ASBK Sunday: Jones Triumphs Wakefield Park

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April 27, 2022

It was Mike Jones who would eventually come out on top at Wakefield Park on the weekend, battling with the No.1 Ducati of Wayne Maxwell for most of the weekend, Mad Mike pulled off some stunning moves to secure the ASBK round three win… Report: MA Photos: BiteSizedPics.

By 10 am the sun was out, the fog cleared, and we settled in for what would be a great day of racing… — Normally, the morning warm-up is nothing special, but there was plenty of action as the riders headed out for the first time on Sunday…

Alpinestars Superbike
Ordinarily, the morning warm-up would pass with barely a mention. But Wayne Maxwell had noted at the Saturday evening press conference that the Boost Mobile with K tech team would be returning to previous settings, so interest was piqued. The #1 plate was up by a lot on the Friday and just conceded ground in every session from then on. In the warmup it was that Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) from Maxwell with Cru Halliday third.

Check out all the reports from the weekend here…

Notable news from the warmup were crashes from both Lachlan Epis and Broc Pearson- in Pearson’s case, the Racesafe Medical team were dispatched to attend to him. Shortly after the session concluded, Race Direction sent out a bulletin indicating that Pearson was to be transferred to the hospital for further investigation and would play no further part in the day’s proceedings.

Epis recovered from his morning accident... — Epis recovered from his morning accident…

Unfortunately, Pearson had to be taken to the hospital for further check-ups.

As they say, once the flag drops, the BS stops and it was Wayne Maxwell who took the lead into turn one, showing the Yamaha Racing Team pair of Jones and Halliday the way around the 2.2km Wakefield Park Raceway. It remained thus: Maxwell, Jones and Halliday. Local lad, the much-improved Troy Herfoss, worked his way up to fourth and when Halliday had a small glitch early in the race, Herfoss found himself in contention for a podium spot.

At the front, Jones was probing and poking the bear that is Wayne Maxwell. While Maxwell was not only in P1 and had nailed the fastest lap of the race, he was somehow not riding away. Smooth, yes, alone; no. A .3 of a second lead was the most he could manage and as ASBK Commentator Phil Harlum would note “that’s a Wakefield zero”.

As they say, once the flag drops, the BS stops and it was Wayne Maxwell who took the lead into turn one, keeping his lead for the whole way around Wakefield.

Behind the leading quartet, Bryan Staring found himself in no man’s land while Sissis, Waters, Allerton, Falzon and Epis all fought for position. Marcus Chiodo was having a solid dice with this second group until a crash at turn one ended his race and turned his bike into a collection of spare parts. He walked away, seemingly uninjured, but an ankle injury would see him out for the day.

At the front, it remained tense. At half distance, Maxwell and Jones remained locked in an immoveable arm wrestle. Every fast Maxwell lap saw Jones follow suit. The gap between the two sat at less than .2 of a second and the pundits wondered aloud if Jones was just content to stay where he was and wait for the final act.

Falzon and Epis all fought for position behind the leading pack.

While Halliday had fallen into Herfoss’ clutches for a time, he just put his head down and worked his way back into contention, but with six laps to go, he sat just a tantalising .8 off the back of the leading pair. Herfoss had been unable to stay with Halliday and a four-second gap opened. Jones stopped biding his time with three to go and showed Maxwell a wheel at every opportunity and finally put a pass on the 2021 champion to take the lead into turn three, much to the surprise of onlookers and riders.

It was as unexpected as it was brilliant, and Maxwell seemed to have no answer. Immediately, Jones pushed his Yamaha R1 ahead and opened a seemingly unbeatable .6 gap to Maxwell’s familiar Boost Mobile Ducati.

Jones stopped biding his time with three to go and showed Maxwell a wheel at every opportunity.

Jones would hit the finish line by 1.118 seconds to take a tactically perfect victory and increase his lead in the Alpinestars Superbike Championship. Halliday would finish third with the top ten made up of Herfoss, Staring, Sissis, Allerton, Waters, Falzon and West.

Superbike Race Two
In race two, Jones got the good start he needed, and a motivated and aggressive Cru Halliday held on for second with Wayne Maxwell similarly aggressive. These two came together as they came onto the straight and set the tone for the rest of the 20 lap journey.

In race two, Jones got the good start he needed, and a motivated and aggressive Cru Halliday held on for second with Wayne Maxwell similarly aggressive.

Halliday would get shuffled back to fourth by Bryan Staring as Jones again tried to get away from the pursuing pack. Maxwell- who lead the first race- now found himself as the hunter and settled happily into second place. Meanwhile, fifth-placed Troy Herfoss stayed in contention behind Halliday. Up front, Maxwell was all over Jones but these two had now opened a one-second gap to the riders behind. Arthur Sissis showed he’s realising his huge potential by sitting in sixth with a German triumvirate of BMWs behind him in the form of Waters, Allerton and Epis.

Out front, Maxwell seemed to be playing the numbers and saving his tyres. While Jones happily – in Maxwell’s words “did the donkey work”, the 2021 champion did the same thing Jones did in race one; observed, poked and prodded. Halliday got past Staring in an important championship-points situation. Staring’s tyre woes appeared to have struck as Herfoss also put a pass on the Western Australian’s DesmoSport Panigale.

At the halfway point it was Jones and Maxwell out front with Maxwell “shadowing Jones perfectly” according to ASBK commentator Steve Martin. The tactic also seemed to suit Maxwell physically who had complained of arm pump in race one. Herfoss and Halliday were trading lap times in third and fourth, but neither was able to set off after the leaders, while Staring was clearly struggling with his Ducati.’s rear grip.

On lap 14, Maxwell ran out of patience- or saw an opportunity- and took the race lead into the last turn. Immediately he did the expected thing and banged out a fast lap. But he might as well have been actually towing Jones around as the blue R1 stayed glued to his tailpipe. Meanwhile, Herfoss was as brave as he was confident, and tried to get around Halliday, only to run wide and let Halliday get away.

Maxwell got out to a .3 second lap, but for all that effort, Jones reeled him in again with a lap to go to get back on terms.

At the pointy end, the tables were turned, with Jones now in hot pursuit. Maxwell was riding 10/10ths and while there were only a few laps left, it was far from over. Maxwell got out to a .3 second lap, but for all that effort, Jones reeled him in again with a lap to go to get back on terms. For all his efforts, Jones seemed to be losing some drive and Maxwell was clearly hungry for the win.

Maxwell played the last lap to perfection and drove the Ducati to the line to take the win to put himself well into the championship contention in terms of points and perhaps even more importantly, put himself psychologically back in the game. Superbike Full Results.

Superbike Wakefield Park Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1

Alpinestars Superbike Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 132
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R 109
3 Bryan Staring -Ducati V4R 102

Michelin Supersport
Sean Condon stepped in for the absent Tom Edwards and there were murmurs in the paddock about how a retired rider with a seven-year absence from racing could turn up and take pole. The talk was not suspicion about Condon’s pace, but rather the lack of it from the rest of the field who, once the flag dropped for Race One, needed to show that season-long racers would beat a one-off guest rider.

Sean Condon stepped in for the absent Tom Edwards and there were murmurs in the paddock about how a retired rider with a seven-year absence from racing could turn up and take pole.

Almost immediately after the race started, Tom Drane had an excursion at turn two and that brought out the red flag. Drane remounted and returned to the track. Sean Condon was one of the few riders pleased to see the red flag after he literally missed the start. While being interviewed by Kate Peck for ASBK TV, he admitted that he not only missed the start, but he also wasn’t even sure about how the light sequence worked.

At the restart, Condon repeated his poor start and immediately dropped to fourth, with Lytras, Lynch and Nicholson ahead. On lap two, all hell broke loose with Bramich, Nicholson and Mahon all crashing in the space of 30 seconds. Nicholson would remount but finish a lap down.

Out front, Lytras and Lynch diced for the lead, trading places while Condon looked on. The leading trio would push out to a 6+ second lead. Lytras tried to push hard in the middle part of the race to get a gap, but Lynch and Condon gave him nothing. Condon seemed to be checking out potential passing points while biding his time.

With two laps to go, the lap times dropped under one minute and Condon tried to push past Lynch, but could not find a gap. Lytras lead them into the final lap and ground out a small, but handy lead. Meanwhile, Condon finally took second place from Lynch, while Lytras saluted for the win.

With two laps to go, the lap times dropped under one minute and Condon tried to push past Lynch, but could not find a gap. On the final lap he finally made a dive for second place.

Mitch Kuhne and Jake Farnsworth were fourth and fifth while Scott Nicholson salvaged some championship points by finishing 10th. For the post-lunch break race two, the light rain that had threatened to derail everyone’s best-laid plans did the honourable thing and disappeared with some cloud and sun setting up a tantalising battle.

Race Two
Polesitter Sean Condon had- courtesy of a restart in race one- two race starts and both were ugly. Race two was no different as the bike reared up briefly and he gifted the lead to John Lytras with Ty Lynch and Scott Nicholson filling the top three. Lytras took the lead and immediately got down to business, pressing home the advantage out to 7/10th of a second while the following trio of Lynch, Nicholson and Condon tried to stay in touch.

