ASBK Rd1: Race Reports From The Season Opener At Phillip Island

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February 28, 2023

Familiar faces were back on the podium at the opening round of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul. The series is finally back for another jam packed year with a massive calendar, check out all the action from the weekend at Phillip Island below… Report: MA Photos: Optikal.

Saturday
The Saturday at the mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul opening round was set to be frantic from the get-go. Alpinestars Superbike qualifying first up, followed by Supersport races of both flavors, then a Superbike race – all before the lunch break.

ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE

Qualifying
There was some speculation that the dominance Josh Waters enjoyed in the heat would be negated by the earlier-than-normal 8:50am Alpinestars Superbike qualifying time. What wasn’t discussed was the idea that he would not head out when pit lane opened. Yamaha Racing’s Cru Halliday and Mike Jones also elected to sit and watch for a bit as the 30 minute session got underway.

At 20 minutes to go, the full field were out with Penrite Honda’s Herfoss in P1. It’s been a signature of his form in 2023, when the bike is right, he’s fast into his first flyer and holds there. Max Stauffer showed his significant off-season forward steps with P2 and MotoGO’s new signing Bryan Staring made a welcome return to the paddock in P3.

Of course, once the big guns of Waters, Halliday and Jones hit the circuit proper the order began to alter radically. First, Halliday posted P2 on his first flyer, Then Jones went P1 on his first full lap. Then Halliday returned serve and went to P1.

Josh Waters had a gentle first full lap and then dropped the hammer, reeling off two mid 1:31s in a row and casually knocking the qualifying record off with a 1:31.100 – that time would have placed him second in World Superbike’s (admittedly much hotter) session on the Friday.

With 10 to go, most pitted for a breath and to think about just what Waters had done and was continuing to do. As the clock wind down, most headed out again. Ted Collins crashed without injury at Turn 9 and Halliday leapt over teammate Jones with an incredible 1:31.337. Bryan Staring showed he’s got plenty to offer in 2023 and was fourth in what was an outstanding result.

The checkered flag came out to end the session – the fastest qualifying session in ASBK history. While the session confirmed Josh Waters’ outstanding form, just witnessing the top three achieving personal bests and world-class results was superb and a moment to savor and celebrate.

ASBK Superbike Qualifying Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Josh Waters 1:31.100 (new qualifying record)
2 Cru Halliday 1:31.337
3 Mike Jones 1:31.649

Race One
The weather ahead of the race played nicely and despite rain interrupting the session prior (WSBK Practice 3), the race started under overcast skies and a dry track.

Pole sitter Josh Waters took the lead into turn one, however, the crowd’s attention was on Arthur Sissis from the third row of the grid who launched like he was in a different sport… let’s say top fuel drags. He was second by turn two and third after Herfoss snuck past. Herfoss had stated beforehand – and was now showing us- that letting Josh Waters go off alone would be the ball game.

On lap two, into turn three, Arthur Sissis bike was struck with a brief electrical gremlin. Mike Jones had to check up while Arthur ran wide. Cru Halliday arrived at full attack and narrowly avoided hitting the back of both Jones and Sissis bikes only to run off onto the gravel at about 170km/h. Try as he might, he could not pull up before the fence, and chose instead to jump off his R1 rather late which proceeded to hit the fence and land on him. Mercifully, Halliday got up and walked away.

While this was happening, Waters had reeled off a 1:31.075 and gapped the field. Jones was through Herfoss but still 4 seconds in arrears. Stauffer was fourth from Allerton in fifth, while Staring had a poor start and was back in sixth and then had a moment at turn four and ran wide.

At eight laps to go, Waters was comfortably in front, and the only person lapping in the 31s, putting nearly a second a lap in to the field. In sprinkling rain, Waters put his hand up into turn nine. The “warning; low adhesion” white flag came out. Down the main straight Waters had his hand up, Herfoss was back into second and was now the fastest man on circuit. …and then the red flag came out to end the race due to the increasing rain. Oh dear sweet Phillip Island, you do know how to mess with us.

The riders entered the regular pit lane (at this round we use turn four for exiting the circuit) and grouped together at the end of the lane. With plenty of time until the next World Supersport session, we continued to ponder the skies. The ground was damp, but it wasn’t raining in earnest. Yet.

The siren blew signaling three minutes until pit lane opened, Race Direction posted “One warm up lap, five lap race” and we waited to see what tyre choices would be made. On the face of it, a wet tyre would be a mistake, but a slick would be downright scary. Pit lane opened and some stayed put, Arthur Sissis literally sat on the fence. Mark Chiodo stood and stared down pit lane and then seemingly reluctantly headed out. We all waited.

Staring exited on wets. So too Stauffer, Epis and Pearson. Keeping up with who was on what was nigh impossible. As they arrived at the grid, Sissis exited after a stall and then the bike failed to fire. He would start from pit lane. At the restart it was Herfoss with the early lead, Allerton was brave and went around both Waters and Herfoss in one turn for the lead. Herfoss got back inside him while Max Stauffer went down and took Jack Davis out. Both were unhurt.

Waters picked off Allerton with four to go, but Allerton went around him again. Herfoss joined the party and took the lead. Jones clawed his way onto the back of the train they went down the main chute three wide to give the fans something else to enjoy. Allerton was rudely unseated twice, but just stayed in the hunt as he’s Glenn-freakin-Allerton.

The track was drying so Waters jumped to the front and tried to get a gap. With three to go, he had .5 of a second on Allerton. The wrestle between Allerton, Herfoss and Jones let Waters do the very thing they were afraid of, The Great Escape. He was now two seconds off the front and barring incident, he was gone.

Perhaps realising this fact, the trailing trio called a ceasefire and tries to chase Waters. But Waters was still lapping in the 31s while they were all in the 33s. The only thing left to do was to fight for second place. The finish line saw a cautious and slowing Josh Waters safely in first with 1.6 seconds back to Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss, then Allerton on the BMW.

In fourth was Mike Jones and fifth was Mark Chiodo for his best finish in recent times. Ted Collins would be happy with sixth in his first ASBK outing with Livson Racing, while Matt Walters would also be pleased with the debut of the new Aprilia in seventh.

Scott Allars on and R1 scored some good points in eighth while perennial racer and SBK paddock favourite Michael “Pops” Kemp was ninth. Broc Pearson was down in tenth, leading home the riders who elected for the wet tyre. It didn’t pay off this time, but at The Island, you can never be sure.

ASBK Superbike Race One Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Josh Waters – Ducati V4R
2 Troy Herfoss – Honda CBR RR (+1.652)
3 Glenn Allerton – BMW M RR (+2.051)

Michelin Supersport

Race One
Under overcast skies the first Michelin Supersport race of the day got underway at 10:15 am. With Harrison Voight aboard his R6 in pole, the drag race to turn one saw Voight hold the lead from Olly Simpson with the always-good-at-The-Island Jack Passfield in third.

