|
THE TROY BAYLISS STORY: 1994-97
In 1994 Troy rode the same bike to 6th in the Australian National 600 Championship and won the 600 race at Bathurst.
Troy was, by now, proving that he was a force to be reckoned with in Australia and in 1995 he confirmed that reckoning by taking 2nd place in the championship.
By 1996 it was time for Troy to move up another step and, with the backing of Team Kawasaki Australia, entered the Australian Superbike Championship and finished an incredible 3rd.
It was in 1997 that the world would see Troy compete in two great World Championship events and recognise his talent and potential. Not only did he improve upon his 1996 placing by finishing 2nd in the Australian Superbike Championship aboard the Ansett Air Freight Suzuki but, entered as a wildcard, he amazed world class teams by finishing 5th in both races of the Phillip Island World Superbike round.
If anyone needed further proof of his abilities, they surely had it when the Grand Prix event rolled into town at Phillip Island and, once again as a wildcard entry, Suzuki offered Troy a ride on their 250cc machine. Suzuki had struggled all year to have good results in this incredibly competitive class but Troy immediately qualified it 6th on the grid and even battled for the lead before finally finishing 6th in the race.
He thought that the GPs might be his next step but for a phone call from somebody watching that 250 GP race from the other side of the world. If Troy thought that he had made it in 1997, then he certainly hadn’t bargained on the events of the next three years.
Darrell Healey was the Englishman who had been watching the 1997 Phillip Island 250 GP from the other side of the world.
As owner of the Team GSE, he phoned Troy directly after the GP and invited him to move to England to race the GSE Ducati in the British Superbike Championship.
|
)
)
)
)
)
