Mike Jones completed a perfect weekend to take two wins from two races, along with pole position in qualifying on Saturday at Round Two of the mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway. Photos: BiteSizePics..
Mike Jones completed a perfect weekend to take two wins from two races, along with pole position in qualifying on Saturday at Round Two.
Australian Superbike Round Results (Full Results Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Josh Waters – BMW M RR
Ant will be looking to climb the championship roster a bit more this round as he settles down on the Yamaha YZF-R1M in 2022.
Maxwell.
The cancellation is required due to a newly occurring national motorsport calendar shake-up affecting the Tasmanian round, including the announcement of WorldSBK returning to Phillip Island in November.
Wayne Maxwell rounded out the top three on Friday after. Unusually, not in first place despite his blistering pace at Phillip Island.
Mike Jones completed a perfect weekend to take two wins from two races, along with pole position in qualifying on Saturday at Round Two.
The BMW’s showed good form all weekend.
Outstanding work in Queensland has Mike Jones at the top of the class and while there is plenty of racing to come!
Though quiet at Phillip Island, Mike Jones was able to impress himself upon the Championship via outstanding results at Queensland Raceway (two wins plus an extra point for pole).
Hometown hero, Mike Jones took pole position for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway.
Glenn Allerton.
Bryan Staring.
“I actually love coming to Goulburn. It’s a great town and a really friendly community, especially towards motorcycle and bicycle riders.” said Staring.
Tom Edwards was later found with illegal modifications, handing the round win to John Lytras.
1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
After two riders went down at turn two (including Saturday front-runner Taiyo Asksu), the Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Two was restarted with five laps remaining.
Some of the times in Supersport 300 couldn’t transfer over into the R3 Cup as a new order was found in Practice.
It was raceday for the 300’s. With the track being so quick, falling away from the slipstream meant you had to work twice as hard to catch up with the field.
The 300 riders worked together through practice to make the most of the slipstreams down the long straights.
In this class, Glenn Nelson has been fast- and critically- consistently attending the podium.
They news broke after ASBK only recently announced the series’ return to Tasmania…
Oceania Junior Cup Round Results (Full Results Here)
1 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Hunter Corney – Yamaha YZF-R15
It was seriously close all weekend for the OJC. With all the top riders using the long straights to their advantage.
James has been having plenty of fun racing this year, saying ” On track I get to race really aggressively and off track every one is mates!”
It was a close race for OJC with less than a second separating the top nine riders…
Mike Jones completed a perfect weekend to take two wins from two races, along with pole position in qualifying on Saturday at Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway. Race Reports: MA, Photos: BiteSizePics…
Mike Jones completed a perfect weekend to take two wins from two races, along with pole position in qualifying on Saturday at Round Two.
Friday Reports Mike Jones gave his hometown fans plenty to smile about after topping the timesheets in Friday Practice for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway.
Jones (YZF-R1) hit-out early to clock just under a second ahead of Josh Waters (BMW M RR) and Cru Halliday (YZF-R1), while defending ASBK champion Wayne Maxwell (V4R), spent the first segment of practice cutting installation laps on his new bike (after damaging the front-end at Phillip Island a few weeks ago). Round one winner and championship leader, Bryan Staring (V4R) would eventually split Jones and Halliday, with Maxwell in fourth.
Halliday was less than a second off his lightning fast teammate during free practice on Friday…Halliday was less than a second off his lightning fast teammate during free practice on Friday…
In the afternoon, it was Jones and Maxwell topping the order, with Jones’s 1:07.967 three-tenths quicker than Maxwell’s best, with Halliday a further tenth away in third. Most were expecting times to drop, but spots of rain in the afternoon thwarted any chance of improvement. Jones was comfortably inside the official lap-record at Queensland Raceway and pleased to make his mark on home turf so early in the weekend.
“It’s been a long time away for ASBK, but for me it’s my home circuit. I’ve cut so many laps around here and I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” said Jones. “This circuit has a simple layout, but having only a handful of corners makes it hard to go fast.”
Wayne Maxwell rounded out the top three on Friday after. Unusually, not in first place despite his pace at Phillip Island.
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 (1:07.967)
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R (1:08.281)
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1 (1:08.335)
Supersport 600 In Michelin Supersport, Jack Hyde (Yamaha YZF-R6) lead the way in Practice One, ahead of Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha YZF-R6). In the afternoon sessions, but it was Simpson who stepped-up to go quickest outright by three-tenths of a second over John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6), with Hyde rounding out the top three by virtue of his earlier time.