The baby faced assassin that is Cameron Dunker was up from Supersport 300 as champion and up into fourth in his first ASBK Supersport race. Tom Bramich had fluffed the start somewhat, allowing a few riders from the second row of the grid through and making life hard for himself. The 2022 category champion Lytras was pushing past a broken bone in his foot and a general dislike for The Island and was up to fifth.

Meanwhile Harry Voight was off… the front. After two laps he had an incredible near five second lead and was looking to be back in the pits in an ice bath with a recovery drink before the field were at half distance. On lap three he broke the lap record to keep it fun. He was now at a 6.3 second lead from Tom Bramich who had skillfully worked his way up from as low as fifth.

At half distance, it was Voight from Bramich and Simpson with Passfield also staying in touch. Dunker was a few seconds further adrift and had Skeer, Farnsworth, Lytras, Nicholson, Lynch and Condon for company. Rain appeared on the lens of the camera at turn one and the pit lane looked anxiously to the western sky to see what it would mean for the race.

With three to go, Voight basically had a 10 second lead from Bramich, while Passfield was now third. An indication of the weather/rain status was via Voight’s lap time – he had slowed into the 1:36s, despite having reeled off a lap record 1:34.979 on lap two.

The last lap was upon us And Harrison Voight was set to salute for his first win of 2023 and a back-to-back win after sweeping the final round of 2022 at The Bend. But the rain was indeed upon us, and race direction called a halt via a red flag. Voight stuck a leg out to indicate he was done for now and the race was wound back a lap, with Voight the winner by some 13 seconds to Bramich was who now becomes the nominal leader of the Michelin Supersport class once Voight is safely on his flight to Europe. Jack Passfield was third with Olly Simpson fifth.

Race Two
The Phillip Island weather did the thing and we started Race Two for the weekend as the final on track activity for Saturday in drizzling rain and fading light. It was mercifully still bright enough for top level racing and the riders started their warm-up lap a little after 5:30pm with the track declared wet and all riders on wets. Harrison Voight was on pole and his earlier dominant performance was front of mind- but could he repeat in the rain?

Away! Bramich once again was caught napping and Voight gapped them immediately. Olly Simpson slipped into second place and then slipped off art turn two taking two riders into the gravel.

Riders were running wide and huge gaps opened after the completion of the first lap. Any hope of a closer race in the wet was lost in the mist.

Ty Lynch was up from the fourth row of the grid into second, but four seconds adrift. Sean Condon went down on the exit of turn four. Mitch Simpson was finding the damp very much to his liking and was third and two seconds a lap faster than those behind.

At the front, Harrison Voight was still the fastest on track and reeled off the fastest lap of the race – some three seconds faster than Ty Lynch in P2. Tom Bramich crashed at turn eight with seven laps to go and the nominal championship leader was out. But more was to come when leader Harrison Voight also went down on the same lap.

Ty Lynch was now the leader with Lytras 16 seconds behind. Luke Sanders was hot on Lytras tail with a small gap back to Mitch Simpson.

The race had been so frantic that event commentator Mark Bracks noted “the timing monitors can’t keep up…” No one could. With four to go, the race settled a little, with Luke Sanders past Lytras for second. The 2022 champion Lytras could easily be forgiven for letting Sanders go. With Bramich out, the points were now valuable, even if they weren’t the full 25.

Noel Mahon went down on the exit of turn four, dropping out of contention for the podium. Lynch maintained his lead at about 15 very comfortable seconds and Sanders eked out a 2 second gap to Lytras. Jake Farnsworth was fourth with Mitch Simpson in fifth. The 2021 Supersport 300 champion Ben Baker was up to sixth.

Two to go and Scott Nicholson lost a host of spots after an issue while Ty Lynch just held his nerve, reeling off 1:51s lap after lap to stay at 14 seconds in front. And so it was to the finish line, with fourth-row-starting Ty Lynch back in the game in a big way taking the win by 12 seconds to Luke Sanders with John Lytras in third. In this race of attrition, Lynch was the deserved winner.

ASBK Supersport Race Two Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Ty Lynch – Yamaha R6
2 Luke Sanders – Yamaha R6 (+12.916)
3 John Lytras – Yamaha R6 (+15.821)

Supersport 300
In case the Supersport 300 class of ’23 were not nervous enough, a technical glitch with the starting lights resulted in a complete restart – and a reduction of laps to seven. It was an interesting way to start the weekend for the Supersport 300 crew.

After the restart it was pole-sitter Cameron Swain out front briefly before the shenanigans began. A smaller group of nine broke away on lap two and they traded the lead in a manner that defies a written description. Swain was a good example. Variously leading – but also down in eighth – Swain knew he needed to keep challenging for the front as even a small gap could see the leading group splinter.

The leading nine were: Swain, Henry Snell, Brandon Demmery, Brodie Gawith, Jai Russo, Luke Johnston, Casey Middleton, Cooper Rowntree and Marcus Hamod. And let us state very clearly; that group is presented in no particular order.

With three laps to go, the leading group of nine had six seconds over the smaller chase group. Russo had taken the win last evening and was working his way to the front and testing the field for his all-important run to the line.

But at the line, it was the experience and cunning of Brandom Demmery that shone through, taking the win by .148 to Snell with Russo in third. Pole sitter Swain found himself out muscled in ninth.

ASBK Supersport 300 Race Two Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Brandon Demmery – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Henry Snell – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.148)
3 Jai Russo – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.193)

Sunday

It was Phillip Island at her saucy best. Or was it? The cloud descended mid-morning and the *rain?* question was asked here and there, but no one can ever possibly pretend to know what is going to happen. Phillip Island does what it wants, and you best remember that. …and for the record, it did rain. But it was also sunny.

ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE

Race Two
Josh Waters lead the field into turn one and beyond as the Ducati Panigale V4R flexed in front of the 17 riders behind it. Glenn Allerton was up into second from the third row of the grid, denying Arthur Sissis his typical rocket launch.

Immediately, Josh Waters set about gapping the field, and gap he did, getting out to a 1.7 second lead and then… The Race was red flagged. Not for rain. Not for a crash, but for the Cape Barren Geese who had decided to take a much closer look at proceedings at turn 12.

The restart (Original grid placings resumed) was rough on riders like Allerton who had previously moved from seventh into the top three, but after the restart Allerton was up there again with Herfoss and Jones for company. Sissis also found the big launch button and was well in contention.

Chiodo high-sided at turn two and his Honda cartwheeled for far too long. Chiodo took a moment to gather himself. With a single bike to ride, his weekend was sadly over. Stauffer then went down on the exit of turn four – as he had in race one Meanwhile, Herfoss ran wide at turn one after out-braking himself and was now down in sixth, Allerton was as aggressive as he can be and overtook Jones who returned serve almost immediately.

We still had eight laps to go, and Halliday was in front of Allerton. At this point, the running order was Waters, 1.5-second gap, Jones, Halliday, Allerton and Sissis in fifth. Then came Herfoss with Staring, Ted Collins, Broc Pearson and Lachlan Epis in tenth.

