest number of WorldSBK races (61 races).
Phillip Island is now back on the calendar for 2022 and the whole WorldSBK paddock looks forward to returning to Australia for what promises to be a thrilling season finale. It will be the fourth time in the Championship’s 35-year history that Phillip Island has hosted the season finale; the last time being in 1996.
Martin Pakula – Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events
“We’re looking forward to hosting the final round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island. This event attracts superbike fans from around the world and showcases the best that Phillip Island has to offer.”