Lytras took the lead after yet another poor start from Condon. All eyes remained on the orange bike as he showed off his ability to come back in Race One.

Things would remain that way for much of the early and middle part of the race and while Lytras was keen to get away, the pursuers still had him in sight and were not letting go. In the final third of the race, the leading foursome split into two pairs of Lytras and Lynch and then Nicholson and Condon. Mitch Kuhne ran out of luck after several heart in mouth moments and crashed, remounting in 12th place.

With two to go, Condon got past Nicholson and set off after the leading pair. Lytras and Lynch started the last lap nose to tail, and it became clear that only they could take the top spot on the podium. Lytras again showed his determination and stamped not only his authority on the race, but showed he is capable of taking the 2022 title, winning by .520 from Ty Lynch, with Sean Condon on the podium some 1.7 behind. Scott Nicholson and Tom Bramich were fourth and fifth. Supersport 600 Full Results.

Lytras now ascends to the seemingly cursed leadership of the Michelin Supersport in a season where there have already been three leaders (and nominal leaders) by round three.

Michelin Supersport 600 Wakefield Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 John Lytras – Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Sean Condon – Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6

Michelin Supersport Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 John Lytras – Yamaha YZF-R6 117
2 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6 100
3 Scott Nicholson – Yamaha YZF-R6 82

Dunlop Supersport 300
At the start of race one, the question was whether Dunker could sneak off and not tow anyone around for the 10 lap journey. But it was not to be, as Dunker fluffed the start, dropped back to fourth and gifted Jonathan Nahlous, Hayden Nelson and Taiyo Aksu the top three spots.

But Dunker had been the fastest 300 rider all weekend and would not be denied. With less than three laps completed, he was back in the lead. The pressure that Dunker created took its toll immediately, with Nahlous trail braking too far into the final turn and folding the front end to crash out of the race.

Dunker now put his head down and tried to eke out a lead. While he would stretch the rubber band between him and the chasing pack, the main straight would see them re-attach to the Dunker freight train. It was now a race of packs. The lead group of Dunker, Hayden Nelson, Akso and Glenn Nelson had a 6 second lead over pack two of Jacobs, Waters, Nikolis, Swain, Gawith and Championship leader Snell.

With just a few laps to go the leading quartet swapped turns and leadership with Dunker as far down at fourth – but also often leading, Of course, it would come down to the final corner. Dunker desperately strove for the line with Aksu breaking out from the slipstream to also dive for the finish. It would be Dunker by 9/1000th of a second to Aksu, Hayden Nelson and Glenn Nelson.

Race Three
The final race of the weekend for the Dunlop Supersport 300s again saw a hotly contested start with Dunker taking the holeshot, in the absence of an apparently injured Jonathan Nahlous who was due to start from P2.

Dunker again tried a magic trick in an attempt to disappear from view and got out to a .4 lead early in the race. Glenn Nelson sensed danger and pushed hard on lap two to get back on terms with Dunker and dragged Taiyo Aksu and Hayden Nelson with him.

The leading four gapped the field with a lonely James Jacobs on the lone Kawasaki caught between two groups. Thanks to his diminutive stature, Dunker was able to maintain a highly aerodynamic profile that prevented- for a time- any riders from being able to get a solid draft behind him for the overtake.

At half race distance, Glenn Nelson slipped by and lit up the back half of the race. Dunker realised he was not going to be able to sneak off the front and began to dice for lead, taking it back from Glenn Nelson and then giving it back in what can only be described as a “classic Supersport 300 situation”. The lead changed too many times to mention, but the riders were just marking time to position themselves for the finale.

Taiyo Akso showed he wanted to get involved and took the lead while Dunker was shuffled down to fourth and was lucky just to stay on the bike. There were just two laps to go and while the literal gloves were on, the metaphorical ones were off. Dunker pushed hard to get back into second place on the last lap with Aksu in the lead. Dunker had a look at Aksu here and there, but the assembled crowd were watching for the last turn where Dunker finally took the lead again.

Dunker did all he could to prevent the pursuing riders from making use of the slipstream and he did exactly that, taking the win by .051 from Taiyo Aksu in second and Hayden Nelson in third. Glenn Nelson – who was in the lead for a time- finished fourth with a four-second gap to James Jacobs in fifth, Liam Waters (6th), Cameron Swain (7th), former championship leader Henry Snell (8th), Brodie Gawith (9th) and Marianos Nikolis (10th). Supersport 300 Full Results.

Dunlop Supersport 300 Wakefield Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3

Dunlop Supersport 300 Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 184
2 James Jacobs – Kawasaki Ninja 159
3 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 158

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
The baby-faced assassin that is Cameron Dunker took his familiar pole position for the opening Sunday race for the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and while the pack tried to swamp him into turn one, Dunker’s flouro yellow Yamaha still exited the opening turn in first position.

As the race settled in, Dunker naturally tried to check out of the race, the track and his hotel, but second-placed Hayden Nelson stayed in touch with Glenn Nelson on the move, lapping one second faster than the leading pair as he reeled them in.

Dunker led into turn one again in the R3 Cup. This time, the field didn't let him get away so easily. — Dunker led into turn one again in the R3 Cup. This time, the field didn’t let him get away so easily.

Soon it was a train of six: Dunker, Hayden Nelson, Glenn Nelson, Cameron Swain and Taiyo Aksu. And, as is almost always the case, once you have that many R3’s in close proximity, the lead started to change hands regularly. Dunker found himself down as low as third with the (unrelated) Nelsons at the front. Into the last lap, Dunker played all of his aces, taking the lead and absolutely riding on the limit “A pretty impressive move” noted former ASBK champion and official commentator Steve Martin.

As always, it was the last corner and the drag to the line and it was Glenn Nelson who played it to perfection, slipstreaming and pulling alongside Dunker to record a cosy 7/1000th of a second win at the line from polesitter Cameron Dunker with Hayden Nelson rounding out the podium.

Race Three
In the final race, Dunker would again take the holeshot, but this time 2021 OJC champion Cameron Swain would find himself second with Glenn Nelson in third. After a day of separated pack racing, this final race settled into classic R3 conditions- a long, long train of ten riders all in contention.

Dunker and Glenn Nelson traded places several times and between them created a small gap to Liam Waters in third. With two laps to go, there was still nothing between them. Liam Waters lead for a time while Dunker and others tried to position themselves for the final salvo. Into the last lap and the inevitable R3 shenanigans really kicked off. Dunker found himself down in fourth, but as always, not out of the running. He moved into the lead by the last corner, but was now the hunted.

The ol’ run to the line saw a deserving Liam Waters take the slipstream win by the biggest margin of the day – .050! Second was Cameron Dunker followed by Glenn Nelson to round out the podium. The top ten was made up of Hayden Nelson, Brodie Gawith, Cameron Swain, Taiyo Aksu, Marcus Hamod, Henry Snell and Sam Pezzeta. R3 Cup Full Results.

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Liam Waters – Yamaha YZF-R3

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 188
2 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 178
3 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 158

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
It was an unusually subdued and cautious bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup field that made its way to the start line for their first race of the Sunday. A mist/light rain had descended upon the Wakefield circuit and as the riders gridded up on slick tyres the field, families, fans and officials all looked skyward for answers. Mercifully the track was warm enough to dry the rain before it had a chance to cause carnage. From the get-go, most of the riders rode with care, maturity and the sort of mindfulness that Garry McCoy has been teaching all season.

It was an unusually subdued and cautious bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup field that made its way to the start line for their first race of the Sunday.

The race itself saw Hudson Thompson and Harrison Watts aggressively break away from the rest of the riders who – for a change- were not hunting in packs but were rather in a single file with oddly sensible gaps between them. As the laps wound down, Hudson Thompson seemed to have all he needed in terms of pace to take the win. Watts was close and of course, this being the OJC, being close means you’re still well in the hunt.

The riders chasing Thompson and Watts started to form into a chase group but they did not have enough laps remaining to mount a serious challenge. The stage was set: Thompson v Watts for the win. Then Hudson Thompson made a mistake he will probably never make again, saluting for the win while actually greeting the one-lap-to-go board. Realising his mistake, he put his head down again to chase after Harrison Watts.

Thompson was able to immediately get on terms with Watts, at the line, commentators couldn’t call the win and this time neither rider celebrated. Official timing providers Computime gave the win to Watts by a tiny 2/1000th of a second, with Thompson second and a gap back to Marcus Hamod in third.

After the race, Thompson and Watts were penalised one place each for – in the words of the Clerk of the Course – “…breaching the safety of other competitors”. Elevating Levi Russo into first place.

It would not end there. After the race, Thompson and Watts were penalised one place each for – in the words of the Clerk of the Course – “…breaching the safety of other competitors”. This was a serious situation and as younger riders in a development series, this was a necessary penalty for weaving over the white line while racing down the start-finish straight. This elevated third-placed rider Levi Russo to the race win with Watts and Thompson in second and third respectively.

Race Three
The final race started out in typical manner, but it was Hamod and Rende who joined Thompson at the front as part of a group of six: Thompson, Hamod, Watts, Rende, Russo and Drane. Thompson managed to get out to a .4 second lead and was hoping to remove the drafting option for those following behind.