Halliday got past teammate Jones at half distance and they diced hammer and tong to the delight of the crowd and the horror of the Yamaha Racing Team. Herfoss was on the tail of Sissis fighting for fifth. Epis slid off on the exit of turn four, in a similar manner to Stauffer a little earlier. Herfoss was behind Allerton for just two corners before making his move and moving up into fourth.

Halliday was the now fastest man and was off Waters, despite the apparent futility. It was now a race of time trialists, with second plus gaps between first, second and third.

With two laps remaining, Waters had a 3.1 second lead and was content to just manage it. His fastest lap of the race had been on lap two, confirming his early desire to get away from the field. He was now content to lap in the mid-32s with Halliday .4 slower.

And it remained that way to the finish. Josh Waters took his second win of the weekend from a crash-recovered-and-valiant Cru Halliday with 2022 Champion Mike Jones in third, Troy Herfoss fourth and Arthur Sissis a terrific fifth. With just one race remaining, a Waters clean sweep, complete with the bonus point for pole had gone from a dream to an inevitable reality.

Race

The final race of three for the weekend under the Phillip Island sun and it was Waters as usual… but also Sissis from the third row as usual. Allerton was his aggressive best, but Sissis stood firm until turn four. Halliday tried to follow Allerton but was briefly unseated and lost a spot. Up front, Waters was evidently keen to get home to Mildura as he was already a second up thanks to a 1:37.713 standing lap.

Mike Jones was in second place on lap two with Allerton and Herfoss in tow. Halliday was waiting to pounce with Sissis just behind him. Staring was a second back in seventh with Max Stauffer, Ted Collins and Broc Pearson rounding out the top ten.

Nine to go, and Waters was comfortably on his way to the three-peat with the bonus pole point, while 2022 champion Mike Jones gave chase. Waters was lapping half a second than the next fastest rider in Halliday, so the maths was against everyone but the #21 plated McMartin Racing Panigale V4R.

Herfoss in third was at the head of a group of five and had the faster Halliday right on his wheel. While Halliday’s pass felt inevitable, the 2023 edition of Troy Herfoss has been homologated with “you shall not pass… quite so easily”. But Halliday was not to be denied and the question now was “Will Cru catch YRT teammate Jones?” The last time they diced in race two it was of a manner most unbecoming- but very entertaining. The gap was less than a second between the blue R1Ms, and with half the race to come… it was on.

Staring in fifth tried a neat move on Herfoss into turn four but ran wide and effectively took a long lap penalty. Halliday was all over Jones and looking for a polite time to pass. He found it via some clever work that started at turn three and he got it done by turn four and dared to look ahead to Waters.

But that was no longer a realistic possibility as Waters was some 4.4 seconds ahead. Halliday would not give up, putting down the fastest lap of the race and dropping the margin to just under four seconds. Allerton, Herfoss and a watchful Bryan Staring continued a battle that has existed between them in one form or another for over 10 years. Clean, hard racing and it was a sight to behold.

Waters looked at his pit board and when he saw the gap drop to under four seconds, just neatly banged out a few fast laps to get the gap back to five seconds. Halliday was now lapping in the low 1:34s to Waters mid 1:33s and with a lap to go, here were the three races in a row that Waters had dreamed of. Home in second was a valiant Cru Halliday who had DNF-2-2 to his name and Mike Jones in third to ensure that even here at a bogey track, he walks away with second for the round.

A late error from Herfoss at turn four gave Allerton a big enough gap to hold on to fourth, Herfoss brought it home in fifth with Starting a little way back in sixth. Overall for the weekend, it was Josh Waters with a perfect 76 points thanks to pole-1-1-1 with reigning champion Mike Jones a very handy second with a hungry and slightly disappointed Troy Herfoss in third.

With just four weeks until round two, the much-anticipated return of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul to Sydney Motorsport Park under lights, the season is already taking shape.

That shape is the ominous outline of Josh Waters aboard a McMartin Racing Ducati.

ASBK Superbike Round Results Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Josh Waters – Ducati V4 R
2 Mike Jones – Yamaha R1M
3 Troy Herfoss – Honda CBR RR

Michelin Supersport

Race Three
On a pretty damp track with the sun shining, the final Supersport race got underway and immediately, Harrison Voight was away, but not off the front as he is want to do.

Olly Simpson was all over the shop, variously up close but also quite far from the apexes (“I was just chasing dry track!” he said later). Jake Farnsworth had been showing serious damp weather speed and was up to second and trying to chase only to have a scary low-side on the way to The Hayshed, skidding down the middle of the track and then mercifully exiting the track quickly and safely.

These goings-on gave Voight all he needed to get a gap and he was soon out to 6 seconds. Behind Voight it was frantic. A single-bike-width dry line was appearing, but the riders were nevertheless three-wide down the straight and tipping into turn one in manner that caused breath to be held.

With eight laps to go it was Voight from a determined Olly Simpson, a rejuvenated Ty Lynch, a very loose Mitch Simpson and the ever-present Jack Passfield. The gap to Voight had dropped to four seconds. The fastest lap was with Olly Simpson; a 1:49, then Voight noted the drying track he and was down to a 1:47. But for the fact that all riders were on an intermediate tyre, the lap times could have dropped even further.

With the track drying, Tom Bramich- who was down the order early- was able to get up to seventh and set off after the front group. Jack Passfield tried passing three riders into turn four, but had to settle for just two. He was now up to fourth. Declan Carberry had worked his way up to third through cunning and skill and was looking to cement his podium spot.

Voight now had 4.76 seconds back to Olly Simpson who had six seconds to the chase group consisting of Lynch, Passfield, Hayden Nelson, Carberry, Lytras, Mitch Simpson, Bramich and Glenn Nelson. The chase group were fighting at every opportunity for third. No one held down third spot for more than half a lap and while Lytras seemed the most likely to hang on, Passfield and Lynch refused to let go.

Voight continued on his solo way and by the end of the final lap, he took a 3.5-second victory over an equally lonely Olly Simpson. Some four seconds later, John Lytras crossed the line for a very handy third place at a circuit where he wanted to limit his losses.

The overall points situation was quite the surprise. With various riders racking DNFs it was the still-returning-from-surgery Ty Lynch who was thereabouts all weekend and took the win from two-wins-and-a-DNF Harry Voight and The Phillip Island specialist Jack Passfield.

Voight indicated that he will not be at Sydney Motorsport Park for Round Two but would be keen to return to the championship potentially for the final round.

ASBK Supersport Round Results Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Ty Lynch – Yamaha R6
2 Harrison Voight – Yamaha R6
3 Jack Passfield – Yamaha R6

Supersport 300

Race Three
The Supersport 300 crew rolled out in the bright sun early on Sunday to open proceedings for the day and Cameron Swain lead them away at the jump. Swain had said before the race he was keen to see if he could break away and get a gap, his preferred situation.

