Located in South Australia, Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend will join the WorldSBK calendar from the Championship’s 41st season onwards. Australia has been a cornerstone of WorldSBK since the Championship first visited the country in 1990, producing some of the sport’s most successful riders and delivering memorable moments for almost four decades. The Bend is one of Australia’s leading motorsport facilities, featuring multiple circuit configurations and modern infrastructure designed to host international events.

Dr Sam Shahin, Managing Director of Shell V-Power Motorsport Park: “Securing WorldSBK is a significant achievement for The Bend and today’s announcement marks a historic day for motorsport and for South Australia. From the outset, our vision has been to create a proud facility capable of attracting the world’s leading motorsport categories and hosting the highest levels of international competition. A decade on, we celebrate a major milestone; WorldSBK is coming.

Read our other WorldSBK news here...

“This championship is set to bring the top motorcycle manufacturers, teams and riders to South Australia, creating a powerful platform that will showcase our venue, our passionate motorsport community and our state to a global audience. WorldSBK has an incredibly passionate global fanbase and we look forward to welcoming them to The Bend and delivering an event experience that reflects the significance of this championship and its place on the international calendar.”

Peter Malinauskas, South Australian Premier:  “Securing WorldSBK further strengthens South Australia’s position as Australia’s motorsport capital and will deliver significant economic, tourism and profile benefits across the state, and in particular our regions. South Australia has built one of the strongest motorsport portfolios in the country. From the world-class facilities at The Bend to the Adelaide street circuit, we are attracting premier events, passionate fans and global attention.

“With WorldSBK joining MotoGP, the Adelaide 500 and the AirTouch 500 Enduro, this announcement reinforces our commitment to motorsport and reflects our determination to ensure South Australia remains the home of motorsport in this country. It also provides a pathway for the next generation of riders, engineers, officials, volunteers and motorsport enthusiasts to engage with world-class competition right here at home.”

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “Australia holds a special place in the history of WorldSBK and remains an important market for our championship, manufacturers, teams and fans. We are pleased to confirm The Bend as the future home of the Australian Round from 2028.

“The venue offers excellent facilities and a strong commitment to motorsport, providing a solid platform for the next chapter of WorldSBK in Australia. We look forward to working closely with the team at The Bend and all local stakeholders as preparations begin for the first event in 2028.”

Further information regarding the inaugural WorldSBK event at The Bend, including dates and ticketing details, will be announced in due course. Keep an eye on WorldSBK.com

The post WorldSBK to race at The Bend from 2028! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Unlike recent seasons where The Bend hosted the championship finale, the South Australian venue now lands in the middle of the calendar, but the pressure on riders remains just as intense across all five championship classes.

Read our ASBK content here…

In the premier SW-Motech Superbike category, Harrison Voight (McMartin Racing Ducati) arrives with the championship lead after winning three of the opening five races. Teammate and five-time champion Josh Waters sits second, trailing by just 14 points, while Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda) holds third after a strong start to his rookie Superbike campaign.

Cru Halliday sits fourth following a pair of podiums at Sydney Motorsport Park, while Anthony West, Cameron Dunker, Glenn Allerton, Mike Jones, Jonathan Nahlous and Jack Favelle remain closely grouped in a tightly contested standings battle.

Jones will be one to watch at The Bend, with three wins and eight podiums from 11 races at the circuit, and will be aiming to bounce back after a subdued start to the season.

Elsewhere, the Kawasaki Supersport championship is led by Jake Farnsworth ahead of Valentino Knezovic and Josh Soderland, while the Supersport Next Gen class sees Olly Simpson narrowly leading Tom Edwards and Hayden Nelson.

The always unpredictable Supersport 300 class has already produced four different winners in five races, with New Zealander Tyler King leading the standings ahead of rookie Orlando Peovitis.

The BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup will also feature at The Bend, with Tom Cameron arriving with a 22-point lead after winning all three races at the Sydney opener.

