Category | Superbike racing |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Inaugural season | 1980 |
Tyre suppliers | Dunlop Tyres |
Riders' champion | Mike Jones |
Official website | http://www.asbk.com.au/index.php |
Current season |
The Australian Superbike Championship is the leading motorcycle racing series in Australia. Organised by Motorcycling Australia, the championship, run for Superbike class racing motorcycles, has been run each year since 1987. The series was known in its first two years as the Australian Endurance Championship before adopting the Australian Superbike Championship title in 1989. The series has produced a string of top motorcycling talent, including future World Champion, Troy Corser and multiple AMA champion Mat Mladin. The series has several times over the years attempted to bolster its image by running as a support category at car racing events like the Australian Touring Car Championship and with V8 Supercars, as well as the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. It has frequently provided wild card riders for the Australian hosted rounds of the Superbike World Championship allowing emerging stars to showcase themselves against world class riders. This has helped in the past Mick Doohan, Troy Bayliss and Anthony Gobert launch international careers.
In 2010 a split in Superbike racing saw the creation of a rival series called Formula Xtreme, later known as the Australian FX-Superbike Championship. Attempts to merge the two series for the 2012 season broke down. Support for the ASC has declined in favour of the AFSC and manufacturer supported teams (like Yamaha) were amongst the first.
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