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Five months after the 44-year-old signed off from the final 2025 round at Phillip Island with a maiden SW-Motech Superbike victory aboard a Yamaha, Anthony West has picked up right where he left off at the 4.448km Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit—this time on a Ducati with the DesmoSport Ducati outfit.

West’s pace immediately sent a message to the Superbike field in the Australian Superbike Championship, but he was pushed hard across the two 30-minute sessions by Harrison Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati), with just 0.005s splitting the pair at day’s end. Defending five-time champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) completed the top three on a circuit where he has been particularly dominant in recent seasons.

In the support classes, Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) and visiting Italian Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) topped qualifying in the combined Kawasaki-backed Supersport and Supersport Next Gen categories. Meanwhile, teenage charger Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) produced a stunning final lap to claim victory in a thrilling Race and Road Supersport 300 opener.

ASBK competition continues on Saturday with Superbike qualifying followed by one race in each class. There was also plenty for local fans to cheer in the world championship ranks, with Oli Bayliss (Triumph) qualifying second in World Supersport, giving himself a strong shot at his first victory in the category. Fellow Australian Remy Gardner (Yamaha) will also be firmly in contention in World Superbike race one.

SW-MOTECH SUPERBIKE

West certainly enjoyed his first official day in the Ducati camp, firing in a best lap of 1:31.492 during opening practice. He was one of four riders to break into the 1m31s bracket, alongside Voight, Waters and new Yamaha Racing Team recruit Jonathan Nahlous.

“We had a good start to the weekend,” said West. “It’s our first time as a team working together under the pressure of a race weekend and everyone is working together unreal. Track conditions changed a lot for FP2 and I was missing some rear grip, but we learnt more and it gives me a lot of confidence heading into tomorrow.”

Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) rounded out the top five ahead of Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), rookie Jacob Roulstone (Honda), Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team), Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) and veteran Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati).

There was drama for Marcus Hamod (Honda), who crashed at turn 11 in FP1 and sat out the remainder of the day. He is expected to return for Saturday morning qualifying, where cooler conditions should allow for rapid lap times.

KAWASAKI SUPERSPORT / SUPERSPORT NEXT GEN

Nelson and Tamburini will lead the 21-rider combined field away in race one, with Tom Edwards lining up alongside them on the second BCperformance Kawasaki.

Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) rebounded strongly from electrical issues in practice to qualify fourth, ahead of Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati). With a mix of young talent and seasoned campaigners behind them, all signs point to a highly competitive opening race.

RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300

If the opening Supersport 300 contest is any indication, the 2026 season is set to be a thriller. A lead group of six traded positions relentlessly throughout the eight-lap encounter, featuring Nauta, Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), Jordy Simpson (Yamaha), Tyler King (Yamaha), Phoenix O’Brien (Yamaha) and polesitter Orlando Peovitis (Kawasaki).

Nauta controlled much of the race before breaking clear on the final lap to score a decisive win by nearly two seconds. An impressive 28 riders reached the finish, with race two scheduled for 8:50am on Saturday morning.

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Saturday

Anthony West (#13) was the star of the show in qualifying for round six of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Phillip Island on September 6.

Check out the ASBK Round Five report here...

The Queenslander was a cut above in the premier SW-Motech Superbike class, powering to his maiden pole position in the ASBK Championship on the Addicted to Track Yamaha. The 44-year-old has been knocking on the door of pole position for quite some time, but in brilliant Phillip Island weather he finally reached the summit with a searing lap of 1:30.462 – the second best ever in the Superbike class. West was joined on the front row for Sunday’s two 11-lap races by Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati #1) and Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team #46), who both sit above him in the championship race after five of eight rounds.

Qualifying was also held across all the other ASBK classes on Saturday – Kawasaki Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300 and the BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup – as well as the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU Asia-Pacific Championship making its first visit to Phillip Island. The Oceania Junior Cup riders also enjoyed their first race to bookend Saturday’s on-track activities, ahead of a massive 11-race schedule on Sunday.

SW-Motech Superbike

West’s trajectory has been on the up for some time, and today the former Moto2 winner’s stocks rose yet again. “I’m just so happy, and hats off to the Addicted to Track team,” said West. “We’ve been working hard towards getting the best out of the bike: we have a plan and we know what to do. All that experience is coming together really well.”

West was the only rider to circulate in the 1:30 bracket in qualifying, with Waters, Jones, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati #11), Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati #65) and Max Stauffer (Yamaha #27) all in the 1:31s.

The top 10 was completed by Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha #33), the returning Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team #17), Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Team Yamaha #20) and Ty Lynch (Yamaha #85). Meanwhile, Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha #3) didn’t take part in qualifying after mechanical woes in practice, with his team then forced to race against the clock to get him on the grid.

It was also a hapless day for Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati #14), who didn’t go out because of a physical ailment.

Kawasaki Supersport

There’s breaking records and then there’s breaking records. Albury’s Archie McDonald (#69) was simply sensational in Kawasaki Supersport qualifying, setting a new best lap of 1:33.808 on his Stop and Seal Yamaha YZF-R6, nearly one second under the current lap record (1:34.682) and well over a second ahead of the previous qualifying marker. McDonald has now been in pole position in all four ASBK rounds he has competed in this season. Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha #49) and Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki #279) were second and third among the 17 Supersport riders, ahead of Tom Bramich (Yamaha #44), Mahaffy (#37) and Oli Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki #5). Mahaffy laboured in practice and qualifying with a bent frame, which was replaced overnight. Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati #7) was the fastest of the Supersport Next Gen riders despite a bingle at turn six in the second qualifying session.

Race and Road Supersport 300

Pressure Ghage! A stunning pole position for Ghage Plowman (Yamaha #27) in his Race and Road Supersport 300 ASBK debut, with Oliver Short (Kawasaki #7) and Jordy Simpson (Yamaha #33) second and third. Championship leader Scott Nicholson (#39) qualified in sixth, three spots ahead of his closest pursuer – fellow Kawasaki rider Tara Morrison (#95). The times were typically tight, though, which augers well for three crackerjack races on Sunday.

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup

A race for the ages, with the top 20 OJC riders flashing across the finish line separated by just 1.648 seconds! Xavier Curmi (#82) came out of the rolling scrum first ahead of Chaz Williams (#18) and Rossi McAdam (#61).

Sunday

Veterans Josh Waters and Anthony West were the stars of a challenging round six of the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Phillip Island on September 7. Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) shared victories in the two 11-lap races, the first one held on a wet circuit before conditions cleared in the afternoon as West broke through for his first win in the SW-Motech Superbike class – one day after also setting his maiden pole position.

Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) was also mightily impressive at Phillip Island, with his 2-3 scorecard securing third overall. With Waters’ main championship rival Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) unable to produce his normal front-running deeds, Waters has now extended his lead in the championship to 69pts (306 to 237) with two rounds remaining. West (234pts) is circling in third position ahead of round seven at One Raceway in Goulburn in two weeks – October 3-5.

“That was a wild day, and in race two a lot of the other riders had nothing to lose, while I have a lot on my mind in terms of the championship,” said Waters. “I was getting carved up like a Sunday roast, but I was happy with the result, and I’d like to thank my team and all of our sponsors for their support.”

Meanwhile, it was all about pure adulation for West. “I don’t remember too much about race two, as there was just so much going on,” he said. “But some of the young guys were making me angry, which really fired me up to get the job done. This weekend has been awesome on so many levels.”

SW-Motech Superbike Race One

It was a just-in-time final salvo from Waters, who won his ninth SW-Motech Superbike race of an extraordinarily impressive season after passing long-time leader Pearson on the final blast down Gardner Straight. The final margin was 0.094 seconds after 11 laps on the sodden Phillip Island layout.

“I had so many moments in that race – I would have liked Broc to have slowed down!” said Waters. Glenn Allerton – grimacing with an injured back which saw him sit out qualifying – was a brilliant third on his Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati after starting from the back of the grid.

West was fourth from Jones, Jonathan Nahlous (Omega Racing Team Yamaha), Oscar O’Donovan, (Scott’s Motorcycles Kawasaki #171) in a stunning ASBK debut, and Ryan Yanko (Addicted to Track Yamaha #82).

Troy Herfoss (Yamaha Racing Team) didn’t make the start after a crash on his out lap – suffering a minor injury, which was enough to end his day before it really got started – while others to get caught out in the slick conditions included Max Stauffer (Yamaha), Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati) and Ty Lynch (Yamaha).

Race One Results

1. Josh Waters
2. Broc Pearson (+0.094)
3. Glenn Allerton (29.703)
4. Anthony West (36.870)
5. Mike Jones (+41.620)

SW-Motech Superbike race two

Race two was held on a drying track, with all riders fitting slick tyres – which made for a cautious opening before the intensity was dialled up as more dry lines appeared. The race eventually boiled down to a five-rider arm wrestle between West, Waters, Pearson, Nahlous and Halliday, with Pearson spending most time at the front.

However, on the penultimate lap, West made a decisive move to hit the lead, and then pinned his ears back over the final 4.448 km to win his first Superbike race in his 61st start. Meanwhile, Waters roared past Pearson at the death knell for the second time in as many races, with the duo finishing second and third ahead of Halliday, Nahlous, Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Jones, Cameron Dunker (MotoGo Yamaha), Stauffer and Allerton. Allerton (190pts) remains fourth in the standings but now has the in-form Pearson (185pts) on his hammer. Dunker is on 175pts.

