Image: Russell Colvin.

The 2018 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) calendar has been released, adding The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia to the schedule in place of Sydney.

Next year’s ASBK championship will remain at seven rounds, once again book-ended by Phillip Island with the Yamaha Financial Services-supported Superbike World Championship opener and then a standalone ASBK finale to complete the season.

Phillip Island’s opener on WorldSBK weekend will be contested on 22-25 February before the series travels north to Wakefield Park Raceway in Goulburn on 16-18 March, which will be the sole New South Wales round of 2018. Sydney Motorsport Park has been replaced by the state of the art Tailem Bend venue on 19-22 April.

Rounds four and five will once again be held at Hidden Valley Raceway in the Northern Territory between 28 June-1 July and Morgan Park Raceway, Queensland, on 17-19 August. Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria has been shuffled back as the penultimate event on 7-9 September, with the year to be capped off by a regular round at Phillip Island on 12-14 October.

It’s also been confirmed that a two-day official pre-season test operated by Motorcycling Australia (MA) will take place at Phillip Island on 30-31 January, three weeks prior to the championship’s opening round at the Victorian venue.

2018 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) calendar:
Rd1 – 22-25 February – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC (WorldSBK)
Rd2 – 16-18 March – Wakefield Park Raceway, NSW
Rd3 – 19-22 April – The Bend Motorsport Park, SA
Rd4 – 28 June-1 July – Hidden Valley Raceway, NT
Rd5 – 17-19 August – Morgan Park Raceway, QLD
Rd6 – 7-9 September – Winton Motor Raceway, VIC
Rd7 – 12-14 October – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC