When the 2009 Superbike World Championship begins at Victoria s Phillip Island on March 1, the grid will be practically unrecognisable from the one that lined up in Portugal s final round this year.

The absence of three-time world champion Troy Bayliss will be an obvious sign of change, but the field will also be peppered with an influx of quality new names, mostly British, as well as personnel changes and the addition of two marques which is certain to make the racing more even and competitive than ever.

Four Australians will contest the 2009 WSBK title dual world champion Troy Corser (BMW) and Broc Parkes (Kawasaki) in factory teams, Gold Coast s Karl Muggeridge on a satellite Suzuki, and Adelaide s Brendan Roberts aboard a privateer Ducati.

The Phillip Island round will officially kick off with practice and qualifying for the two world championship classes on Friday, February 27, before final qualifying on Saturday and the big races on Sunday two 22-lappers for Superbike and a single 21-lapper for Supersport.

Phillip Island will also play host to an all-new Superpole format for Superbike on Saturday afternoon, with the top 16 riders no longer racing for grid positions over one flying lap.

Instead, the top 20 riders in regulation qualifying will begin a process that takes in three elimination stints of 12 minutes each. After the first stint, the four slowest riders will be eliminated, and eight riders after the second stint. The third and final stint will see with the eight remaining riders go into battle for the final grid positions effectively the first two rows.