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Triple WSB champion Troy Bayliss embarks on a new four-wheeled phase of his long and successful career this weekend when he makes his V8 Supercar debut at Phillip Island.
Since he retired from racing at the end of last year, the now 40-year-old Australian made no secret of his desire to go saloon car racing and he finally gets his wish this weekend after a series of tests this year for some of the top V8 teams in the category, including TeamVodafone, Jack Daniels Racing and Paul Morris Motorsports. Bayliss will line up at Phillip Island in the PMM Holden Commodore alongside Dean Fiore in the L&H 500 this weekend and will then take part in the legendary Bathurst 1000 endurance event in October at the Mount Panorama track.
"I've been training a lot to prepare my body for the race and overall I am feeling ready and really looking forward to the weekend," Bayliss said.
During his Superbike career Bayliss won a total of six times at Phillip Island, which he thinks could give him an advantage in his four-wheeled debut.
"I've raced at Phillip Island a lot on a bike and overall I definitely think my knowledge of the track will come in handy this weekend as I have a lot to learn throughout the course of the event," he concluded. Bayliss will compete in a sprint race on Saturday and then team up with Dean Fiore in the endurance event on Sunday.
Immediately after, Troy will be getting ready to return to Europe for the Superbike World Championship round at Imola on September 25-27. On the Saturday evening, in Imola's main square, Bayliss will receive a lifetime career award in a public event which will highlight the numerous stages of his extraordinary career.
