2013 World Superbike provisional calendar
The 2013 SBK season gets underway in traditional fashion, with a visit down under to Australia for an official test on the Monday and the Tuesday before the race, and then race weekend itself, from 22 to 24 February. Phillip Island has hosted fully 43 individual races in Superbike history, making it the most frequently visited venue in SBK history - 22 times.
A gap of one weekend occurs before the second round takes place at an all-new venue to bike racing, the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi in India. This truly novel adventure will be preceded by a short official test on the previous Wednesday to get the teams and riders ready for race weekend, which takes place between 8 and 10 March.
The first European round is at Motorland Aragon between 5 and 7 April, with Assen also appearing in April. It will be held on the final weekend of the month, and is of course a Sunday race for the SBK class, scheduled for 28 April.
Monza is back on the schedule and will host the fifth round, between 10 and 12 May. The first of two visits to the UK comes along at the place where SBK racing began, Donington Park. 24 to 26 May are the first dates of note for UK fans' diaries.
The Portimao round (7 to 9 June) is still subject to contract, but a final agreement is expected relatively soon. There is then a TBA round (most likely to be in Europe), on 23 June, before the Imola round in Italy, 28 - 30 June.
After making its debut this year, Moscow Raceway returns to host round ten, between 19 - 21 July. It's back to the UK for the next outing at Silverstone, between 2 and 4 August.
The previously traditional August summer break kicks in after Silverstone, with race day for the 12th round occurring on 1 September, at the popular Nurburgring in Germany.
A long gap until the returning American Round at Laguna Seca means that track action re-starts on 27 September, with race day on Sunday 29th September. A relatively quick turnaround from California dreaming in the USA means that Magny-Cours follows only a week later, with race day on 6th October.
The second Spanish race of the year, at Jerez de la Frontera, is the 15th and final one on the FIM's provisional 2013 calendar. The final race for the season, on Sunday 20 October, marks a return to Andalusia for the SBK championship for the first time since 1990.
Final confirmations and any modifications to the as-yet provisional calendar are still to come.