Race Two Results

1. Anthony West
2. Josh Waters (+0.262)
3. Broc Pearson (+0.263)
4. Cru Halliday (+1.141)
5. Jonathan Nahlous (+1.213)

Championship Points

1. Josh Waters – 306 Points
2. Mike Jones – 237 Points
3. Anthony West – 234 Points
4. Glenn Allerton – 190 Points
5. Broc Pearson – 185 Points

Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen

There was a massive power shift in Kawasaki Supersport from Saturday to Sunday. After Archie McDonald’s sensational record-breaking performance in qualifying on the Stop and Seal Yamaha – and bike geometry woes for teammate and championship leader Jack Mahaffy – the prevailing view was “how far” for the Albury dasher in Sunday’s two 10-lap races.

But Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the script, with the first spots of rain appearing at the start of race one with riders on slicks.

Front row starter Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) immediately sensed his opportunity, bolting from the start in an all-the-way triumph. It was his first victory in the category, and he was understandably elated: “I knew I had to get to the front and build into the race. It’s been so much hard work to get here, so this one’s special.”

Olly Simpson (BCperformance Kawasaki) was second ahead of Mahaffy and McDonald, who adopted a more cautious approach at the start before finding some late speed. Tom Bramich (Yamaha) and Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) were fifth and sixth, while Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati) was the first Supersport Next Gen rider ahead of Luca Durning (DesmoSport Ducati #21) – a feat he would replicate in race two.

The second outing saw riders on wet tyres on a drying track, making tyre management critical. Toparis and Simpson immediately settled into a nice rhythm, and were 1-2 across the finish line ahead of Nelson, Farnsworth, McDonald, Mahaffy and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha #66).

Simpson (199pts) is now second in the standings, moving past McDonald (195pts), while Mahaffy (220pts) still leads. Nelson (165pts), Bramich (155pts) and Farnsworth (147pts) fill positions 4-6.

Round Results

1. Olly Simpson – 45 Points
2. Jake Farnsworth – 43 Points
3. Hayden Nelson – 35 Points
4. Archie Mcdonald – 35 Points
5. Jack Mahaffy – 34 Points

Championship Points

1. Jack Mahaffy – 220 Points
2. Olly Simpson – 199 Points
3. Archie Mcdonald – 195 Points
4. Hayden Nelson – 165 Points
5. Tom Bramich – 155 Points

Race and Road Supersport 300

Three very different scenarios for the Race and Road Supersport 300 field, with race one held on a wet track, race two in drying conditions and race three on dry asphalt.

Through it all, championship leader Scott Nicholson (Kawasaki) showed the most composure with a 2-1-3 scorecard to claim the overall from Tyler King (Kawasaki, 1-15-2 #128), Jordy Simpson (Yamaha, 4-9-5), Tara Morrison (Kawasaki, 3-DNF-1) and Phoenix O’Brien (Yamaha, 5-2-14 #85).

Meanwhile, surprise polesitter Ghage Plowman (Yamaha) elected to sit out the races, instead focussing on his BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup commitments.

Attrition was its highest in race one, with 17 riders going down – including Morrison and three others on the sighting lap. The first attempt at the race was red-flagged after Riley Nauta (Kawasaki #42) crashed at turn six and required medical assistance. He was okay, and returned for the balance of the program.

With an imposing lead of 67pts over Morrison (292 to 225), it’s now Nicholson’s championship to lose. Simpson (208pts), Jake Paige (Kawasaki, 190pts #55), King (190pts) and Hudson Thompson (Yamaha, 186pts #41) are next, with Simpson making the biggest inroads at Phillip Island – up from fifth to third.

Championship Points

1. Scott Nicholson – 292 Points
2. Tara Morrison – 225 Points
3. Jordy Simpson – 208 Points
4. Jake Paige – 190 Points
5. Tyler King – 190 Points

BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup

The 2025 BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup (OJC) redefined the meaning of close racing when round four was held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on September 6-7.

It was mesmerising from start to finish, kicked off in spectacular fashion when 20 riders and their striking Yamaha YZF-R15s flashed across the line separated by just 1.648 seconds in race one. Xavier Curmi came out of the Saturday rolling scrum with the biggest smile before New Zealand wildcard Lucas Hyslop (#31) and Callum Campbell (#26) won the two races on Sunday. With slipstreaming a key battlefront at Phillip Island, it was nigh on impossible for riders to break free, which placed an extra premium on racecraft and again emphasised why the class is the perfect launching pad to begin circuit racing.

Campbell (11-2-1) and Curmi (1-5-7) finished on equal top-scoring points at Phillip Island, with the former awarded the overall courtesy of a higher finishing position in race three.

Hunter Charlett (4-6-2 #73) was third overall, which helped him move up from fifth to fourth in the championship on 176pts. At the front, Connor Lewis (222pts #77) is the new leader in the official Australian Junior Road Race Championship class over Chaz Williams (213pts) and Curmi (179pts).

The weekend started well for Williams – who had led the OJC standings from race one at Sydney Motorsport Park – when he was second in race one after starting from the front row of the grid, before he went down within sight of the finish line in race two. That saw Lewis take over the championship lead, which he extended to 9pts in race three when he finished third and Williams was sixth. But with two rounds and six races still remaining, the 2025 OJC battle is still exceptionally wide open.

The penultimate round will be held at One Raceway from October 3-5, alongside the 2025 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul.

Championship Points

1. Connor Lewis – 222 Points
2. Chaz Williams – 213 Points
3. Xavi Curmi – 179 Points
4. Hunter Charlett – 176 Points
5. Rossi McAdam – 169 Points

Meanwhile, expressions of interest are now open for riders aged between 11 and 16 to join the OJC grid in 2026. The OJC is officially part of the global Road to MotoGP program and supported by the FIM and FIM Oceania with dedicated coaching, rider training, media and PR development and a host of high-performance training programs.

All detailed ASBK Championship class results are here…

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Friday practice and Saturday Superpole
WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11) made it two from two on Friday to top both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 sessions at the beautiful Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit as he fended off Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven #29) and teammate Alvaro Bautista (#19) on the opening day of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. The #11 was the only rider in the 1’28s bracket on his way to securing top spot during the Australian Round.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9) completed the lead quartet of Ducatis as he took P4 with a 1’29.584s set in Free Practice 1. Despite being followed by El Turco, Bulega was able to claim pole position for the second time in Australia in a dramatic Tissot Superpole session.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to be the rider to beat during the Australian Round as the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season’s first competitive session ended with the #11 on pole. He was just under a tenth ahead of rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team #1) after the reigning Champion followed last year’s title runner-up on track to set his hot lap during Tissot Superpole at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

WorldSSP

A sunny afternoon at Phillip Island hosted the FIM Supersport World Championship grid, who sunk their teeth into the 2025 season with several key twists already in the season opening session. Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) went fastest despite not finishing the session, suffering a heavy crash with eight minutes left in the session at Turn 2. The WorldSSP season looks like it will be hard to look away from, as the Tissot Superpole session featured 14 riders within a second of the polesitter.

Second placed Booth-Amos (#69) replicated his results from Free Practice earlier in the day with a P2 finish for his first front row in WorldSSP. Making a late jump up the time sheet, 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA #94) staked his claim on the rostrum with a 1’32.635s time, his first podium since Round 2’s Race 2, where he also claimed third.

Saturday
WorldSK

WorldSBK Race 1

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned with a bang! Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) blazed around the track in Race 1, followed by Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in P2 and Alvaro Bautista in P3. Nicolo Bulega capitalised on his Tissot Superpole win, holding off the rest of the grid as he claimed the holeshot. Turn 1 was the closest any rider ended up coming to the Italian sophomore star, finishing with a margin of 4.811s ahead of 2024 World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu

For his part, Toprak looked more comfortable atop his new BMW M 1000 RR, battling with Alvaro Bautista, Andrea Iannone and Scott Redding (#45) in the laps preceding the mandatory Pit Intervention, to claim P2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) looked to be similarly growing in confidence with his setup, tenaciously defending his podium spot from persistent overtaking attempts from Scott Redding, Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Iannone.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was composed as ever in Race 1’s return to WorldSBK action. Starting out in P5, he weathered assaults from a resurgent Scott Redding and rival Andrea Iannone to finish P4 and once again be top among the Independent riders in P4.

Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing #45) showed glimpses of his 2021 Ducati-riding form in Race 1, leapfrogging Bautista and Toprak at points to take P3. However, a late move from Petrucci at Turn 1 of Lap 18 narrowly prevented him from claiming the day’s top Independent position.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) looked strong to start the contest, claiming P2 exiting the first corner of Lap 1. The Maniac lost much of this early momentum, though, as he appeared to have an issue with his bike in Turn 4 of Lap 2, dropping from P2 to P6 in an instant as he hesitated entering the corner. Later on in the early running, he showed similar signs of a problem with his setup as he ran wide into Turn 1 of Lap 3. Much of his best riding on the day came after the pit stop, where he recuperated positions to finish P6.

“What a way to start the Championship! I’m happy because my feeling was good from the first session of the Monday test. Every time I get on the bike, I know what I can do and what I have to do. I’m just enjoying riding my bike, lap by lap, and it’s an amazing feeling,” explained Bulega.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.811s
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.108s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +6.813s
5. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +6.986s

WorldSSP Race 1

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing #62) held off a posse of hungry riders for P1 as he won the Yamaha R9’s inaugural race in the FIM Supersport World Championship. A sunny day in Phillip Island saw a dogfight for the podium positions as five riders brawled at the head of the pack.

Starting from P4, Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) jumped into P1 from the second row for the season’s first holeshot. Behind him, Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69) held onto P2 exiting the first corner, while Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA #94) began the race fighting for the second and third positions.

Following the pit stops, the front five bikes developed a gap separating them from the rest of the pack. Manzi, who entered the pits on Lap 9, a lap later than Masia (#51) and Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing #23), who he would spend the rest of the race battling with for the top of the podium, then took over at the front.

