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Johannesburg - GAS Sports, a South African company instrumental in bringing World Superbikes back to the country, has announced the launch of SuperGP, a local racing series based on the existing SBK format.
The announcement was made at a media conference in Johannesburg on January 29 2014.
Like SBK, a race weekend will consist of practice, qualifying and pole events on the Saturday, warm-up and racing on the Sunday. The headline category, SuperGP, is analogous to SBK’s EVO rules category, with the supporting categories being Super600, Super600M, SuperMasters, SuperBikes and SuperTwins.
'NEW CLASS'
Super600 is a new EVO rules category for 600cc bikes, while Super600M is equivalent to the current Supersport category for modified machines. Superbikes is the existing National championship category for modified 1000cc machines.
SuperMasters will cater for SuperGP riders aged 35 and older on 1000cc bikes, complying with both the Superbikes and SuperGP technical regulations.
It is intended that the above five championship categories will each hold National championship status.
SuperTwins will cater for 1000-1200cc twin-cylinder modified machines and will be a National Challenge series. The six categories are expected to attract as many as 120 competitors per race meeting.
The SuperGP trophy series will consist of eight monthly rounds initially (the first scheduled for March 2014) with the option to increase the number of races. To maximise spectator value and competitor exposure the races will be restricted to single-class grids.
TV coverage will be done on free-to-air channels such as SABC-TV and e-TV. This will help to ensure increased viewership, which in turn will help to make the series financially viable by attracting more sponsorships.
GAS Sports executive director Stephen Watson told said the series was intended to function as a bridge between local and international racing by making the transition into international series easier for local riders.
Title sponsors had already signed but he declined to name them; they would make their own announcements.
The announcement was made at a media conference in Johannesburg on January 29 2014.
Like SBK, a race weekend will consist of practice, qualifying and pole events on the Saturday, warm-up and racing on the Sunday. The headline category, SuperGP, is analogous to SBK’s EVO rules category, with the supporting categories being Super600, Super600M, SuperMasters, SuperBikes and SuperTwins.
'NEW CLASS'
Super600 is a new EVO rules category for 600cc bikes, while Super600M is equivalent to the current Supersport category for modified machines. Superbikes is the existing National championship category for modified 1000cc machines.
SuperMasters will cater for SuperGP riders aged 35 and older on 1000cc bikes, complying with both the Superbikes and SuperGP technical regulations.
It is intended that the above five championship categories will each hold National championship status.
SuperTwins will cater for 1000-1200cc twin-cylinder modified machines and will be a National Challenge series. The six categories are expected to attract as many as 120 competitors per race meeting.
The SuperGP trophy series will consist of eight monthly rounds initially (the first scheduled for March 2014) with the option to increase the number of races. To maximise spectator value and competitor exposure the races will be restricted to single-class grids.
TV coverage will be done on free-to-air channels such as SABC-TV and e-TV. This will help to ensure increased viewership, which in turn will help to make the series financially viable by attracting more sponsorships.
GAS Sports executive director Stephen Watson told said the series was intended to function as a bridge between local and international racing by making the transition into international series easier for local riders.
Title sponsors had already signed but he declined to name them; they would make their own announcements.