Watts and Thompson were looking to redeem themselves after getting a penalty in Race Two.

At the halfway point, just four riders remained in contention for the podium and the win: Thompson, Hamod, Watts and Rende. The lead group were mindful of each other as they traded spots, with all four taking a turn at the front.

The final lap beckoned and once again it was 14 (Watts) and 41 (Thompson) at the front as they went into the last corner. And there, a lot happened; Rende made a lunge up the inside for the lead from third, Thompson took the lead from Watts, Watts went back to fourth and Hamod was just happy to be in the hunt in second. There they would finish. Hunter Thompson, Marcus Hamod, Harrison Watts and Cameron Rende in fourth. OJC Full Results here.

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Hudson Thompson – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Levi Russo – Yamaha YZF-R15

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Standings After Round 3 (Full Standings Here)

1 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15 176
2 Hudson Thompson – Yamaha YZF-R15 163
3 Cameron Rende – Yamaha YZF-R15 152

MotoGP: Quartararo Wins Comfortably in Portimão

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PB

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April 27, 2022

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How’s that for a victory? Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo got the hammer down to dominate the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal and taking his first win of the season, nearly five seconds clear by the flag. Quartararo cruised over the finish line in Portimão with a well deserved victory…

In a day to remember for France, Quartararo was joined on the podium by Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) in second, whilst Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro benefitted from late drama involving Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to take third. Quartararo is now leading the Championship although tied with points with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins, who put in arguably the ride of the day by recovering from 23rd on the grid to finish fourth.

Off the line it was Mir with the perfect launch, firing clear of the rest of the grid to take the holeshot and gain some early breathing space. Another strong start came from Quartararo too, who quickly moved through on his compatriot Zarco to take second halfway around the opening lap. Meanwhile, further back, Alex Rins had somehow launched his Suzuki up an incredible 13 places on the first lap to go from 23rd to inside the top ten.

At the front, it didn’t take long for Quartararo to get into his rhythm. The Frenchman was flying and had quickly reduced Mir’s early advantage down to nothing before then, at the start of Lap 4, he made his move on the 2020 World Champion at Turn 1. Mir had no response and Quartararo was leading a race for the first time this year.

Nobody could match the metronomic pace of the reigning World Champion, Quartararo, as he edged further and further into the lead. A new fastest lap and lap record, a 1:39.435, came in on Lap 10, by which point Mir had seemingly been forced to throw in the towel and was starting to instead look over his shoulder in the fight for second. Quartararo would eventually cruise across the line over five seconds clear of second place for his first victory since the British Grand Prix in August of last year and, as a result, he jumps to the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings.

It was much closer in the fight for the final podium places, with Mir defending hard as Zarco applied more and more pressure. The Frenchman took advantage of a tiny error by the Spaniard out of the final corner to power past him down the start-finish straight and take over in second, but the Frenchman ran wide at Turn 1 – allowing Mir to swoop back through. A lap later though Zarco got the job done, again capitalising on a small wheelie from Mir out of the final corner to dive through on the brakes into Turn 1, this time making it stick.

Soon enough, only six laps remained and Miller was now challenging Mir for third. And then came the biggest drama of the race as the Australian pulled alongside the Suzuki man down the start-finish straight and they headed into Turn 1 side-by-side on the brakes… before the front end of Miller’s Ducati let go. He went down and he took an innocent and unsuspecting Mir with him, both riders ok but scoring a painful 0 points each.

That elevated Aleix Espargaro to third as he eyed only the third MotoGP™ rostrum finish for Aprilia, with the number 41 having shown good pace to get into the podium postcode. The Argentina winner closed onto the rear wheel of Zarco on the final lap too, but just couldn’t find a way through. Zarco took second, the thirteenth of his premier class career, and Aleix Espargaro had to settle for third – but one step closer to Aprilia losing out on concessions as their successes continue.

Fourth across the line was arguably the man of the day, however: Rins. A quite incredible performance from the factory Suzuki man saw him come through from 23rd and, in doing so, the number 42 lifted himself to equal on points with Quartararo in the Championship chase. Another strong comeback ride came courtesy of home hero Miguel Oliveira, as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing man clinched a top five to bounce back from two crashes on home soil in 2021.

Behind that, it was Marquez vs Marquez. For the first time in MotoGP we were treated to a 73 vs 93 battle on the final lap of the race, with LCR Castrol Honda’s Alex Marquez holding off older brother Marc quite brilliantly as the laps ticked by. But on the last lap, the gloves came off. The eight-time World Champion squeezed his way through to take sixth place, but it was by just 0.020 ahead of Alex as the number 73 absolutely nailed the final corner and the two crossed the line side by side.

Only half a second back on that duel, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia was gritting his teeth through the pain barrier to salvage eighth place too, thanks to a last lap move on Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro. Bagnaia started dead last, making up a pile of positions on race day despite a painful shoulder injury.

Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales took the final place inside the top ten as the 12-Noale combination continues to gain some traction, with a gap then back to Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP). The veteran held off Mooney VR46’s Luca Marini, with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) next up. Two rookies completed the points as Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) pulled clear of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team).

There were crashes for Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Idemitsu Honda), although the Japanese rider finished. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also crashed out, bringing to an end a run of 18 straight point-scoring finishes. Perhaps most notably, the former World Championship leader, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) tumbled out – but the Italian remains in touch in the standings, only eight points off the top.

From the Algarve to Andalucia, MotoGP now gets back on the road to head for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, can Quartararo get ahead in the championship? It’s only next weekend too, so get ready for more as the Circuito de Jerez-Angeli Nieto welcomes the paddock back once more.

Fabio Quartararo: “Pushing myself to the limit. To be honest, I pushed the same in Austin and Argentina but mainly here our bike feels good, the straight is not so long and we had grip so we could go hammer time! Today I felt amazing from the Warm Up but in the race I made an amazing start. I wanted to be aggressive from the beginning because I knew if I was behind the Ducatis I would struggle so much. I’m super happy because I managed to get that first victory of the season and it’s the most important thing for me, to you know, never give up and it was the most important.”

MotoGP Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – 41’39.611
2 Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +5.409
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +6.068

Moto2
Italtrans Racing Team’s Joe Roberts is a Grand Prix winner! Grabbing a golden opportunity in a red-flagged and dramatic intermediate class encounter at the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, the American bolted nearly three seconds clear in only a seven-lap sprint, taking the first intermediate class win for the USA in 32 years, and the first in any class since 2011. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took second to extend his points lead by a margin after drama for key contenders, with Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) completing the podium.

A first start saw Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) take the holeshot from Aron Canet (FlexBox HP40) before the Spaniard then hit the front, but an isolated rain shower at Turn 2 then caught out eleven riders, including the top six at the time.

The leading trio of Canet, Beaubier and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) were joined in the gravel trap seconds later by Chantra, Arbolino, Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing), Albert Arenas (Autosolar GasGas Aspar), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the sudden shower caused some chaos, with the red flag shown immediately thereafter.

None of the riders involved in the Turn 2 pile-up were able to take part in the 7-lap restart, meaning we had a revised grid of 18 riders: Autosolar GasGas Aspar Team’s Jake Dixon fired from pole position and took the lead on the opening lap, with Roberts starting second, but disaster struck for the Brit at Turn 7 as he slid out.

Roberts then put the pedal to the metal, and the American was absolutely hammering clear. The Californian was three seconds ahead of the fight for second in the blink of an eye, before managing his nerves on the final couple of laps to take a historic win – eleven years on from the last American Grand Prix victory and 32 years on from the last in the intermediate class.

Championship leader Vietti fought his way back into second for a valuable 20 points as key rivals were denied the chance to score, making the most of his slice of fortune as he extended his title lead out to 34 points. The Italian managed to find a way through on Navarro on the penultimate lap, before defending well on the final lap to secure his fourth podium in the opening five races of 2022. Navarro was delighted with third though, a first rostrum visit since Silverstone last year. Strong rides came in from Marcel Schrötter and rookie Manuel Gonzalez (VR46 MasterCamp) to take fourth and fifth.

Fellow rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) ended up sixth after Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) was demoted a place to seventh on the final lap afetr a track limits infringement, and rounding out the top ten were Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Barry Baltus (RW Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team).

Moto2 heads for Jerez next, with a fair few serious contenders looking to bounce back and get some serious points. Who will come out on top in Andalucia? We’ll find out next weekend!

Moto2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) – Kalex – 12’09.757
2 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – +2.818
3 Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +2.991

Moto3
Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) took his second win of the year in the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, first escaping in the lead and then fighting it out in a five-rider battle that went down to the final lap. COTA winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back on the podium in second as he gets into the 2022 groove, and likewise Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) in third as the Japanese rider continues his speed this season.

Polesitter Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) got a great start to take the holeshot, but it was a storming start for Garcia and the number 11 was soon right on the Turk’s tail. Even sooner, he was past and making a gap at the front as Öncü slipped back into the clutches of Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team), Sasaki and Masia.

