Hidden Valley was something new for the Taxi’s in 1998. When the bikes were slotted into the programme for 1999 as one of our 2+4 events with the Touring Cars it sounded pretty cool, with this really long straight and obviously for me, a chance to have a look at Darwin for the first time… Words: Andrew Pitt.
Hidden Valley in Darwin, NT is one of the most challenging little circuits in the country…
I only ever went up there once to race and that was with Doyley and the Team Kawasaki Australia boys. Robbie Phillis and young Pete went ahead about a week earlier. The stories of that road trip from Pete about life in a truck with Phillis for a week, is in itself entirely for another issue. I suppose it was just about the equivalent of today’s flyaway races in the world championship. It was probably our only really hot summer type race as the Aussie Championship is run through the winter months.
Flying up on the Wednesday and checking into a nice resort style holiday spot made you feel like you were away on a summer holiday somewhere with a few trips out to the racetrack thrown in. I do remember flying in over the coastline and beaches and seeing a few big old crocs soaking up the sun on the water’s edge. That was definitely somewhat of a surprise.
You can expect it to be bloody hot at the track. Temperatures will often exceed 40 degrees Celsius in summer…
I learnt another pretty valuable lesson in punctuality up north in 1999 and that was when Peter Doyle says the team car leaves the hotel at 0800 then that is exactly when it leaves. I strolled down into reception about 0805 with everyone sat in the car waiting for me and Doyley simply said this is your one chance and the next time you’ll be getting a taxi. Scott Breedin explained to me that Marty Craggill had been left at the hotel a few times the year before and therefore had to get himself a taxi to the circuit. It had the desired effect because I was never late again.
Onto the circuit now. I found it probably due to lack of use but more likely having all the cars running around on it always made the 2+4 events a bit greasy. With the front straight at Darwin 1.2km long it gave you a nice little rest but also meant it allowed Craig Connell and Stevo Martin on the factory Ducatis to really stretch their legs. I had everything possible tucked in trying to stay in the slipstream especially of Craig. We were tapped out in sixth on the approach to turn 1.
Turn one.
Turn 01 Back down through the gearbox to 2nd and there was plenty to be made up on the brakes here because it is very much a double apex turn a bit like the Southern Loop at Phillip Island but you could really get sucked in here if you tried to go up the inside of someone and risk completely missing the turn. My old mate Krusty Fergusson found that out off the start of race two when he thought he could come from 5th or 6th and out brake everyone but unfortunately instead of just running off the track or running wide he used me to stop and took us both out. Krusty came away unscathed as he mostly did but I had a broken wrist to take home with me.
Anyway the first apex was on the way in while still trail braking and letting it drift out to about the middle of the track before pulling it back to apex again on the way out then letting it run out to almost the outside kerb while grabbing 3rd and 4th in pretty quick succession all the time trying to pull the bike to the left to get the next series of corners linked together right.
Turn Two.
Turn Three.
Turn Four.
Turn Four exit.
Turn 02/03/04 This is all taken in 4th for me on the ZX-7R and the end part very close to the limiter where the power goes a little flat just so the bike wasn’t still accelerating through the 3 and 4 flick from right to left before grabbing the brakes and shifting quickly back to 3rd for the right handed turn 5. This all needed to be done very smoothly because braking and down shifting while changing direction quickly can get messy if you don’t keep everything together including my movements on the bike.
Turn Five entry.
Turn Five.
Turn 05 This was a pretty basic and simple corner as long as you got it setup right on the way in. I tended to run it in a little fast sometimes because my bike was a little lazy in 3rd on the way out so I was always trying to roll through it a bit quicker. During the final qualifying on Saturday I remember it had gotten really hot and the circuit had started to melt and come apart and oil had been dropped on this corner that was then covered in cement dust. So if you slithered through the cement dust OK you were then presented with some potholes and lifting black stuff at turn 6. On the out lap though of final qualifying I didn’t make it past the cement dust losing the front on the way through.
The camber on Turn Five.
Turn Six.
Turn 06 Having been able to pick my bike up out of the infield of turn 5 I rode it back to get it checked over only to come straight back out in a rush and get one turn further and crash at turn 6 on the melting rutty part of the circuit. This time running back or getting a lift I don’t remember to the pit lane dreading the look on the boys faces when I wanted the spare bike. Flat and slippery and back to 1st or 2nd depending on the bike you were on. A Supersport bike would be in second whereas I took it in 1st so I didn’t need to carry as much corner speed and I could pick it up on the exit and jump out of the turn short shifting up to 3rd for the next fast right turn 7.
Turn Seven entry.
Turn Seven.
Turn 07 This was a turn you needed to sacrifice just a little on the entry to make sure you got it back for the right hand apex and got a really good exit for the next few fast corners all linked together. If you rushed at turn 7 a little fast tipping in early or simply were too wide on the exit of 6 the exit was terrible even if you managed to not run too wide.
Turn Eight.
Turn Nine.
Turn 08 and 09 Turn 7 and 8 were almost like one big double apex turn with a constant lean angle and constant throttle from the exit of turn 7 while shifting up to 4th just as you almost touch the inside kerb through turn 8. Still flat out in 4th while flick it left on the run down to turn 10 in the middle of the track.
Turn 10 You could enter here about the middle of the track not bothering to pull it back to the right too far for the entry in really run it in fast after back shifting down to 3rd. Let it drift out a little then picking up the throttle and aiming for the apex of turn 11.
Turn 10 & 11 esses.
Turn 12.
Turn 11/12/13 These three are really just points to aim for while flick it from one side to the other on the throttle. The sections like this and also exiting turn 1 are linked corners where the bike needs to really steer well on the throttle and to get this you will need some good support from the rear of the bike. You definitely don’t want it being a chopper through these sections. After hitting your turn 11 apex it was a flick right for turn 12 apex and then right again to hit the turn 13 apex before letting it run out to the edge of the track while you set yourself for turn 14 and the exit onto the all important 1.2km start finish straight.
Turn 14 Just as you are grabbing the brakes and down shifting to 2nd while passing the turn 13 apex you should only be thinking about setting yourself up for the perfect exit onto the straight to finish the lap.
Just as you are grabbing the brakes and down shifting to 2nd while passing the turn 13 apex you should only be thinking about setting yourself up for the perfect exit onto the straight to finish the lap.
I got myself caught out in a painful way being a little over eager getting on the throttle as early as possible by hanging a highside without actually crashing. The rear stepped out and I was flicked up over the top but still hanging onto the bars I can back down on the tank with my head through the screen and both legs falling on one side. I had nutted myself and luckily the pit lane starts just after the exit because that was the direction I was going in. I managed to stay on board and dribble down pit lane to the boys that grabbed the bike while I fell into a heap in pit lane. After a few minutes I got my shit together and went back out for another go. This time though, I tried to picked it up a little more and ride it like a Superbike instead of the Supersport bike.
So that was how I rode around Hidden Valley and to be honest it wasn’t one of my best weekends result wise having an almost crash on Friday and two crashes on Saturday, a 4th in race one and my third crash on Sunday in race two courtesy of Krusty. I headed back to Sydney with a broken wrist for my troubles but the silver lining was I also had the lap record from race one that was to stand for more than 10 years, mainly to do with the fact they didn’t go back there to race until recently!