Masia was then given a 3.510s penalty for a Pit Intervention Time Infraction. Masia subsequently fell down the standings to P6, despite crossing the finish line second. On the final lap, at Turn 10, Manzi made a move, pushing Masia wide, although the Spaniard kept P2 on track. Just behind the pair, Schroetter and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) battled for track position, with Booth-Amos holding Schroetter off to claim P2 once penalties had been applied.

Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) finished P4 despite a 0.855s penalty being applied for a Pit Intervention Time Infraction. Home hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #32) secured a credible P7 on his Triumph debut.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +0.322s
3. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +0.480s
4. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.447s
5. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +2.513s

Sunday

Superpole Race

2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship runner up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated once again in the Tissot Superpole Race. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) recovered from his disappointing P6 result in race 1, giving Bulega a run for his money before he pulled away.

A chaotic Turn 4 fracas saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Racing Team) and Alvaro Baustista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) run off track, hurting their race placement. Razgatlioglu’s P13 finish spelled the end of his streak of P1 or P2 finishes, stretching all the way back to his return from injury in Aragon in 2024’s Round 10.

Nicolo Bulega had much more competition than in his blowout Race 1 win, however, he still claimed P1 by a 2.3s margin ahead of Andrea Iannone. Iannone was tenacious in his leap into the first corner, jumping up from P6 into P2. He nipped at Bulega’s heels in the first laps of the race, posing the greatest threat of the session. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the podium. And while a gap separated him from Bulega and Iannone in the top two spots, he did well to hold P3 following a spirited attack by Scott Redding (MGM Bonovo).

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista saw their Superpole sessions squandered as they both ran wide through the gravel and onto the grass in Lap 1’s Turn 4, ruining both their placements. Scott Redding once again found himself in the midst of the action and clashing with the other Independent Ducati machines – this time battling with Danilo Petrucci for P3. As Petrucci pulled away later in the race, the hunter became the hunted as Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #14) challenged his fellow Englishman for his P4 position. Sam Lowes rose to the occasion and landed his best ever race result in World Superbike. His previous best was P6 in last year’s Race 2 in Assen.

Andrea Locatelli (#55) did what he does best at Phillip Island and secured another strong result, this time a P6 to score four points in the Championship.

Superpole Race Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +2.324s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.923s
4. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +5.312s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +5.452s

WorldSBK Race 2

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was untouchable in Oz as he completed his first ever hat-trick. He won with a very comfortable 2.6s margin to cruise past the chequered flag in style. While Bulega was running away with P1, not all the grid enjoyed such a carefree race. 2024 Riders’ Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) appeared to struggle from lights out, being applied a penalty for irresponsible riding after an aggressive overtake on Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team).

Nicolo Bulega was metronomic in his efficiency Down Under. Testing earlier in the week told a story that he would be a strong contender, but no one on the grid could handle the speeds he would bring to the season opening races. He claimed his career-first hat trick with a Race 2 P1, and speeds like these have to be a concern for the grid’s other riders, as they strive to keep up.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a very strong showing in Race 2, fighting his way back from a P11 start after a poor result in the Tissot Superpole Race. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) joined the Ducati Factory riders on the rostrum. Having started second on the grid, he weathered the storm of other independent riders hot on his tail to land his second podium of the weekend.

Scott Redding (MGM Bonovo Racing) had another day of constant action, fighting tooth and nail with a swarm of other riders (particularly Danilo Petrucci). The 2024 Top Independent rider and Redding battled throughout the second half of the race after the Pit Intervention, exchanging overtakes. In the end, Petrucci came in P5 behind Redding, as this battle of the Independent Riders will be one to watch this season.

Aussie hero Remy Garner’s weekend did not go to plan, with a DNF in race one lap 11, a DNF in race two lap 16, and a 10th in the superpole race. He will be back next round!

“I’m really happy because this is my first hat-trick in WorldSBK. It’s incredible and an amazing feeling to do it at my favourite track and now I want to go back home to celebrate. I’m very proud of the job my team did. My bike was perfect from Monday until the last lap of Sunday in Race 2. I was able to push every lap and I enjoyed every lap, so thank you so much to them,” Bulega reflected.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.603s
3. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +3.980s
4. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +8.043s
5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +10.009s

Championship Points

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 62 points
2. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 36 points
3. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) 35 points
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 31 points
5. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) 30 points

WorldSSP Race 2

Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) is now a FIM Supersport World Championship race winner after taking Triumph to the top step of the rostrum at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. The #69 took the British manufacturer’s second win in the Championship as he secured his second podium of the weekend during the Australian Round.

Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) etched his name into the list of FIM Supersport World Championship race winners as he topped the podium for his first ever WorldSSP win at Race 2 in Australia. With his win, Booth-Amos became the fourth rider to win a race in both World Supersport and World Supersport 300. He and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) traded places from Race 1’s podium, as Manzi led the race for long stretches, but was outpaced on the Gardner Straight by Booth-Amos to give up P1.

Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) avoided much of the chaos at the front of the grid by nature of his poor start to the race. Having started the race in pole position, Bendsneyder fell to P13 only a few turns into Lap 1. He gritted his teeth and climbed back up to round out the rostrum in P3.

Atop the new Yamaha R9, GMT94 Yamaha teammates Michael Rinaldi (#21) and Lucas Mahias had a strong showing in Race 2, especially in the case of Rinaldi, who had not shown the same pace as Mahias in prior races this weekend. Splitting the two Yamaha teammates was Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki Racing Team #52), who climbed to a late P4 position. But after his 6.78s Pit Lane Infringement penalty was applied, he ended up P5.

How Did the Aussies Do?

Oli Bayliss represented for the home crowd to clinch P7 again, making it a very successful weekend for the PTR Triumph Factory Racing Team. Harrison Voight (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team #29 Ducati) and Luke Power (MotoZoo Me Air Racing MV Agusta #68) finished the weekend at The Island with Power taking 12th in race one, while Voight unfortunately had a DNF on lap 3. In race two Power went one better with 11th, while Voight finished 14th. Awesome results for the pair…

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.671s
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.125s
4. Michael Rinaldi (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.373s
5. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +9.467s

Championship Points

1. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 45 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 45 points
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 29 points
4. Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 18 points
5. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) 17 points

For the full WorldSBK Round One results in all classes for all days, click here...

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It was a super Sunday at The Bend (SA) on November 10, for ASBK Round Seven with the Michelin Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300, ShopYamaha R3 Cup and Nolan Superbike Masters classes all crowning new champions under sensational spring sunshine.

mi-bike insurance Australian Superbike

Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) went into the third and final race at The Bend separated by 25pts, but after Jones crashed on lap one the pressure valve was completely released – even a DNF for Waters would have still seen him claim the championship spoils.

Read our ASBK Round Six 2024 Report here…

In true title-winning style, though, Josh Waters still kept pushing hard and finished less than a second behind outgoing champion Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati) who became the third race winner over the weekend.

Waters’ 2024 championship is now added to his previous Superbike successes in 2009, 2012 and 2017, in what was a triumphant return to The Bend after he came out second best in a similar final round brawl against Herfoss in 2023.

Waters now stands supreme as the most successful rider in the 35-year history of the ASBK Championship, moving ahead of Jones, Herfoss, Shawn Giles, Wayne Maxwell and Glenn Allerton as three-time champions.

“That was bloody awesome! I am so thankful to the McMartin Racing Team, and I’m just so rapt as it’s been a long time since I won a championship,” said a relieved Waters.

“The championships have all been special, but what I’ve been through leading up to this one makes it even more special. Thank you to everyone who supports me.”

Race One

When Jones is in ‘steely resolve’ mode, he’s extremely hard to beat – just the mindset he brought to Saturday’s proceedings as he maintained his 100 per cent record of winning every race when he has finished on the podium this season.

It wasn’t a walk in the park by any stretch though, taking two attempts to pass Waters on the final lap before completing the slender 0.180-second victory, while Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) was a brilliant third as he continues to prosper in a new environment.

Waters, as always, was gracious in defeat, but questioned whether he had made the right tyre choice.

“I went with a different option tyre in race one, which I personally didn’t like, but it was a safer option,” said Waters. “But Mike and Arthur rode great races, so congratulations to those two. Two more races to go!”

Behind Sissis, Friday fast man Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) outlasted Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) after a close battle, with Penrite Racing Yamaha teammates Max Stauffer and Cameron Dunker sixth and seventh. John Lytras (Yamaha), Superbike rookie Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) and Ryan Yanko (Addicted to Track Yamaha) saw out the top 10.

Pearson still remained a mathematical championship chance, but it would have taken major Waters and Jones meltdowns on Sunday for him to get a look in.

Meanwhile, defending Superbike champion Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati) – who had been building nicely into the round after a long time off the Panigale V4R – crashed out of third spot on lap four.

Race One Results

1. Mike Jones
2. Josh Waters (+0.180)
3. Arthur Sissis (+3.736)
4. Anthony West (+6.426)
5. Broc Pearson (+6.752)

Race Two

After Jones got the job done in race one on Saturday to fire a ‘I’m not giving up without a fight’ warning shots across Waters’ bows, Waters’ Sunday morning retort was emphatic as he won the shortened seven-lapper after the first attempt was red-flagged when Superbike rookie Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) went down. The crash put the two-time Australian Supersport champion out for the balance of the day.

In the restart, Waters wasn’t in the mood for power sharing as he led from the front and, just when it appeared he was on the cusp of winning the championship with one race to spare, Jones speared up the inside of Herfoss on the final turn to finish second.

That meant the gap between the pair was 25pts, leaving a flicker of hope for Jones that if he won the final race and Waters was a DNF, the Yamaha man would win the championship based on a season race-winning countback.

Meanwhile, Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) was fourth in race two, followed by Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) and Max Stauffer (Penrite Racing Yamaha).

