Gustafson, rider of the famed “Blue Lunatic” Ducati 750 Imola Replica in Europe which has been powered by a Vee Two 750 Roundcase engine since its conception in 1997, will pilot the bike around the Victoria circuit, and is aiming for victory in the Period 4 Post-classic Formula Unlimited Class.

When Brook Henry and Andrew Cathcart, the owners of Vee Two, found out that Hasse and his racing team were eager to compete in the Island Classic, they offered to supply engines using the latest developments in their Ritorno engine, many parts of which can be installed on original crankcases – a must for the P4 class period cut-off date of 1972.

“We’ve been looking for an opportunity to return to racing”, says Brook Henry, “but with several commissioned racebike builds confirmed for the 2019 season we didn’t really have the capacity to attend the 2018 event ourselves. So, when Hasse expressed interest in competing in Australia during the European Championship off-season, we came to an agreement. His team will provide the chassis, and we’ll provide the engines. These will be built to our latest spec, including the most recent updates we’ve been developing at our headquarters here in Nannup, Western Australia.

Gustafson has had much success on the Blue Lunatic, with three consecutive podium finishes in the hotly contested Daytona Formula 750 race, which he won outright in 2000. He has also taken victory four times in the UK Classic Race of the Year, and has been campaigning the Blue Lunatic, along with its sister bike the “Silverfish”, for the past 15 years with much success and continuous development on each motorcycle.

“I’m really excited to visit the famous Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and I’m looking forward to competing against fellow enthusiasts on the other side of the world from Sweden,” says Hasse. “It’s also a nice time to come away from the freezing conditions back home in Stockholm, which don’t allow much racing at this time of the year, except on ice!”