Racing against the world’s best riders at the Isle of Man was once a rite of passage for Australian riders with dreams of making a name for themselves on the world stage. Up until 1976 the Tourist Trophy was a round of the world championship, so the vast majority of riders competing in the world championship had to ride there, whether they wanted to or not.
The TT has always had an aura about it, a sense of danger, of unforgiveness, but also a lure of adventure.
The TT has always had an aura about it, a sense of danger, of unforgiveness, but also a lure of adventure. Where once there was a well-trodden path to the TT by Aussie riders, this dwindled somewhat after the 1980s, and it was only sporadically that Australian riders in the last 30 years would venture to that island in the Irish Sea to take on the Mountain Course. Riders like Cameron Donald, David Johnson, Josh Brookes, and Alex Pickett. These four riders have all tasted success at the Isle of Man, but as they will tell you, it doesn’t come easy, cheaply or without scars, some physical, but almost always emotionally too.
I caught up with Alex Pickett and his father Chris (who’s also raced at the Isle of Man) to find out how a young bloke, barely 18, found his way to the starting grid on Mona’s Isle, the road racing Mecca of the world.
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Alex:“I was conditioned to the TT at an early age. My dad loved it and always dreamt of racing there but the reality of a young family and living on the other side of the world meant he never had the finances to actually make that dream happen. He consoled himself with buying TT videos and DVDs through the years and we would watch these together. Dad loved his racing but was really only a club racer, mainly on classic bikes.
Alex and his Dad were huge fans of the Isle Of Man TT. It was only time before they were out lapping the island.
“In 2006 our family went to Europe for the first time and of course we had to go to the TT. We could only get accommodation for practice week so we missed out on race week. The first rider I saw come through on the first night of practice was Martin Finnegan on a CBR1000RR. Dad and I were sitting on the hedge at the end of Cronky-Voddy straight and we could hear him before we saw him, the engine on the limiter for ages. He popped into view and then leapt over the drop in the road, standing on the footpegs, his eyes like dinner plates. We were that close it was outrageous. That has burned into my memory, and I think from that point on I had this idea of one day racing at the Isle of Man. I was 12 years old.”
Stu: It’s one thing to have big dreams at the age of 12 but how did it progress from there?
Chris: “Alex started road racing when he was 13, and the timing was right for him to start in the very first season of the MRRDA Cup in Australia, where all riders had to be 13 and over, and under 16, the age where they become a ‘Senior’ Motorcycling Australia licence holder. You bought a Honda CBR150 and modifications were very limited. Quite a number of well- known riders came from that series, like Mike Jones, Josh Hook and Matt Walters just to name a few. These three are still top-level riders now, with Hook the reigning World Endurance champ, and Jones and Walters both Australian champs and still racing in ASBK.
After his first trip to the Isle of Man, Alex knew he wanted to go down the race path and his Dad promptly start making plans for him to race when they got home.
“Alex raced in that series for three years but never really set the world on fire. He was a good rider but probably not aggressive enough to take the risks those other riders would. We had a lot of fun though, but also some stress. We had a line of credit on our home loan and in the first two years of Alex racing we didn’t pay anything off our home loan. If there was a race meeting or practice day, we were there. I’m sure many racing parents can sympathise with what I’m saying.”
“When Alex turned 16 we decided to get a bigger bike for him, and after a conversation with Terry O’Neill, we decided he would race in the Formula Xtreme Pro Twins class on a Triumph Daytona 675. He ended up winning two national championships on that bike but it was time to go a 1000cc machine. We bought Matt Walters’ spare Kawasaki ZX-10R, and Alex was racing that in Formula Xtreme at the age of 17. It was a lot of bike for a 17-year-old but he quickly rose to B grade and won races on that bike, and never crashed it by the way. It was a thankful progression from his CBR150 days when it often seemed he was more off the bike than on it. I got quite good at fibreglass repairs.”
“Then one night at the dinner table he tells us he was going to race at the TT. His mum went from zero to 100 in an instant, and even though outwardly I supported her view of no way in hell is this happening, inside I was going ‘Yeah’. Regardless of what we said he was adamant, the short of it was we decided to help him rather than see him do it on his own.”
Alex’ Kawasaki wasn’t eligible for the Manx GP, so they sold it and opted for a Ducati 848…
Stu: So, can you just enter the TT and rock up like you would an Australian race meeting?
Alex:“Unless you are a very well-known racer you cannot simply enter the TT for the first time. What happens is the organisers won’t accept your entry, they will guide you to the Manx Grand Prix first. The Manx GP is held a couple of months later, right near the end of the UK’s summer, but it’s still run on the full TT course. Race classes are somewhat different, with only up to 750cc three and four-cylinder machines, and 1000cc twins allowed to race in the Senior Manx GP for example. This is to keep speeds down for riders new to the Mountain Course, so they are not overwhelmed trying to qualify for a TT against professional racers.
“My current model ZX-10R wasn’t eligible so we had to come up with another bike. Dad raced a Ducati for years so he’s always had a thing for them. This seemed like a good idea, so we sold the ZX-10R and bought a statutory written off Ducati 848 with less than 10,000 kilometres on it. Little did we know at the time that Ducatis aren’t exactly the most popular bike at the TT. Sure, Mike Hailwood won in 1978 and Tony Rutter won also on a TT2 Ducati but in modern times not many riders opted for an Italian V-twin at the TT. We were later told that less than 50% of Ducatis that started a TT finished the TT. And that doesn’t count the ones that failed to proceed in practice week.”
“We also had to find out what was required for me to have my entry accepted, how we were going to get my bike there, the cost and so on. We actually started the planning nearly 18 months earlier, dad and I even going over to the Manx GP in 2012 to see what was what.”
“Unless you are a very well-known racer you cannot simply enter the TT for the first time.”
Chris: “In 2012 Alex and I borrowed a couple of BMWs, picking them up in London and riding to the Isle of Man on a fact-finding mission and to see if this was something we really wanted to do as a family. This was a harrowing experience in itself. Alex was on his learner’s permit for bikes and wasn’t much more than 16. Through London I spent more time looking in my mirrors to see what he was doing. That was a tad stressful. Everything went well, we rode up to the north of England to visit an old mate, and then on to the Isle of Man where we stayed with Dave Milligan from Get Routed. Dave really looked after us and we had a blast tearing up the island roads. We even got off the island intact, only to have Alex crash into me somewhere south of Liverpool, sending bits of bike down the road. Somehow, we both stayed on and returned the bikes, with some scratches and broken bits. The best bit of advice we got from anyone about tackling the mountain course was from former racing great, Mick Grant. In a chance conversation he said to us that our bikes had to handle well and be reliable. This was something I wouldn’t forget.“
“We came home and the work started. Initially the plan was for only Alex to ride, but then I thought if we are all going, I might as well send a bike for myself as well, as 2013 was going to be the first Classic TT, held in conjunction with the Manx GP. All the big-name TT riders would be there competing in the Classic TT, and so was some 47-year-old wobbler from Australia. The fact I didn’t actually have a classic race bike suitable for the TT course didn’t pop straight to mind. I’d sort that later but first I contacted the separate Classic TT and Manx GP organisers to see what we had to do. Before you get a start, you have to apply for a Mountain Course Licence, part of which is you proving you’ve finished six individual race meetings in the previous 12 months. That means actually finishing a race on six separate days. Then there’s insurance, machine freight, flights, spares and so on.”