Opening a .6 gap mid-lap made it seem a possibility and the immediate chasers; Henry Snell, Jai Russo and Cooper Rowntree were perhaps a little too busy fighting amongst themselves for the right to chase Swain. But The Island- especially when it is windy- is a tough place to get away in this class against the class of this field.

But Swain just kept his head down and reeled off fastest laps and while he had one of the lowest top speeds down the straight, he was working elsewhere to make up the deficit.

Chasing the lead group solo was Brandon Demmery who had inexplicably missed the front group and found himself six seconds behind the leaders in no man’s land. A two-point leader in the championship pre-race, the new on-the-road leader was Jai Russo. Tara Morrison went down with three laps to go at turn four and would be rightly disappointed with two DNFs on a weekend that promised so much.

Meanwhile, out front, Swain was gone. He was now at 3 seconds and there were just the crumbs left to scrap for. He was still lapping around half a second a lap faster than the chasers. While we have seen riders in this class ride away from the field, the nature of the 300s – where the drafting is so important – makes Swain’s effort even more admirable.

Into the final lap, Swain held a 7.5 second lead from the chasers in Russo, Luke Jhonston, Brodie Gawith, Casey Middleton and Cooper Rowntree. Pole sitter Cameron Swain took the win from Brodie Gawith and Luke Jhonston with Snell fourth and Marcus Hamod in fifth.

Overall, Jai Russo took the weekend by a single point over Brandon Demmery with Henry Snell third, Swain in fourth and Luke Johnston in fifth. A close season of Supersport 300 awaits us.

ASBK Supersport 300 Round Results Phillip Island (Full Results Here)

1 Jai Russo – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.193)
2 Brandon Demmery – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Henry Snell – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.148)

2023 Sherco Australia Off-Road Team Revealed!

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PB

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February 24, 2023

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Yesterday, Sherco Australia revealed its 2023 rider line-up, including four factory riders competing throughout Australia’s premier off-road racing series at their 2023 media launch event held in Broadford, Victoria. Check out what Sherco have in store for the 2023 season…

Jonte Reynders, Anthony Solar, Chris Perry and Tim Coleman will represent team Sherco, covering the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), Australian Hard Enduro Championship (AHEC), the Australian SuperEnduro Championship (ASEC) and selected standalone hard enduro events such as the Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro.

Last year’s E3-class AORC runner-up, Jonte Reynders, is set to enter his fifth season with Team Motul Pirelli Sherco, embarking on a new challenge for 2023, competing in the hotly contested E2 class aboard the 300 SEF Factory 4-stroke. Reynders plans to contest the Australian 4-day Enduro series whilst also continuing to compete in his home state of TAS, defending his 2022 state championship.

After dominating the Australian hard-enduro scene in 2022, Sherco Australia is proud to announce forming of a new hard-enduro team dedicated to competing in Australia’s most gruelling races. Reigning Australian Hard Enduro Champion, Anthony Solar, will defend his #1 plate on his 300 SE Factory, looking to become Australia’s first SuperEnduro champion.

Solar’s biggest threat is arguably his teammate Chris Perry, who equalled Solar with AHEC points in 2022 but was edged out of the title by a podium countback. Perry will contest the 2023 ASEC aboard the 300 SEF Factory 4-stroke before reverting to his familiar 300 SE Factory 2-stroke for the AHEC and Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro.

The hard enduro paddock was all the better for having fan-favourite Tim Coleman back in action. After being sidelined in 2021, Coleman gradually returned to racing competition, proving he still has what it takes to run with Australia’s best. Coleman will join Solar and Perry in the Australian Super Enduro Championship aboard the 250 SE Factory, as well as compete in selected events and continue to run his popular coaching clinics.

“I’m stoked to be back with the Sherco team for another season, this year will be my fifth with the team. The transition to the 300SEF four-stroke has been seamless, I felt comfortable on it straight away and haven’t had to make any drastic changes to my set-up. I’m feeling fit, fast and looking forward to the new challenge in the E2 class”. said Jonte Reynder, Motul Pirelli Sherco Rider

“The hard-enduro scene has grown so much in Australia over the last few years. Winning the Australian hard-enduro championship last year was a dream come true, and to now be a part of a factory team with Sherco Australia is surreal. We have all the ingredients to repeat last year’s successes, we just need to mix them right…I’m looking forward to the year ahead”. Said Anthony Solar, Motul Sherco Hard Enduro Rider

“I’m beyond excited to be part of Sherco Australia’s hard-enduro-specific factory racing team. Anthony and I have been doing this for a few years now, and we both enjoyed some support from Sherco last year, it’s great to be stepping things up for 2023 and bringing some of our key supporters and sponsors over in putting this team together. It is the complete package now; we can be prepared and have the support we need to compete at our very best domestically and take on the world stage in selected European events”. said Chris Perry, Motul Sherco Hard Enduro Rider

“Sherco is like a family to me, I’ve been with them for several years now, and I just love the people around me and having their full support, especially with my recent recovery journey. I really appreciate that there’s no pressure on me to compete full-time as I ease back into racing. I’m really excited about the fresh start with the team for this year, with Jonte competing in traditional enduro and Anthony, Chris and myself forming the new hard enduro team, I think we have a great mix of riders, and the whole team operation has taken a step forward this year in professionalism with the new Sherco factory racing gear, we’re looking good, feeling good and I’m sure we’ll turn a few heads this year”. said Tim Coleman, Motul Sherco Hard Enduro Rider

“For 2023, Sherco Australia’s factory racing program has undergone a host of significant changes, with new official team riders, championship series, racing classes, sponsors, and overall appearance. Collectively, this has made the pre-season unbelievably busy. However, the upside is that our elevated program is now more closely aligned with Sherco’s factory operation in Europe, and the buzz, energy, and synergy within the team has never been higher.” said Derek Grundy, Sherco Australia Off-Road Racing Manager.

ASBK Round Preview: Waters Looks To Bank Maximum Points at Season Opener

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PB

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February 24, 2023

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The recent mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) Official Test at Sydney Motorsport Park gave us both some idea and some confusion of about who’s where ahead of season 2023.

Josh Waters was the man to beat last time at Phillip Island. Nothing has changed. Pictured here with SBK legend Troy Corser.

In no doubt is the form of Josh Waters. In the back half of 2022, he changed from a BMW M1000RR to join Wayne Maxwell aboard a McMartin Racing Ducati Panigale and to say he came to terms with the Ducati immediately might be the early leader for understatement of the season.

At the ASBK test, he was again up front in all conditions- including the night sessions. Others fought for the second place honours, but Waters just put that Ducati Panigale V4R up front most every time.

The last time the championship graced the turns and straights of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit was in November 2022 for the second-to-last round of the Championship and the riders’ form at that point was clear, so answering who was going to be where coming into that weekend was easier. Not only that, but it was also the second round for the year at The Island, so a casual glance at the results sheet from the earlier round also helped to tell – and predict – the tale.

Mike Jones- 2022 champion and hungry for more..