Race Two Results

1. Josh Waters
2. Mike Jones (+0.435)
3. Troy Herfoss (+0.496)
4. Anthony West (+1.787)
5. Arthur Sissis (+2.460)

Race Three

It all boiled down to the final race of the season, but the tension was only fleeting after Jones crashed out at turn 13 on lap one and was unable to remount.

Waters was initially unaware that Jones had exited stage left, but he was soon made aware by his team as he eventually settled into second place behind Herfoss and in front of Sissis.

And that’s how the top three finished in the 11-lapper, just over a second apart, while top rookie Cameron Dunker (Penrite Racing Yamaha) was fourth from West and early leader, Pearson.

Herfoss was the sixth separate Pirelli Superbike winner in 2024, while Waters’ 2-1-2 scorecard at The Bend saw him the round winner from Sissis (3-5-3), West (4-4-5) and Jones (1-2-DNF).

Race Three Results

1. Troy Herfoss
2. Josh Waters (+0.801)
3. Arthur Sissis (+1.031)
4. Cameron Dunker (+4.688)
5. Anthony West (+5.124)

Championship Points

1. Josh Waters – 321.5 Points
2. Mike Jones – 276.5 Points
3. Broc Pearson – 264.5 Points
4. Max Stauffer – 205 Points
5. Anthony West – 198.5 Points

Michelin Supersport

The news we were all expecting in Michelin Supersport came to fruition on Sunday morning when Nahlous played it smart to wrap up the championship after a trouble-free ride into sixth position.

The 18-year-old has produced a magnificent 2024 campaign, which began with a clean sweep at round one way back in February. He then continued to rack up the podiums and points with plenty of front-running zeal, despite being challenged from all directions in a crack field of emerging superstars.

“I can’t thank my whole team enough for what it has done all year,” said Nahlous. “To be in this position today is quite amazing. I’m just over the moon and, for everyone who has supported me during the season, thank you very much.”

Nahlous finished fifth overall at The Bend with his 4-6-5 scorecard, behind Stop and Seal Yamaha teammates Archie McDonald (1-1-3) and Jack Mahaffy (3-2-1), Olly Simpson (Yamaha, 2-4-2) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha, 6-4-4).

The gregarious McDonald was the big championship improver, leapfrogging from fifth to second at The Bend (28pts behind Nahlous), while Simpson dropped back to third (2pts behind McDonald).

Meanwhile, Mahaffy lifted his intensity throughout, and in the final race he cleared off to win by over three seconds.

Mahaffy also won the three-round FIM Oceania Circuit Racing Championship, where points were accrued at three rounds of the Michelin Supersport title in the second half of the season. That period corresponded with a purple patch of form for Mahaffy, who claimed the Oceania spoils from Simpson and McDonald.

Round Results

1. Archie Mcdonald – 68 Points
2. Jack Mahaffy – 63 Points
3. Olly Simpson – 57 Points
4. Tom Bramich – 50 Points
5. Jonathan Nahlous – 48 Points

Championship Points

1. Jonathan Nahlous – 286 Points
2. Archie Mcdonald – 258 Points
3. Olly Simpson – 256 Points
4. Tom Bramich – 145 Points
5. Jake Farnsworth – 233 Points

Race and Road Supersport 300/Shop Yamaha R3 Cup

It was an enthralling day in the Race and Road Supersport 300 and ShopYamaha R3 Cup classes, with Josh Newman (Kawasaki) wrapping up the former in race two and Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) only getting peace of mind in the last race of the day!

While returning international Cameron Swain (Yamaha) was the undisputed master across the weekend – six wins from as many starts in his one-round cameo – it was Newman who kicked off the major celebrations when he finished a solid eighth in Supersport 300 race two to win the crown.

“It is very surreal at the moment, but I’d just like to thank everyone for all the hard work that they have put in,”  Newman stated.

“In race two, I really gave my all, but I also wanted to stay out of trouble. In the last few laps I lost the lead group, so I just cruised home and on the last lap I knew it was a done deal.”

Newman finished the championship ahead of Knezovic (379 to 335pts) and Harrison Watts (Kawasaki, 326), while Swain won the round from Jordan Simpson (Yamaha) and Newman.

The R3 Cup was even more of a thriller, with Knezovic outlasting a fast-finishing Will Nassif by 2pts, with Simpson another 2pts back in third.

Race and Road Supersport 300 Championship Points

1. Joshua Newman – 379 Points
2. Valentino Knezovic – 335 Points
3. Harrison Watts – 326 Points
4. Jordan Simpson – 317 Points
5. Will Nassif – 297 Points

ShopYamaha R3 Cup Championship Points

1. Valentino Knezovic – 171 Points
2. Will Nassif – 169 Points
3. Jordan Simpson – 167 Points
4. William Hunt – 127 Points
5. John Pelgrave – 101 Points

Nolan Superbike Masters

A quite extraordinary set of circumstances in the Nolan Superbike Masters finale, with the two hitherto dominant figures – Yamaha pilots Keo Watson and Jack Passfield – both out with injury and mechanical woes respectively, which opened the door for Ryan Taylor to come from the clouds to win the title.

Taylor was third in all three races at The Bend behind fellow Suzuki pilots Alex Phillis and David Johnson, which was enough to win the title on 123pts from Watson (115) and Passfield (110).

Phillis, who was a class above in the finale, ended on a fast-finishing 98.5pts behind Michael Berti Mendez (Ducati, 109).

The class winners were Mendez (Period 5 F1), Ross Dobson (Suzuki, Period 5 Unlimited), Taylor (Period 6 Formula 1300) and Phillip Burke (Honda, Period 6 Formula 750cc).

Championship Points

1. Ryan Taylor – 123 Points
2. Keo Watson – 115 Points
3. Jack Passfield – 110 Points
4. Michael Berti Mendez – 109 Points
5. Alex Phillis – 98.5 Points

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup

As expected, 13-year-old Queenslander Hunter Corney is the latest champion in the FIM-backed and Dorna Sports-endorsed Road to MotoGP pathways program, which has enjoyed heightened Australian championship status for the first time.

Corney’s five-second win in race one – a gargantuan margin in OJC terms – on Saturday guaranteed him championship success, and he went onto win the round with 1-5-2 results ahead of Connor Lewis (5-1-4) and New Zealander Haydn Fordyce, the latter making a one-off OJC return to help bolster New Zealand’s stocks in the corresponding FIM Oceania Trans-Tasman Challenge. To underscore the developmental credentials of the OJC, Corney also competed as a wildcard in the final round of the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship at The Bend, embracing the challenge with round-winning first and second placings!

Meanwhile, back in OJC pastures, Lewis and Rossi McAdam won their first OJC races to round out The Bend program – and in much more familiar wafer-thin winning margins for the Yamaha YZF-R15 riders. The final standings saw Corney a runaway winner on 411pts from Ethan Johnson (319), Hunter Charlett (267), Nikolas Lazos (249) and McAdam (246), while Australia won the FIM Oceania Trans-Tasman Challenge over New Zealand by 42pts (257 to 215).

All detailed Computime ASBK Championship class results are here.

ASBK Round Seven Gallery

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On Friday, competitors were met with damp conditions. By the time the Superbikes took to the track for their first free practice, the winds had already dried out the track. Josh Waters was the standout for most of the day’s three practice sessions; however, Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) made his presence felt, securing the top spot in the closing moments.

Read our other race news here…

Qualifying kicked off on Saturday, with Jones claiming the all-important one-point pole position after setting a lap time of 1:50.487s. Waters took second place with a time of 1:50.691s, while Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati) completed the front row with a lap time of 1:50.846s. Jones was now 25 points behind Josh Waters in the championship standings and with three races scheduled for the weekend, it was set to come down to the final race. Pirelli riders opting to run either the SC1 or SC2 front tyre, paired with the SCX or SC0 rear, to set their qualifying times.

In SuperSport qualifying, it was Olly Simpson (YRD) who secured pole with a time of 1:54.609s, ahead of Archie McDonald (Stop & Seal) with 1:54.683s and Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV) with 1:55.482s. The Pirelli riders chose to run a mixture of the SC1 or SC2 front tyre, paired with the A1128 or SCX rear.

Cameron Swain (Yamaha) secured pole position for the SuperSport 300 races ahead of the weekend. Riders opted for the Pirelli SC1 tyre for the front and rear.

Race one got underway in the afternoon, and Jones made a strong start, only for Josh Waters to lead into turn one, and Arthur Sissis (Stop & Seal) in third. Waters began to pull a couple of bike lengths ahead of Jones, but it didn’t take long for Jones to close in on Waters’ tail. By lap three, Herfoss had moved into third ahead of Sissis. At one point, Herfoss set the fastest lap of the race, but then crashed out, ending his day prematurely. Meanwhile, with all the action unfolding, Waters and Jones were locked in a fierce battle, with Jones looking set to make a move on Waters. On the final lap, at the second last turn, Jones up the inside of Waters to take the lead and secure the race one win. All Pirelli riders chose to use either the SC1 or SC2 front tyre, paired with either the SCX or SC0 rear.

Once again Josh Waters got a great start with the hole shot for race two. Herfoss in to second and Jones in third. Jones was hot on Herfoss’ tail looking to make the pass early on. Unfortunately, Tom Toparis (Stop & Seal) came off his bike triggering a red flag due to fluids possibly being on the track. Once racing was ready to resume it was announced that the race would be reduced to seven laps, a sprint style like race. On the restart it was Waters who got another magnificent start and lead the pack into turn one. Sissis in second and Herfoss in third, with Jones battling him for that position.