“As I was the editor of Cycle Torque Magazine at the time, I was publishing stories of the journey along the way. It was through this that Shaun Sutcliffe from D Moto Motorcycle Engineering in Sydney approached me at Eastern Creek at a ride day. I knew Shaun from his days working for the Australian Ducati importer, NF Importers, and his experience with Ducati machinery went back many years before the NF Importer years. He offered to build a bike in case my planned Honda VF1000F race bike didn’t make the grade in time. He offered to build me a ‘spare’ Ducati 851 but as soon as he offered, that was it, my mind was made up at least. That’s the bike I was going to ride, not my VF1000. He knew we had the 848 as well so the whole team at D Moto got on board.”
“Prior to heading over to the IOM, dad had accused me of not taking learning the course as serious as I should have. Turns out I knew more about the course than he did.” said Alex
“It was at this stage that a few racers I knew, and some I didn’t, heard about what we were doing and wanted to live their dream as well. The next thing you knew we had an Aussie team going over, with the Isle of Man government offering to pay for the freight of our bikes and gear to and from the island.”
Chris:“I was the liaison between all the Australian riders and the IOM TT organisers. I was spending more time doing stuff for our trip than I was putting out Cycle Torque Magazine, and then in some fit of madness I suggested Cycle Torque make a video of our trip. The magazine was getting into the digital side of publishing and I thought it would be a good idea. Of course, I had no idea of what it would cost, how long it would take or the impact it would have on our trip. Shaun and George Tamine at D Moto were sorting the bikes but they had their own business to run and I only got to ride the 851 Ducati once about two weeks before it was to be crated up and sent to the other side of the globe. This wasn’t a couple of weeks before we were to head off, it was a couple of months.”
“I was seemingly flat out organising everything and trying to come up with the cash to pay for stuff. Shaun was coming as our mechanic so I had five air fares to pay, plus accommodation, hire car and so on. Being in the game (so to speak) I was able to get a number of parts and tyres donated to the cause. This saved us at least a few grand but I still had to sell a beautiful Norton Commando 750 I owned to get the necessary cash to make it happen.”
Prep for both bikes were well and truly underway, with money quickly leaving Chris’ bank account…
“We had quite a throng of people going with us. With friends, family and guys doing the video stuff, there were going to be 14 of us staying at the same cottage. That didn’t include the other racers and their friends/family from Australia. It was a massive relief meeting up with all the Aussie racers at the docks in Sydney as we handed over our crated-up bikes. There had been a lot of time and money invested in this project so it was good to see the bikes gone.”
Alex:“It was funny getting our bikes down to the cargo terminal in Sydney. My old Rodeo tray back ute was severely overloaded with the two crates, which hung over the sides and the back of the tray. Somehow they both stayed on as the little Rodeo dragged its arse all the way down the freeway from Newcastle. It was nearly show time. We couldn’t do anything more other than get ourselves to the IOM, and do a couple more race meetings to get the numbers up for a Mountain Course Licence.”
“This was harder than we thought though, as our main race bikes were on a boat. I borrowed Stuart’s first year model Fireblade Pre Modern race bike to get my races needed at a classic meeting, and at the same meeting dad raced his 500/4 Honda around on three cylinders to finish the last race he needed, after it dropped a valve seat on the first lap. He knew there would be carnage inside the engine but there would be no other chances to get that last race in with the valve seat destroying the piston and head. That decision cost him around three grand to fix the old Honda’s engine.”
Chris:“Our group was the first to arrive so we unpacked the container and set up in the marquee sorted by the TT organisers. We did laps of the course in our hire car, hung out and did some sight-seeing in the four or five days before we had to sign on. This also gave us the time to make sure the two bikes were prepared to go, essentially just going over what we had already done in Australia.”
Chris decided he wanted to ride with his son, one Ducati soon became two as he entered the classic TT.
Alex:“Prior to heading over to the IOM, dad had accused me of not taking learning the course as serious as I should have. Turns out I knew more about the course than he did. That shut him up a bit. We both did our guided lap with a TT or Manx GP regular. That was fantastic fun, but before we knew it, we were lining up for first practice.”
Alex:“I took to the circuit pretty easily but on my second lap of practice I ran out of fuel up on the mountain. The old fella didn’t fill it to the brim and I found myself spluttering to a halt in the freezing weather near the very top of Snaefell. I was sitting there shivering when I saw the old fella thunder past on his 851.”
Chris: “I was having a ball around the 80-85mp/h pace but when I got back all the team were asking me where Alex was. I knew he started before me and I hadn’t seen his bike on the circuit. Of course you think the worse. Up in the timing box they said he’d got back, which we knew wasn’t the case. Everyone was in a flat spin and finally he turns up in a car telling us what happened, abusing me for my lack of fuelling prowess. Turns out his transponder went flat and that’s why timing had him back in the pits. Once the bike was picked up it was all good and we were ready for the next day. That’s when my 851 started to play up, with the ECU giving us all sorts of dramas. Of course, we didn’t have a spare but we were able to borrow one off a guy in the paddock, the one off his road bike. That saved me really.”
“I was by far the fastest ’Newcomer’ and was 7th fastest overall of any bike. People were gobsmacked, including me.” – Alex
Alex: “The first couple of days I got faster and faster but I nearly came to grief on the third night’s practice. I was travelling flat out on my Ducati 848 up to Ballegary. They call this corner Ballascary, and that’s where Guy Martin had his massive crash in 2010, seen in the film TT3D – Closer To The Edge. Anyway, I was revving the 848 for all it was worth, riding into the evening sun when suddenly I’m riding between a couple of bikes that had just crashed. Because of the sun I didn’t see them until I was going through them. It was pure luck I didn’t hit one of them or their riders, who were still lying on the track. Luckily they were not badly hurt. That third night went really well for me, and I did a 114.8mp/h lap. I was by far the fastest ’Newcomer’ and was 7th fastest overall of any bike. People were gobsmacked, including me.”
Chris:“It quickly went through the pits that this young bloke from Australia, on a Ducati of all things, had posted such a fast time. People didn’t believe it, whispering the time must be wrong. Of course he backed that up the next night and so on. And to do it on a Ducati was almost unheard of at the TT/Manx GP. By this stage though, we realised the 848 tank couldn’t do two laps at Alex’s pace. If it was a steel tank we could have blown it with compressed air, or even enlarged it by welding in sections, but it was composite and we were too scared to try anything as we didn’t have a spare.”