Friday was an exciting day for the Supersport class with the field being quite bunched up in terms of times…
Dunlop Supersport 300 James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) dominated the Dunlop Supersport 300 class early, ahead of the ever-improving Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3), while Aksu himself was a mere three-hundredths ahead of Laura Brown (Yamaha YZF-R3) before Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) shot to the top of the order – three-tenths up on Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Aksu. Dunker would leap ahead in Practice 2 to go fastest overall with a 1:22.801 ahead of Nelson and Aksu.
The 300 riders worked together through practice to make the most of the slipstreams down the long straights.
Dunlop Supersport 300 Practice (Full Results Here)
Yamaha R3 Cup
Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) topped the morning session of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, ahead of Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Nate O’Neill (Yamaha YZF-R3). Dunker would top the final session of the day, but the overall order remained unchanged.
Some of the times in Supersport 300 couldn’t transfer over into the R3 Cup as a new order was found in Practice.
Oceania Junior Cup
In Oceania Junior Cup, Ryan Larkin (Yamaha YZF-R15) edged Marcus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R15) in practice one by one-tenth of a second, with a similar distance back to Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-R15). Teerin Fleming would bounce back in the afternoon to jump from fourth to first in practice 2.
Third practice was cancelled for the OJC. So, the field of Yamaha R-15s had just two sessions to get used to the track.
Australian Sidecar Championship The Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship made its return for 2022, with Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) staking an early claim ahead of Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000), with Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000) rounding out the top three. Underwood would again top the order in practice two, with Turner this time usurping Harvey in the afternoon to complete the final three.
Australian Sidecar Championship (Full Results Here)
1 Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki LCR 1000 (1:20.559)
2 Neil Turner and Danyon Turner – Suzuki LCR 1000 (1:21.517)
3 Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall – Kawasaki RHR 1000 (1:22.331)
Saturday Reports
Practice form certainly dictated the outcome, with Mike Jones setting a time of 1:07.673 enjoying a two-tenths margin over Staring, but for the first time on the weekend – after much speculation – the top three riders finally dropped into the 1:07’s during ASBK RD2 at Queensland Raceway…
Hometown hero, Mike Jones took pole position for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway.
“Track knowledge is a key part of being able to go fast around here and being able to refine each corner to the absolute maximum,” said Jones. “I just need to make a good start, get my head down and put in some quick lap times and see what happens towards the end of the race.”
Starting behind Jones, P2 was grabbed by Bryan Staring who was not drawn on being the top Ducati on the day – ahead of Wayne Maxwell. “That’s fine, it’s not a big deal to me. I’m really happy with that qualifying session- to be back on the front row- I actually don’t know the last time I was on the front row. It’s all about getting a good start for the two races tomorrow…”
After Maxwell’s qualifying form at Phillip Island, the field was surprised to see him out qualified by Staring and Jones.
For Wayne Maxwell, P3 was a good outcome, but there’s work to be done if the 2021 Champion is going to claw back from seventh in the title chase. “Look, it’s been a bit of a struggle. We’re on the back foot compared to these guys… we’ll try to make some more improvements to the bike overnight and come out tomorrow and try to close that last bit of the gap. We’ll just do our thing tomorrow.”
In Q1, Jed Metcher, Aiden Wagner and Mark Chiodo progressed to the final stage of Superbike qualifying, while in Q2, Troy Herfoss would run into technical issues, forcing him to swap onto his second bike with five minutes remaining in the session.
Maxwell.
Halliday.
Australian Superbike Qualifying (Full Results Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 (1:07.673)
2 Bryan Staring – Ducati V4R (1:07.861)
3 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R (1:07.996)
Supersport 600
After a close-fought qualifying, Tom Edwards (Yamaha YZF-R6) took the Michelin Supersport pole after securing a time of 1:11.180 – pipping Friday Practice fast man John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6) by two-tenths of a second, with Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) a further three-tenths adrift. Until he put the bike on pole, Edwards had not topped the timesheets in any session but knew the incremental improvements the team had made was heading the bike in the right direction.
Tom Edwards, Olly Simpson and Tom Drane completed the front row for the Supersport 600 class.
Dunlop Supersport 300 Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) edged Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) by a tenth of a second to take pole for Dunlop Supersport 300, with Henry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) rounding out the top three. After starting from fifth of the grid, James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) edged his way into the lead, taking out Race One ahead of Cameron Dunker and Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) in a typically exciting and varied Dunlop Supersport 300 race.
It was raceday for the 300’s. With the track being so quick, falling away from the slipstream meant you had to work twice as hard to catch up with the field.
