Former World Supersport number two Kevin Curtain will make his international return at the Island. Image: Keith Muir.

Australian road racing great Kevin Curtain is living by the adage that life begins at 40. The indefatigable 46-year-old from Lake Macquarie will put that maxim to the test when he makes a one-off comeback in the Supersport World Championship when the 2013 season opener is held at Phillip Island from 22-24 February.

Curtain was once one of World Supersport’s biggest names, but his last full campaign was in 2006. Since then the grid has just about been fully renewed, save for a few riders including flying Frenchman Fabien Foret and reigning world champion Kenan Sofuoglu.

It’s left Curtain feeling like a rookie heading into Phillip Island, but he’s already proven in the last couple of years that he’s up for a ‘challenge’, recently marrying partner, Zoe, and spending his days chasing around his three-year-old daughter, Sierra.

It’s that new lease of life which partly explains why he is still such a combative customer at an age when most road racers are well past their prime.

“That’s why I am really looking forward to racing at Phillip Island, as it’s like I’m starting all over again,” said Curtain, who twice finished championship runner-up in 2005 and 2006. “I have some really happy memories of my time in the championship, and I hope I can add to that on February 24.”

Curtain, who has dominated the local Formula Xtreme series in recent years, wasn’t even harbouring full-blown ambitions to make a World Supersport return until his local distributor-backed Yamaha team made an approach.

“Yamaha asked me and I was like ‘stuff it, why not?’. The team has been building a World Supersport-spec YZF-R6 for about a year now and all the boys were keen to make it happen, so here we are.”

Curtain will be joined on the grid at Phillip Island by three other Australians, fellow wildcard Josh Hook (Honda), 2012 national supersport champion Mitchell Carr (Triumph) and new signing to PTR Honda Matt Davies.

“It’s hard to tell how strong the field is going to be this year, but I do know the Aussies will be very competitive on their home turf, and obviously riders like Foret and Sofuoglu will be up there.

“My goal is simple, to get on the podium, and I don’t care whether that’s first, second or third. I know what it takes to circulate at the front, and I will be doing all I can to make it happen.

“And with the recent resurface, times are going to be very fast – but as always tyre selection will be critical on the high-speed layout.”

Curtain already knows how to play hard at Phillip Island: he has finished on the WSS podium four times on the 4.445km circuit, for one victory (2001) and three second places (2004-2006).

Curtain’s arm wrestle with fellow Aussie Josh Brookes in 2004 still ranks as one of the greatest Phillip Island races in history, with Brookes just getting home in a thriller.

Meanwhile, there will be two Australian wildcards in the world superbike races at Phillip Island, Glenn Allerton (BMW) and Jamie Stauffer (Honda), making it the largest local contingent in many years.

Tickets for Phillip Island are available at www.worldsbk.com.au or call the ticket hotline on 1300 728 007.