The Vance & Hines AMA Ducati Superbike team has a wild-riding, tire-sliding, cocky Australian rider with loads of talent. Anthony Gobert? No, he’s long gone. Meet Troy Bayliss.
The 30-year old Bayliss is the reigning British Superbike champion. In England, he’s known for speed, style and consistency (something Gobert has never been known for). Now, he’s been signed by Terry Vance to lead Ducati’s assault on the AMA Superbike championship in 2000.
Is Bayliss any good? Damn right he is. In three days of tire testing at Daytona (ending Monday), accompanied by all of the other AMA stars (including Doug Chandler, Mat Mladin, Miguel Duhamel and others), Bayliss set the fastest lap time on both Sunday and Monday, and the two fastest lap times for the entire weekend of testing. On Monday, he nearly dipped into the 1:49 range — blistering fast at Daytona. As far as we know, Bayliss had never ridden the track before.
Bayliss is for real, and AMA Superbike fans are in for a treat watching him in 2000. Stay tuned.
