Bayliss takes on V8 challenge
Added on Monday, August 24th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Bayliss takes on V8 challenge
Three-time World Superbikes champion Troy Bayliss will be back on the Phillip Island circuit next month, although the Aussie will be swapping two wheels for four on September 11-13.
Bayliss, who retired from motorcycle racing in style last season by winning the 2008 World Superbike Championship, will race in the Australian V8 Supercar endurance race at Phillip Island near Melbourne before racing in the prestigious Bathurst 1000 a month later.
The former Xerox Ducati rider will drive alongside Dean Fiore in a Paul Morris Motorsports prepared Triple F Racing Commodore at the two endurance events after impressing in previous V8 testing events.
The former MotoGP race winner had his first taste of V8 Supercars back in June when he tested Craig Lowndes’ Team Vodafone V8 Supercar at Queensland Raceway – setting a time that was just 0.3sec off Lowndes’ fastest lap of the day.
Since then Bayliss has reportedly had approaches from a number of V8 Supercar teams, including Paul Morris Motorsports and Kelly Racing, before accepting an invitation to race alongside Fiore.
“It has been a long time coming and now the deal has been put together,” said Bayliss. “I am really excited to be making my debut in the V8 Supercar Series.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge but it is something that I’ve longed to do for some time. It’s going to be a massive test for me, especially at Bathurst, where my first priority will be to finish and then we’ll see where it may lead to for next year.
“I know the Phillip Island track quite well, I have had a lot of success there on a bike but it’s going to be different when I go there next month in a V8 Supercar. I have watched Bathurst on the couch since I was a kid, I can’t believe I am actually going to be there driving the mountain.”