Jones made it clear he wasn’t interested in sitting behind Herfoss and started making inside passing attempts but couldn’t quite make any of them stick. Herfoss was able to get past Sissis to slide in to second. Jones then made a move on Sissis and went ahead in to third. It was now time for Jones to chase down the two Ducati’s ahead of him. On the final turn of the last lap, Jones was able to get up the inside of Herfoss and cross the finish line in second place while Waters secured the win bringing him closer to that champions trophy. All podium riders selected the Pirelli SC1 or SC2 front tyre and either the SCX or SC0 rear.

It all came down to this: race three. Who would be crowned the first 4x Superbike Champion? Waters appeared set to claim the title, but the race wasn’t over until the final chequered flag flew. The answer would come in just 11 laps. The red lights went out, and we were racing for the final time in 2024. As in the previous two races, Waters made a lightning-fast start and led the pack into the first turn. Jones was right on his tail, with Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) getting a strong run to move into third. The worst-case scenario played out as Jones went down at turn 13. Waters felt his rear wheel being tapped, looked back over his shoulder, and saw what had just unfolded. The championship was his; regardless of how the race played out, he was going to be crowned the first 4x Superbike Champion.

The two DesmoSport Ducati riders were closing in on Waters’ tail. Pearson had taken the lead, with Herfoss in second and Waters now back in third. There was no doubt Waters was determined to finish the race on the podium. On lap four, Herfoss took the lead from his teammate with an inside pass. He, too, wanted to end his weekend with a race win, as he was currently holding the number one plate. Once out in front, he broke away from the pack and settled into a rhythm. Waters had now passed Pearson, and so had Sissis. Waters and Sissis had started to make up some ground on Herfoss. As they entered turn one for the final time, Waters was right on Herfoss’ tail. Herfoss crossed the line victorious, winning the last race of the season while sporting the number 1 plate for the final time, as it would now be handed over to Waters, who finished second, and Sissis in third. All Pirelli riders chose to use either the SC1 or SC2 front tyre, with either the SCX or SC0 rear.

In the opening race for the Supersport, Simpson on pole led the pack into the first turn, ahead of McDonald and Jack Mahaffy (Stop & Seal). While Simpson led out front, McDonald and Mahaffy were closing in. On lap three, McDonald was in the lead, with Mahaffy moving into second and Simpson back to third. By lap six, Simpson had clawed his way back into second and looked set to stay there. On the final lap, McDonald took the win ahead of Simpson, with Mahaffy in third. The Pirelli riders opting to run either SC1 or SC2 front and A1128 and SCX rear tyres.

In race 2, Simpson led McDonald and Mahaffy, with the top three runners separated by mere inches. Mahaffy and Simpson traded positions several times throughout the race, but each time, Simpson would regain the lead at the next corner. It all came down to the last lap, and the battle between Simpson, McDonald, and Mahaffy continued. Simpson was pushed back to third, and then selected the wrong gear, allowing Tom Bramich (Carl Cox Motorsport) to slip into third. Teammates McDonald and Mahaffy continued to battle up front for the win, and the victory went to McDonald, with Mahaffy in second and Bramich in third. Unfortunately, Simpson had to settle for fourth. Nahlous secured the Championship in race two. The Pirelli riders chosing to run either SC1 or SC2 front and A1128 and SCX rear tyres.

The third and final race of the weekend was underway, and there was no doubt many battles lay ahead. Simpson led McDonald and Mahaffy on lap one. On lap two, there was jostling for positions among the three front runners. Simpson was pushed back to third. The red flags were out after Jack Favelle (Favelle Enterprises) crashed at Turn 12. The race restart was underway, and this time McDonald led Simpson and Mahaffy into turn one. Simpson and McDonald battled it out, allowing Mahaffy to take the lead. Mahaffy put his head down and extended his lead to almost two seconds. While McDonald and Simpson continued to battle for second place, Mahaffy now had a comfortable three-second lead and would go on to take the win. Simpson managed to pass McDonald on the final turn, diving up the inside to claim second. Pirelli riders opting to run SC1 or SC2 front and A1128 or SCX rear in the warmer race conditions.

In the Supersport 300 Cameron Swain won all three races for the weekend along with pole. Josh Newman (Addicted to Track) secured the 2024 Championship in race two. Pirelli riders opting to run the SC1 tyre on the front and rear.

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Meanwhile, in the support categories Stop & Seal’s Tom Toparis (Yamaha) came away with the win in the Supersport class and Josh Newman triumphed in the Race and Road Supersport 300 division.

Read our ASBK Round Two 2024 Reports here…

mi-bike insurance Australian Superbike
Once 30-year-old Jones gets into the groove, he’s extremely hard to contain, and so it was again at ASBK Round Three Qld Raceway as he waltzed to easy victories in both 16-lap Superbike races on his Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1. His perfect scorecard – which also included a bonus point for pole position – saw him move up two spots in the seven-round championship race. He’s now third on 112.5pts, behind Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati, 144.5) and his teammate Cru Halliday (115).

“It was a perfect weekend for me, and I can’t thank the Yamaha Racing Team enough.”

“We had a really good test leading up to this round, but with such stiff competition nothing is ever a given. I hope we provided great entertainment for the fans, and I’m now looking forward to continuing my strong form in the next round at Morgan Park.” Mike Jones. 

Second overall in round three was Max Stauffer (Penrite Racing Yamaha), ahead of reigning Alpinestars Superbike champion Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati). Stauffer was a revelation, nailing the holeshot in both races on his way to 2-3 results, while Herfoss finished with a 4-2 scorecard just a week after returning from racing commitments in America.

Superbike Race One
Stauffer scored the holeshot from the front row and held the lead until lap eight before Jones took over the running after setting a new lap record of 1:07.434 during his reign-in mission – a whopping 0.4 seconds under Bryan Staring’s 2022 benchmark. And just to reinforce that he was in the zone, Jones then uncorked a near identical 1:07.437 on the very next lap.

After making short work of Stauffer and with clear air in front of him, it was then a matter of how far Jones could gap his competitors as he greeted the flag by nearly 2.5 seconds for his first win since the Morgan Park round of the 2023 championship.

“I was a little bit nervous at the start when I saw Stauffer take off, but I was able to find some extra speed to close the gap,” said Jones. “It was still a really tough race, but it’s great to get back on the winner’s list as it’s been a while since we’ve had some success.”

With Stauffer ensconced in second, the battle for third was tight for most of the 16-lap journey between ASBK legends Herfoss, Waters and Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – a total of nine Superbike titles between them. Allerton eventually fell into the clutches of Halliday with a few laps remaining, while the arm wrestle between Herfoss and Waters boiled down to the very last turn.

Herfoss then slowed after his bike began running out of fuel, and that was enough for Waters to slip past his long-time rival to extend his 2024 podium stretch to six races. Halliday, Allerton, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Arthur Sissis (Stop & Seal Yamaha) and Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) completed the top 10.

Race One Results

1. Mike Jones
2. Max Stauffer (+2.443)
3. Josh Waters (+3.057)
4. Troy Herfoss (+3.789)
5. Cru Halliday (+4.507)

Superbike Race Two
This time Jones hit the front with more haste, passing Stauffer on lap three. Even though Stauffer and then Herfoss kept Jones’ Yamaha in sight for most of the journey, the end result was always inevitable, with the #46 Yamaha holding all the aces.

Jones defeated Herfoss – who had swept past Stauffer on lap nine – by nearly three seconds, with Stauffer third from Waters, the very impressive Sissis, Halliday, Allerton and Staring. Pearson and 16-year-old rookie Cameron Dunker (Penrite Racing Yamaha) saw out the top 10, with the race ending badly for local star West after he crashed at turn four on the final lap.

Ahead of the next round at Morgan Park Raceway from July 12-14, the top three in the championship – Waters, Jones and Halliday – are followed in the standings by Stauffer (98pts), Pearson (97.5) and Herfoss (84). Jones was also seriously fast at Morgan Park in 2023, so could the Yamaha rider make it another double there? It could certainly be a season-defining round for a number of riders in what has already been a fascinating championship.

Race Two Results

1. Mike Jones
2. Troy Herfoss (+2.827)
3. Max Stauffer (+3.484)
4. Josh Waters (+4.162)
5. Arthur Sissis (+6.828)

Championship Points

1. Josh Waters – 144.5 Points
2. Cru Halliday – 115 Points
3. Mike Jones – 112.5 Points
4. Max Stauffer – 98 Points
5. Broc Pearson – 97.5 Points

Michelin Supersport 600
It was an eventful Michelin Supersport round – especially in the early stanzas of both races – but at the front it was emphatic with Stop & Seal Yamaha teammates Tom Toparis and Archie McDonald sharing the victories and second places.

The first race went the distance – 14 laps – but not so the second after a nasty Jack Mahaffy (Stop & Seal Yamaha) highside at turn six brought out the red flag. The race was then declared after 11 laps. Toparis, courtesy of his bonus point for pole position, was the overall winner, with Olly Simpson (YRD Yamaha Australia) third after 5-3 results.

It was a challenging round for championship leader Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV Yamaha), who crashed out of the opener before a hard-fought fifth in race two. Miraculously, teenager Nahlous still commands a strong championship lead after his previous closest challengers, Jake Farnsworth (Wurth Racer Developments Yamaha) and Tom Bramich (Apex Group Yamaha), had their troubles in race two.

Farnsworth’s woes were more acute after clipping the back of McDonald’s machine into turn one on the opening lap, with bike and body both barrelling into the outfield. For Bramich, it was collateral damage as he was forced to run off the track to avoid the carnage.

As a result, Simpson is now second in the standings on 102pts after three of seven rounds, with Nahlous holding sway on 130pts. Farnsworth and Bramich are on 102pts, ahead of the charging McDonald (99) and Toparis (97).

