Today, the 27th of April is the 62nd birthday of Robbie Phillis, the man who was christened Mr Superbike during his racing career due to his dominance of the category in Australia. As well as winning multiple Australian Superbike Championships, he competed overseas at the highest level winning races and being on the podium in numerous races in the WSBK championship during the 90’s. After retiring from racing with a glittering CV and a body that had endured far more abuse and injury than a body should be asked to endure, he returned to racing in the historic category and was again a multiple winner of races and championships.
Now retired for the second time he divides his time between his various building projects in Howlong, a little town out of Wodonga on the NSW/Vic border and fostering and helping with the racing career of his son, Alex who shows every sign of following in his father’s illustrious footsteps.
I’m delighted to say that Robbie and I go back a long way. I first saw him race at his home track of Hume Weir when he was just 20 years old, April 1976 to be precise. He raced a brand new TZ350 that day and rode the programme. It wasn’t until much later when I was cataloguing my photos that I found a photo that showed that he had also raced another bike on that day as well.
Here he is on his Honda CR125 Elsinore. He also rode his KX250 Kawasaki MX bike that day, a bike that he had been racing for nearly 2 years when these photos were taken. To say that he went on to bigger and better things is the understatement of the week.
I’m proud to call Robbie my friend and we enjoy the time at races meetings when we have the chance to get together and swap yarns as much now as we ever did.
Happy birthday, champ. Long live #32.