2014 World Superbike Provisional Calendar Released

At long last, the FIM and Dorna have released a calendar for the World Superbike and World Supersport classes for 2014. The calendar features fourteen World Superbike events, but it is still very much a provisional list, with three of the fourteen still subject to contract, and the final race still marked as to be confirmed, with neither the location nor the country known.

The season kicks off as always in Australia, the World Superbike and World Supersport classes headed to the Phillip Island circuit for the opener on 23rd of February.

There follows another WSBK tradition: the interminable wait for the second round. In 2014, there are seven weeks between the first and second rounds, with the second event taking place at the Motorland Aragon circuit just outside of Alcañiz.

The WSBK circus then takes off for a tour through Europe, heading to Assen, Imola and Donington Park, before heading overseas again to Sepang, and a Malaysian round. Two rounds in Europe follow, at Misano and Portimao, before the World Superbike class heads to Laguna Seca, taking the slot vacated by the MotoGP class.

Another eight week layoff follows, WSBK only reconvening again at Jerez in early September, before heading east to Russia, then back to France and Magny Cours. The season then winds up overseas, with a return to South Africa – to Welkom, this time, rather than Kyalami – before the final ‘mystery’ round on 2nd November, taking place overseas.

That final round could possibly be another attempt to race in India, at the Buddh Internation Circuit outside Delhi, or it could be a return to South America, at either the Argentinian or Brazilian circuit.

Two names are missing from the 2014 WSBK calendar. That World Superbikes would not be returning to Silverstone had already been announced, but confirmation has also come that Monza has been dropped from the calendar over safety concerns.

Despite both its legendary status in World Superbike history, the circuit is no longer able to provide the safety required by the performance of modern superbikes. Safety is manageable in the dry, but as recent years demonstrated, the track is not safe enough in the wet. The 2014 provisional WSBK calendar is shown below.

2014 FIM World Superbike Championships Provisional Calendar (Last Updated Nov. 29, 2013):

STC = Subject to contract
TBC = To be confirmed

Source: WorldSBK; Photo: Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.