Fast forward to season 2023 and at Round One and it is a different caper altogether. The past King of the Island Wayne Maxwell hung up his ASBK leathers at the conclusion of 2022. Further, Round One, 2022 PI winner Bryan Staring has only just secured a ride for 2023 and missed the Official Test , while 2022 overall champion Mike Jones has not always been the go-to guy at Phillip Island.

That does, however, bring us back to three-time ASBK title winner Josh Waters. What was supposed to be a cameo filling in for Maxwell at the not-an-ASBK round MotoGP event in 2022 saw him break the ASBK-spec lap record (1:31.705) in his second ever race aboard the Ducati and he pretty much forced team owner Craig McMartin’s hand to offer him a seat for the remainder of the year.

At the penultimate event, Round Six- also at Phillip Island, Waters was there to essentially run interference for Wayne Maxwell while also doing what he could to secure some points for himself. With Maxwell posting DNFs in two of the three races, Waters took his opportunities and finished the weekend as the round winner with one win and ultimately showed the Boost Mobile with K-Tech team that with Maxwell retiring, he would be the rider best suited to the spot in 2023.

And so it is. The Craig McMartin prepped Ducati is still the weapon of choice for the Phillip Island Circuit and Waters is now unencumbered with the responsibility of being a support rider and is free to go out and let slip the Dogs of War. Three wins from three races beckons. It’s worth noting that we said the same of Maxwell last year on the same bike and instead of 76 points (there is a single point for pole!), he took away just 25, so keep that in mind before placing any bets…

Of course, you cannot discount the 2022 ASBK Champion, Yamaha Racing’s Mike Jones who – while he hasn’t always had a loving relationship with The Island – is never far away from the front and absolutely knows how to limit his losses when he’s not at the top of his game.

Glenn Allerton aboard a Shane Kinderis prepped BMW is always thereabouts no matter where we are racing. We understand that Allerton will be on a different brand from Round Two onwards if the bike is ready in time…

Broc Pearson has a fair weight on his shoulders, but he seems to embrace it.

Yamaha’s Cru Halliday has usually had the measure of teammate Mike Jones at Phillip Island and will definitely be eyeing off the top spot at this round. Halliday has an opportunity to set himself as the Yamaha man for the first two rounds and it will be interesting to see how he handles this opportunity.

Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss returned to the podium in 2022 and hits 2023 with the sort of form that has carried him to a championship previously. But with a love/hate relationship with the PI circuit and some issues getting his Honda into the groove, there’s a challenge ahead. That said, Herfoss has declared that he’s absolutely in it for the title, so give him some swinging room.

The enigmatic Arthur Sissis will once again amaze, inspire and occasionally frustrate when he launches his R1 like a drag bike after a lowly qualifying result. In 2023, the South Australian native once again has the weight of expectation upon him. He has the skill and equipment to win and regularly be on the podium. Jed Metcher will hope to put 2022 behind him after some variable and frustrating results.

Of the others, Broc Pearson on the factory-supported DesmoSport Ducati is a young man on the up-and-up and will be hungry to show the difficult decision the team made in choosing him over the championship and race winner Staring was the right one. Max Stauffer- like Pearson- has made his way into the SBK paddock as a hungry young man with places to go. A big off season and some terrific form at the ASBK Official test points to top five results on the regular in 2023.

The opening round of the season is always an incredibly tense and informative weekend. In 2023, the stakes remain high, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. Bring it on!

WorldSBK Phillip Island Test: Razgatlioglu tops Day 1, Bayliss Third In WorldSSP!

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PB

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February 21, 2023

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Toprak Razgatlioglu was fastest on the opening day of testing ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Despite being a Test day, there was drama everywhere as five red flags, with several of these due to geese near the track, while there was also drama for the ‘titanic trio’. Both Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista went down at Turn 4 in FP2, while Toprak Razgatlioglu had an FP1 crash at Turn 10.

Despite his FP1 crash, 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu was able to bounce back in FP2 to top the timesheets in the two-hour session with a 1’30.674s and that time was also good enough to top the times in the combined classification on Day 1.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi was the lead Ducati rider in second ahead of teammate and 2022 WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista, with only 0.035s separating them.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was second and 0.099s slower than Razgatlioglu but he was able to finish ahead of teammate Bautista with the reigning Champion in third place and 0.134s down on Razgatlioglu. Six-time Champion Rea took fourth spot after setting a 1’30.889s with Rea the first rider to lap in the 1’30s bracket.

Remy Gardner was the fastest Rookie in seventh place, finishing 0.926s behind Razgatlioglu.

Several riders with Independent teams shone brightly in Australia on Day 1 of the test, with four finishing inside the top ten behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in fifth place. Locatelli had topped FP1 with a 1’31.008s and was unable to beat that in FP2 with his time good enough for fifth place. German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took sixth spot and was the top Independent rider on his Ducati, lapping 0.921s slower than Razgatlioglu, while home hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was seventh and only 0.005s behind Oettl.

Six-time Champion Rea took fourth spot after setting a 1'30.889s. — Six-time Champion Rea took fourth spot after setting a 1’30.889s.

New BMW recruit Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider on Day 1 after he posted a 1’31.671s with the American improving his time by a second between FP1 and FP2, while rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth after posting a best time of 1’31.728s. Factory BMW rider Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten after lapping around a tenth slower than Aegerter.

Philipp Oettl concluded Day 1 in fifth as the fastest Independent rider.

Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona was the highest-placed Honda rider on Day 1 with 11th spot on his first visit to Phillip Island in WorldSBK after he missed the 2022 season-ending round through injury. His time, a 1’31.904s, was more than a tenth quicker than rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in 12th spot with the Italian almost 1.5s down on Razgatlioglu’s pace setting time. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took 13th spot with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) rounding out the top 15.

Both Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista went down at Turn 4 in FP2, while Toprak Razgatlioglu had an FP1 crash at Turn 10.

Frenchman Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) took 16th spot on his M 1000 RR machine, 1.619s down on Razgatlioglu’s time but only 0.015s away from a spot in the top ten. 2013 Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 17th with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) 18th and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) 19th. Rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) took 20th on his first visit to Phillip Island on the Yamaha YZF R1 machine while MIE Racing Honda Team duo Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado were 21st and 22nd respectively. Granado had a crash at Turn 12 with around 40 minutes left in the session but was declared fit following a check-up at the medical centre.

WorldSBK Phillip Island Day One Test Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 1’30.674s
2 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.099s
3 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0-134s

WorldSSP
It was a disrupted first day of testing for the FIM Supersport World Championship during the Official Test at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit as Italian rider Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on the day after the two sessions as he posted a 1’35.527s to top the times after the fifth red flag of the day.

Bulega sets the pace on the opening day of the Official Test at Phillip Island.

Both Bulega and Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) improved after the red flag with the pair briefly swapping places before Bulega cemented his place at the top, with Manzi finishing 0.216s behind. Local hero Bayliss, ahead of his second WorldSSP campaign on the Ducati Panigale V2, took third spot as he goes in search of his first WorldSSP podium after the Australian rider switched teams for the 2023 campaign.

