The 2015 World Superbike season gets underway this weekend at Phillip Island, Australia, and what at first looked like a bum deal for Ducati has a silver lining for local fans.
Ducati rider Davide Giugliano is injured and unable to race. While initially the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike team didn’t plan on replacing the Italian for the season opener, it’s since been confirmed that Troy Bayliss will substitute for Giugliano this weekend.
Bayliss, a 45-year-old three-time world champ, hasn’t raced in WSBK since retiring in 2008. “I want to start by saying that I really feel for Davide and that it’s a real shame for his season to be starting this way,” Bayliss said. “The desire to return to the track and see the home crowd has always been strong ever since I last raced. Also, Phillip Island is celebrating its 25th anniversary of World Superbikes. This gave me the idea to compete as a wildcard.”