As the laps ticked on, Guevara was tucked in and hunting down his teammate. A gap of over a second and a half gradually disappeared until, with 12 laps to go, the number 28 GASGAS machine took over at the front, and the troops had arrived alongside too to create a five-rider fight for the win.

Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), meanwhile, was still facing a fight for a bigger points haul. The number 7 faded back to outside the points early on and then had to pick his way back through, up to just outside the top ten with 10 to go. By then, the battle at the front was heating up although the quintet remained over five seconds clear. Masia and Garcia bashed fairings into Turn 1 as both went for the same bit of track, no harm done, but the elbows were out and they remained so.

Onto the last lap, Sasaki was ahead but Garcia nailed the final corner to tuck into the slipstream, shooting past and leading into Turn 1. Masia attacked too and got past Sasaki, then able to start homing in on the number 11 ahead, but it was soon close as ever. By the final corner for the final time, Garcia, Masia, Sasaki, Öncu and Guevara were absolutely glued together, and hammering towards the line each was just able to hang on in that order. No moves were made, but it was a spectacular finish.

That’s a second win for Garcia this season and it puts him into the Championship lead by two points ahead of Foggia, and it was victory in a different style to his perfect pickpocketing in Argentina. Masia takes back to back podiums as he comes home second two weeks on from his COTA win, with Sasaki back on the box once again as his consistency continues in 2022.

Öncü just misses out on the podium once more but showed good speed, with Guevara forced to settle for fifth and the final spot in that fight at the front. The battle behind saw Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) come out on top in P6, with he and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) able to get a little breathing space and turn that into a duel.

Foggia pushed his way through to eighth to do some damage limitation, with Australian rookie Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) taking P9. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) was top debutant for much of the battle and crossed the line nearly alongside Foggia, but the Brazilian was then docked two positions for exceeding track limits and is classified P10.

Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and British rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) were the last of that group in P11, P12 and P13, with Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the points scorers – Fellon despite a late Long Lap Penalty for track limits, and Nepa just pipping front row starter Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia).

That’s a wrap on the rollercoaster for another season – and it’s next stop Jerez with home hero Garcia back on top in the standings. It’s only two points in it though, so can Foggia hit back on enemy turf? We’ll find out next weekend!

Moto3 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 38’17.725
2 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.069
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +0.110

ASBK RD3: Mike Jones takes pole position from Halliday and Maxwell

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April 24, 2022

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Mike Jones has ripped through to take pole at Wakefield Park from Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell under clear skies. The Yamaha teammates Halliday and Jones completed just a handful of laps in the session, while Wayne Train did a full 12 lap run. Report: MA Photos: Optikal

Alpinestars Superbike
It was a very satisfied Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) who parked his bike not long into the timed practice session as he went to P1 with a time just a few thousands of a second off Wayne Maxwell’s (Boost Mobile with K-tech) fastest time from Friday. Not only was he at the top of the table, but he also now knew he had the pace to run with the Ducati Panigale.

While Mike Jones and teammate Cru Halliday (3rd in the session) completed less than six laps between them, Maxwell stayed true to his comments from yesterday and pursued some race -pace via 12 laps of the 2.2km Wakefield Park Raceway, putting in a fast lap to see his name second on the leader board behind Jones.

Michael Jones, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia.

Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) in fourth showed he’s just inching towards his regular podium standard, the only blemish a small crash late in the session. Qualifying two for the top 12 competitors was a frantic and seesawing affair as Jones made a strong statement early and took the top spot. He chipped away, progressively going faster and faster. With teammate Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) also well-involved, the two blue boys were there to spoil the Wayne Maxwell party

Try as he might, Maxwell could not pip the leading pair. Every fast lap he posted was bested by the Yamaha Racing Team lads. Meanwhile, there was another log jam of riders from fourth through eighth with Staring, Waters, Sissis, Herfoss and Allerton all duking it out for a precious better grid position.

Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Cru Halliday, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

At the end of the session, it was Mike Jones (56.673) from Cru Halliday (56.774) and Wayne Maxwell (57.006) Superbike Full Results

Mike Jones: “We closed the gap down to Wayne and now we’re the quickest today. We made a good step forward yesterday with the Yamaha team, we had a really good discussion about what we needed to work on and improve and we were able to come out and do that this morning.
“To do that in the timed practice session was one thing- there’s no real pressure there. But coming into qualifying, there’s a little bit of stress to get the job done, but we managed that.
“It’s been evident that the pole sitter here has not been able to pull away from the other guys. I think that will be the same tomorrow”

Cru Halliday: “I’d seen the pace that Wayne had yesterday and so we went to the softer tyre that everyone else has been using and it came good. We’re in two minds now about which tyre to use in the race. I just need to get decent starts- I’ve been practising them flat out and gone through a couple of clutches.”

Wayne Maxwell: “It’s not ideal, we’re definitely disappointed with this afternoon, so we will go back to what we had yesterday- possibly.
“I’ve got reasonable pace on both of the tyre options. It’s difficult to see what the pace is going to be. I think it will be 3-4 guys together and then maybe the last few laps when it gets hard we’ll see if someone can step up to the front and go from there.
“We have a reasonable package and we’ll be thereabouts…”

Michael Jones, Australian Superbike Championship Qualifying Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Michelin Supersport
Qualifying one in the hotly contested Michelin Supersport category saw Sean Condon inevitably take the top spot ahead of John Lytras and Ty Lynch.While the riders behind have changed and challenged, Condon has been able to just knuckle down each session and find the pace and consistency needed to nail down the fastest lap, on this occasion a 59.300 lap, some .162 ahead of second-placed Lytras.

Sean Condon, Supersport Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Championship leader Olly Simpson took no part in the morning session and seems unlikely to participate any further this weekend after a heavy crash yesterday. In session two Ty Lynch was able to take to top spot by just 9/1000th of a second, but on combined times the front row of the grid would be Condon from Lytras and Lynch.

Sean Condon, Supersport Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

While Condon is on pole, he is not planning on partaking in any other races this season, so the ever-improving John Lytras will look to not only take the race wins, but potentially the lead of the championship as well.

Left to right: Johnny Lytras, Pole Sitter Sean Condon, Ty Lynch, Michelin Supersport Qualifying Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Snapping at their heels are several race-winning-capable riders in Lynch, Nicholson, Bramich, Drane and Skeer. It’s an open race and promises much as we look forward to Sunday’s two races. Supersport Results

Sean Condon, “The bikes were sitting there and two weeks ago my uncle said ‘do you want to go and race Wakefield?’ and I said ‘yes!’
“I don’t really have any expectations- it’s been so many years since I was in this company. I’ve done a handful of ride days.
“I’m just gonna go out there and do my own thing and wherever I finish, I’m happy! I’m just happy to be back on the bike, racing again.”

Dunlop Supersport 300
Cameron Dunker was a little late getting up to pace in qualifying one, but once out, normal business resumed and he ended the session in his familiar P1, but with a dramatically reduced margin to second-placed Glenn Nelson who was just .019 behind Dunker’s R3. Hayden Nelson was third, just .185 behind.

But qualifying two would shake up all but pole potion and by the time the race was set to start, it was Dunker (1:05.137), Nahlous (1:05.382) and Aksu (1:05.522) on the front row of the grid.

Cameron Dunker, Wayne Maxwell, Supersport 300 Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

In race one, while it was expected that Dunker could based on times alone, head off into the distance, Glenn Nelson was able to stay on terms with the polesitter. While Dunker was the man to follow, Nelson showed that in the Dunlop Supersport 300 class, race craft is more important than qualifying and he used every trick in the book to try to get around Dunker, but at the line it was Dunker first by just 5/1000th of a second with a sizeable eight-second gap back to a gaggle of riders: Jacobs, Aksu, Hayden Nelson and Swain. Supersport 300 Results

Left to right: Hayden Nelson, Cameron Dunker, James Jacobs, Supersport 300 Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
In qualifying, it was again Cameron Dunker who put his Yamaha R3 onto the pole with a time of 1:05.070 from Cameron Swain (1:05.695) with Hayden Nelson (1:05.763) rounding out the front row.

Race 1 Winner Cameron Dunker, Michelin Supersport Qualifying Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

With a .6 second gap back to second, it was all about whether Dunker could break the shackles of towing around the other riders. In race one, Dunker tried to slip the chain and head off into the distance. Glenn Nelson and Hayden Nelson grit their teeth and ducked low behind their screens and would not let Dunker get a gap. At the midpoint of the race, the leading trio had ground out a five-second lead to guarantee that they would fill the podium spots, but the exact order was still up for grabs. At the line, Dunker fulfilled his pace and promise by taking the win from Glenn Nelson with Hayden Nelson in third. R3 Cup Results

Oceania Junior Cup
In qualifying one, Hudson Thompson’s seemingly unbeatable form took a hit when Harrison Watts put his R15 a scant .083 ahead. Marcus Hamod was just .158 behind the leader and .076 behind Thompson. It all added up to a must-watch race one.

OJC Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Five riders: Hudson Thompson, Harrison Watts, Marcus Hamod, Cameron Rende and Levi Russo all set sail for the finish line and were not taking passengers. This group were able to stretch their group lead while also fighting non-stop for the lead of the race. Trackside commentators Mark Bracks and Lachlan Mansell could barely keep up as the riders slipstreamed, dived in under brakes and otherwise diced for the lead. It was good, clean racing and it was riveting.

