WSBK Baylisstic Scramble line-up

WSBK Baylisstic Scramble line-up announced

A stellar line-up of current and former stars of Australian motorcycle racing, including four world champions, has been confirmed for the Baylisstic Scramble invitational flat- track event to be held alongside the 2015 Superbike World Championship opener at Phillip Island from February 20-22.

The Scramble, the brainchild of three-time world superbike champion Troy Bayliss, will be held on a purpose-built 230-metre dirt track situated behind Lukey Heights (turn nine), with the entry including Chris Vermeulen, Karl Muggeridge, Jason Crump, Stephen Gall, Josh and Brodie Waters, Glenn Allerton, Paul Caslick and Chris Hollis, joined by current flat track specialists such as Michael Kirkness and Luke Richards.

Bayliss won’t be missing out on the fun either, and he’ll be one of five team captains alongside motocross legend Gall, flat track maestro Caslick, three-time world speedway champion Crump and former world supersport champion, WSBK and MotoGP winner, Vermeulen.

In addition to the four senior riders in each team, a junior will also be selected via a ‘Captain’s Pick’. The five juniors will be announced next week.

Bayliss designed the flat track at Phillip Island, and visited last week to check out construction and test the track out.

“It’s good,” said Bayliss. “I rode a few laps and the track will produce very close, fierce racing. There’s some pretty competitive riders signed up and we’ve a bit of experience between us. I’d say it’s going to be fiery.

“I am looking forward to showing my world superbike friends our unique brand of racing. And of course for our fans, it is absolutely free with your world superbike ticket so there’s now even more action, a world class line up of Australian riders and at no cost.”

On current form, Caslick shapes as the battle-hardened man of the Baylisstic Scramble, having been the leading Aussie at the recent Troy Bayliss Classic in Taree (NSW). Caslick was third in the main feature behind two Americans.

Bayliss, Vermeulen, Kirkness and Richards are also certain to be in the thick of it, as will Josh Waters, the two-time Australian superbike champion who accumulated a whopping 24 national dirt track and flat track titles in both the junior and senior ranks between 1993 and 2006.

SBK Baylisstic Scramble Image Gallery A

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Kailub Russell with Daniel Milner and Josh Strang on the podium

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The 28-year-old, who grew up in the speedway and dirt track mecca of Mildura (Vic), is now competing in the British superbike title, but is delighted to be back competing at Phillip Island for the first time since August 2012 — albeit in a different capacity.

“I am really looking forward to this event,” said Waters, who will race against his younger brother Brodie, also in the line-up. “I always enjoy going to Phillip Island, in whatever capacity, and the Baylisstic Scramble will be so much fun.

“Flat track racing was all I did as a junior, and it’s great to see it getting some recognition at events like world superbike.

“I haven’t done a lot of flat track racing recently, so it will be great to get amongst it again before I head back to the UK for another season of British superbike.”

The Baylisstic Scramble will feature five competitors in every race, while the juniors will face-off in their own intra-event shootout. Each of the senior riders will compete in a minimum of 12 races, so non-stop mayhem is guaranteed.

Races will be held over six to 10 laps, with Bayliss estimating lap times of around 13 seconds per lap.

The Baylisstic Scramble begins with practice on Friday, while racing on Saturday and Sunday will be held over four sessions. The Baylisstic Scramble schedule won’t conflict with the world superbike and supersport action, so fans will be able to see the best of the bitumen, and the best of the dirt in what’s set to be a real two-wheel carnival.

The Baylisstic Scramble is presented by Motul, Pirelli, Yamaha Motor Finance, Sony Actioncam and Shark helmets, and is free with any world superbike ticket.

Tickets and camping for the 2015 Superbike World Championship, Phillip Island Swann Round, are available from www.worldsbk.com.au or by calling the circuit on 1300 728 007.

BAYLISSTIC SCRAMBLE TEAMS

Team Caslick