Oli Bayliss was third on the opening day of the Official Test ahead of his home round this weekend.

Bayliss’ time of a 1’34.103s prevented an Italian 1-2-3 after Day 1 in Australia with Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) in fourth and just over a tenth behind the Australian. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the lead Kawasaki rider with fifth place, more than seven tenths down on Bulega’s pace, while Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing), returning to the venue where he won his first WorldSSP race, was sixth after setting his best time of 1’34.345s in FP1, while Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was seventh.

WorldSSP Phillip Island Test Day One Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’33.527s
2 Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) +0.216s
3 Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.576

New MotoGP Time Schedule Revealed With Sprint Races

By

PB

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February 2, 2023

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New year, new MotoGP! The season ahead is going to be the biggest yet, with more Grands Prix in more countries reaching more fans than ever before. And that’s not all, as the MotoGP Sprint prepares to debut across the calendar and inject even more adrenaline into Saturday’s track action.

It’s the start of a new era and the time schedule for the Grand Prix classes can now be confirmed as MotoGP sprints into 2023 with a new layout.

FRIDAY
Friday will remain practice day and will include two sessions for MotoGP. The first is at 10:45 and lasts 45 minutes, and the second has been extended to 60 minutes. That starts at 15:00, with the combined times from P1 and P2 determining entrants to Q1 and Q2 for MotoGP. They’re no longer called Free – because they aren’t! Moto2 has two 40-minute sessions on Friday, and Moto3 two 35-minute sessions. Both count towards the combined timings, but for the lower classes Saturday morning’s P3 is also taken into account.

SATURDAY
Saturday is now an absolute blockbuster. MotoGP has a 30-minute free practice session, similar to the previous FP4, and then it’s time to qualify as Q1 starts at 10:50 before Q2 finalises the rest of the grid at 11:15. Once that’s concluded, our new post-qualifying show will take riders to a new stage for some live interviews in front of the fans. Then, it’s time to sprint!

The MotoGP Sprint will have its own identity. After a condensed 15-minute grid, the new event gets underway at 15:00 every Saturday and the podium will take place at a different location – changeable depending on the Grand Prix – to take the celebrations closer to the fans. Thereafter, a Sprint press conference will take place at 16:15, where we’ll be able to hear from the top three in the Sprint Race, the polesitter and the Championship leader.

Before the Sprint, Moto2 and Moto3, will each have a 30-minute P3 session on Saturday morning, with the combined times from P1-P2-P3 determining their direct entrants to Q1 and Q2. Moto3 qualify first from 12:50, before Moto2 from 13:45.

On sunday, racing begins at 11:00 for Moto3 before the Moto2 race at the slightly earlier time of 12:15.

SUNDAY
There are no Warm Up sessions for Moto2 and Moto3, so the MotoGP class opens and closes the show on Grand Prix race day. 9:45 sees a 10-minute Warm Up session get action underway, before a MotoGP rider fan parade at 10am lets the packed stands see their heroes ahead of lights out. The riders will head around the track and make a couple of pitstops before landing back at the Hero Walk for more face-to-face fan time. Racing begins at 11:00 for Moto3 before the Moto2 race at the slightly earlier time of 12:15.

The MotoGP Grand Prix race begins at 14:00, with the traditional Grand Prix podium set for 15:00. The structure of Moto3 – Moto2 – MotoGP is to be maintained throughout the season, and the MotoGP™ Grand Prix race will always be the final track action on Sunday. At many events the fans will be given the chance to flood to the podium and get to the heart of the celebrations.

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

WorldSBK Testing: New Lap Record On Day Two At Portimao!

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PB

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February 2, 2023

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There was plenty of lap record pace on display in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve on Day 2 of the two-day test in Portugal, with riders on the verge of breaking into the 1’38s for the first time in WorldSBK hsitory…

There was nothing to separate Bautista and Rea on Day 2 as the top four riders all obliterated lap record pace.

Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times on day two by just 0.009s ahead of six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as four riders went under the lap record set by Rea in 2022.

The pace was rapid from the get-go on Wednesday in the final European test before teams and riders head to Australia, with Bautista posting a 1’39.035s to obliterate Rea’s Superpole lap record from last year’s Portuguese Round. Bautista’s day, with the Spanish rider looking at bike stability, was disrupted by a crash at Turn 7 which brought out the red flag. His teammate was one of the four riders to go below the lap record with a 1’39.144s to take third place; backing up his top spot from Day 1.

Rea, the lap record holder with a 1’39.610s from last year’s Tissot Superpole, took second spot and was only 0.009s slower than Bautista at the end of the day’s running with the six-time Champion testing some new items from Showa and looking at chassis balance. His teammate, Alex Lowes, was tenth fastest on Day 2 as he worked on his ZX-10RR machine, posting a best time of 1’40.559s on Day 2, as he looked to work on exiting corners.

2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was fourth fastest as he also went under Rea’s existing lap record, posting a 1’39.441s on his way to fourth spot. As at Jerez, there was a lot of focus on the rear of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine in order to improve grip exiting corners. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was fifth fastest with the two Yamaha riders separated by around three tenths of a second; Locatelli was lapping only a tenth outside the lap record.

With Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaha taking up five of the top six positions, Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona was able to put a fourth manufacturer in the top six on Day 2 at Portimao. Lecuona, who had a crash in the final sector in the morning, posted a 1’39.803s to take sixth spot as Honda looked to work on setups for the CBR1000RR-R machine, including long runs. Teammate Xavi Vierge was in eighth place, with Independent Yamaha rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), looking for improvements with the SCX tyre, separating the two with seventh place. A late lap from 2013 Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) propelled him up the order to ninth ahead of French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in 11th on his M 1000 RR to ensure all five manufacturers were represented in the top 11, while his teammate, Garrett Gerloff, was 14th.

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a focus on new electronics and ran BMW’s brake covers on Day 2 on his M 1000 RR as he searched for more time on corner exit. The Dutch rider finished the day in 12th place after setting a 1’40.711s, while teammate Scott Redding was 16th on his machine with a best time of 1’41.002s. In between the two BMW riders was Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) in 13th place with the German rider working on the new Panigale V4 R including a different fork for rear grip as well as Gerloff and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), whose lap time of 1’40.844s put him in 15th.

Lecuona, who had a crash in the final sector in the morning, posted a 1’39.803s to take sixth spot as Honda looked to work on setups for the CBR1000RR-R machine.

Aegerter’s WorldSSP rival, Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), was 17th and around four tenths slower than the two-time WorldSSP Champion. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 19th spot with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), in his first test of 2023, in 20th spot. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was 20th ahead of MIE Honda Racing Team duo Eric Granado and Hafizh Syahrin in 21st and 22nd respectively; Granado suffering a technical issue in the afternoon on his bike.