Dunlop Supersport 300 Race One (Full Results Here)
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
The Yamaha Finance R3 Cup grid was the first to get locked away just after lunch, with Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) taking pole with a 1.21:916 – half a second ahead of Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Macus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R3). In Race One, Dunker would lead from lights to flag ahead of runner-up Nelson, with Aksu rounding out the top three. A crash at Turn 3 saw Henry Snell walk away unscathed but out of contention.
Oceania Junior Cup
It was going to be a tight bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup with Levi Russo (Yamaha YZF-15) just edging Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-15) in Q1 by just 2-hundredths of a second and Hunter Corney (Yamaha YZF-15) a further tenth away. In Race One, Ryan Larkin would vault from sixth place on the grid to take the lead with four laps remaining. After a close dice with Hunter Corney and Cameron Rende, it was Hudson Thompson who would prevail from Corney and Rende with just four-tenths of a second covering the top five riders.
It was a close race for OJC with less than a second separating the top nine riders…
Australian Sidecar Championship
Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) laid down a hot time to take pole position for the Sidecars ahead of Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000), with Howard Ford and Corey Blackman (Suzuki RHR 1000) rounding out the top three. Underwood and Vercoe went on to claim Race One victory, with Ford and Blackman edging Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000) for the final podium spots. In Race 2, Underwood and Vercoe would go the double, with the Turners again taking the runner-up spot ahead of Jeff Brown and Paris Halsey (Suzuki JBR 1000).
Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) laid down a hot time to take pole position for the Sidecars ahead of Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000).
Australian Sidecar Championship Race Two (Full Results Here)
1 Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki LCR 1000 (8:04.717)
2 Jamie Turner and Shelby Turner – Suzuki LCR 1000 (+18.514)
3 Jeff Brown and Paris Halsey – Suzuki JBR 1000 (+26.659)
Sunday Reports Bryan Staring (DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4-R) got the early jump on Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing YZF-R1) to take the lead in Race 1, with Glenn Allerton (Maxima Oils Racing BMW M1000RR) also making a big first lap move up to fourth. Jones would briefly retake the lead on lap two, but left the door open enough for Staring to nudge through.
Bryan Staring (DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4-R) got the early jump on Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing YZF-R1) to take the lead in Race 1.
A mid-corner error from Staring saw the Championship leader drop out of contention and hand second place to Wayne Maxwell (V4-R). Jones would cruise to a 5.6-second lead to take victory ahead of Maxwell and Josh Waters (Maxima Oils Racing BMW M1000RR).
The BMW’s showed good form all weekend.
Glenn Allerton.
Maxwell would time his launch perfectly to take an early lead in Race Two ahead of Jones and Staring. It would be short-lived however as Jones ran past the Ducati through the outside of turn two. Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing YZF-R1) and Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing YZF-R1) would argue over fourth and fifth respectively. This duel would be settled before the chequered flag when Halliday stopped on the final lap with mechanical issues.
Staring would shadow Jones more closely in the afternoon race, albeit two-seconds adrift. Eventually, Jones took his second win by 4.6 seconds ahead of Bryan Staring and Wayne Maxwell.
“All the guys at Yamaha have put in a big effort to help me adapt to this bike. The last win for me was in 2019 so to come and get a couple of wins is just fantastic,” said Jones. “I was hoping as the season went on to get to grips with the Yamaha and be able to challenge, so to lead the championship is a little bit above my expectations,”
Jones now leads the championship on 86 points over Bryan Staring on 70 points with Josh Waters on 67 points. Jones, by his own admission, was surprised to be so competitive so early.
Second-placed Staring was circumspect after a crash in Race One effectively lost him the championship lead to Jones. While, third-placed Maxwell was happy to score two podiums on which he deems to be his ‘bogey’ circuit.
Australian Superbike Round Results (Full Results Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Josh Waters – BMW M RR
Supersport 600
John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6) ran out to an early two-tenths of a second lead in Race One for Michelin Supersport, but couldn’t hold on – eventually being usurped by Tom Edwards (Yamaha YZF-R6) to the honours in ahead of Scott Nicholson (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Lytras. Nominal Championship leader (With actual leader Senna Agius now overseas) Tom Bramich crashed out of the race, giving him a challenge to work back into contention over the next six rounds.
Early season form from Tom Bramich, Tom Drane, Olly Simpson and Tarbon Walker was somewhat collectively brought undone with DNS/DNFs at Wakefield.
Tom Bramich.
Lytras would get the jump in Race Two, only to get pushed down to third in the first few corners by Olly Simpson and Tom Edwards. Tom Drane would make an impressive start to vault to fifth position. Tom Edwards was later found with illegal modifications, handing the round win to John Lytras.