Race Day Chris: “My race was a four lapper, which meant one pit stop. I headed off and rode by myself for some time. On the second lap I could see I was catching a bike up on the mountain. I was getting into the groove, and we both came into the pits together for fuel. The guy was on a 1985 GSX-R 750 Suzuki. I’d caught him on the road so that meant I was 10 seconds up on him. No one had come past me at this stage, so I was up on time from the rider behind me. My mate ‘Tangles’ was the fuel man and he did a perfect job, with him, Shaun and Alex getting me out as quick as possible. I followed the GSX-R out of the pits and he pulled away from there until I couldn’t see him. Turns out he was a Manx GP regular and knew the track better than I. But then, once again I’d catch him on the mountain. On our last flying lap we went through the same process of him pulling away and me catching him.”
It was time to hit the track, racing against other riders on the TT for the first time!
“At one stage Michael Dunlop came past me on a Suzuki XR69 and he just sprinted off into the distance. Once again I caught old mate on the mountain and coming down from Kate’s Cottage I wheel stood past him as we heading down to the Creg Ny Baa Hotel. As I’m braking for all I was worth the GSX-R rider came under me out of control. This got me fired up so as we went flat out down towards Hillbery where I saw redline in top on the tacho, and through to Signpost corner where I shoved it up the inside of the GSX-R and promptly ran up the grass bank. Luckily I stayed on and was right behind him in the next left hander. Old mate was on a mission and he ran up the gutter nearly throwing himself down the road, barely a mile from the finish.”
“Common sense prevailed and I hung back, shadowing him across the line, remembering I was 9-10 seconds up on him anyway. I was mentally stuffed, barely able to hold a conversation, but physically I was okay after around 1.5 hours of racing. I wanted to do a 100mp/h lap but I ended up doing a 99mp/h lap. At 47-years-old, I can tell you it was bloody difficult.”
Alex:“My first race was a couple of days later than dad’s. Even though I was fastest Newcomer I still had to start in 25th position on the road in the Newcomer’s Race. I had four laps to do but instead of one pitstop like everyone else, I had to pit every lap, three in total. I didn’t realise how much that would affect my frame of mind. It pissed me off but also fired me up too. I was in second or third after the first lap, with me slowing down to pit. The 848 was running sweet and handling pretty good. After each stop I’d be back down the leaderboard, and then I’d pass bikes that should have been behind me. In the last pit stop I remember being really angry and throwing my water bottle back into the pits. On that last lap I gave it all I had and ended up 8th outright, not bad considering I’d spent an extra couple of minutes in the pits than all the other riders. If we’d used the 20 litre alloy tank off a Ducati 1098S we would have been right, but we just didn’t have the IOM experience to know this. Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”
“Taking away the extra pit stops I believe I would have won or at least been on the podium.”
Chris:“Alex was also entered in the Senior Manx GP where he was in the top 10 qualifiers but come race day it was pissing down. The race was postponed a few times but eventually the organisers cancelled the race, the first time the Senior Manx GP had ever been cancelled in its 90 plus year history. I was happy actually. I didn’t want to see Alex race in these conditions even though we were prepared with wet tyres etc.”
“Then it was all over, just like that. We had to pack all our stuff up, make sure everyone’s bikes had been re-crated and put back in the container for the trip home. It was a real up and down time for our group. Some had good races, some crashed out with minor injuries, some didn’t qualify and some didn’t even complete one lap due to machine issues.”
Alex: “It was a bit of an anti-climax really, nearly a couple of year’s effort for it to all be over in such a hurry. I went back to normal life, work, chasing girls, partying, racing, but I knew I wanted to go back to the Isle of Man. I had experienced something that’s hard to explain. I was living life to its full and I’d had a taste of something special. I already had a ride for the next year’s TT in the wings and was working on that. To be honest, if I hadn’t done so well in the first year, I probably wouldn’t have gone back but this offer of a ride for a proper team was the carrot to go back.”
Next episode we ask Alex and Chris about their experiences at the TT proper, racing against riders like Guy Martin, Cameron Donald and John McGuinness.
Words: Stuart Woodberry Photos: Chris Pickett, Chris Smith, Steve Babb, Peter Farragher
Once a racer always a racer, as they say. For myself, riding the latest bikes for a job is a dream career, however, as good as showroom street bikes are, they never quite hit the mark of a well set up track bike or come close to the precision or agility of a purpose built racer, so I’m always hanging for my next racer fix, particularly now I have stopped racing.
This rare gem is the only Pierobon X60R in Australia, we got a chance to ride it on the limit…
Riding a real racebike is always a good reminder of how great a motorcycle can be and all true racers have one thing in common – lightweight and good geometry. One bike high on my bucket list to test has always been the Pierobon X60R, a super lightweight, compact, GP-style racer with a grunty Ducati Evo motor thrown in.
The X60R has been around for a while, closer to a decade than not and to be honest I never thought I’d see one in Australia. When I built my Aprilia RSX550 F3 BEARS racer, on which I won a championship and set some lap records, I dreamed of owning a Pierobon X60R. That would have made life that much easier and given me a chance to run with the big guys… I at least wanted a spin on one…
“One bike high on my bucket list to test has always been the Pierobon X60R, a super lightweight, compact, GP-style racer with a grunty Ducati Evo motor thrown in.”
Years passed, my Aprilia went, and I forgot about the X60R… Until Simon Galloway, the multiple Australian FX Pro Twins Champion, started to race one here for the Australian Pierobon importer, Evo Racing, who brought the first Pierobon X60R into Australia and promptly began to set lap records, win races and ultimately the FX F3 Championship with Simon at the handlebars. He also set lap records at Phillip Island, Lakeside and SMSP on the bike, as well as winning three out of four races in the Vic Titles. Not a bad effort at all…
“The Pierobon is such a sweet bike to ride,” says Simon, “It’s so different, a real challenge to get the best out of it and run with the more powerful F1 bikes. It is so raceable, I can carve through the field on the bike, taking advantage of the nimble nature of the bike and the broad, flat torque curve. It’s as though it has built in traction control.
Simon Galloway has had a very successful time racing the X60R, winning an FX Pro Twins F3 title and many races.
“Top speed is just 235km/h, however, at Phillip Island it is just fantastic to ride, the flowing nature really suits the bike. The engine is like a Merlin plane motor, it just pulls from bottom to top and plays a sweet tune. We have worked hard on set-up and got it right for me now. I would usually have it even steeper than it is as you ride it but the ‘bars need more meat to clamp to on the top of the forks. Overall I love riding it, I am going to miss it this year as I just had an ACL reconstruction, but hopefully I will ride it again at some point…” He fnished.
“Top speed is just 235km/h, however, at Phillip Island it is just fantastic to ride, the flowing nature really suits the bike.”
When Evo Racing owner Nick Byrne offered me a ride on the bike at the end of the season, I really didn’t have to think twice. As quickly as I could, I lined up some time at our proving ground, the ultimate place to test such an amazing bike.
The Farm was used as a proving ground for the Pierobon….
Long straights combined with tight twisty turns. The Farm was the perfect location for the X60R.
