WorldSSP300 was created in 2017 to fill the gap left by the European Junior Cup and European Superstock 600 Championship, both of which had functioned as development series for future World Superbike talent through 2016. The new championship carried full FIM world status and retained the developmental philosophy of its predecessors: mechanical equality among bikes, low cost of entry, and a focus on giving young riders competitive experience at a world-class level. Like the Junior Cup before it, WorldSSP300 ran exclusively at European rounds of the World Superbike calendar.
The championship's inaugural race took place on 2 April 2017 at MotorLand Aragón, drawing 37 riders. Scott Deroue won that first race, while Spaniard Marc García became the first overall WorldSSP300 world champion, edging Italian Alfonso Coppola by a single point.
The eligible machines were not strictly limited to 300 cc displacement — the class took its name from its approximate capacity band while accommodating a range of parallel-twin and single-cylinder configurations. Permitted models and their specific FIM limits (in force from the 2018 Aragón round) included:
KTM RC 390 R — single cylinder, minimum weight 136 kg, rev limit 10,450 rpm
Yamaha YZF-R3 — twin cylinder, minimum weight 140 kg, rev limit 13,300 rpm
Kawasaki Ninja 400 — twin cylinder, minimum weight 150 kg, rev limit 10,350 rpm
Honda CBR500R — twin cylinder, minimum weight 143 kg, rev limit 11,200 rpm
Riders were required to be at least fifteen years of age. Despite its world championship status, the series never raced outside of Europe.
Ana Carrasco became the defining landmark of the championship's early years. In 2017 she became the first woman to win a race in a world championship organized by the FIM. On 30 September 2018, she took the title outright, becoming the first female world champion in the history of motorcycle racing — an achievement that drew widespread attention to the series and to the question of gender representation in motorsport.
The championship was also noted for its intense, often chaotic racing. The close mechanical equality that made WorldSSP300 accessible also produced large, tightly packed grids where small mistakes could trigger multi-rider incidents. This aspect of the racing attracted criticism from within the paddock regarding safety, particularly when falls at the front of the field endangered following riders.
Following the 2019 season's high entry numbers, the FIM split practice and qualifying into two groups to manage the field size, with the top 30 riders progressing to race on Sunday.
The Supersport 300 World Championship ran through the 2025 season before being folded and replaced by the 2026 Sportbike World Championship. Over its nine-year run it produced multiple champions and introduced several riders who progressed to higher classes. Its primary function — creating an affordable, globally recognized entry point for young road racing talent — was carried forward into its successor series.