Harrison Watts, bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

While the leading five were duking it out, some five or so seconds back another pack of six riders were similarly locked in combat. This group: Hunter Corney, Alexander Codey, Teerin Fleming, Sam Drane, Ryan Larkin and Bodie Paige also traded the lead of their group and as a result, were not able to get after the leading five.

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Qualifying Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

As the laps ticked over, the leading quintet started to prepare themselves for the all-important track position for the final lap- and corner. As they rolled through the last corner, Harrison Watts was able to position himself perfectly and take the win from Thompson, Rende, Hamod, and Russo. Oceania Junior Cup Results

Sunday’s TV Schedule Tomorrow’s racing action starts tomorrow from 10 am on ASBK.com.au and the ASBK Facebook Page. At 1 pm switch over to SBS streaming, SBS TV and StanSport for the major race action. We will then return to live streaming for the remainder of the day’s action on ASBK.com.au and the ASBK Facebook Page.

Wayne Maxwell, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 23 April, 2022 Photo credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Championship leader John Lytras has slowly but surely risen to the top after an ordinary round one (21 points).

ASBK Rd3 Friday: Maxwell Dominates Wakefield Park Day One

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PitBoard

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April 23, 2022

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Australian Superbike Championship, Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW AustraliaPictured: Wayne Maxwell — Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022 Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto /

While Wakefield Park turned on some early sun, the cloud closed in and made for pleasant, but not hot conditions on the day with the top temperature around 18 degrees. From practice session one, it was Wayne Maxwell who was the man to beat and he built momentum and pace all day to end the day atop the standings.. Report: MA, Photography: Optikal

Wayne Maxwell, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Alpinestars Superbike
Seeing Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) atop the charts- albeit briefly- at his nominally his home event, was a pleasing moment for all assembled as the opening practice session got underway.

While Herfoss was able to stay in the top five, it was Wayne Maxwell (Boost Mobile with K-tech) aboard his Ducati who topped the first session followed by Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) and Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team).

Just three-tenths of a second covered the top three, with the leading pair of Maxwell and Halliday a small, but notable margin ahead of the field.

Cru Halliday, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Glenn Allerton (Maxima Racing Oils) and the aforementioned Troy Herfoss rounded out the top five.

Practice two was a copy of session one with the same top three in Maxwell, Halliday and Jones atop the standings. Local boy Herfoss showed he’s race fit and race-ready by moving up to fourth with DesmoSport Ducati rider Bryan Staring fifth.

Interestingly, where session one was closely fought, in the second practice session, Wayne Maxwell found some more pace in his Ducati and stretched his lead considerably out to an ominously large .439 to sound a Phillip island-like warning to the field: “catch me if you can…”

Session three saw a third repeat of the top three in terms of makeup and order: Maxwell, Halliday and Jones. Maxwell was again able to hold a sizeable advantage of over 3/10ths of a second to hold the pack at bay.

Michael Jones, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Wayne Maxwell, first overall: “I think my one lap speed was quite good, but I think we need to work on our overall pace and improve that a little bit. Hopefully, the weather is a tiny bit better tomorrow and we can come out and have a go at the pole record…”

Cru Halliday, second overall: “It was a strange session that last one- it got colder and I thought times would not improve but they did. I felt better as the sessions went on. The bike felt good, the team are working really well, and I know there’s more time in the bike.”

Mike Jones, third overall: “We were here for a couple of days that were rained out. But in saying that my feeling on the bike is pretty good and we were able to get down to business and make progress in every session.” Superbike Full Results

Supersport
This weekend, Supersport is wide open event insofar as favourites go with former series leader Senna Agius long gone from Australia and former top three racer Tom Edwards in Europe on World Supersport duties. While Olly Simpson holds the championship lead, he would have a mixed day.

It was Queenslander John Lytras aboard a Yamaha who would draw first blood, fastest in the early session from Scott Nicholson (Yamaha) and Sean Condon (Yamaha) – who is stepping in for the World Supersport bound Tom Edwards- in third position.

It was a slower start for current Championship leader Olly Simpson who was down in eighth position and former championship leader Tom Bramich in sixth.

In session two, Sean Condon showed that he was coming to terms with the BikeBiz Yamaha by topping the table by .2 ahead of much-improved Tom Bramich with practice one fast man Lytras in third.

Championship leader Olly Simpson went down near the end of the session, but was up and about and participated in the third practice session of the day.

Session three saw John Lytras again atop the standings, making a substantial gain to bring himself closer to Sean Condon’s fastest time of the day. Ty Lynch was second in the session and third fastest for the day while Sean Condon was third in the session, but still fastest overall thanks to his time in session two. Supersport Results

Cameron Dunker, Supersport 300 Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022
Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Supersport 300
Chamapionship leader Henry Snell opened his Wakefield campaign with a lowly ninth in the first practice while Cameron Dunker – who is currently third in the title chase- capitalised on some slower than expected results from the nominally fast riders by topping the table in practice one.

Second for the session was Hayden Nelson, a worrying .344 behind Dunker and then just .078 back to third-placed Jonathan Nahlous.

Dunker’s early form and pace continued into session two as he was the only rider in the 1:05s while Snell had no answer as he wallowed down in 13th position. Hayden Nelson and Glenn Nelson were second and third.

In session three, Dunker continued to show the field a clean set of heels, now some 1.344 seconds ahead of second-placed Brodie Gawith who in turn was just .075 ahead of Jonathan Nahlous.

In terms of combined times, it was Dunker, Hayden Nelson and Nahlous. Tomorrow the field has serious work to do to reel in Dunker. Supersport 300 Results

R3 Cup
Cameron Dunker showed that his fast form in the all-in 300 class was no fluke by topping the table in practice one for the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup.

It’s a typically closely fought class, so seeing Dunker ahead of second-placed Glenn Nelson by some .326 who was just .082 ahead of Hayden Nelson ought to have given Dunker’s fellow racers plenty to ponder ahead of the rest of the sessions.

The theme continued into practice session two with Dunker ahead of Glenn Nelson and Hayden Nelson. The gap to second was at .326 but only 0.82 back to third.

In session three it was that man Dunker again, although Hayden Nelson was able to keep Dunker in sight, just .557 behind, with Taiyo Aksu who was just .168 behind Nelson.

On combined times it was Dunker, Glenn Nelson and Hayden Nelson making up the top three on the day. R3 Cup Results

Oceania Junior Cup
Series coach Garry McCoy has been slowly but surely turning coal into diamonds as he works on all aspects of the rider’s skillsets in the development series that is the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

In the first session, it was Hudson Thompson up by an unusually high half a second over Marcus Hamod and then an equally unusual .909 back to third-placed Harrison Watts.

While the early sessions aren’t necessarily a true form guide, the early pace from Thompson sounded a warning to the field.

Into session two, it was Thompson again atop the standings, but second place Marcus Hamod found some more pace as he settled into the Wakefield layout. Alexander Codey was third, just .244 from the leader.

With session three starting late in the day when the temperatures had dropped, it was still Hudson Thompson out front, but by an ever-diminishing margin to Marcus Hamod, who was now just .101 behind. There was a more substantial gap of .327 back to third-placed Harrison Watts, and it was clear that the field was slowly coming to grips with the track.

For the day it was Hudson Thompson, Marcus Hamod and Alexander Codey. Oceania Junior Cup Results

Bryan Staring, Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022 Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto

Australian Superbike Championship Wakefield Park, Goulburn, NSW, Australia. 22 April, 2022 Credit: Karl Phillipson / @asbk / @optikalphoto /

Oliveira Leads Awe-inspiring Parade From Portimão

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PB

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April 22, 2022

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A home hero, a KTM, and a parade like no other: ahead of the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, the Algarve proved the perfect back drop for a truly awe-inspiring pre-event as home hero Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led a procession of hundreds of bikes from the centre of Portimão to the circuit.

The home hero rides his KTM from the town centre to the circuit, flanked by a veritable army of fans.

The event began in the town by the waterfront, with fans gathering for a glimpse of their hero as Oliveira took to the stage, with Mayor of Portimão Isilda Gomes and circuit CEO Paulo Pinheiro also in attendance. After talking to the fans and revealing a special helmet design too, Oliveira then went down to the crowd, signed some autographs, and took more than a few selfies. Then it was time to get suited and booted for the ride to the track – for both rider and fans.

Riding alongside and following a MotoGP™ rider – who is riding a MotoGP™ bike – is a truly unique opportunity, and an awe-inspiring number of bikers weren’t about to pass that up. Once Oliveira’s RC16 was warmed up and ready to go, the procession took off from the town and the hundreds of bikes slotted in behind as the parade snaked its way up towards the track. With the journey taking more than half an hour, there was more than enough time for the fans to soak in the experience… and the experience was still far from over.

This time, the track wasn’t simply a destination. It awaited with another unique opportunity: a lap of the venue, with a MotoGP™ rider on a MotoGP™ bike. Thundering through the gates and up towards the paddock, the parade headed from the road onto the circuit for a lap of the iconic rollercoaster, with Oliveira remaining front and centre.