The test was a special one for me, being an F3 class bike, a true racer and a rare machine. Those are the things that really get me excited about motorcycling and a special bike like this deserves a thorough test on the best strip of tarmac in Australia, if not the world…
I rode the bike exactly as it came from the Lakeside round, which is good as Lakeside is similar in flow and speed to our proving ground, only a lot shorter. I was also glad to ride the bike as ridden by Simon, who happens to be an old friend of mine from when I was a 17-year-old screaming around on my TZR250 up the Old Road.
Finally, it was time to throw a leg over the modern day F3 racer with a heart of gold!
Simon was in my riding group and was one of the fastest guys up there, who thrilled us all of a Sunday doing all-gear wheelies along Peats Ridge straights on his 1993 Fireblade… He is a naturally fast, very talented rider and a polite, quietly spoken person off track but a fierce competitor when the visor comes down.
THE EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R Nick Byrne has a bit of a sickness for Euro bikes particularly of the Italian origin. Pierobon is one of the most unique, rare and sought-after of the Italians and as the Australian dealer for Pierobon, it made sense that Nick build an X60R to get the brand out there in Australia and to put some trophies in the cabinet.
Where else in the world would you want to ride this dream machine? The Ducati heart is perfect for grunt out of the slow turns at The Farm.
As Nick says, “The idea of putting an ancient two-valve engine in a cutting edge chassis and maybe beating four-valve twins was too good to resist. And don’t forget that stunning two-valve sound…”
The kit used is a 2017 X60R frame number 077. It cost around the 25k mark and includes the 6.3kg 7020 alloy frame and hand made 21-piece swingarm, weighing just 3.6kg, a stunning 3.48kg handmade brushed alloy tank, featherweight front and rear alloy sub-frames, stunning carbon-fibre bodywork, stylish racing seat, adjustable billet CNC alloy triple-clamps, adjustable rearsets, everything except the engine, suspension, electrics, wheels and exhaust, which are left to the owner to choose.
The kit used is a 2017 X60R frame number 077.
Adjustable rearsets.
Stylish race seat.
The bodywork is Pierobon X60R fibreglass kit with carbon-fibre tail
The frame kit can be either made for a Supersport, Hypermotard or Sportclassic donor engine/airbox, this one was built using the Hypermotard as a donor engine.
The engine was up-spec’d to produce 115RWHP (standard is 98hp). The cylinder-heads were ported, flowed and 47mm (IN) / 41mm (EX) valves fitted. Camshafts were replaced with Kaema items, pistons with high-comp Pistal slugs, conrods with Pankl Ti units and the crankshaft, which spins in stock cases, was lightened and balanced.
The engine was up-spec’d to produce 115RWHP.
Custom Termignoni exhaust system.
Comp is bumped to 12.5:1, the gearbox is Hypermotard sans top gear set, which is from a 999, and the clutch is an EVR CTS slipper unit with sintered plates and Brembo control. Fuelling is by stock throttle-bodies and PCV, ignition standard and exhaust the ultra-trick Pierobon Termignoni. Sean at D-Moto built the engine, while tuning was taken care of by Mark Carlsson from Serco in Brisbane. A reverse quickshifter is fitted as well. There is no TC or any rider aids.
Nick says the bike went together easily, like a grown-ups Meccano set… “The bike was built in a month or so. The kit is really well thought-out with only a handful of tricks, parts or shortcuts to learn before it is ready for testing. Keeping the rear-cylinders cool is always a challenge, hence the double-coolers and carbon side-scoops”.r, Woodcraft ‘bars, Ohlins FGRT203 43mm forks running 9.0kg springs, an Ohlins DU235 shock with 8.5kg spring and the 7020 box-section swingarm with progressive cantilever.
Nick, who happens to be an Andreani trained suspension expert, went with an Ohlins setup.
Each end rolls on trick Magnesium Marchesini wheels wearing Pirelli slicks and braking is partly adopted from the Panigale, with Brembo M50 radial-mount calipers up front squeezing MetalGear rotors via Brembo Z04 pads and a Brembo RCS radial-pull master-cylinder. The rear rotor is by Braking, with a small Brembo caliper and master-cylinder. Fluid is delivered by Hel brake lines.
The bodywork is Pierobon X60R fibreglass kit with carbon-fibre tail, along with the seat unit and the tank as mentioned is the stunning brushed alloy handmade kit one. I have to admit, it is one stunning racebike and I have actually enlarged one of our high-res shots and printed it for my shed wall!
Ohlins forks and Marchesini wheels. The Panigale brakes are off the planet on this light bike!
Pirelli SC2 slicks.
THE RIDE – EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R F3 class bikes are some of my favourites, if they are proper racers or custom made hybrids. My RSX550 hybrid (RS250 chassis, SXV550 engine) was a beast and the Pierobon X60R takes that type of bike to the next level thanks to the bigger engine and super-trick chassis. I knew the ride would be good, particularly given Galloway’s results and the experience from the team at Evo Racing.
We took the bike to our proving ground, as mentioned, as it has a perfect mix of fast and tight, flowing and sharp corners and a long enough chute for the 1100 to stretch its legs. After a quick look over and a run down from Nick, which as he pointed out, there was nothing too fancy to worry about, I hopped on the tall, narrow X60R and immediately feel the raceful purpose of this Italian thoroughbred.
Jeff says the racer in you comes out very quickly once on board the X60R.
The racer in me comes back immediately and I start to feel butterflies in my stomach as the loud Termi booms crack after crack of high comp piston and big cammy large valve combustion explosions. It sounds as mega as it looks and feels a tad intimidating initially.
The racer in me comes back and I start to feel butterflies as the loud Termi booms crack after crack of high comp piston and large valve combustion explosions.
I pull in the firm Brembo controlled dry clutch, pop it up to first with a thud and roll out onto the tarmac, short-shifting my way into my out lap… I reckon that the torque is monster and flatter than the Simpson Desert. Definitely no need for traction control, it’s built into the engine delivery…
The brakes on the X60R are completely nuts! Jeff nearly went over the ‘bar the first time he grabbed them.
Nick has warned me that the brakes are, in his words, ‘retina detaching’ and I take heed of his warning, as the first time I use them, as I brake hard into a left hairpin, I almost go straight over the clip-ons, landing on the edge of the tank and that was one finger. Jesus it has big anchors…
I spew a little in my mouth, re-focus and then start to get in a groove. Just as I start getting a little cocky, I almost lose it again as I brake into a left-hand downhill off-camber blind entry. The bike is deceivingly quick thanks to the flat power and those brakes got me again, this time with the rear of the bike about a foot in the air (it’s OK Nick, you couldn’t see this happening)…
Clip-on handlebars.
Domino grips.
The Pierobon was telling me to calm down and give it some respect and a bit of space. I was already trying to grab it by the ‘bars and lead it around my way but this is not the right way to ride this bike. I soon settle into a rhythm, slow down to speed up and before I know it I’m in the zone and truly appreciating this motorcycle.
The engine is so sweet and throttle pickup is spot on once we remove the noise-limiting bung from the muffler. Whether cracked from low or high rpm on run-in, it picks up and doesn’t unsettle the bike at all. Also, the monster torque is delivered in such a way that is forgiving on the balance of the bike and on me, the rider, as I’m not even getting tired.