WorldSSP
Like his Ducati counterpart in WorldSBK, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team) took top spot in WorldSSP running on Day 2 as he smashed the lap record. Bulega posted a 1’42.636 which gave him the quickest lap time, ahead of compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team); Ducati locking out the top three positions in WorldSSP. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued testing four machines in Portugal and set the fourth best lap time, a 1’43.583s for fourth place, with Raffaele De Rose (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) in fifth.

New Ten Kate Racing Yamaha recruit Stefano Manzi took sixth spot ahead of Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) in seventh and Manzi’s teammate, Jorge Navarro, in eighth. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) was the lead rider from his team with ninth spot after setting a 1’44.978s, with Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) and Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) rounding out the field; Kofler had a crash in the afternoon which briefly brought out the red flags. Both Adam Norrodin (MIE – MS Racing Honda Team) and Tarran Mackenzie were on track on Day 2, but with no times recorded.

Check out all the results here…

Aussies Racing Abroad, December: What 2023 Holds For Remy Gardner

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PB

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February 1, 2023

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Remy has been out testing his new WorldSBK Yamaha! Hopefully he will settle into the team better than Tech3 KTM...

Having scored the 2021 Moto2 World Championship in a season where he won five races and gathered 12 podiums, excitement was high that Remy Gardner could achieve some great things in his rookie MotoGP campaign. Unfortunately, it didn’t all go his way…

Remy Gardner's challenging first campaign in MotoGP continued, with him scoring an 18th place finish at Silverstone and 20th in Austria. — The 2022 MotoGP season wasn’t the most ideal for Remy. However, he gained vital experience that will hopefully score him a ride in MotoGP again one day.

Bringing in so much positive momentum and with him trending in a distinctly upward trajectory, unfortunately things didn’t go to plan for the gifted Australian, as problems with the bike and his team, plus some niggling injuries, scuppered his chances of truly putting his best foot forward.

Read our other updates about Aussies racing abroad here…

Although his debut term in the premier class was littered with adversity, the Tech3 KTM speedster still showed glimpses of his class on many occasions and that he had what it takes to compete at the elite level. Even though he couldn’t secure a coveted top ten finish, he still claimed an admirable four points scoring finishes in the crusade on his way to regularly outperforming his highly rated teammate, Raul Fernandez, who also endured his fair share of frustration last year.

Remy rode really well in Thailand and looked a decent shout for a top 10 finish before his crash. — Even though he couldn’t secure a coveted top ten finish, he still claimed an admirable four points scoring finishes in the crusade on his way to regularly outperforming his highly rated teammate, Raul Fernandez.

With a season’s best of eleventh at Catalunya, this demonstrated he could mix it with the heavy hitters on his day and on a track that suited the bike. But these days were few and far between, in a season where he frequently toiled fruitlessly on his way to finishing 23rd in the final standings.

The saddening news then arose that KTM weren’t going to keep him on for 2023, which came as a devastating blow to Gardner, who forcefully expressed his opinion on the decision. “I felt like I always gave my 100 per cent for them [KTM]. My intention was to stay here and give my best and honestly, they’ve broken my heart,” Gardner explained.

After winning the Moto2 championship last year. Remy will be out looking for wins in the premier class this year! — A Moto2 championship win isn’t something that everyone on the MotoGP grid has, yet Remy wasn’t kept on for a second year with KTM. With all other seats filled, he now turns to WorldSBK.

“I felt like maybe there’s not an appreciation for the [Moto2] World Championship I brought them as well. I was just giving my best all the time and I guess it wasn’t good enough. The feeling was and the impression was, yeah, we should continue and in Austria we’ll get it done… I don’t know, I’m just as confused [by it].

“I think it hasn’t been a disaster. I mean, if you have a look at the times and everything and how close I am to the factory guys usually. It’s still my first year! I honestly think it was not bad and honestly it was positive vibes from them [KTM]. But yeah, we got to Austria and it’s basically ‘you’re out’. Wasn’t expecting it to be honest. I’ve always given 100% and unfortunately I don’t think it was good enough [how they handled the situation].”

2021 Moto2™ Champion Remy Gardner, still pushing through the pain barrier after breaking his wrist in training, put in a best lap of 1:59.348. — Despite him feeling like he was harshly and unfairly treated, there was no denying what a fantastic learning experience racing a full crusade of MotoGP was for him.

Despite him feeling like he was harshly and unfairly treated, there was no denying what a fantastic learning experience racing a full crusade of MotoGP was for him even if he went through a tough adaptation to the category.

Indeed, gaining such valuable track time against the best riders in the world and extracting so much knowledge in terms of riding style, line selection, bike setup, race strategy, preparation and so much more should crucially hold him in good stead for his future endeavours.

Left without a MotoGP ride, the 24-year-old will now turn his attention to 2023, where he’ll be switching to the World Superbike paddock to race for GYTR GRT Yamaha. Excited for the challenge ahead and having already tested the bike, which he said he enjoyed, it’ll be fascinating seeing how he fares in what’s set to be a stacked class this year.

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, gave Remy a warm welcome to the team, stating: “Remy is an exciting young talent, who boasts an impressive career inside the Grand Prix paddock. We are obviously delighted to have a rider on board who’s not only shown great progression but has experience at the top level of motorcycle racing. We believe that he is the perfect fit for Yamaha’s WorldSBK program and are keen to see what he can do on one of our Yamaha YZF-R1 WorldSBK machines.”

To shine the spotlight on his recent test at Jerez last week, and much upside could be extracted from this hit out even though he was nearly two seconds off pace-setter Toprak Razgatlioglu, as Gardner rattled off 86 laps in the first day alone around the Spanish circuit to bank the 14th best time. Gardner then impressively made headway on day two, for his fastest lap was over a second quicker than the previous day and saw him secure the 10th quickest time, which was roughly one second off Toprak.

Giving him a fantastic chance to log some laps in the dry, after his first test was scuppered by rain in December, while he familiarised himself with the bike, the tyres and the team, the number 87 cut a content figure afterwards.

The GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team have opted for an all-new line-up for this year, signing Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner. — Set to continue using the number 87, a tribute to his father Wayne’s memorable 1987 500cc World Championship, 2023 looms as a massive year for Gardner, as he looks to get things back on track after a forgettable 2022.

“Yeah it was fun!” Said Gardner “Very different to what I’m used to. New tyres, which I think is the biggest thing at the moment and just understanding how much confidence the front tyre gives and how much support as well. Did lots of laps, but it was just good to understand what I need to adapt and change. I have some bad habits from last year that I’m trying to kick. Just [need to] ride easier and more fluid. Last year I had to ride like an animal every single lap and every single corner to go half-fast.

Possessing all the ingredients to be a success, in the case of Gardner, KTM’s loss is certainly Yamaha’s gain..

“After a year of that and also the tyres are very different as well. I’ve got to let it flow a bit more. At the moment, that’s just what we wanted to do. I enjoyed myself a lot and, at the end of the day, I felt a bit more comfortable.”