Fans attending the event can also enjoy off-track entertainment including stunt shows, a trade alley, bike displays and a free Sunday pit-lane walk. Get your tickets here…

The post Stakes rising as Penrite ASBK Championship heads to The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the full race reports from the weekend here…

ASBK Alpinestars Superbike

Michelin Supersport

Supersport 300 & R3 Cup

SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS

The post ASBK Gallery: All The Best Shots From Rd7 At The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Saturday

Alpine Superbike
Troy Herfoss was determined to make his Honda swansong a fairytale after unleashing a towering qualifying performance in round seven of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.

The Queenslander turned up the wick on his Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R in the second Alpinestars Superbike qualifying session at The Bend, and the spoils were spectacular: the first rider to go under the 1m50s bracket at the world-class 4.95km circuit.

“I have never done a qualifying lap that good,” the ebullient 36-year-old said. “I was hoping I could do a 1:49 but I didn’t think it would actually happen. I know it was just qualifying but it’s the most fun I’ve had in one minute and 49 seconds in my life! It’s a pretty emotional weekend and I want to finish it off in the best possible way and work out what I want to do after that.” said Herfoss.

Herfoss’ pole-sitting time was 0.409s ahead of Waters (1:50.298), followed by Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:50.312), Max Stauffer (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R1, 1:50.550) and Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team, 1:50.688).

Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW M 1000 RR, 1:50.881) will complete row two Sunday, with Bryan Staring (MotoGo YZF-R1, 1:51.265), South Australian Arthus Sissis (Unitech Racing YZF-R1, 1:51.274) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track YZF-R1, 1:51.325) on row three.

Alpine Superbikes Q2 Results…

Michelin Supersport
Michelin Supersport is also delicately poised, with returning internationals Harrison Voight and Tom Toparis leading the qualifying charts ahead of the three riders vying for the championship: Olly Simpson, Cameron Dunker and Ty Lynch.

Last year’s double winner Voight (Voight Construction Yamaha YZF-R6) will start from pole position after setting the new best lap around The Bend – 1:54.618. Toparis (Cube Racing Stop & Seal YZF-R6, 1:54.770) and Simpson (Simpson Crash YZF-R6, 1:54.825) are right on Voight’s hammer, so we’re unlikely to see a runaway winner – it’s going to be a tight affair.

Meanwhile, Dunker (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R6, 1:55.322), the championship leader, knows what final round pressure is all about, and he’ll start from grid position No. 4 alongside Lynch (AMR Sports YZF-R6, 1:55.571) and Harry Khouri (Addicted to Track YZF-R6, 1:57.851) – another Aussie expat back in town for the ASBK finale.

Supersport 600 Q2 Results…

R3 Cup/Supersport 300
Two races also await the Supersport cohort Sunday, while three of the other SBK classes – Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, Supersport 300 and bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup – are already in competition mode but remain ‘live’ rubbers.

After a forced restart following an Abbie Cameron crash which brought out the red flag, the racing in the Supersport 300 opener was as tight as ever before boiling down to a three-way fight between Cameron Swain, Brodie Gawith and Marcus Hamod.

And that’s how they finished in a blanket finish, with Swain victorious by just 0.013s to move into the title lead by 9ts over Hamod. The Yamaha Finance R3 Cup produced more Swain magic as he claimed the spoils from Gawith, while Hamod just held out Henry Snell and Jordan Simpson for third. Swain also holds sway in R3 Cup by 9pts, with two races remaining in each class.

Saturday R3 Cup/Supersport 300 Results…

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Polesitter Archie Schmidt won race one in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup after a nail-biting finish saw him execute a perfectly timed pass on Jake Paige on the last turn. The pair, in a very unusual OJC scenario, cleared out from the main pack, with Rikky Henry finishing in a lonely third before the pack tightened up. Schmidt also set a new lap record of 2:30.941 in a brilliant OJC outing. He now has a 9pt lead over Bodie Paige, who was fourth in race one.

