World Superbikes get Brands Hatch date

MotorSport Vision strikes up three-year deal with World Superbike Championship

21/10/2004 - The legendary Brands Hatch circuit in Kent will host the World Superbike Championship for at least the next three years.

Circuit owners MotorSport Vision have completed a deal with WSB organisers FG Sport which will see the premier world motorcycle racing series return to the 2.4-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit until at least 2007.

After this years event (July 30-Aug 1) there was much speculation that Brands Hatch had hosted its final WSB round. But thanks to the hard work put into negotiations between MSV managing director Jonathan Palmer and FGSPORT, an agreement was reached in time for this weeks official announcement of the FIM World Superbike Championship calendar.

In 2005, Brands Hatch will host the eighth round of the WSB Championship on August 5-7.

Palmer said: "I am delighted to have agreed a new contract for the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit to host the World Superbike Championship for the next three years. World Superbikes has produced some quite brilliant racing this year and is clearly going to be even stronger in 2005."

"With the reigning WSB champion James Toseland being British, next years Brands Hatch event is going to be absolutely fantastic."

FGSPORT CEO Paolo Flammini said: "The Brands Hatch round has always been one of the highlights of the World Superbike season. After the very positive results of the 2004 event, we are extremely excited about the development of a long term co-operation with MotorSport Vision, which Im sure will generate a huge success."

"Thanks to the creative and professional approach of Jonathan Palmer and his staff, our organisations are already at work in order to develop a number of projects which will be synergetic with the event and with the involvement of the UK in the World Superbike Championship."

During the 12 years in which Brands has hosted a WSB round, the meeting has become a mecca for bike racing fans, a must-see pilgrimage for WSB followers across the UK and Europe.

The most memorable moments from the last dozen years at Brands include American Colin Edwards sealing the WSB title in 2000 - a year in which the circuit hosted two rounds after Imola dropped off the calendar and Carl Fogartys Foggy FP1 bike making its world debut in 2002.

To help celebrate the new agreement, current World Superbike Champion James Toseland will be the guest of honour at the MRO Powerbike Tour season finale at Brands this Sunday (Oct 24) as MSVs salute to the British hero.