Supersport 600 Race One

The start of race one had spectators scrambling to keep up with all that was going on, with Mahaffy and Marcus Hamod (Motocity Honda) crashing and Simpson running off at turn three as Bramich led from McDonald. After a brief flirtation at the front on lap five, McDonald finally made a Bramich pass stick on lap seven, a position he would hold until Toparis – who had also dispensed with Bramich on lap 11 – annexed top spot on the penultimate lap.

Toparis’ winning margin was just under one second from McDonald, with Bramich third from Farnsworth, Brandon Demmery (RaceDNA Motorsports Kawasaki) and Simpson.

Race One Results

1. Tom Toparis
2. Archie Mcdonald (+0.888)
3. Tom Bramich (+1.319)
4. Jake Farnsworth (+4.628)
5. Brandon Demmery (+10.319)

Supersport 600 Race Two
In race two, the garrulous 17-year-old McDonald from Jindera, near Albury, scored his maiden Michelin Supersport win by 1.228 seconds over Toparis, followed by Simpson, Corey Turner (Stop & Seal Yamaha), Nahlous and Jacob Hatch (Race DNA Motorsports Kawasaki).

McDonald won’t have too long to enjoy the moment, though, as he’s back on a plane on Monday bound for Portugal and round two of the European Stock 600 Championship action next weekend.

Race Two Results

1. Archie McDonald
2. Tom Toparis (+1.228)
3. Olly Simpson (+5.605)
4. Corey Turner (+8.008)
5. Jonathan Nahlous (+8.451)

Championship Points

1. Jonathan Nahlous – 130 Points
2. Olly Simpsonb- 103 Points
3. Jake Farnsworth – 102 Points
4. Tom Bramich – 102 Points
5. Archie Mcdonald – 99 Points

Race and Road Supersport 300
Josh Newman (Wet4U Race Fairings Kawasaki) was the deserving overall winner of the Race and Road Supersport 300 class after his 1-2-2 results in a meeting where it was impossible to track rider movements – there were just too many of them – and the winning margins were wafer thin. Mind you, that’s the narrative every time the Supersport 300 category hits the track.

Newman now leads the championship by 4pts (171 to 167) over Harrison Watts (Champion’s Ride Days Kawasaki, 2-4-1), who was second overall in round three ahead of Valentino Knezovic (Motocity Yamaha, 3-1-5). Knezovic’s victory was his second in Supersport 300 after moving up from the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

Knezovic is third in the standings on 157pts ahead of the Simpson brothers on the YRD Yamaha Australia machines: Mitch (123) and Jordy (118). And just for a change of scenery, next Sunday the Simpsons will be competing in Australia’s ProMX title at Gillman!

Casey Middleton was the other rider to finish on the podium at Queensland Raceway with his third in race three, while the exceptionally close racing also claimed its fair share of casualties, including New Zealander Jesse Stroud (Connect Homes Yamaha) who collided with Haych Short (Plexus PT Yamaha) in race one which brought out a red flag. The duo didn’t make the restart, but Stroud returned to finish fourth in races two and three.

Championship Points

1. Joshua Newman – 171 Points
2. Harrison Watts – Points
3. Valentino Knezovic- 157 Points
4. Mitch Simpson – 123 Points
5. Jordan Simpson – 118 Points

Oceania Junior Cup
Hunter Corney’s rhythm, work rate and exquisite timing proved too much for his opposition in round two of the 2024 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup at Queensland Raceway from April 26-28.

Corney’s perfect 1-1-1 scorecard began with a runaway three-second win – a margin that’s extremely rare in the category where victories are normally mentioned in microseconds – before normal service returned and he became one of the ‘peloton’ in the final two races.

However, Corney found a way to prevail in the tighter skirmishes as well, claiming the overall victory in Queensland ahead of Connor Lewis (3-2-2) and Rossi McAdam (5-3-3) as the pint-sized Yamaha YZF-R15s were ridden to the limit by the stars of tomorrow. The pace wasn’t quite as hot in race three after a shower crossed the 3.216km circuit near Ipswich, with Corney’s main championship rival Hunter Charlett getting caught out on the slick surface.

Charlett has now dropped to sixth in the standings on 94pts, behind Corney (143), McAdam (105), Ethan Johnson (100), Nikolas Lazos (98) and Lewis (97). Johnson was the other rider to finish top three at Queensland Raceway, with his second in race two also setting a new lap record of 1:34.428 in the process.

Round three will be held at Morgan Park Raceway from July 12-14, again in conjunction with the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul.

Championship Points

1. Hunter Corney – 143 Points
2. Rossi Mcadam – 105 Points
3. Ethan Johnson – 100 Points
4. Nikolas Lazos – 98 Points
5. Connor Lewis – 97 Points

All detailed ASBK Championship class results are here.

The 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will continue at Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, Qld
July 12-14, 2024

The post ASBK Round Three Qld Raceway | Imperious Jones reigns supreme appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday practice
WorldSBK
On a tricky opening day at a windswept TT Circuit Assen, it was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who set the pace. The weather changed multiple times throughout the day, with rain giving way to sunshine before reverting back to rain once again.

Read our WorldSBK 2024 Round Two Report here…

Bautista, winner of the last four Superbike races at the Dutch Round, completed 26 laps of the 4.555km circuit to end the day two tenths of a second faster than Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) ended the day third fastest. 17 times winner at the Dutch Round, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was fifth fastest in both sessions but completed just 18 laps over the course of the day.

Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was riding for the first time since undergoing surgery for compartment syndrome and was sixth fastest.

 WorldSSP
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) timed his Superpole session to perfection, as the Italian was able to claim the second pole position of his World Supersport career.

With the session having started in wet conditions, Manzi was one of the first riders to switch to slick tyres, and almost immediately after he set his fastest time, the rain came down once again. Manzi claimed the pole position as a result, with his Ten Kate teammate, Glenn van Straalen, alongside him on the front row of the grid. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) rounded out the front row of the grid for Race 1.

Full Friday Superbike and Supersport results available here…

Saturday
WorldSK
Rain started falling just seconds before the pit lane opened to add even more drama to the 15-minute session. At the halfway stage of the session, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was the pacesetter with a 1’43.444s before going even faster to post a 1’42.650s. He did, however, face competition from Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who was just a tenth away from the #65.

Despite the track drying, times didn’t improve too much with Rea able to hold on to claim a first Yamaha pole position, thus making it poles with three different manufacturers, joining Noriyuki Haga and Stephane Mertens and only behind Troy Corser with six. It was his 44th pole position and his first in 203 days, with his last coming at Portimao last year. It was also Great Britain’s 160th pole position.

He was 0.094s clear of Bulega, who had been so impressive in the fully wet FP3 session. He made it three front row starts in three rounds in his rookie season. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed third place with a 1’43.003s, around 0.353s down on Rea.

Full Superbike Superpole results here…

 WorldSBK Race 1
After bursting into the lead and pulling out a 25-second lead on intermediate tyres before his rivals started closing him down, the Italian was able to take a memorable debut win during the Pirelli Dutch Round following the red flag.

Spinelli gambled with tyres by starting with a front and rear intermediate tyre on his Panigale V4 R, becoming a race leader in his first WorldSBK outing and moving four seconds clear at the end of Lap 1. His advantage then increased to 14 seconds at the end of Lap 2. In doing so, he became the 10th youngest race leader in WorldSBK history.

With conditions improving, riders on slick tyres were able to find grip and time, although Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) pushed a bit too hard and crashed at Turn 3.

By the end of Lap 8, Spinelli’s lead had been cut to 19 seconds as the track continued to dry. At the start of Lap 13, the gap was down to 11 seconds as he ran about three seconds slower on his intermediates, with Bautista leading the hunt of the Italian.

However, on Lap 14, Razgatlioglu overtook Bautista at the final chicane to move into second place and was soon on Spinelli’s tail with his pace advantage.

However, with the #54 closing in, the red flags were shown due to oil on track after Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) had a technical issue at Turn 15 on Lap 15. It’s the first time WorldSBK’s had two debutant winners in a single season – after Nicolo Bulega in Australia and Spinelli – since 1996 and only the third time in history.

The red flag meant Razgatlioglu finished second, with Bautista third. It was Razgatlioglu’s 120th podium as he closes in on Troy Corser in second place in the all-time list, it was also Bautista’s 94th rostrum to put him level with Bayliss.

“It’s incredible because this is my first race and I am in front of Toprak and Bautista! It’s really incredible. The first time I rode a Superbike was in Friday Practice,” reflected a delighted Spinelli.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.979s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.089s
4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +4.851s
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.147s

View Full Results

 WorldSSP Race 1
Adrian Huertas won his second race of the season after charging from outside the points with 12 laps remaining to win Race 1 in the Netherlands.

It was a race of two halves, with Huertas’ gamble paying off, winning the race on slick tyres on a drying track. Behind the Spaniard was Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who stole second place on the final corner – claiming a 16th second-place finish. Rounding off the podium and finishing as the top rain tyre runner was Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), who claimed a third WorldSSP podium and his first outside of France.

Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) ended his home round in fourth position, ahead of Aussie Tom Edwards in fifth, who spent the entire race on the slick tyres.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +8.149s
3. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +9.180s
4. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +9.291s
5. Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) +14.695s

View Full Results

Sunday
Superpole Race

Once the lights went out, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) dropped to third on the exit to turn one, with rookie Bulega storming into the lead for the opening stage of the race and building a gap of almost three seconds.

Bautista made a mistake early on, dropping to eighth. However, the #1 was not the only rider to make a mistake, with Razgatlioglu running wide and dropping from second to fourth – leaving the #54 with work to do.

