2021 ASBK Classes Announced
Six spectacular national and highly competitive classes will provide intense competition in the 2021 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, the ASBK Management Team announced today.
With the expansion of new teams and riders joining the ASBK paddock, and other riders stepping up into higher classes, the 2021 ASBK Championship is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.
Headlining ASBK will be the Kawasaki Superbike class with Australia’s premier riders attempting to dethrone 2020 ASBK Superbike Champion, Wayne Maxwell.
The Superbike class will battle it out over 7 rounds across Australia and feature the all new Australian All Wheels Race Fest at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and joining with Supercars at Hidden Valley Raceway.
The Superbikes also returns to fan and rider favourite circuits including Winton Motor Raceway, Wakefield Park Raceway and Morgan Park Raceway which always produce spectacular on track action and super close racing. They then head to the fast and flowing The Bend Motorsport Park for the International Superbike Doubleheader with the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships and at Round 7 with further event details yet to be announced.
With new young riders stepping up from the Supersport class into Superbikes and expanded teams in 2021, the competition is expected to be intense.
The Supersport class will fire into action at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for Round 1 of 6.
The Motorsports TV Supersport class is the feeder category into Superbikes and important breeding ground that can be the springboard for riders wanting to compete in WorldSBK and other international Championships.
With several Supersport 300 riders moving up into the class this year, the Motorsports TV Supersport class will be one to watch in 2021.
The highly competitive YMI Supersport 300 class is expected to again see very strong grids in 2021 with riders progressing from the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, as well as new teams joining the ASBK paddock.
The Supersport 300 class will provide enormous action over 6 Rounds, starting at Phillip Island which always provides spectacular close racing as riders attempt to gain the edge on their rivals.
The class then moves to Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park Raceway which in previous years has provided sensational handlebar to handlbar action, before heading north to Morgan Park Raceway, where the ASBK fans come out in big numbers, and will then join the International Superbike Doubleheader at the Bend Motorsport Park.
The Yamaha R3 Cup – a highly successful one-make initiative featuring the Yamaha R3 offering an inexpensive entry level package into road racing – returns in 2021 and will again field strong numbers in the class. Many of the R3 Cup competitors will also cross enter into the YMI Supersport 300 class.
The Yamaha R3 Cup in 2021 will compete across 5 Rounds including Phillip Island, Winton Motor Raceway, Wakefield Park Raceway, Morgan Park Raceway and at round 7 with further event details to come.
The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, in its third year of competition, will see a capacity field of 20 of Australia’s best up and coming junior riders line up on the grid at six of Australia’s best venues guaranteeing to entertain race fans.
Also returning in 2021 will be the Horsell Australian F1 and F2 Sidecar Championship, which will join the ASBK Championship at Winton Motor Raceway and Wakefield Park Raceway.
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, said: “ASBK has become a world class product that continues to provide spectacular on-track action for race fans and riders, and 2021 is shaping up to be the biggest year of ASBK ever”.
“ASBK continues to grow, and we have seen a significant increase in fan engagement both here in Australia and from overseas. Additionally we have seen international team recognisding the quality of our Championship with riders leaving our shores to compete in international championships, acknowledging the quality of the ASBK Championship.
“We will have six strong ASBK classes of competition from our junior road racing academy – the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup – right through to Australia’s fastest two wheel riders in the Superbike class. We can’t wait to see the 2021 ASBK Championship fire into action next month.”
2021 ASBK Calendar
Rd 1 – Australian All Wheels Race Fest, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC, February 19-21
SBK, SSP, SSP300, R3, OJC
Rd 2 – Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC, March 12-14
SBK, SSP, SSP300, R3, OJC, Sidecar
Rd 3 – Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW, April 16-18
SBK, SSP, SSP300, R3, OJC, Sidecar
Rd 4 – Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin, NT, with Supercars Championship, June 18-20
SBK Only
Rd 5 – Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick, QLD, August 20-22
SBK, SSP, SSP300, R3, OJC
Rd 6 – 2021 International Superbike Doubleheader at The Bend Motorsport Park, SA, with the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships, September 23-26
SBK, SSP, SSP300
Rd 7 – To Be Confirmed, November 2021
Keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul via www.asbk.com.au and following ASBK on Facebookand Instagram.
Pictures by Russell Colvin