Tom Edwards was later found with illegal modifications, handing the round win to John Lytras.
1 Tom Edwards – Yamaha YZF-R6 (prior to disqualification) Post Race – John Lytras.
2 Scott Nicholson – Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Olly Simpson – Yamaha YZF-R6
Dunlop Supersport 300 After two riders went down at turn two (including Saturday front-runner Taiyo Asksu), the Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Two was restarted with five laps remaining. At the restart, Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) immediately grabbed an early break on the opposition. They were never challenged, with Nelson capitalising on a last-corner error from Dunker to take victory with Jonatha Nahlous (Kawasaki Ninja) in third.
After two riders went down at turn two (including Saturday front-runner Taiyo Asksu), the Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Two was restarted with five laps remaining.
In Race Three, Nelson and Dunker would get an early break on the field, with Nahlous fending off the rest of the pack. Dunker would pull a late race challenge, but Nelson would close the gate to take victory with Henry Snell eventually sneaking through to for third.
1 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 James Jacobs – Kawasaki Ninja
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup With a number of riders missing the grid for Race Two of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, a large contingent would be forced to start from pit-lane. Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) got the early jump but would be challenged by both Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Henry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3).
With a number of riders missing the grid for Race Two of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, a large contingent would be forced to start from pit-lane.
Nelson would survive a tight-fought battle to take victory in a thriller from Dunker and first-time podium placer Sam Pezzetta (Yamaha YZF-R3). Dunker would make amends to take the victory for Race Three ahead of Henry Snell and Glenn Nelson.
1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Glenn Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup In Race Two of the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, it was another tense battle between Cameron Rende, Ryan Larkin, Teerin Fleming and Hudson Thompson (all Yamaha YZF-R15), with the lead changing multiple times each lap.
It was seriously close all weekend for the OJC. With all the top riders using the long straights to their advantage.
After dropping as low as sixth, Rende would time his run perfectly to take the chequered ahead of Larkin and Harrison Watts by five-hundredths of a second. However, applied penalties saw an amended result of Cameron Rende, Sam Drane and Hudson Thompson on the final podium.
In Race Three, Hunter Corney would lead into turn one ahead of Thompson and Watts. With only 1.2 seconds covering the top eight riders, getting the timing right would be crucial on the run to the flag. Rende would have no such luck after dropping out from third place, leaving Watts to take a narrow victory over a fast-closing Ryan Larkin and Hudson Thompson in third.
Oceania Junior Cup Round Results (Full Results Here)
1 Harrison Watts – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Hunter Corney – Yamaha YZF-R15
Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship Completing an almost perfect weekend, Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe win Race Three of the Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship with the Turner family fighting out the final spots – Neil and Danyon Turner taking second place ahead of Jamie and Shelbey Turner in third.
Completing an almost perfect weekend, Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe win Race Three of the Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship with the Turner family fighting out the final spots. Photo: MA.
Australian Sidecar Championship Round Results (Full Results Here)
1 Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki LCR 1000
2 Jamie Turner and Shelby Turner – Suzuki LCR 1000
3 Patrick Clancy and Amanda Williams – Suzuki LCR 600
Mike Jones gave his hometown fans plenty to smile about after topping the timesheets in Friday Practice for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway. Photos: BiteSizePics…
Halliday was less than a second off his lightning fast teammate during free practice on Friday…
Jones (YZF-R1) hit-out early to clock just under a second ahead of Josh Waters (BMW M RR) and Cru Halliday (YZF-R1), while defending ASBK champion Wayne Maxwell (V4R), spent the first segment of practice cutting installation laps on his new bike (after damaging the front-end at Phillip Island a few weeks ago). Round one winner and championship leader, Bryan Staring (V4R) would eventually split Jones and Halliday, Maxwell in fourth.
In the afternoon, it was Jones and Maxwell topping the order, with Jones’s 1:07.967 three-tenths quicker than Maxwell’s best, with Halliday a further tenth away in third. Most were expecting times to drop, but spots of rain in the afternoon thwarted any chance of improvement. Jones was comfortably inside the official lap-record at Queensland Raceway and pleased to make his mark on home turf so early in the weekend.
Wayne Maxwell.
Jed Metcher.
Glenn Allerton.
Ant West.
“It’s been a long time away for ASBK, but for me it’s my home circuit. I’ve cut so many laps around here and I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” said Jones. “This circuit has a simple layout, but having only a handful of corners makes it hard to go fast.”