Fast corner entry on the X60R means it is a thrilling ride. The bike acts as if it’s connected to a hidden rail.
Shift is hit and miss, while the ignition kill of the quickshifter too broad, making for clunky progress on the way up the gearbox, so at some points of each lap I am shifting old style. I don’t notice the gear ratio changes that have been done but do find the gearing and the gear ratios right through to top to be really nice and the engine just keeps pulling.
On the way down, I’m becoming addicted to the sound of the bike blipping down the ‘box and I’m grinning each lap I enter the esses. It sounds awesome. Engine braking, for my liking, is a little overly engaged and I experience some speed hindering rear wheel hop into turns, no doubt due to my extra weight on the front of the bike and the way I am seated being a lot taller than Simon.
“The X60R is extremely nimble and easy through the challenging esses at our proving ground.” said Jeff.
As the forks go through their stroke, my weight is shifting forward and lifting the back. Too many up-sized KFC meals I’m afraid… One of the rare A-Grade racers with a double-chin and proud of it!
“On the way down, I’m becoming addicted to the sound of the bike blipping down the ‘box and I’m grinning each lap I enter the esses.”
Back to the brakes. I’ve figured out by now that if I raced this bike I would crash on lap one, the moment I got into a battle and lost a bit of my smooth style. Simon is a calm type of person. I’m a hyper mental case.
Brushed metal tank to clinch your knees against and hold on for dear life.
LCD dash.
Aggressive foot positioning.
No street parts left on here.
We grab brake levers differently so for this test, I am just taking a calming breath and ‘easing’ the lever in a bit earlier than normal, being careful as to not smash the forks through the ground with reckless grabbing at the lever. It works and honestly the stopping power is up there with the Cagiva 500 I rode. It’s sh*t scary… I love rear brakes and I’d usually be doing my best to burn these pads up on the Pierobon, however, with the engine braking I’ve hardly touched the rear lever.
Handling is absolutely sublime, a large step above most current production bikes, with lightweight agility, high-end Ohlins, magnesium wheels and lots of sticky Pirelli on the tarmac it is a match made in heaven when all tied together with the sweet Pierobon frame and swingarm.
Handling is off the charts.
The Pierobon triple-clamps, billet alloy headstock and swingarm pivot points, box-section alloy Pierobon swingarm all contribute to an amazing ride.
I’m not privy to Evo Racing’s geometry setup on the bike but it’s purposeful and racey. Initial turn-in is fast, accurate and effortless on or off the brakes, fall-in is predictable and neutral enough given the layout of the bike and once on its side, line holding is superb.
When pushing at full lean through the esses, the front did want to push, or be driven wide, by the rear but it is predictable and there is plenty of confident feedback through the ‘bars and shape of the tank. The rear of the bike hooks up amazingly and is controlled and also inspires confidence, with loads of grip from the fat rear Pirelli slick.
“As I pulled up after my test I felt honoured to have had the opportunity to ride a Pierobon, particularly the X60R.”
As I pulled up after my test I was grinning and felt honoured to have had the opportunity to ride a Pierobon, particularly the X60R. For a bike chassis that is close to 20-years young now, it sure does perform well. The big factories haven’t caught up yet… What a ride, it’d be the ultimate track day tool. As soon as I got home, I picked the scab off a cold tinnie and reflected on a test that is a definite highlight for me.
ABOUT PIEROBON
Pierobon is an Italian chassis manufacturer that has been supplying components at elite level since 1952. As well as box equipment Pierobon specialise in frame kits, bodywork, fuel tanks, triple-clamps and swingarms and just about any racing solution required, working closely with and supplying to MotoGP and WorldSBK teams.
EVO RACING PIEROBON X60R SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Evo (2010 – 2013), 98 x 71.5mm bore x stroke, 1078cc, 12.5:1 compression ratio, Pistal high-comp pistons, Pankl Titanium conrods, lightened and balanced crankshaft, Kaemna camshafts, 47mm (IN) and 41mm (EX) valves, Kaemna ported and flowed cylinder-heads, standard crankcases, 1198 oil cooler with additional Earls 13-row upper cooler with oil supplied to heads via cam covers, standard ignition, Power Commander V tuned by Serco on 98 PULP, 996 bellmouths, MWR filter, custom Termignoni exhaust system, stock Hypermotard gearbox with lower top gear, race pattern with reverse quickshifter, 15/39 gearing as tested, EVR CTS slipper clutch with sintered plates, Brembo RCS slave / master-cylinder.
CHASSIS:2017 Pierobon X60R frame, Pierobon triple-clamps, billet alloy headstock and swingarm pivot points, box-section alloy Pierobon swingarm, Ohlins DU235 shock with progressive cantilever and 8.5kg spring, Ohlins FGRT203 43mm forks, 9.0kg springs, 150mm oil height, standard internals, Brembo M50 front calipers, MetalGear rotors, Brembo Z04 brake pads, Brembo RCS master-cylinder, Hel brake lines, Braking rear rotor, Brembo caliper and master-cylinder, Marchesini Magnesium wheels – 17 x 3.5in (f) and 17 x 5.5in (r), Pirelli SC2 slicks, Woodcraft 57mm handlebars, Pierobon fairing kit in fibreglass, carbon-fibre tail, handmade aluminium fuel tank, Pierobon seat.
PERFORMANCE: 115whp, 136kg dry, over 235km/h top speed.
Less than seven days after last Sunday’s Portuguese GP in Portimão, the Ducati Lenovo Team is preparing to return to action this weekend for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Spanish GP. Check out the round preview from the team below…
The Ducati Lenovo Team arrives at Jerez de la Frontera for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoGP season.
The event will once again be hosted at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, which last year saw the Italian team score an extraordinary one-two finish with Jack Miller on the top step of the podium and Pecco Bagnaia second. The Australian rider scored his first win of the year on that occasion, turning a difficult start to the season around. After a DNF at Portimão, Miller is determined to repeat his 2021 performance at Jerez.
Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo, who is currently 38 points ahead. After the first five rounds of the season, Bagnaia finds himself in tenth place, tied on points with Miller in ninth.
Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th (31 points) “I’m happy to be back on track this weekend and to be able to put the Portimão crash behind me. Racing in Spain is always special because the Spanish fans are very passionate and make the atmosphere unique. Jerez is a track that I like and where I have great memories after winning last year, my first on a Ducati, which came after a crash in the Portuguese GP. It would be nice to come back and win again this year. I’ll try to give my best to get the best possible result”.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th (31 points) “After the crash in qualifying in Portugal, these days off were crucial to rest and recover my strength. Despite the pain and the fact that we couldn’t ride much on slick tyres, we were fast in the race on Sunday, and we were able to achieve the objective we had set ourselves. This shows that we are working well and that race after race, my feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to improve. Now we arrive at Jerez, where we finished on the podium last year, to finally be among the protagonists of the weekend”.
Ducati, which has eight podiums, including two wins at Jerez, remains in first place in the manufacturers’ standings with a 36-point advantage over KTM in second.
