WSBK: New Race Format Confirmed

2019 will see the FIM Superbike World Championship adopt an all-new format to the race weekend schedule, following confirmation this week from series organisers Dorna.

Fridays will see the top category head out onto the track for only two free practice sessions, with the third practice session moving to Saturday morning and doubling up as the qualifying session for SBK Race 1. The previous system of combined practice times and Superpole 1 and Superpole 2 have been discontinued.

Following the Sunday warm up session, a shortened race will commence. Having been named the ‘Superpole Race’ the purpose of this sprint is clear: To set the grid for the second full distance race. Saturday’s qualifying session – in addition to setting the grid for SBK Race 1 – will determine the starting grid for the Superpole Race.

The final event of the race weekend is SBK Race 2, having proved popular with fans and TV viewers alike when it was reinstated as the the finale piece during the latter half of the 2018 season.

SBK Race 1 and SBK Race 2 continue with the full points system currently in use, with points awarded to the first fifteen riders across the finish line: 25 / 20 / 16 / 13 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1.

The Superpole Race will contested over 10 laps, and will see points awarded to the first nine riders across the finish line: 12 / 9 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1.

In addition to this, the points scored will count towards the riders and teams respective positions in the championship. However, this race will not count towards individual riders’ records (such as races entered, race wins etc) or circuit records.

Below is the new 2019 race weekend schedule:

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