Supersport 600 In Michelin Supersport, Jack Hyde (Yamaha YZF-R6) lead the way in Practice One, ahead of Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha YZF-R6). In the afternoon sessions, but it was Simpson who stepped-up to go quickest outright by three-tenths of a second over John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6), with Hyde rounding out the top three by virtue of his earlier time.
Make sure you tune into the close racing in the support categories. The competition is fierce!
Dunlop Supersport 300 James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) dominated the Dunlop Supersport 300 class early, ahead of the ever-improving Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3), while Aksu himself was a mere three-hundredths ahead of Laura Brown (Yamaha YZF-R3) before Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) shot to the top of the order – three-tenths up on Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Aksu. Dunker would leap ahead in Practice 2 to go fastest overall with a 1:22.801 ahead of Nelson and Aksu.
Yamaha R3 Cup
Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) topped the morning session of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, ahead of Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Nate O’Neill (Yamaha YZF-R3). Dunker would top the final session of the day, but the overall order remained unchanged.
Make sure you stay up to date with all the latest from ASBK race weekends here at BikeReview…
Oceania Junior Cup
In Oceania Junior Cup, Ryan Larkin (Yamaha YZF-R15) edged Marcus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R15) in practice one by one-tenth of a second, with a similar distance back to Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-R15). Teerin Fleming would bounce back in the afternoon to jump from fourth to first in practice 2.
Australian Sidecar Championship The Horsell Australian Sidecar Championship made its return for 2022, with Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) staking an early claim ahead of Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000), with Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000) rounding out the top three. Underwood would again top the order in practice two, with Turner this time usurping Harvey in the afternoon to complete the final three positions.
Hi everyone, it’s been a long time! My last article (here) was back in 2017 when I was 9 and on a KAYO. Since then I’ve done a lot more road racing. I’m turning 14 this year. At school I am in Year 8. Some of my hobbies are bike rides, playing handball and basketball… Words: James Weaver.
James Weaver riding at MotoStars Round 4 back in 2017 with the Kabuto RT-33 – Image by Col Roper.
But my life is mainly all about two wheels! My racing background started at Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club doing flat track when I was 5. I was riding a CRF50. After that I went up to the KTM Pro Senior 50 class, then I went up to the 65 class then the 80 mod class when I was 8. From there I competed in the Moto Stars series on a Kayo 150 from the age 8 to 11 in which time I graduated to an R15 V2.
In 2020 I was doing my first season in OJC but before the season, while training, I highsided and broke my collarbone and couldn’t do the official test at Phillip Island. At the first round it was my first time riding at Phillip Island and it was a support class to WorldSBK! Amazing! In 2021 I was going to do OJC again but then I got iron deficiency so we had to pull out and just do club events instead, which was still awesome fun, but I was keen to get back to ASBK so worked hard to do it.
James is happy to be back in OJC and is hoping for a full, interruption free season for everyone!
The thing that I did to prepare for this year was train on my pushbike eat healthy food plus take my iron pill every morning. In my off season and school holidays I went swimming, jumping off jetty’s, I went to Flip Out with my friends I also went to Aqua Splash.
For those of you not sure, the Oceania Junior Cup (OJC), is a class for kids from 11 to 16. This class teaches kids racecraft and how to go fast, you also learn about media and what to say on camera, and lots more for the future. I am racing this year in OJC because I won the motoDNA motoCHAMPIONS sponsored by Bendix and Motorcycling Australia, so I scored a free ride this year. I can’t believe it and I feel like the luckiest person on the planet right now.
The OJC control bike is the Yamaha R15. You can see our R15 review here. The bike had a top speed of 151km/h on the Phillip Island Gardner Straight. The best thing about the R15 V3 is it is a better step to the R3 cup because the tyres are fatter than the earlier version R15 and the geometry is the same as the R3. The R15 V3 has the same suspension as an older R3 and is faster now too!
Racing is a great time to spend with Dad, we have a lot of fun together.
Preparation is on for Wakefield park this weekend.
Round one at Phillip island was really good, I was fast in practice, I got top three ,but when it was qualifying I didn’t get out with a group of people so I qualified ninth. This made me learn that to go fast in this class you have to be in a slipstream, so I will definitely need that this weekend at QR!