Miguel Oliveira: “We had a good comparison last year with fans and without, and for sure this season we wanted to also to make something special, a pre-event and it had to involve the fans. It was a great opportunity, the last time I rode a MotoGP machine on the street was in August after my win in Spielberg, so now we got the chance to ride it again and it’s quite special – this time even more because they can follow me, and it’s really cool.”

That moment when you check your mirrors and see the majority of the country... — That moment when you check your mirrors and see the majority of the country…

“I think everyone who loves motorcycles and riding… I mean, if I put myself in their shoes I wouldn’t miss this chance! It’s a huge opportunity to ride, see these bikes close up, which are amazing and quite unique. I wouldn’t want to miss it! It’s a great day. My expectations for the weekend is to enjoy the weekend and get a good result, haha. Being in Portugal gives me an extra boost and motivation that whatever happened before doesn’t really matter, it’s all about enjoying the weekend and doing the best we can.”

It looks like a lot, but the more accurate number was more like (lot + n)² in which n = lots.

MotoGP™ is its own orchestra when the revs go up and the lights go out every Sunday, but the grid full of fans gave even the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship a run for its money on sheer energy and noise. If Portugal’s love of MotoGP™ and Miguel Oliveira needed an introduction, in 2022 it got one in serious style. And now it’s time for the rest of the grid to line up alongside the home hero and take on the former winner on familiar turf, so make sure to tune in for the 2022 Portuguese on Sunday at 13:00 (GMT +1).

DesmoSport Ducati Descends on Wakefield Park Raceway

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PB

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April 22, 2022

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It was a battle of the Ducati's as Staring and Maxwell went head to head all weekend.

With two 20-lap races set for this Sunday, DesmoSport Ducati’s Bryan Staring is confident of another strong performance on the 2.2km Wakefield Park circuit. Two hours south-west of Sydney, the Goulburn racetrack never fails to provide close racing in all ASBK classes…

Team co-owner, Ben Henry: “Wakefield Park is short lap compared to some tracks we go to, but it’s a really challenging track all the same. We need to give Bryan a bike that will handle the bumps but also manage heavy braking and acceleration, especially out of the last corner to create a fast lap.”

“We’ve had one day at the circuit with Bryan on the Panigale V4 R in testing and we line up against riders like (Troy) Herfoss who have done an incredible amount of laps here, so it will be a challenge but we have a great team of people here in DesmoSport Ducati and I’m confident we can challenge for race wins. Although we did get that day of testing in, we’ll start Friday with the bike setup as it was from Queensland Raceway and take appropriate steps in Friday testing to finetune the Panigale V4 R.”

"I actually love coming to Goulburn. It's a great town and a really friendly community, especially towards motorcycle and bicycle riders." said Staring. — “I actually love coming to Goulburn. It’s a great town and a really friendly community, especially towards motorcycle and bicycle riders.” said Staring.

Bryan Staring: “I actually love coming to Goulburn. It’s a great town and a really friendly community, especially towards motorcycle and bicycle riders, so it’s great to get back there this weekend. It’s going to be challenging, but then every race weekend this year is challenging because of the competition and the limited time I’ve had on the Ducati at each track. I think it’s pretty obvious looking at my results and lap times this year that I feel really good on the Panigale V4 R and I’m happy in the environment Ben and Troy have built within the team. We just need to keep our heads down, make good decisions and I’m confident that I will be where I need to be come Sunday afternoon.”

Team co-owner, Troy Bayliss: “The team’s doing a great job to get Bryan up to speed on the bike and even though he’s showing good speed it takes time to learn just how far you can push the Panigale V4 R at each track. So, I think we’ll keep seeing progression in the way he rides and how Ben and Byron set up the bike to suit and Bryan will only get stronger as the season goes on. Talking to the guys, there’s definitely some quiet confidence and Oli and I will be watching in between sessions here in Assen this weekend.”

MotoGP 22: The Official MotoGP Game Is Available Now!

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PB

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April 22, 2022

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Milestone and Dorna Sports S.L. say they are proud to announce that MotoGP 22, the newest chapter of the celebrated two-wheel racing simulation game, is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Dorna say that MotoGP 22 enriches the heritage of the videogame franchise and the sport itself, adding a one-of-a-kind game mode. The NINE Season 2009 is a fascinating way to re-live one of the most incredible seasons in MotoGP history. A nostalgic and emotional docu-film narrated by Mark Neale, director of a number of MotoGP documentaries, includes more than 50 minutes of original footage from the 2009 Season that are mixed with real gameplay, creating a totally immersive motor simulation experience.

Players will find themselves in the boots of legendary riders such as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, facing different breath-taking challenges to be able to replicate historic moments. NINE Season 2009 replicates all 17 Grands Prix of the season, divided into chapters with over 39 challenges in total.

The new edition of the official MotoGP videogame offers exclusive features both for newcomers and hardcore fans of two-wheeled racing.

The 2022 edition also adds new dedicated features for both newcomers and core gamers: the enhanced Tutorial and the MotoGP™ Academy. Thanks to these two new tailor-made modes players have the chance to master their knowledge of two wheels or learn the basics to start their escalation to the pro-level.

The Tutorial features a series of dedicated gameplay sessions, helping newcomers to understand the basics of the game through specific challenges focused on electronics, tyre consumption, brake temperature and core differences between the three main categories. The MotoGP Academy teaches you how to improve your riding style to be unbeatable on every track, uncovering the secrets to every corner and challenge on the calendar.

The graphics looking stunning. We had to take a double take to make sure it really was an in-game photo.

Additionally, the Riding Analysis System helps riders through in-game pop-up messages that appear at the end of the race suggesting how to adjust the difficulty level based on skills and performances. The game may recommend activating some aides or suggest playing specific tutorials designed to fill gaps in terms of gameplay knowledge.

The Managerial Career is back and allows players to decide whether to create a new team or join a real one. The game mode also features the possibility to go in-depth into the details of strategy, using development points and allocating R&D staff to reach the top, along with working on Bike Development through enhancing aspects such as the Engine, Frame, Aerodynamics and Electronics. The path can also start from the bottom, creating a Junior Team in the Moto2 or Moto3 categories, selecting a sponsor and hiring a Team Manager, Technical Director and at least one rider.

MotoGP 22 achieves realism never seen before. A true next-generation experience that reduces the boundaries between videogame and reality. A level of realism never seen before: new face animations, improved 3D characters and pits.

Ride Height Device: players will be able to manually manage the locking mechanism of the RHD and control the compression of the bike’s suspension
Enhanced tracks: surfaces have been improved to have better rideability
Improved Suspension system: refined for a better feeling when passing over curbs
Tyre deformation: more realistic tyre behavior makes the experience even closer to reality

For the first time ever in the series, MotoGP 22 features the highly anticipated 2-player local split-screen, online multiplayer and cross-play through consoles of the same family.

MotoGP™22 is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5**, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S**, Nintendo Switch and Steam. *Split-screen and online multiplayer not supported on Nintendo Switch **Free upgrade and Smart Delivery are supported.

MotoGP Front Runners Join The Pre-event Press Conference In Portugal

By

PB

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April 22, 2022

0

The paddock is back in Europe and it’s first stop Portugal as the Algarve plays host. The Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal got underway on Thursday with the pre-event Press Conference, with Championship leader Enea Bastianini joined by fellow COTA podium finishers Alex Rins and Jack Miller, as well as Marc Marquez and home hero Miguel Oliveira.

Bastianini is back on top as the paddock arrives in Europe! Riders ready and set for the rollercoaster.

Question: How are you feeling and what are your expectations for the weekend as title leader?

Enea Bastianini: “My feeling is fantastic. Here at this track I won the 2020 Moto2 title but also I’m the leader of the Championship for the moment. It’s only been four races, but it’s been really nice for me, the team and everybody, it’s fantastic. Now we have to reset, the European races are different. The levels of the bikes and riders are very close, and it will be really difficult to stay out front, but we are really motivated and can’t wait to start the weekend.”

Q: What about the possibility of a wet race on the GP21?

EB23: “The conditions will be strange this weekend. There will be a lot of win and the possibility of rain. In Indonesia we made a good step in the race in the wet conditions. Also, Pecco was really fast here and I can check his data to see something but I want to start this weekend from zero and after we will see what happens.”

Rins heads in fresh from his P2 at COTA and a 500th podium for Suzuki!

Q: Do you have a good feeling after Austin, and hitting 500 podiums for Suzuki?

Alex Rins: “As you say Suzuki made history in Austin with 500 podiums. I’m so happy to be part of that. Since 2017 when I joined the team we’ve worked hard to achieve big things so now we’re in great shape. We finished 2nd in Austin but we’ve done many great weekends. Let’s see this weekend, the weather could be tricky. Friday and Saturday we might have rain and wind. We’re in good shape so let’s see where we end up.”

Q: What about the future?

AR42: “We haven’t started talking yet. The good thing and the thing that keeps me calm is that already Livio and the Japanese guys have told me that they want to continue so I’m calm. I can ride in a better way because of that. My manager will start talking in the next races about an extension.”

