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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season is getting closer with each passing day, meaning more classic races will soon be in the history books. This week, we’ve celebrated Australian classics for FREE, as Phillip Island and the final weekend of February in particularly is the traditional starting point for WorldSBK. Following on from the closest ever finish in WorldSBK back in 2010, we looked at a home-hero winning in 1999 before it was a veteran’s final triumph in 2018. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s first win with Yamaha followed next, whilst the final one, a classic battle between two old enemies.

As 2016 kicked off, Jonathan Rea was the reigning Champion after a dominant 2015, his first season with Kawasaki. However, in that 2015 season, he had plenty of battles with Ducati’s Chaz Davies, most notably at Aragon and Sepang. There were already high expectations for more fighting in 2016 and Race 1 of the season certainly delivered. Both Rea and Davies swapped positions for the lead on the final lap, an explosive start to the new season.

Heading onto the final lap, having been locked in combat for the entire duration of the race, Davies knew that he’d have to at least have a go at Rea, in order to deliver Ducati’s first win on ‘The Island’ since 2012. He missed out at the popular overtaking spot of Turn 4, but soon made up for it at Turn 10, letting the brakes off and diving through. He ran fractionally wide, enough for Rea to turn it under him and carve him up, the two going side-by-side through Turn 11 before Rea powered ahead. The Ulsterman held his advantage and became the first rider since Troy Bayliss in 2002 to start his title defence with a win.

Enjoy more Australia content this weekend here, a watch all the classics unfold in 2022 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!