Suzuki's champion Peter Goddard stepped back to managerial duties for 1997, and scooped up his 1996 rival Troy Bayliss to lead the Ansett Air Freight team in his absence. Bayliss' spectacular and often erratic style of racing earned him 3 wins early on but when perennial contender Marty Craggill was awarded the win in a 3-way photo finish at Winton the tide seemed to turn. Six straight victories gave him a fairly comfortable 16-point lead over Bayliss going into the season-ender at Oran Park, and having shown his pace with pole position he raced conservatively to score just the points he needed. Craggill's Kawasaki team-mate won both races and denied Bayliss any chance of overhauling Craggill, leaving him a disappointed runner-up once again while Craggill celebrated a long-awaited first Superbike crown.