Miller from his P3 putting bad luck to bed. Hopefully he continues along a path of good results for the rest of the season.

Q: There are some potentially good races coming up for you, what’s the importance of building momentum?

Jack Miller: “Yeah that’s the plan at this point in time. It’s nice to come into the European season let’s say with the ball rolling a little bit. Bumpy start as it generally is for me and the Championship but like you say, got the ball rolling now we’ve got some good tracks coming up. Starting to really gel with my bike, understanding it more and more every weekend. You know what we need to do, where we need to work on that kind of thing but all in all just happy, going through the motions trying to do the same thing we did in Austin which was just put together a solid weekend and I think that gives you the confidence. It brings you the confidence for Sunday’s race you know, we ran out of steam a little bit there but it was definitely a building block on what we need to do for the races coming forward.”

On the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve:

JM43: “It’s so different to any other track we got on the calendar that makes it nice you know, we gotta negotiate the hill, the elevation, you’ve got corners off camber, on camber. It throws a bit of everything at you so it’s definitely a refreshing track to ride after you know, a lot of the tracks nowadays are built very similar, so it’s kind of nice to go to something that’s completely left field. We’ve had a pretty good record around here so yeah hopefully we can find you know the speed that we had this time last year and well not this time, the one at the end of the year, so we’ll will try to find that and yeah build a solid weekend. As the boys said the Championship sort of really starts kicking off here and starts heating up now so hopefully we’ll be in the forefront.”

Marquez may not have won at COTA, but he made some headlines with a stunning comeback!

Q: Are any problems now solved heading into Portugal?

Marc Marquez: “Yeah of course Austin was a good weekend. The target was to find confidence and we did it. We approached the weekend in a good way and did a solid weekend. It’s true I always want more, to finish in sixth position, the comeback was very good but we were looking for something more. Yeah we had a technical issue at the start, and it’s something that can happen with a new bike and the most important thing is Honda found the problem and resolved it for the future. It’s important and it’s time to think of this weekend and to continue our progression.”

Q: Now with the new bike and fit again, what are your expectations?

MM93: “It was a nice comeback one year ago here in Portimão after the long injury. It hasn’t been an easy year with ups and downs and some injuries but anyways we are in Portimão to compete. It’s true that inside our box we don’t have a lot of reference because I competed only one time and it was half and half. The last GP here, Alex and Pol were quite fast. We need to understand with this new bike if we can continue the same way we did in Austin, it’s time to reconfirm here in Portimão. The best thing is to approach the weekend without expectation and just try to understand, try to feel the bike and after Warm Up we will understand where we are.”

Home hero really does mean home hero: Oliveira is ready for another special weekend on familiar turf, and with a special helmet design.

On a more up and down start to the season:

Miguel Oliveira: “The start wasn’t what we wanted because we wanted to be inside the top ten and close to the top five. We come here and being a home GP we can reset the mind and everything. My motivation is high. We want to find the speed we had in the past and try be competitive here in Portugal again.”

And it was a warm welcome with the pre-event parade proving a huge hit:

MO88: “I think it was around 700 bikes. Maybe more! Every year there’s something going on, so this year we managed to get KTM involved and bring the MotoGP bike to the street. Every time you take the bike out of its natural environment it’s amazing. A privilege to be involved and to be surrounded by this great support. Let’s hope I can give something back.” he finished.

WorldSBK Heads To Assen For 30th Anniversary Battle This Weekend!

By

PB

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April 22, 2022

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World Superbikes heads to the “Cathedral of Speed” Assen in The Netherlands this weekend (April 22-24) for round two of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Check out how all the teams are going heading into Rd2…

Assen celebrates its 30th anniversary battle for WorldSBK, with Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista leading the championship after two Sunday wins at round one at Aragon, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea sitting second on the points table and heading to Assen with the possibility of scoring his 100th victory for the marque, and world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu in third. News also this week that Dutchman Michael van der Mark (BMWO is back on the bike for his home round after a season delay due to injury, and that Leon Haslam will race for the Pedercini Kawasaki squad for the Assen round.

Race times (all times Australian Eastern Standard Time)

WorldSBK Saturday 10pm-21 laps Sunday 7pm-10 laps and 10pm-21 laps
WorldSSP Saturday 11.15pm-18 laps Sunday 8.30pm-18 laps

It’d been 1022 days between Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) spells at the top of the championship but after just three races back with the Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Spaniard is already leading the standings.

Australia’s Oliver Bayliss will compete in World Supersport and is hoping to bank his first points on the Barni Ducati Panigale V2 with two 18 lap races on his round two agenda.

Bautista’s double on Sunday at Aragon sees him come to a circuit where he was unbeatable in 2019 too, when he romped to a double, winning the opening 11 races of the season. However, as seen at Aragon, it’s a lot closer now; can he fend off Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who won all three races in 2021? His teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, took a podium in 2021 at Assen and had a solid first round; can he challenge for victory this time?

In the green corner, Jonathan Rea took the opening honours of the 2022 season with race one victory in a thrilling final corner battle with Bautista. After the duo’s closest fight for victory, Rea now comes to a circuit that he’s become synonymous with. An unprecedented 15 wins – on both Honda and Kawasaki – mean that he’s the favourite. Two more victories at Assen this weekend for the six-time world champ, will create history and a milestone moment for Rea with a record 100 career wins for Kawasaki.

Tyre choice was crucial in 2021 and Rea did his homework to take his most recent triple in WorldSBK; he’s three points behind Bautista. On the other side of the garage, Alex Lowes’ season started with a crash and whilst yet to get a podium for Kawasaki at Assen or in 2022, his first one in WorldSBK came at Assen in 2014; will he deliver?

Third in the standings after Aragon, reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had a solid first round, with Yamaha making a visible step at a circuit they’ve historically struggled at. However, despite the gains, Toprak confirmed that they’d reverted back to the old electronics package for Aragon and hinted at a complete return to the 2021-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 for Assen. The Dutch venue is one of just three venues on the calendar that Toprak hasn’t won at – the others are Aragon and Barcelona. In 2021, third in race one and the Superpole Race were the highlights before he was skittled at turn one by fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Teammate Andrea Locatelli has fantastic Assen memories, taking a first WorldSBK podium in 2021 after leading a race for the first time; can he go a step further?

It was a very positive opening round for Team HRC and their rookie line-up of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. The Spaniards lie fifth and sixth in the Championship and thus make it two Honda riders inside the top six. Both Lecuona and Vierge hope to consolidate their pace at a circuit they’ve not tested at; Lecuona found a breakthrough in braking at Aragon but with Assen being more about flow and corner speed, could their bike be a natural contender? Neither rider has performed particularly well in the MotoGP™ paddock days at Assen, but with a new challenge can come a reset; expect both Hondas to feature.

Where to start with BMW? On one hand, it looks like they’ve made gains as they had plenty of top ten success through the Aragon weekend, albeit not the top five they achieved in tricky conditions last year. However, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a difficult time, something he said was “hard to accept”, struggling all round and managing a 15th in race one as his sole point-scoring ride. He’ll hope to fair better and break into the top ten as he continues his adaptation to an inline four engine configuration. Home-hero Michael van der Mark returns, the Dutchman kicking off his season at Assen after missing round one due to injury. He’s had podiums for Honda and Yamaha in past years and two top six finishes in 2021, so we will see where the BMW takes him.

The top Independent battle rages on and Frenchman Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) is in control; he gave BMW their best result of 2022 with seventh in race two at Aragon. Teammate Eugene Laverty took a top ten at Aragon and aims to make gains at Assen, however, it’s a familiar battle splitting the BMWs: Garrett Gerloff vs Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Gerloff showed great promise in Free Practice at Aragon but faded in the races and now comes back to the scene of his controversial collision with Toprak in race two last year.

For Bassani, he was the opposite of Gerloff last time out; not featuring in practice but coming good in the races, with seventh in the Superpole Race before a tenth top-six finish of his WorldSBK career in race two, taking sixth. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is next up in 14th overall, returning to the track where he suffered a big crash in 2021.

Last year it was Rea and Razgatlioglu battling for the top spot at Assen. Will we see a repeat this year?

Vying to crack the top ten for the first time, Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) took two 13th places in his WorldSBK debut weekend and goes to Assen, where he took two WorldSSP podiums in 2021. Then, Sammarinese rookie Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team), who came from 18th on the grid at Aragon to 12th in Race 1 for debut points. He took a top five at Assen last year in WorldSSP. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was a surprise at Aragon and took points, whilst fellow Yamaha rider Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) struggled, not scoring points and crashing in Race 2.

Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha), Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), teammate Hafizh Syahrin and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) aiming for first points and the news of “Pocket Rocket” Leon Haslam returning to Pedercini after the departure of Loris Cresson. (TPR Team Pedercini Racing). Despite being scheduled to make a wildcard debut, reigning British champion Tarran Mackenzie has been ruled out after a preseason testing injury.

Round Preview: ASBK Heads To Wakefield Park This Weekend!

