BOXSET: 25 classic races to celebrate the 35th anniversary of WorldSBK’s first race!
On April 3rd, 1988, WorldSBK history was written with the first race in the Championship and, to celebrate that anniversary, you can enjoy just some of the many classic races from WorldSBK
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the first ever MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race at Donington Park, held on April 3rd, 1988, we are delving into the archives to bring you some classic races from the past 35 years of action. From intense battles, fierce fights and incredible title deciders, there have been a lot of memorable moments in WorldSBK’s history and the 35th anniversary of the first race is the perfect opportunity to take a look back at some of these.
Volume 1 of the classic races box sets spans from 1996 to 2019, with visits to Hockenheim, Sepang, Magny-Cours, Imola and Phillip Island. History was made, riders took their country’s first win in WorldSBK and there was even drama at the front of the field between two old rivals. There is no shortage of drama and you won’t want to miss any of these incredible races.
Volume 2 once again goes on a trip that spans the decades starting from 2000 and ending up in 2018, with the first venue of WorldSBK featuring a couple of times. Wildcards feature heavily at Donington in 2000 as two British riders went head-to-head for victory, there’s a title showdown from Imola in 2002 between Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss, while there’s also a last-lap showdown at Phillip Island.
Volume 3 contains five more incredible races between 2004 and 2013 as riders went in search of glory. This time, the TT Circuit Assen features heavily with the iconic ‘cathedral of speed’ producing several memorable moments. Last-lap fights are the order of the day in the third volume, at Assen in 2007 and Jerez in 2013, while there are also plenty of clashes between titans to enjoy.
First wins and final wins come up in volume 4 with plenty of emotion on display in the five classic races. Pierfrancesco Chilli’s last win in a memorable race where he gambled on tyre set-up to storm through the field features, as does Chris Walker’s first and only win in WorldSBK. The history Monza venue features twice with some incredible fights while there’s a wet Sepang race that features the late Nicky Hayden’s only win in WorldSBK.
The fifth and final volume in the series features races from more recent times, spanning 2014 to 2018, but nonetheless are still classic races. There’s a title showdown between Aprilia and Kawasaki, a fierce fight between rivals, teammates going head-to-head for victory, a last-lap battle between Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies as well as Michael van der Mark making history in 2018.
Watch more incredible action from years gone by and enjoy the 2023 WorldSBK campaign in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Photo credit: Gold & Goose
