Image: Keith Muir.

Swann Insurance will return as title sponsor of the Australasian Superbike Championship (ASC) through the 2017 season in an extended three-year agreement, it was confirmed on Wednesday evening in a live panel show streamed online from the AVE studios in Sydney.

Series promoter Terry O’Neill confirmed the continuation of Swann Insurance as the naming-rights partner following a successful entry in 2014, with a number of further details also announced during the launch.

The premier Superbike category will feature a mixture of formats during 2015, with select rounds including the previous three-race structure, while alternate rounds will see a two-race format of a longer duration introduced.

At Sydney Motorsport Park’s final round in December, O’Neill confirmed the event will feature a trio of the longer races, with the event due to run across the Friday and Saturday only to 8:00pm in a two-day structure.

Superbike regulations have only been slightly modified, however the major revision comes via the maximum engine capacity increase of 1400cc for twin-cylinder entries. Click here to view the complete update of rule sets.

The 2015 season will see C- and D-grade competitors on Superbike machinery separated from the premier class ranks, with the reintroduction of the ‘Formula Xtreme’ category – providing riders a standalone class with its own identity for the new year.

With the increase to seven rounds in 2015, support categories – all aside from the Superbikes – will be eligible to drop their worst-scoring round of seven, which will keep competitors in the title chase if they’re unable to attend all rounds of the series.

Follow this link to view a complete replay of the 2015 ASC Preview Show on CycleOnline.com.au.