The 2021 Moto2 World Champion will switch paddocks after his rookie season in MotoGP, and bringing Australian representation to the World Superbike family for 2023. — Full of talent, extremely motivated for the challenge ahead, in the prime of his career and possessing all the ingredients to be a success, in the case of Gardner, KTM’s loss is certainly Yamaha’s gain.

Set to continue using the number 87, which is a tribute to his father Wayne’s memorable 1987 500cc World Championship, 2023 looms as a massive year for Gardner, as he looks to get things back on track after a forgettable 2022. Full of talent, extremely motivated for the challenge ahead, in the prime of his career and possessing all the ingredients to be a success, in the case of Gardner, KTM’s loss is certainly Yamaha’s gain.

A First Look At Yamaha’s 2023 WorldSBK Line Up!

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PB

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January 31, 2023

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Four teams will run Yamaha machinery this season and the Japanese manufacturer have taken the covers off their bikes.

Yamaha have taken the covers off the four teams and six riders who will compete for them in the 2023 WorldSBK season. Yamaha come into the season after winning the 2021 title and finishing runner-up last year and will be looking to re-claim the crown this season.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) and teammate Andrea Locatelli will compete for the factory Yamaha team and remain the only constant in the manufacturer’s line-up compared to 2022.

The GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team have opted for an all-new line-up for this year, signing Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner as they go in search of podiums and wins.

Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team, entering their second campaign in WorldSBK, have employed reigning British champion Bradley Ray while new WorldSBK outfit GMT94 Yamaha, stepping up from WorldSSP, have 2022 WorldSSP runner-up Lorenzo Baldassarri for their Yamaha YZF R1.

AORC 2023 Categories And Calendar Announced!

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PB

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January 31, 2023

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Sunshine is scheduled this weekend for Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2023 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC).

MA have announced the full class list for the 2023 Yamaha Australian Off Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC). This season promises to be one of the most exciting yet and will see the introduction of two new classes to add to the impressive line-up; the Pony Express and Legends.

This AORC season promises to be one of the most exciting yet and will see the introduction of two new classes to add to the already impressive line-up; the Pony Express and Legends. Photo: AORC.

The Pony Express class is all about teaming up with your friends and combining your times to compete against other teams. The winners will be the team with the most laps and the shortest time. This class is sure to bring a new level of excitement and camaraderie to the AORC and will feature at all rounds of the championship.

The Legends class is for older masters of the sport who still want to race and show what they are capable of. This class is open to riders 50 years and older and will provide a platform for these experienced riders to showcase their skills, compete against their peers and also providing the opportunity for untold lies post-event…

The new Pony Express class is all about teaming up with your friends and combining your times to compete against other teams. Photo: AORC.

Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, said “We are excited to launch the 2023 AORC and the addition of the Pony Express and Legends classes to the line-up. These new classes will bring a fresh dynamic to the championship and we can’t wait to see how they will play out on the track. We look forward to a great season of off-road racing and wish all the riders the best of luck.”

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES 

E1: 100cc to 200cc 2-Stroke & 150cc to 250cc 4-Stroke 
E2: 220cc to 250cc 2-Stroke & 275cc to 450cc 4-Stroke 
E3: 290cc to 500cc 2-Stroke & 475cc to 650cc 4-Stroke 
EJ: Under 18 All powers (*Age as at 1 January 2021) 
Veterans: 35+ Years All powers (*Age as at 1 January 2023) 
Masters: 45+ Years All powers (*Age as at 1 January 2023) 
Women:  All Powers

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES 

J2: 12 – Under 15 85cc 2-Stroke & up to 150cc 4-Stroke 
J3: 13- Under 15 years 125cc to 200cc 2-Stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-Stroke 
J4: 15 years 125cc to 200cc 2-Stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-Stroke 
JG: 12 to Under 16 years 85cc 2-Stroke & 150cc to 250cc 4-Stroke

CUP CLASSES 

Enduro Legends: 50+ Years All Powers (*Age as at 1 January 2023) - NEW
Pony Express: Senior All Powers – (Teams of 2 Riders) – NEW
2T: 125cc up to 250cc 2-Stroke
J1: 9 to Under 12 years 85cc 2-st &150cc 4-st (sw)
JJ: 9 to Under 12 years 65cc

The 2023 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

Rounds 1 & 2: Mendooran (NSW) – March 25-26, 2023
Rounds 3 & 4: Queensland Moto Park (QLD) – April 22-23, 2023
Rounds 5 & 6: Edenhope (VIC) – July 22-23, 2023
Rounds 7 & 8: TBC (SA) – August 26-27, 2023
Rounds 9 & 10: Kyogle (NSW) – September 16-17, 2023
Rounds 11 & 12: Dungog (NSW) – October 14-15, 2023

WORLDSBK JEREZ TEST CONCLUDES: RESULTS, REPORT AND GALLERY

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PitBoard

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January 30, 2023

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The WorldSBK circus arrived at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on Wednesday for a busy two day test, with some new and refreshing faces on the track, particularly for us Aussie’s, Remy Gardner, who finished day two 10th fastest and came to grips with his YZF-R1 very quickly… Report: WorldSBK Press

Remy Gardner quickly came to grips with the Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike, ending the second day tenth fastest in his debut in the championship. — Remy Gardner quickly came to grips with the Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike, ending the second day tenth fastest in his debut.

Day One testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto was a busy affair as teams and riders got their first 2023 running under their belt. 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) topped the times ahead of reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by two tenths of a second, with Bautista crashing in the afternoon, while rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) shone brightly on his debut.

Three rookies were taking part in the Jerez test as they got adjusted to new surroundings, teams and bikes. Petrucci took sixth spot at the end of the day with a 1’39.790s, just over a second slower than Razgatlioglu. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was ninth fastest on his first day in dry conditions with the Yamaha R1, lapping in 1’39.934, as he worked on linkage, swingarm and electronic components.

Teammate Remy Gardner was close behind in 14th place and six tenths back from Aegerter. Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), learning the Championship and bike along with his team, was the lowest-placed rookie with 19th place as he took to the Yamaha R1 for the first time.

Petrucci took sixth spot at the end of the day with a 1’39.790s, just over a second slower than Razgatlioglu

Testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto came to a conclusion for the teams and riders from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship that attended. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) was able to bounce back from his crash in the morning to record the fastest time with a 1’31.269s set in the afternoon; attempting to break the 1’37s barrier. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was second on Day 2, less than a tenth behind Razgatlioglu while 2022 WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third place.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was second on Day 2, less than a tenth behind Razgatlioglu.

After a strong showing on Day 1, three WorldSBK rookies finished the test inside the top ten on Day 2. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth fastest after posting a 1’39.193s, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking eighth place after setting a 1’39.311s. Aegerter’s GRT Yamaha teammate, Remy Gardner, took tenth spot but was only three tenths slower than Aegerter at the end of Day 2; showing how tight the WorldSBK field is in 2023.

Most teams will now be headed to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for another two-day test to be held on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February.

Read the full report from Day 2 in Jerez on worldsbk.com