Bautista’s pace picked up, gaining positions and carving his way through the field into second position, and eventually catching his teammate. Bulega, who like the rest of the field, opted for the SCQ tyre for the Superpole Race, set the fastest lap in lap three with a 1’33.882. Once Bautista passed on the penultimate lap, though, the #11 had no response.

Bautista crossed the line to win and complete an incredible comeback ahead of Bulega in second. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) stole third place at the final corner to claim his 37th career podium finish while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) bagged fourth.

Superpole Race Results

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.686s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +7.403s
4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +7.551s
5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +8.177s

View Full Results

WorldSBK Race 2
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his first win at the TT Circuit Assen in sensational style after some mid-race rain provided plenty of excitement for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field.

When the lights went out, Bautista got a great start from first on the grid, as did teammate Nicolo Bulega next to him, with the #1 holding on to P1 through the first lap. The rider on the move was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) as he powered from sixth to second on the first lap and challenged Bautista.

However, ‘Loka’ soon found himself behind Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who was determined to claim a first podium and then Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), as the Turkish star battled from ninth to third in the first few laps.

On Lap 6, Razgatlioglu moved into second as he overtook Gardner to move into second place. It wasn’t long until he made his move for P1 by passing the #1 into the final chicane under braking; a trademark move of ‘El Turco’.

Rain started to fall on Lap 8, with the white flags shown, signalling that riders could change tyres if they wanted – although no one dived into the pits immediately. Elsewhere, Locatelli passed Gardner on Lap 8 for the podium through the chicane, although Gardner responded a lap later, and Bautista re-claimed P1 with a pass over Razgatlioglu.

With the rain falling harder, it was Gardner’s Yamaha machine who had the pace advantage, passing Bautista at the final chicane to take the lead and demote Bautista into second, before Locatelli moved ahead of the reigning Champion.

The #55 soon moved into the lead with an aggressive move on Gardner at Turn 8 before Bautista followed him through, with the #1 putting the pressure on ‘Loka’, passing him at the start at Lap 16 when the Italian ran wide.

Soon, Razgatlioglu was back in front when he passed Bautista at the Geert Timmer Chicane for the lead, with Gardner all over the pair of them.

With four laps to go, the gaps stretched out a little but everything remained close despite Razgatlioglu edging out a gap. It enabled the 2021 Champion to hold on for victory, his third of the season as well as his and BMW’s first win at the Dutch venue.

Bautista took second, moving onto 96 rostrums and three behind Chaz Davies in the all-time list, while Gardner held on to finally take his first WorldSBK rostrum after so many fourth-place finishes and his first in any class since the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix. He became the first Australian on the podium since Misano Race 1 in 2010, when Troy Corser was on the rostrum.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was on the move throughout the race as he moved into podium contention but had to settle for fourth place ahead of Locatelli in fifth despite leading the race at times, finishing just a tenth behind Iannone.

“Grid position isn’t important because it’s the race that matters. I enjoyed this race. I’ve never won here before and also for BMW they hadn’t won here. I’m very happy today,” insisted Razgatlioglu.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.625s
3. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.022
4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +3.120s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +3.217s

View Full Results

 Championship Points

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 123 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 117 points
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 109 points
4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 93 points
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 64 points

View Championship Standings

WorldSSP Race 2
After finishing fourth in Race 1, van Straalen put on an incredible display to win after pitting for wet tyres on lap two.

Although rain fell during the warm-up lap with the entire grid on slick tyres, as the race began it really started to pour down. This saw eight riders pit at the end of the first lap. Race leader Huertas then decided to pit on lap two and was followed by another eight riders, with each rider needing to spend at least a 76-second intervention time in the pitlane.

Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) led the race in the early stages after deciding to stay out on slick tyres. John McPhee (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) was another rider who stayed on slicks, eventually crashing out of the race.

Edwards was passed by Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), who claimed the lead before Lorenzo Baldassarri (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) then took over, with there being over 20 seconds difference per lap between the slick and rain tyre runners.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) pitted on lap five, dropping the #62 to 25th position – outside the points. Things soon went from bad to worse for Manzi, receiving an 11.82s penalty for not completing the 76-second intervention time.

With 10 laps remaining, the battle for second place was tense, with Tuuli soon finding his way through Huertas and Toba. Van Straalen, however, was on a charge as he made his way into second before stealing the lead.

On the last lap of the race, all eyes were on Dutch rider van Straalen and the riders in second and third, with Huertas finding his way through on Tuuli. The #66 could not respond to Huertas’ pace, with the Spaniard stretching the gap to over half a second. With a strong pace on the last lap, van Straalen was able to take his maiden victory and become a home hero. The #28 became the first Dutch winner at Assen in 10 years and the fourth Dutch winner in WorldSSP.

Nicolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) finished in fourth. Rounding out the top five was Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who showed consistent pace throughout.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.352s
3. Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) 2.944s
4. Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) 4.167s
5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +10.872s

View Full Results

Championship Points

1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 86 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 85 points
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 84 points
4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 84 points
5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 55 points

View Championship Standings

WorldSSP 300 and R3 World Cup Results can be viewed here…

The post WorldSBK Round Three Report | Razgatlioglu and Bautista impress appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP – Rain? In Qatar? You read that right, sometimes it even rains in the desert. The heavens opened on Friday evening, meaning Day One’s usual Q2-deciding Practice session was switched with Free Practice 2. But there were no less headlines to enjoy from an entertaining Friday of action.

In the full dry a familiar name came out on top in FP1: 2023 silver medallist Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). Compatriot Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was less than a tenth shy of Martin in P2 to further signal he’s getting on very well with the 2024-spec RS-GP. And then came rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, took fourth in the dry FP1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out a top five that was split by just 0.265s, with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) also impressing on his debut with a different factory in P6, heading the Honda charge.

So on to the wet, and it was Marc Marquez who topped the 45-minute session with a 2:06.544, with the eight-time World Champion finishing ahead of Red Bull KTM GASGAS Tech3 sophomore Augusto Fernandez, who impressed. But then came Pedro. Despite the completely different conditions, Acosta made it a double set of P3s on Friday. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) headed the first grid of the year, as the 2023 runner-up set a magical 1:50.789 in qualifying to take pole, becoming the fastest rider ever to lap the Lusail International Circuit. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was just 0.083 behind, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounding out the front row only another 0.003 back.

Espargaro was another who looked to be challenging Martin at the top but he ultimately jumped into second, losing out by less than a tenth, as Bastianini held onto a first front row of the year in third.

Moto2 – Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) took the opening pole position of the year, heading Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) on the front row as the top Boscoscuro machine. His teammate Fermin Aldeguer, a title favourite, qualified seventh but then got a three-place grid penalty for holding up another rider in Q2. That rider was actually Albert Arenas, and he ultimately completed the front row on the Triumph-powered QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 bike.

Moto3 – After Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) topped the very first session of the season (Free Practice), the first Q2-timed session for the class saw Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) come out on top with a new lap record: a mighty 2’03.606. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) went on to claim pole position for the opening Grand Prix after setting a remarkable 2:02.276 to underline his pace this season. The Spaniard’s impressive lap time put him 0.265 clear of Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI), with only another 0.055 back to Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Check out the full Practice and Qualifying results here…

Saturday
Tissot Sprint
Jorge Martin started 2024 with a statement ride as the number 89 shot out the blocks to take the first Tissot Sprint win of the year. Harried all the way home by Brad Binder, Martin held firm under pressure for Sprint win 10 of his career.

Binder had his own pressure right to the flag too, with Aleix Espargaro battling past both Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez on his way to taking third, right on the KTM’s tail and making it three factories on the first rostrum of the season. Binder had a storming start up from fourth to tag onto the back of Martin immediately. Espargaro lost out initially from his P2 on the grid but then started to pull it back, taking fourth from Enea Bastianini and then third place back from Bagnaia.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez and Gresini teammate Alex Marquez were in the thick of the battle with Fabio Di Giannantonio. Eventually, Marc Marquez was able to make it stick and headed off in pursuit of Bastianini on the rear of the front group, and not too long after that Diggia was sadly out of the battle after a strange and initially dramatic crash, but he was thankfully okay. At the front, Martin rolled on. But he wasn’t getting away. Binder was still very much in touch, and Bagnaia was on the move too as he dispatched Espargaro to move into third.

With five laps to go, the eight-time World Champion was attacking Espargaro and passed him at the end of the straight, as Martin had the hammer down at the front. But there was still no breakaway from the number 89. The chasers responded, with Binder hanging in there ahead of Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Espargaro. A moment for Marc Marquez, capitalised on by Espargaro as the Aprilia struck again, narrowed that gap to Bastianini, however. And that was key for the final lap battle, with Espargaro able to keep pushing, and then hone in on the leading trio. It was a four-rider battle for the podium with two to go.

The penultimate lap saw the Aprilia take on Bagnaia, but the reigning Champion cut back as Espargaro sailed wide. But onto the main straight the #41 then made it stick and did enough to hold onto third into Turn 1, now with the next target locked on: Binder. The KTM was chasing Martin, but a new problem was carving up the gap to tuck right onto his tail. Espargaro ate through the metres enough to almost give himself striking distance by the final corner, but it was just that bit too far for a move. Martin crossed the line for a statement tenth Sprint win to start the season, with Binder taking second and Espargaro forced to settle for third.

Reigning Champion Bagnaia likewise had to settle, in his case for fourth, with Marc Marquez next up.

“It was a great weekend. I think we demonstrated the speed that we had. When we have the bike at 100 per cent we can be unbeatable,” said Martin.

Tissot Sprint Race

1. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati
2. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+0.548s)
3. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing (+0.729s)
4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+1.625s)
5. Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+1.872s)

Check out the full Tissot Sprint results here…

Sunday
MotoGP was finally back in action, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) dominating proceedings to win the opening Grand Prix of the season and take the title lead. The Italian came across the line ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who finished one second behind. Joining them on the podium was last year’s runner-up, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) in a solid result for the Spaniard.