By

PB

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April 22, 2022

0

Heading to Wakefield this weekend and MA say they have next to no idea who is going to “take things by the scruff of the neck”. When ASBK speak of “Championship” they nominally talk about the Superbike Championship, but frankly, MA could be talking about any of the championships racing under the ASBK Banner! Press Release: Motorcycling Australia.

With practice and qualifying for some categories underway today, make sure you grab your tickets now and head down to check out all the racing action this weekend at Wakefield Park. You can grab your tickets now here! $25 for Saturday, $35 for Sunday and Kids aged 0-16 get in for free! Head here for all the spectator info.

Outstanding work in Queensland has Mike Jones at the top of the class and while there is plenty of racing to come!

So, with Australian schools having finished term one just ahead of Easter, MA have offered a [weird – Ed] school report by way of an event preview…

Superbike
Mike Jones continues to be a star student and despite moving schools over the summer, he seems to be able to get down to work and up to speed quickly. Outstanding work in Queensland has him at the top of the class and while there is plenty of racing to come, MA say they see no reason he can’t continue to remain the potential dux of 2022 thanks to his work ethic and talent. MA rating 8.5/10

Phillip Island saw Bryan Staring display that he can be the best in the class and that despite some unforced absences last few years, when he has all he needs, he can star. Round Two brought things heavily into focus, and perhaps showed that copying Wayne Maxwell’s work from Round One was less than ideal with a 16th and 2nd creating just a fraction of confusion and doubt about Bryan in 2022. MA rating 7.5/10

Like former team-mate Bryan Staring, Josh Waters had been somewhat absent in recent years, but thankfully never lost his desire to race and win. Landing a late enrolment at the Maxima Oils squad might have been his best option, but the timing has not proved an issue. He has put his signature strong work ethic and positive energy towards making things work, and work they have. If someone said “Josh will be third in the championship after round two” we’d all agree that would be a fantastic outcome. MA rating 8/10

Always worth listening to in class, Wayne Maxwell was typically expansive on why he’s in the class of ’22. “I like being challenged, if I’m not being challenged, I can’t really see the point”. The expression “be careful what you wish for” applies here. You want a challenge? Yeah, you got one fella. A mathematical challenge. Twenty-two points down with a maximum of 250 odd points available for rest of the season. Plenty of work to do. MA rating 6/10

The thing about bad luck is that it can’t last forever. As Douglas Adams said in The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”- ‘Don’t Panic.’ Illness at Round One followed by an engine issue at Round Two has made Glenn Allerton’s results look worse than they ought. When he’s right to go, then he’ll be right up there again. Needs to respond with excellent results for the rest of the season. MA rating 6.5/10

Cru Halliday, a Phillip Island specialist, qualified second on his YZF-R1M. — Cru Halliday has been looking promising this year. He will be heading into this round looking to score maximum points.

Earlier this year, ASBK threw down the challenge to Arthur Sissis; go from a top ten adjacent student to a contender. He might have taken that on board. Round two saw a 7th and 4th and now up to 6th in the championship. The understanding that effort is a talent multiplier is paying off. So, after just two rounds, ASBK get to ask again; can he take it up to the top 5… the top 3? Get busy young man. MA rating 7.5/10

At the start of the season, MA say they had a feeling that “Cru Halliday could be the boy most likely” to challenge Wayne Maxwell for the dux of ‘22 and he just ground out the best result possible at Phillip Island when the #1 plated Ducati just seemed to have skipped a year ahead. Very solid podium results at Round One went sideways at Queensland with 5th and a DNF. This was a disappointing low points haul, and he knew it. With his teammate atop the podium and taking the maximum 51 points, it burned a little. MA rating 6.5/10

A solid start to the season at Round One was cruelled by absenteeism at the early part of Round Two and that has seen Daniel Falzon 8th in the title chase when it was all looking a lot more promising. With the calendar shenanigans out of the way, a supportive and quality team around him, he’s still well in the hunt for podiums and a solid season result. MA rating 7/10

You can’t keep a good man down forever, but apparently, you can for Round One and you can try to do it at Round Two. Round One was one we’d all rather forget for the red bike of Troy Herfoss. Just 18 points in the bank and more worryingly a sense of helplessness and confusion. The normally all-pro, all-the-time Penrite Honda outfit were ticking the wrong boxes on the multiple-choice questions. Commentators and pundits alike rightly talked Troy up, but there was plenty of evidence that a return to the top was not happening any time soon. Round Two showed signs- positive ones. Sixth in race one was a solid pass mark. As he returns to his roots in Goulburn, there’s promise in the air. Let’s see. MA rating 5/10

Ant will be looking to climb the championship roster a bit more this round as he settles down on the Yamaha YZF-R1M in 2022. — Ant will be looking to climb the championship roster a bit more this round as he settles down on the Yamaha YZF-R1M.

ASBK’s famed mature-age student has just been off on an excursion to Europe and as we head to Wakefield, one cannot say with any authority what we will get from the ludicrously talented lucky Ant West. The blunt instrument that is Westy’s style was in full effect when asked about the team’s prospects. While they were working hard, they seemed to be working on all the wrong subjects and the bike went slower at every opportunity.

But MA say they have faith. As Anthony Doerr says in All the Light We Cannot See, “A real diamond is never perfect.” Or- perhaps more prophetically- “A weed is but an unloved flower.” ― Ella Wilcox MA rating 5/10

With the top runners in Supersport 600 seeming to pack all their stuff up and race in Europe, the championship is open to anyone at this point!

Supersport 600
The number one thing in the Supersport class of 2022 has not been a rider; it’s confusion. From Round One winner Senna Agius promptly leaving the country for overseas learning in 2022 to the exclusion of nominal Round Two winner Tom Edwards- who is now also off to Europe for some WSSP experience, MA say they’re left to ponder- what the…?

After Round One, Tom Bramich was the nominal series leader in the absence of Senna Agius. He took this news on board and promptly DNF’d race one but recovered with a fourth in race two. Lytras, Nicholson, Lynch and Drane all showed signs that they were interested and capable of solid results, but it would be the baby-faced assassin Olly Simpson who would depart Queensland Raceway with the apparently heavy burden of Championship leadership. ?/10 MA say they have no idea what’s going on there.

Henry Snell emerged from the smoking ashes with the Championship leadership after some riders were found cheating.

Dunlop Supersport 300
After some unruly machines were suspended from the class of ’22 at Round One, the pundits threw their papers and plans in the air like confetti. It would be Henry Snell who would emerge from the smoking ashes with the Championship leadership. Round Two would be a challenge for him, with just fourth for the round, but enough to hang on to the lead. Nelson, Dunker and Jacobs are all rightly regarded as likely contenders for the rest of the year, and the Wakefield circuit will be very interesting with the usual tight racing likely to happen – yet again. MA rating 8/10 for the whole field.

Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
Some familiar names from the 300 class reappear in the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, though in a different order. In this class, Glenn Nelson has been fast- and critically- consistently attending the podium. Dunker might have shaded him at Queensland Raceway, but Nelson leads the series by some 12 points.

In this class, Glenn Nelson has been fast- and critically- consistently attending the podium.

Snell, Hayden Nelson, Russo, Aksu, Simpson et al can all contend for wins, but even a glance at the maths shows that they can’t afford to let Glenn Nelson just saunter off with the title without a fight. MA rating 7/10 “see me after class for some remedial maths lessons.”

Oceania Junior Cup
Predicting the OJC results is like predicting the landing site of an errant satellite- either way, it’s going to end in a mess. Garry McCoy is the rider coach/teacher and has had his work cut out for him from the get-go as the red mist has descended upon this junior category from time to time and while you can’t always get passive kids to fire up, it’s also hard getting fired up kids to calm down.

But consistency of message and methodology will surely pay off and after some stern parent-teacher interviews, all looks good for the remainder of the season. Harrison Watts leads at present by 12 points from Cameron Rende and Hudson Thompson. Ahead of points and series leaders, what one really wants to see in the junior class is progression- and not just in terms of lap times.

For the class of ’22 to graduate to the next class, McCoy really wants to see progression in all things; maturity, attitude, understanding, listening and then see what results that brings on track. Garry McCoy MA rating 10/10, the class… a bit less. For now.

2022 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW 22 – 24 April 
Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin NT 17 – 19 June  * With Supercars – SBK Only 
Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick QLD 5 – 7 August 
Round 6 Symmons Plains Raceway – Launceston TAS 20 – 23 October 
Round 7 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes VIC  – 18-20 November 
Round 8 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend SA 2 – 4 December 
ASBK Night of Champions Dinner – The Bend 4 December

ASBK Sunday: Jones Triumphs Wakefield Park

MotoGP: Quartararo Wins Comfortably in Portimão

ASBK RD3: Mike Jones takes pole position from Halliday and Maxwell

ASBK Rd3 Friday: Maxwell Dominates Wakefield Park Day One

Oliveira Leads Awe-inspiring Parade From Portimão

DesmoSport Ducati Descends on Wakefield Park Raceway

MotoGP 22: The Official MotoGP Game Is Available Now!

MotoGP Front Runners Join The Pre-event Press Conference In Portugal

WorldSBK Heads To Assen For 30th Anniversary Battle This Weekend!

Round Preview: ASBK Heads To Wakefield Park This Weekend!

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