Phillip Island Classic Team UK boss Roger Winfield has set the record straight about the reasons for their missing out on next year’s race, saying the switch from avgas to super unleaded was only a minor part.

Winfield, who has invested substantial sums to take part in the series over past years, said was told the usual financial arrangements had been scrapped and in future revenue from TV rights would be allocated to teams.

The team has issued a statement which reads:

To clarify the situation in response to our non appearance at the Phillip Island International
Challenge in 2019 we would like to set the record straight.

As required by PI in their new regulations ‘Team UK’ registered their interest to once again take
part in 2019.

The response received from PI was that the usual financial arrangement had been terminated
and the only offer received by the Team was for the rights to the proposed televising of the
event which we could then sell to a TV company as an alternative source of income.

Before responding to PI we thoroughly researched the income possibilities from this via
various contacts in the industry who made it quite clear that income from this source would be
virtually non existent.

At the time of lodging our interest to take part in the event, we expressed our concern regarding
the new fuel regulations and the difficulties this would create to teams coming from other countries.

This however was not at any point stated as a deciding factor by us that would result in our non
appearance at the event.

Team Winfield, as part of Team UK, has worked very closely with PI management over the years
to help promote the ‘International Challenge’ and has made substantial investments to achieve a
situation to bring top riders on professionally prepared bikes to the event.

We are at a loss to understand the stance that has been taken by the organisers and sad not to
be a part of an event that has, with our help, now reached International recognition as a ‘World
Class’ event.