OJC Saturday Results…

Sureflight Superbike Masters
Only one 2023 champion was crowned: Keo Watson in the popular Sureflight Superbike Masters class. Watson heads into the Sunday with a championship under his belt.

The Sureflight Superbike Masters grid was stacked with Aussie racing legends: three-time MotoGP winner Garry McCoy Yamaha TZ750), Isle of Man Classic TT winner David Johnson (Suzuki Katana) and dual World Superbike champion Troy Corser (Yamaha 0W01).

Watson and Ryan Taylor (Suzuki GSX-R1100) completed the podium in race one, and in race two McCoy was runner-up ahead of Taylor. McCoy had earlier fluffed the race one start on the big two-stroke before slicing his way back to fourth.

Sureflight Superbike Masters Saturday Results

Sunday

Alpine Superbikes
A superb final round clean sweep from Troy Herfoss in the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at The Bend has secured the Queenslander a third Australian Superbike title.

The 36-year-old was peerless in round seven Alpinestars Superbike action on the South Australian circuit, with his maximum points haul on the immaculately prepared Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R keeping the door firmly shut on his main championship rival, Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R).

Herfoss defeated Waters in a tight race one finish, before a mid-race crash from Waters in the decider took all the pressure off the new 2023 champion, who signed off from his career with Honda in fairytale fashion. After the anguish of losing previous ASBK Championships by slim margins, today’s victory was all about pure adulation.

Herfoss completed the seven-round championship on 344pts, ahead of Waters (324) and Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 260), the latter nabbing third from Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW M 1000 RR, 259) at the death knell.

As well as the two race wins and the championship spoils, Herfoss now owns the fastest Superbike lap around the 4.95km circuit – icing on the cake for what was a brutally efficient campaign from first practice on Friday until today’s heroics. Herfoss methodically piled on the pressure bit by bit, which ultimately proved too much for the opposition – even Waters.

“It doesn’t get any better than this, as the riders I compete against are so hard to beat,” said “Herfoss. To be able to finish up with Honda with a championship is just incredible. We have grown a lot as a team this year and just got better and better. And this is the best I have ever ridden a motorbike. But I want to pay credit to my opposition, and particularly Josh who I also battled with in the 2017 championship. He’s such a tough competitor and literally rode his bike into the ground to try and beat me. And I know he’s in a lot of pain with his injuries: I’ve got a of respect for him and his team.”

The opening 11-lap race saw Herfoss lead from start to finish, with Waters running line astern for the majority of the journey save for a brief period when defending ASBK champion Mile Jones (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1) slotted into second. Waters’ move back into second coincided with Herfoss setting a new race lap record (1m50.529s), which saw him stretch his lead to just under one second.

Waters dug in his heels, though, and he was running with Herfoss by the final lap. However, Herfoss was impregnable and held on by 0.253sec and increased his championship lead to 6pts, with the slow-starting Halliday third ahead of Jones, Allerton, Max Stauffer (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R1), Bryan Staring (MotoGo YZF-R1) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track YZF-R1).

Race two saw Stauffer and Staring both crash out within the first two laps, but the most telling departure was Waters after losing the front end on his V4R at turn six while in second place. He remounted and finished 10th, but Herfoss only had to keep his powder dry over the final four laps to guarantee championship success. He was duly untroubled, and could even acknowledge the crowd on the final lap – an early reward for a stellar season which yielded eight wins and 12 podiums.

Halliday passed Jones on the final lap in the battle for second, while Allerton was fourth from West, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Marcus Chiodo (CBR100RR-R) and Ted Collins (Livson Racing M 1000 RR). Halliday’s rich vein of season-ending form saw him finish third in the championship.

ASBK Sunday Results.

Michelin Supersport
History was created during the final round of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, when Cameron Dunker became the youngest winner of the Michelin Supersport title since its inception 30 years ago. And the icing on the cake? Dunker turned 16 on the day of his championship success.