2021 Results
Podium: 1st Miller (Ducati); 2nd Bagnaia (Ducati), 3rd Morbidelli (Yamaha)
Pole Position: Quartararo (Yamaha) 1:36.775 (164,5 km/h)
After a good few months to recharge, the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will soon be back in action. The classic Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto is the venue as the class of 2022 get ready to race, with a new era about to begin: the bikes have lost 15kg, Q1-Q2 qualifying starts, and there are two races every single weekend.
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosts the season opener for the MotoE World Cup, with the stage set for a stunner.
Jerez is a venue all know as the track hosted not one but two pre-season tests for the Cup, but some have the edge on experience. The two current riders to have won at the venue are Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) – two expected challengers this season too – and two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons HP 40), another expected frontrunner, has been on the podium at the track. The fight between the three has already thrilled before, and 2022 promises another titanic showdown.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by, and Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) is back with a bang. The former podium finisher returns to MotoE this season and put in the fastest lap overall at the test, looking to fight for the Cup in the 2022 season.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari, meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by
The likes of Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), a race winner last year, and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40), already a podium finisher, can’t be counted out, but we will have to wait a little longer to see the return of Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team). After a crash at the 24h of Le Mans, the Brit is sidelined for the MotoE season opener and will be replaced by Lukas Tulovic – the German likewise an experienced electric runner.
There are some intriguing rookies this season. Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE), multiple podium finisher in WorldSBK and Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) – fastest rookie in testing – switches WorldSSP machinery for MotoE. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.
Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.
The new Q1-Q2 format means qualifying takes place on Friday at 16:50, before Race 1 gets underway at 16:25 on Saturday. Race 2 then sees the field head out at 15:30 on Sunday, completing a packed weekend of track action for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup!
Andalucia… the land of flamenco, sherry, equestrian tradition, sun, sea and sand. And, when the Gran Premio Red Bull de España is in town, the land of horsepower. Ahead of the weekend’s track action, reigning Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner and reigning Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta visited Gonzalez Byass bodega in Jerez…
Spanish tradition takes on a different kind of horsepower ahead of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España.
As World Champions tend to do, the duo arrived at the bodega in style, blasting across the cobbles on the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes and off the back of some burnouts, as ever. Once inside, the two had a blast round La Conchabuilding within the complex, and then it was time to connect their horsepower to the carriage.
Against the backdrop of the sun-drenched bodega, the two headed up a traditional carriage helmed by a local coachwoman, with their MotoGP™ and Moto2™ bikes first taking centre stage and two stunning flamencas adding a dash of even more local flavour. Then it was time to pull the carriage and for that, the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes were on hand once again – connected together to keep the show rolling smoothly across the cobbles, and past the Alcazar in central Jerez.
Horsepower heading off in style.
Saddling up with a difference, the bodega was a stunning stage.
Now it’s next stop the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with both ready to saddle up back in the day job of being two of the fastest riders in the world.
Remy Gardner:“It’s been really fun, we just pulled around some ladies in the carriage, that was fun. It’s a pretty nice place here! I didn’t know it existed, it’s nice to explore Jerez and I’m super excited to be here. I’m feeling good about the weekend, we managed to score two points last week and hopefully we can improve on that. Seem like last year in testing we went quite fast here so I’m looking forward to getting the weekend started.”
Tune in this weekend to see Gardner and Acosta take on Jerez, with MotoGP™ at 14:00 (GMT +2) and Moto2™ just preceding the premier class at 12:20.
Pedro Acosta: “Hanging out with Remy is always fun, I managed to disconnect a bit! I’m trying not to think about the race too much and just enjoy. I don’t have expectations of the weekend, I just want to continue learning and bit by bit get towards the front. And, more than anything, enjoy it.”
It was the Mike Jones show at Wakefield Park as he pulled off a great weekend to take the ASBK Round Three win and take control of the championship lead by 23 points. The Superbike riders now head off to Hidden Valley in Darwin, with the V8 Supercars… Photos: BiteSizePics.
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
Wayne Maxwell at Wakefield Park Raceway, Round 3 Australian Superbike Championship.
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.
There’s a lot of excitement around the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown and it’s not without good reason.
Wayne Maxwell at Wakefield Park Raceway, Round 3 Australian Superbike Championship.
Troy Herfoss at Wakefield Park Raceway, Round 3 Australian Superbike Championship.
By 10 am the sun was out, the fog cleared, and we settled in for what would be a great day of racing…
Last year we saw some absolutely wild racing from the Western Australian track. Tune into SBS, Fox Sports and Channel 7 or read about the weekend here…
Falzon and Epis all fought for position behind the leading pack.
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.
Every round that Mike Jones pulls further ahead, it’s one less round to catch him, and as the available points pool starts to run out, we’re at this specific point of the season: the title is now his to lose.
Epis recovered from his morning accident…
Josh Waters.
Glenn Allerton
Bryan Staring.
Anthony West at Wakefield Park Raceway, Round 3 Australian Superbike Championship.
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
Ty Lynch
Tom Drane
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.
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.
It’s been a few months between races for the Supersport 600 fraternity and some might need a quick look at the points before they roll out of pit lane this Friday to remind themselves; this is close!
Early season form from Tom Bramich, Tom Drane, Olly Simpson and Tarbon Walker was somewhat collectively brought undone with DNS/DNFs at Wakefield.
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.
Harrison Watts and Hudson Thompson have been in an arm wrestle all season and after receiving equal points at Wakefield after three races, they are looking more like Siamese twins than fierce rivals.
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, comfortably cruising over the line.
Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at the TT Circuit Assen for the Motul Dutch Round was a hard-fought affair with Jonathan Rea coming out on top against Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu as he claimed his 99th victory on Kawasaki machinery.
Rea started the race from third place, behind teammate Alex Lowes in second and polesitter Razgatlioglu but was soon fronting the field. The 2021 champion responded a few laps later to re-take the lead of the race. Rea once again passed the Turk on lap 16 before his attention turned to the charging Bautista.
Bautista had worked his way up from fifth on the grid to fight in the lead group and, after passing Razgatlioglu for second place, aimed to attack Rea on the final lap of the race. Bautista closed in on the run to the final chicane, but Rea was able to hold on to claim victory, his 16th at Assen, and take the lead of the Championship by just two points ahead of Spanish rider Bautista.
Rea’s victory means he has now won 99 races for Kawasaki and his first chance to make it a century for one manufacturer comes in the Tissot Superpole Race, a milestone that would just add to the number of records Rea has in the WSBK history books. With his first chance to make more history coming on the Sunday, Rea was asked about his feelings heading into a potential history-making day.
He said: “Step by step. We don’t want to think too much about that. Of course, the target is to go out and as many points as we can, try to win the race, but not for a piece of cake. I don’t know if the team have got anything planned but 100 wins for a manufacturer is an incredible milestone and, of course, that’s the next big hurdle for us. If it’s not tomorrow, I’m sure it’s going to happen at some point this season. We can be very proud of our partnership together and look forward to many more race wins.”
1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Tissot Superpole Sprint
The Tissot Superpole Race at the Motul Dutch Round was another thrilling battle in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a historic victory in a shortened race. Rea was able to make the move for victory on the final lap against Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at turn eight to take his 100th victory for Kawasaki. The win for the six-time world champion means he has now claimed 100 wins for a single manufacturer, the first rider to do so in WorldSBK and adding to his already-incredible record at the TT Circuit Assen at the Dutch Round.