For any young riders that want to start in this class I would suggest getting a little bit of time on a road bike before jumping in this class don’t go from a dirt bike straight to the Oceania Junior Cup. This year I would like do my very best to make my sponsors proud and my goal is to finish top three. I’ve just arrived in Brisbane for Round Two, so wish me luck and talk soon! James #71
My sponsors are: motoDNA, motoCHAMPIONS, Bendix Brake Pads, Bendix Workshop Series Sponsors are: Ricondi, Shark, Dunlop, Ohlins, IRC Components, DID chains, Yamaha bLU Cru
The Triumph Street Triple RS wins its American debut at the World Center of Racing. The winning motorcycle was ridden by defending champion Brandon Paasch, who used his experience gained in the 2021 season with the Triumph Street Triple RS and his past success at the 200 to make the most of the 765 triple’s power around Daytona’s banking.
Brandon Paasch on his Triumph Street Triple RS defends title to win second consecutive Daytona 200.
Paasch started P4 and made it a Triumph 1-2 across the stripe first time around, and confidently keeping with the lead pack for the duration of the race. The Triumph 765 triple engine didn’t break a sweat as it endured the 57-lap, 200-mile race to keep Paasch in the sweet spot. Coming out of the final pit-stop Paasch found himself in fourth, and a couple seconds outside of the lead pack. To catch up with the front three, putting himself in position for the win, Paasch set the fastest lap of the race at 1:49:959.
On the final turn of the final lap, Paasch who was patiently waiting for his opportunity, twisted the throttle and trusted the draft and the triple Triumph engine to power him to the win by 0.007 of a second at the chequers.
Triumph racing team, supported by FreedomRoad Financing, powers Brandon Paasch to win the 80th Daytona 200.
Danny Eslick, who started P8, left the grid with a terrific start, and led the race by the end of the first lap. From there Eslick ran with the lead pack until the red flag. Mid-race, as a result of fighting the high-winds and spending a good amount of the race without the benefit of a draft, Eslick lost ground and his race-lead as he drifted into the pits on fumes. Coming out of the pit, Eslick was able to re-gain significant ground, ending the race with a 6th place finish.
Michelle Lindsay – TOBC racing owner: “After the 2018 season, I wasn’t sure we’d be back at the top of the podium again. To win the Daytona 200 on our first race with Triumph is more than I could have ever asked for. I’m proud of Brandon and Danny for their performances today, and very thankful for Triumph Motorcycles and FreedomRoad Financial for helping us even get back on the grid, Boulder Motorsports for helping to build a winning motorcycle. I’m also extremely proud to have such an amazing group of individuals working in my team. Their dedication and work ethic towards getting the 765 on the podium are unparalleled. This win is truly a team effort, and we couldn’t have brought this great crew back together if it wasn’t for the support from our key sponsors Politus & Matovina P.A. Attorneys, Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation, Jay Geeker Studios, Pirelli, and K-Tech.”
Brandon Paasch.
Brandon Paasch.
Brandon Paasch – 2021 & 2022 Daytona 200 Winner: “We did it!!! It’s unbelievably surreal to be a 2-time Daytona 200 winner, but I can’t say this race didn’t play out exactly as I imagined it. After last year’s win, I knew I had a winning strategy, and after a full season on the Street Triple RS, I had complete confidence in the bike and in the preparation of the TOBC racing team, to execute it. I’m thankful for FreedomRoad Financial for helping to make this race effort possible, and for the continued support from the Classic Car Club of Manhattan, Evolve GT, and Luxe Star, and am looking forward to celebrating with the team.”
Danny Eslick – 4-time Daytona 200 Winner: “Today was tough. A couple things didn’t go my way, which kept me off the podium. Thanks to Triumph, FreedomRoad Financial, and TOBC racing, all of the right elements were here for the win. The bike and the team have all the right pieces for success. I’ll just have to wait a year to snag my 5th win.”
Now entering its third year, the Triumph Triple Trophy awarded a custom-liveried Street Triple RS to Marco Bezzecchi in 2020 and to Raul Fernandez in 2021, both of whom have successfully used Moto2 as a springboard to now graduate to MotoGP, will go to one exceptional rider…
The 2022 Street Triple RS awarded to this year’s winner will be presented by Dorna Sports Managing Director Carlos Ezpeleta and Triumph Motorcycles Chief Product Officer Steve Sargent in Qatar.
The Triumph Triple Trophy recognises there are more success stories during a GP weekend than simply the race victory, and the updated scoring is designed to reflect the incredible close nature of the competition in Moto2. In both previous years, it wasn’t the World Champion who won the Triumph Triple Trophy, and the changes for 2022 are designed to deepen this search for all standout performances.
The Qatar Grand Prix kicked off the fourth Moto2™ season powered by Triumph’s 765cc triple as well as the 2022 Triumph Triple Trophy, with a renewed points structure introduced this season.
