The World Superbike Championship will return to Donington Park in 2011 after the British circuit signed a three-year deal with series promoter Infront Motor Sports. The 2011 event has been scheduled for 25th to 27th March. It will be known as the European round of the series as Brands Hatch currently hosts the British round of the championship.

It marks the championship’s return to the Leicestershire circuit. The World Superbike Championship last staged a round there in 2009 before the circuit’s enforced closure, after the financial collapse of its deal to host the British Formula One Grand Prix caused reconstruction work to halt and left the facility in disrepair.

The March event will be the first international event to be held at the re-opened circuit, which has been sanctioned to host races again, despite an infield section that more closely resembles a building site. Kevin Wheatcroft, chairman of Donington Park Racing Limited, a company reinitiated following investor Simon Gillett’s ill-fated attempts to bring Formula One to the circuit, said of the hosting deal: “It was always my father’s dream and since his death at the end of last year, I always wanted to provide a world class event in his memory.”

Tom Wheatcroft, the circuit’s legendary long-time owner, was responsible for promoting the first Word Superbike Championship race in April 1988.

Paolo Flammini, chief executive of Infront Motor Sports, said: “We are extremely pleased to bring SBK back to Donington Park for the European round of the championship. The Leicestershire circuit is where the championship began its history 23 years ago and has hosted many successful rounds of our series over the years. Thanks to the presence of many competitive British riders both in the Superbike and Supersport classes, we are sure that the 2011 event will attract many fans and will be a huge success.”

Source: SportsPro