COUNTDOWN TO RACE 1000: looking back on WorldSBK’s first 100 races
Hungary is up next and with it comes a special milestone: WorldSBK’s 1000th race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s 2025 campaign is in full swing, with seven rounds complete. Round 8 is set to be a special one for the Championship as it prepares for its 1,000th race, scheduled to be the Tissot Superpole Race at the brand-new Balaton Park Circuit. To celebrate the milestone, we’re taking a trip down memory lane to look at some of the milestones and key moments along the way.
THE FIRST RACE: Donington Park, 1988
In April 1988, WorldSBK officially got underway. Roger Burnett on his Honda was the first-ever polesitter in the Championship’s history, but he was unable to convert that into a victory on home soil. Instead, it was Davide Tardozzi who claimed victory by just over a second ahead of Marco Lucchinelli – but even in the first round, there was a twist. The two race results would be combined to create an ‘overall’ winner with the points awarded based on this and, with Tardozzi crashing out of Race 2, scored no points despite winning the first race. Luccinehlli therefore ‘won’ the round and claimed a maximum 20 points.
THE FIRST CHAMPION IS CROWNED: Manfeild, Race 2, 1988
You can’t ignore the first Champion when looking back at WorldSBK’s history. Fred Merkel goes down in the record books as the first title winner, after taking the 1988 title in a dramatic visit to Manfeild in New Zealand. Two points separated Merkel (93.5), Fabrizio Pirovano (92) and Tardozzi (91.5) heading into Race 2. Tardozzi was out of contention after crashing on the warm up lap, but Pirovano’s change to slick tyres resulted in a fall after the race started wet, allowing Merkel to claim the title. The American could go on to take the 1989 title as well.
THE CLOSEST FINISH: Phillip Island, Race 2, 1990
Phillip Island has often brought close racing over the years, and the 1990s were no different. Race 2 on ‘The Island’ finished with a 0.040s between Robert Phillips and Peter Goddard, racing on Kawasaki and Yamaha machinery respectively. If that wasn’t enough, Malcolm Campbell on a Honda completed the podium – and he was just 0.060s away from victory!
A DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Oran Park, Race 1, 1989
It’s rare to promote big winning margins, but this one deserves a mention. Goddard claimed a remarkable victory on debut at Oran Park, Australia, by almost a minute ahead of fellow Australian rider Phillis. The race was a wet-but-dry affair as Goddard mastered the conditions to claim a famous, and barely believable, victory at Oran Park. He was so dominant in the 39-lap race, he lapped everyone except those who finished P2, P3 and P4 – they were 56 seconds back, 1’09s back and 1’16s back respectively.
RACES 50 AND 100: Brainerd, Race 1, 1990; Jarama, Race 1, 1992
World Superbike’s first milestone race came from the USA back in 1990, when Brainerd, Minnesota, hosted the action for the Championship’s 50th race. The race was won by Belgium’s Stephane Mertens for Honda, two seconds clear of Raymond Roche’s Ducati in second. For the 100th race, that came from Jarama in 1992, in Race 1. Again, Roche finished second in a milestone race, this time 13 seconds behind winner Phillis.
THE FIRST 100 RACES IN NUMBERS
Champions: Merkel (1988, 1989), Roche (1990), Polen (1991)
Number of race winners: 22 (top three: Polen, 21; Roche, 19; Mertens, 11)
Number of podium finishers: 40 (top three: Roche, 47; Mertens, 39; Pirovano, 27)
Number of riders with fastest laps: 31 (top three: Roche, 20; Polen, 16; Mertens, 8)
Number of circuits raced at: 24 (top three: Donington, Hockenheim, 10 races; A1 Ring, Sugo, 8 races; Hungaroring, Manfeild, Mosport, Brainerd, 6 races).
Photo credit: Gold & Goose
Watch WorldSBK’s 1,000th race at Balaton Park from 25th-27th July using the WorldSBK VideoPass – NOW HALF PRICE!