For 2022, the points structure has been revised as follows:
7 points – Best race progression from start to finish: 7 points for the rider or riders making up the most positions from race start to chequered flag
6 points – Pole position: 6 points for the rider who qualifies on pole
5 points – Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider/riders in case of an equal fastest lap
Best race progression rewards the rider who had a great Sunday performance and who finished the race highest relative to their starting position. At the opening round at Lusail International Circuit, it was Celestino Vietti who took the early lead courtesy of a dominant show with pole position and fastest lap.
The winner – the rider who has achieved the greatest number of points throughout the season – will be awarded a Triumph Street Triple RS motorcycle, powered by the 765cc triple engine from which the Moto2 powerplant is derived.
Triumph Street Triple RS Moto2 Trophy.
Triumph Street Triple RS Moto2 Trophy.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer: “The Moto2 World Championship is incredibly close, and in 2021 the category was redefined again with a total of 16 lap records falling, beating many of those already set using Triumph 765cc power. The 2022 season looks set to follow suit with some modifications to the engine helping to improve performance, as demonstrated by lap records being smashed in pre-season testing. To highlight the closeness and intensity of racing, the Triumph Triple Trophy scoring has been changed this year to reward the rider who makes the biggest improvement from their qualifying performance to their final position in the race.”
“This will help to highlight some great performances from riders who may not be at the front and will really show how competitive Moto2 is throughout the whole field. I’m really looking forward to seeing which riders bring their A-Game to the track on a Sunday and I’m sure the winner of the Triumph Triple Trophy will thoroughly deserve their one-off special Street Triple RS.”
Triumph have been a big part of Moto2 for the past few seasons, powering the field with their excellent triple cylinder…
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director: “We’re very happy to join Triumph in celebrating the close competition in Moto2. The Triumph Triple Trophy is a great way to reward riders who have put in an impressive Sunday, and the Street Triple RS is an impressive prize. We couldn’t be happier with the way Moto2 has evolved over the past few seasons with Triumph powering the class. The collaboration has created fantastic racing in Moto2, and I don’t think riders who progress to MotoGP have ever been better prepared to make the step. We look forward to many more seasons of high calibre racing with Triumph!”
The Grand Prix of Qatar, the first round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, held this evening at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, did not end as expected for the Ducati Lenovo Team, Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia.
Unlucky end of the weekend for the Ducati Lenovo Team in Qatar with Miller and Bagnaia both forced to retire.
As he started from fourth place on the grid, from the second row, Jack Miller could not stay at the front after the start. The Australian rider dropped back into ninth place and tried to make up some ground when a technical problem forced him to retire after seven laps.
It was a difficult race also for teammate Francesco Bagnaia who dropped down into fourteenth place at the start after departing from the third row. Forced to make a comeback, towards the second half of the race, Pecco could recover up to tenth but, while trying to overtake Jorge Martín, he crashed, hitting the Spaniard and forcing both to retire.
Enea Bastianini triumphed in Qatar with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team.
Enea Bastianini triumphed in Qatar with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team. Second in qualifying yesterday and fourth after the start, the Italian rider was able to take the lead with five laps to go, creating the gap behind him necessary to secure his first MotoGP success.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Retired “Since the first lap, especially at the end of the straight coming out of the last corner, the bike wasn’t going at full power: I was very slow, and the other riders easily overtook me. I tried to give my best and switch all the available maps to solve the problem, but it was not enough. It’s a shame because I felt really good today. I was satisfied with yesterday’s result in qualifying, and I knew I had a good pace. I was hoping to bring home some important first points…. Now we will try to move forward and think to the next race”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track in two weeks, from 18th-20th March, for the Indonesian GP at the Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Retired “I can’t be happy with how the race went and, first of all, I want to apologize to both Ducati and Jorge because I made a mistake. In the race, unfortunately, I was losing a lot in the first part of the acceleration, and we were not as fast as we usually are. Also, I had some difficulties at the start. Now we’ll have to analyze the data to try to understand what happened and try to come back stronger starting from the next race.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track in two weeks, from 18th-20th March, for the Indonesian GP at the Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok.
Day 2 of the Official FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup pre-season test at Jerez saw a trio of fresh names rise to the fore as rain affected play, with the returning Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) heading the timesheets by the end of the day.
The second day of pre-season for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup saw rain affect play and a new trio rise to the fore.
As well as track time in itself being a key focus for the field, there are also some bike updates from Energica to put through their paces, specifically a new motor and a new inverter. The bike is now lighter as a result, and with that one of the key aims of the project since the inception of the Cup, it’s a positive evolution.