It was a delayed start to the race after Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) had a technical issue on the grid. The Spaniard’s Aprilia was pushed into the pitlane with a new race distance of 21 laps.

Once the lights went out, Jorge Martin made a great start to the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, leading the way into turn one. Brad Binder exited turn one in second, before reigning World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia took the position from him, claiming the race lead. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at turn one, losing the front on the second lap of the race.

The fastest lap of the race went the way of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) who looked confident in the opening stage of the race – setting a new race lap record. Acosta made his way into sixth, passing Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini. Bagnaia bridged a three-tenth of a second gap, forcing Martin to pass Binder to reclaim second place. The South African fought back before Martin responded on the entry to turn one, in a thrilling battle for second position.

Pre-race favourite, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) started the race in second position but would drop to ninth. The Spaniard was battling with last year’s winner, Di Giannantonio throughout the race. As the race progressed Bagnaia stretched his gap to over one second, with a group of four now battling for second. The race hit lap 11 – the distance of Saturday’s Sprint – with the questions about tyre life beginning.

Pedro Acosta continued to show his talent, launching a move down the inside on lap 12, passing Marc Marquez. However, Acosta’s rear tyre began to step out, running wide and allowing Marc Marquez back into fourth. Acosta fell further down the field with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Enea Bastianini overtaking the rookie, as he eventually finished ninth.

The race was now on for the lead to see if Binder could respond to Bagnaia’s one-second advantage.  However, the smooth style of Bagnaia looked strong, and with no mistakes from the reigning World Champion, he would come across the line to win.

Behind the front three, Marc Marquez showed great pace throughout the race, starting strongly with Ducati. Behind the #93 was Enea Bastianini who fought his way into fifth, finishing ahead of Alex Marquez in sixth.

“It’s always important to win the race and not commit any mistakes. I want to enjoy everything and improve every time,” explained Bagnaia.

MotoGP Race

1. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo
2. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+1.329s)
3. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.933s)
4. Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+3.429s)
5. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+5.153s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 31 points
2. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+1.329s) – 29 points
3. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.933s) – 28 points
4. Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+3.429s) – 18 points
5. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+5.153s) – 15 points

Moto2
Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) won the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar in a new era for Moto2 as the Championship completed its first race with Pirelli tyres. Lopez defended from Barry Baltus (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) who finished just 0.055 behind after an epic battle. Sergio Garcia took his Triumph-powered MT Helmets – MSI machine to join them for his first-ever Moto2 podium.

The lights went out and polesitter Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) had a bad start, allowing Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) to lead on the entry to turn one. Lopez led from both QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 riders of Manuel Gonzalez and Albert Arenas. Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) also struggled in the opening stage of the race, dropping down to 13th position.

Aron Canet fought back after dropping down to eighth place to lead the field on lap three of the race. Canet set the fastest lap in the process, trying to stretch the field in an attempt to win his first Moto2 Grand Prix. Lopez and Gonzalez eventually caught and passed the #44 machine, allowing the lead group to grow to three riders once again. Ayumu Sasaki (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) was the first faller of the race, crashing out of their debut Moto2 race at turn one.

The race continued to rage on, with Barry Baltus managing to catch the back of Canet, putting the #7 machine in podium contention. Baltus made the move at the end of lap eight and began to pull away from the pole sitter. The Belgian then battled into second position in a fierce move on Gonzalez to set his sights on the lead.

All the moves at the front of the field allowed Garcia and Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) to join the brilliant battle, with the Japanese rider making a heroic move on Gonzalez for fourth place.

It was an unbelievable end to the race, with three bikes battling for the lead with only three laps remaining. Baltus looked to make a move on Lopez but could not find a way through due to the Spaniard’s incredible defending, which allowed the SpeedUp rider to win. While it was delight for Lopez, his teammate and title favourite Aldeguer was outside of the points, finishing in 16th position.

Ai Ogura came home to finish in fourth position, in a great first race with the MT Helmets – MSI Team. Manuel Gonzalez rounded out the top five.

Moto2 Race

1. Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp
2. Barry Baltus RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP (35m 45.650s)
3. Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI (35m 46.337s)
4. Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI (35m 47.109s)
5. Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (35m 50.695s)

Check out the full Moto2 results here…

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp – 25 points
2. Barry Baltus RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP – 20 points
3. Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 16 points
4. Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI – 13 points
5. Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 – 11 points

Moto3
David Alonso (CFMOTO Aspar Team) won the opening race of the season after a thrilling move on the entry to the last corner. Alonso won by just 0.041 from Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who was strong throughout the whole race. Joining them on the podium was Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), after battling his way through the field to a remarkable podium finish.

There was drama before the race started with David Muñoz stalling the BOE Motorsports’ bike on the grid, forcing the Spaniard to start from the pitlane. However, once the lights went out, it was polesitter Daniel Holgado who led into turn one, ahead of Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) in a tight Moto3 field.

It was just a 16-lap race with passes getting made at every corner, in a thrilling start to the Moto3 season. Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) was the rider on the move early on, making his way briefly into second and as the top Honda. However, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) battled back, before the #99 passed Holgado to take the race lead. On lap three of the race Rueda lost the rear, collecting Ortola at turn one. This incident promoted David Alonso to second place, ahead of Fernandez.

The lead group was 11 riders long with all manufacturers in the mix, in a nail-biting opening Grand Prix of the season. Positions within the group were constantly changing, with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) being the next rider to battle up the order from 10th to fourth position. Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) were the next riders to go down, after a highside from Farioli on lap six of the race.

Another rider who was beginning to make moves was Japanese rider Taiyo Furusato who battled to fifth after starting from 18th position. Furusato quickly made his way into the podium positions before making a stunning move to take the lead. Holgado and Furusato had a pulsating battle, with the Japanese rider making a mistake, dropping down to fourth position. This allowed the #80 Alonso to begin his attack for the lead with a handful of laps remaining. Alonso briefly took the race lead into turn one before Holgado reclaimed his throne.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) had a big crash after running off the edge of the curb, bringing a premature end to his race. As the sun began to set in Doha, it all went down to the final lap of the race with Holgado leading in front of Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power). However, it did not stay like that for long with it being an all-out duel between Furusato and Holgado.

Alonso made the move for the win at the final corner, leading across the line with nothing separating the front group. Riccardo Rossi came across the line to take fourth position, just 0.186 separating the top four. Dutchman Veijer came across the line in fifth position, in what was an impressive performance by the Husqvarna rider.

Moto3 Race

1. David Alonso CFMOTO Aspar Team
2. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (33m 19.819s)
3. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia (33m 19.921s)
4. Riccardo Rossi CIP Green Power (33m 19.964s)
5. Collin Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (33m 20.116s)

Check out the full Moto3 results here…

Moto3 Championship Points

1. David Alonso CFMOTO Aspar Team – 25 points
2. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 20 points
3. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia – 16 points
4. Riccardo Rossi CIP Green Power – 13 points
5. Collin Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 11 points

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The all-new limited-edition FTR features Black Metallic bodywork with authentic Super Hooligan race graphics, a classic Indian Motorcycle Red frame with matching wheels featuring gold accents, and Indian Motorcycle Racing’s No. 1 championship logo on the front and side number plates.

For an extra layer of authenticity, the FTR x RSD Super Hooligan features race team sponsors’ logos on its rear seat cowl. Additional graphics for the radiator shroud, front fender, and front forks will be supplied to owners for optional application. Don’t lose those!

“The term ‘hooligan’ has taken on an entirely new meaning in the world of motorcycles, characterised by a rebellious, fearless attitude that places having fun on a motorcycle above all else, and that’s what this new FTR is all about,” said Aaron Jax, vice president, Indian Motorcycle.

Read our special feature and test on the exact Indian FTR Super Hooligan Factory Racer that Troy Herfoss is leading the 2024 Series on right here…

“Roland Sands has blazed this trail and built the RSD brand around the hooligan lifestyle. From spinning laps on dirt ovals on mid-size cruisers to today’s competitive racing within the MotoAmerica series, the ethos of hooligan riding has not changed.”

“Super Hooligan has always been about more than just racing. It’s about pushing boundaries and having a blast riding motorcycles with your friends,” said Roland Sands, Founder of RSD. “Far from the full fairing machines you normally see on the racetrack, a Super Hooligan bike has an effortless attitude and a custom aesthetic with an exposed powertrain. When Indian Motorcycle approached us to codesign an Indian FTR for consumers, it was a natural fit and something we were very excited to be a part of”.

Built upon the FTR R Carbon model, the FTR x RSD Super Hooligan offers performance-branded parts and premium ride-enhancing technology. Fully adjustable Öhlins® inverted front forks and rear piggyback shock deliver exceptional ride and handling, while dual-disc Brembo® brakes provide ultimate stopping power. The bike’s 101 mm round touchscreen display powered by RIDE COMMAND offers vital bike and ride information, selectable ride modes for a customisable ride experience, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

Just 150 from the total of 300 will be available outside of North America, and international shipping will start immediately.

In addition, an Akrapovič® muffler and heat shield add style and improve sound, while Gilles Tooling parts, including adjustable rear-sets, oil cap, radiator cap, and bar-end weights, add to the bike’s premium finish – delivering authentic RSD Hooligan race style for the rider. Interested riders should contact their authorised Indian Motorcycle dealer to reserve their individually numbered FTR x RSD Super Hooligan bike as soon as possible. Just 150 from the total of 300 will be available outside of North America, and international shipping will start immediately.

The post Super Hooligan Indian FTR x RSD Announced, $28,995 AUD appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....