History has repeated with Troy Bayliss joining Andrew Pitt in putting Australian riders back on top in the world of production-based motorcycle racing.
The duo claimed the world Superbike and Supersport titles respectively with clinching rides at Magny-Cours in France on Sunday seven years after they first achieved the double.
Bayliss, 39, can head into retirement a happy man next month after securing his third Superbike world crown for Ducati, having also triumphed in 2006 while Honda rider Pitt reclaimed the 600cc title he won on a Kawasaki in 2001.
Bayliss leaves as the second most successful rider in the championship history behind Englishman Carl Fogarty, who won four titles, and ahead of countryman Troy Corser who has two and is battling for runner up spot this year.
He has expressed interest in trying his hand at car racing back in Australia but Pitt plans to defend his title in 2009.
Having ridden conservatively for third place to claim the world crown in the opening race at Magny Cours, Bayliss was able to relax and was back to his best in winning race two, defeating Noriyuko Haga by almost a second as well as breaking the lap record.
Fittingly, it was Bayliss's 50th race win - and ninth for the season - and he's behind only Fogarty's 59 career race wins.
"I'm extremely happy to have won my third world championship and to be able to say I have won on three different generations of the Ducati Superbike," Bayliss said.
"It's just a fantastic feeling. Now I have secured the title, I'm looking forward to enjoying the last round at the brand new track of Portimao (Portugal), where I'm hoping I can finish the season on a high."
The battle for second place will be decided in Portugal on November 2 between Haga (325pts) and Corser (316) -- Bayliss has 410.
In an 11-year international career, Bayliss has also won a British Superbike championship (1999) and he scored a memorable victory in the final MotoGP race of 2006 while deputising for Ducati's Spanish rider Sete Gibernau.
He raced MotoGP full-time for Ducati from 2003-2005, with a best championship result of sixth in his rookie year.