Behind Canepa at the top with his 1:58.895, second fastest was Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) as the Spaniard impressed to end the day 0.189 in arrears. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) was third quickest as the Japanese rider prepares for his second season in the Cup, but was also one of three crashers in the wet first session, along with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and the returning Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), riders ok.
Once again, the field had three sessions, with the second and third proving the most useful running. The first was very wet, the second still affected and the final session mixed.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) slotted into fourth, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the top five and from his best lap set in Session 2. The Brazilian then suffered a crash in the second session and sat out the final session of the day, as well as likely being sidelined from Day 3.
Day 1’s fastest rider, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), was half a second off Granado and ended Day 2 in P6, with Cardelus for close company. MotoGP podium finisher Smith was eighth quickest despite his crash. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) and Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE™) completed the top ten.
Alcoba impressed in second.
Okubo got the hammer down on Tuesday.
Sophomore Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) remains absent after the Spaniard had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis before the test.
Three Yamaha teams headed to MotorLand Aragon to continue their preparations for the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK were joined on track by GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team and Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha at the Spanish venue.
Five riders from three teams have embarked on a two day pre-season test at Spain’s MotorLand Aragon circuit, with reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu topping the timesheets.
Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) continued his off-season testing ahead of his title defence by topping the timesheets in Alcañiz with a 1’49.746s. The Turkish star completed 84 laps on Thursday throughout the day, adding to his 26 laps from Wednesday for a total of 110. Razgatlioglu’s fastest lap was faster than any race lap from the 2021 Aragon Round and quicker than any previous Yamaha race lap at the venue.
Teammate Andrea Locatelli was third fastest, two tenths away from his teammate, but put in the most laps of everybody at the test as he racked up 30 on Wednesday and 85 on Thursday for a total of 115.
Yamaha test mechanical components and chase acceleration improvements at Aragon test.
Pata Yamaha worked on the mechanical side of their Yamaha YZF-R1 machine throughout the test, including electronic changes. They also focussed on the acceleration of the bike to help improve the all-round performance of the engine and spent the entire test using Pirelli’s SC0 tyre. Locatelli’s side of the garage was also working on the suspension of his machine including different links.
It was a strong test for Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) on the team’s first test of the 2022 off-season. The American posted a time of 1’49.820s, only 0.074s away from Razgatlioglu’s pace setting time and racked up 106 laps across the two days of testing: 21 on Wednesday and 85 on Thursday. As he embarks on his third year in world superbike, Gerloff hopes his strong pace in testing transfers into racing when the action gets underway at Aragon on April 8-10.
The test was originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday, the threat of bad weather meant all three teams took to the track on Wednesday for some brief running before the rain fell.
Gerloff’s teammate, Kohta Nozane, was fourth fastest as he made his first appearance in 2022 testing with a time of 1’51.238s. The Japanese rider, entering his second season in WorldSBK, completed 90 laps; 16 on Wednesday before adding 74 on Thursday. GRT Yamaha were able to test the same tank that Razgatlioglu used in the Portimao test with their main focus throughout the two days on rider position and the balance of the bike.
Christophe Ponsson rounded out the field for Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha as the Frenchman completed 84 laps across the two days, adding 74 on day two of the test to the 10 he completed on Wednesday. Now in his second season with the family-run team, Ponsson posted a best time of 1’52.341s throughout the test as he goes in search of consistent top-10 finishes.
WorldSBK times from Aragon test
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’49.746s, 110 laps 2 Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’49.820s, 106 laps
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’50.021s, 115 laps
4 Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’51.238s, 90 laps
5 Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’52.341s, 84 laps
GasGas done it again! Inspired by the success of their stunning Flat Track project bike, and keen to bring offroad fun to the asphalt, GasGas been busy in the workshop building up something just as awesome – a sweet, tire-shredding Supermoto MC 450F!
GasGas sent their trusted mechanic on a trip through their Technical Accessories warehouse to grab everything needed to create a bike that delivers serious thrills on the asphalt. And the best part is, with just a little bit of mechanical know-how, GasGas say it’s super-easy to build your very own Supermoto!
In stock trim, the MC 450F is an awesome motocross machine. But GasGas say their curiosity got the better of them and they decided to fully transform one into a fully-fledged Supermoto. They began with the essentials – a specific wheelset and tires, stronger brakes, and shortened suspension, which are all readily available from the GASGAS Technical Accessories range. The final components were then added to make this a true Supermoto, another project bike completed!
Missed the flat track build? Check it out below.
Keen to build your own GASGAS project bike? Get started today with a trip to your local GASGAS dealer and explore all possibilities with their range of Technical Accessories.