The race was reduced from ten laps to nine when Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) had an issue on the grid, forcing the original start to be delayed and the race distance reduced by one lap. Rea was able to make the move for victory on the final lap against Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at turn eight to take his 100th victory for Kawasaki, something he was hoping to get a cake for.
Bautista finished second after fighting from fifth on the grid, and passed Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at the high-speed turn six for the lead of the race at that time before Rea moved into the lead on the final lap. Rea will therefore lead Bautista and Razgatlioglu from the front row in race two. The drama did not stop there, though, with Bautista given a one place penalty for a track limits infringement on the final lap, promoting Razgatlioglu to second with Bautista third.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fourth place and will line up there from race two on Sunday afternoon, ahead of rookie Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in fifth place after another strong performance from the Honda rider. Locatelli’s fourth place means Italian riders have now finished in that position eight times in the last nine races and the fifth time in a row. French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed sixth spot, finishing as the best Independent rider, to complete the second row for race two.
American star Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will lead away the third row in Race 2 after claiming seventh spot, finishing ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth. Rinaldi will start from the third row after battling his way up from 12th on the grid, ahead of fellow Italian rider Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in ninth; Bassani completing the third row for race two.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was running inside the top nine throughout the race, but a technical issue at the start of the ninth and final lap meant he was forced to retire from the race. As he qualified inside the top nine during the Tissot Superpole session on Saturday, but didn’t finish there, he will start race two from tenth.
1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.220s 3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.267s
Race Two Drama was never far away in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) romping away to claim victory during the Motul Dutch Round, as rivals Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) came to blows at turn one in the early part of the 21-lap race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got a good start from second on the grid and moved into the lead of the race ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The pair, also running with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Honda), battled it out for the lead of the race in the early stages of the race. With the trio swapping places throughout, the battle came to a premature conclusion at turn one on lap six.
Razgatlioglu ran wide at the right-hander, but remained on track, with Rea making his way through turn one shortly after. The pair collided on the exit of the corner with both riders being forced to retire from the race. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, with the investigation taking place after the race.
The incident allowed Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to move into the lead of the race ahead of Bautista, although the Ducati rider soon made his move on the rookie to head the charge. From there, Bautista was able to pull away at the front of the field to win by 8.7 seconds ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) after Locatelli passed Lecuona on lap 18. Bautista’s victory is his 19th win in WorldSBK, running the #19 plate, and now the only rider to finish on the podium in all six races run so far.
Second for Locatelli means he has now scored his best WorldSBK result to date, and his fifth podium so far. Lecuona’s podium means Honda have claimed a podium finish for the first time at Assen since 2016 when Michael van der Mark (now BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed third.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished in fourth place as he bounced back from two technical issues in race one and the Superpole Race to record fourth place after a mega battle with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Redding finished in fifth place, his best finish since switching to BMW, after Bassani was given a three-second time penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits throughout the race.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished in seventh place to end a difficult weekend for the Italian rider, finishing five seconds clear of Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth place. Van der Mark was making his first appearance of the 2022 season and is still recovering from his leg fracture but will take home a top eight finish for his efforts in front of his home fans. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) claimed ninth place with two Hondas inside the top ten, while Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top ten.
Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed his best WorldSBK result to date with 11th place, finishing just 0.004s clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) who claimed 12th place. Leon Haslam (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), making his WorldSBK return, took the team’s first points of the season as he finished in 13th place. Sammarinese rider Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) claimed two more points in his debut campaign with 14th place, with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 15th and rounding out the points.
Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) was 10 seconds away from scoring points at Assen, although he had to fend off a challenge from Malaysian rookie Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) with just a tenth between them at the end of the race. Rookie Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounded out the classified runners.
Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out of the race on the opening lap at turn one, with the Japanese rider taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Nozane was diagnosed with a fracture of the right fifth metatarsal bone. On the same lap, Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made contact with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at turn five, with the American rider not finishing the race after sustaining damage to his bike. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) crashed out of the race on lap two, while Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was out of the race with a technical issue on the same lap.
Alvaro Bautista:“I had the best seat to see all the action! I was so lucky because I saw Toprak and Jonathan crash, and I was scared because they both crashed in front of me. After that, Lecuona came and touched me in my side and then when I go into the next corner, I think Bassani came from very far behind and just touched my ribs. I was lucky again. In two corners, I was very lucky. After that, I needed a couple of laps to understand what was happening. It was incredible to understand!”
“I was quite fast and quite consistent. I sometimes just tried to relax because I saw the gap was increasing a lot. I started to make some small mistakes but I preferred to just keep the rhythm and concentrate until the end. Consistency is the key for this season, especially because Toprak and Jonathan are very fast. I don’t think I can win a lot of races like I did three years ago”
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 2 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +8.770s 3 Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +11.580s
Championship Standings After Assen (Full Standings Here)
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 109 points 2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 91 3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 64
Oli In The Points After a P14 in World Supersport’s race one at Assen Oliver Bayliss was able to do even better in race two. Starting from eighteenth on the grid, the Barni Spark Racing Team rider came out of turn one in P9 and closed the first lap in P11. Regrouped by some riders in the first part of the race Bayliss found himself P14 on lap 12.
Oli says he’s ready to make up for his disaster weekend as the championship heads to Donnington Park next.
After going 21-19 at Aragon in round one and 14-11 at Assen, round three at Estoril proved a massive step forward for him, as he went 12-6 to reward himself for all his hard work, determination and persistence.
Oli Bayliss.
In the last six laps the Australian rider started his comeback passing first Brenner and then De Rosa; in the last four laps – having gained another position due to a crash in front of him – Oli tried hard to attack Sofuoglu as well and go for the Top 10. Bayliss finished in P11, 22” behind the winner, but only 5” from the Top 5. It was a prestigious result for a rookie rider in World Supersport and his first race at Assen. Bayliss takes home seven points in the championship standings.
At the front end of the WorldSSP field, reigning champion Dominique Aegerter claimed both wins at Assen on his Ten Kate Yamaha. The Swiss rider battled back after losing ground at the start of the 18-lap Sunday race to claim honours and extend his lead at the top of the WorldSSP Championship.
Oli Bayliss:“We could sum it up with one sentence: we couldn’t ask for more. The team did a great job and every time I went out on track I was faster than the previous round. Also in Race 2, compared to Race 1, my pace improved and we reached the best possible result. I want to thank the whole team for the great work and the warmth I feel around me”.
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.
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.
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…
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.
Arthur Sissis.
Josh Waters.
Glenn Allerton
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.
Troy Herrfoss
Bryan Staring.
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.
Tom Drane
Ty Lynch
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.
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.
At the start of race one, the question was whether Dunker could sneak off and not tow anyone around.
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.
Hayden Nelson
Cameron Swain
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.
Dunker again tried a magic trick in an attempt to disappear from view and got out to a .4 lead early in the race.
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.
Marianos Nikolis
Glenn Nelson
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.
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.
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.
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!
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)
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)