“It’s a dream come true, because at the beginning of the season I had no idea this would be possible,” said a delighted Dunker. As the year went on it started to take shape, and me to be champion is something I will be very proud of for many years. It has also given me extra confidence I can take into the future. I’d like to thank my team, my family and everyone else who has been a part of this journey. It’s going to take a while to sink in.”

Coming into the round Dunker (GTR Moto Stars Yamaha YZF-R6) was in a title fight with South Australians Olly Simpson (Simpson Crash YZF-R6) and Ty Lynch (AMR Sports YZF-R6). Adding to the spectacle was the return of some fast Aussies from overseas, led by 17-year-old Harrison Voight.

In race one, Voight led off the line but it wasn’t long before Simpson muscled his way into the lead with the knowledge that he had to win both races for any chance of wresting the title from Dunker’s grasp. Dunker was smart letting them duke it out, quite content to watch the drama unfold in front of him. Voight won the race from Simpson by just 0.019sec after overtaking him on the drag to the line.

The final race of the year was almost a mirror image of the opener as Simpson and Voight diced with each other and Dunker eventually settled into fourth behind Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV YZF-R6) to wrap up the championship. Voight won again from Simpson to make it a perfect weekend with pole position, a lap record and two race wins.

Supersport 600 Sunday Results

SUPERSPORT 300 AND YAMAHA FINANCE R3 CUP
Marcus Hamod is the 2023 Supersport 300 champion after a 3-1-1 scorecard in the final round saw him finish on 327pts, just in front of Cameron Swain (323). Brandon Demmery (300pts) was third.

Cameron Swain was initially awarded the championship before a protest was lodged against him for passing under a yellow flag in race two. The protest was upheld, and Cameron Swain was demoted from first to second in the race – and by the same spot in the championship.

Swain wasn’t left empty-handed, though: he won the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup after 1-1-5 results over the weekend. He finished on 297pts, from Brodie Gawith (287) and Henry Snell (276). Gawith was second in all three races, with Hamod, Jordy Simpson and Snell filling the podium places.

R3 Cup & Supersport 300 Sunday Results

SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS
Keo Watson (Yamaha FZR1000) already had the overall title in his keeping, and he finished first and second on Sunday to increase his lead in the final standings to a 77pts (228 to 151) over Murray Clark (Suzuki GSX-R1127), with Ryan Taylor (Suzuki GSX-R1100, 138) in third. Sunday’s race two was won by David Johnson (Suzuki Katana), while Garry McCoy (Yamaha TZ750) also finished on the podium.

Superbike Masters Sunday Results.

OJC
Another breathtaking year of bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup competition came to an end at The Bend circuit in South Australia on December 3, with teenage sensation Archie Schmidt winning the title emphatically after a trio of victories.

As the intensity grew in every race – the lap record was broken on consecutive occasions – Schmidt was equal to the task as he completed the title on 327pts ahead of Bodie Paige (297) and Haydn Fordyce (277).

As usual, there were thrills, some spills and wafer-thin winning margins, all on the free-flowing circuit where the diminutive and bulletproof Yamaha YZF-R15s were stretched to their limit. Race one on Saturday saw Schmidt best Jake Paige and Rikki Henry, with the latter then finishing on the tail of Schmidt in Sunday’s two instalments. Bodie Paige and Valentino Knezovic also scored podium finishes.

OJC Sunday Results

The post ASBK Season Finale: Herfoss Crowned Champion At The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Jones entered the final round with a comfortable 38-point lead but was determined the finish the year as strongly as he started. He publicly stated his goal was to put his Yamaha R1M on pole and then win both races over the weekend to stamp his authority on 2022 championship. It was a lofty ambition, but Jones had shown he was more than capable of achieving it given his 2022 form on the Yamaha.

Jones immediately showed he was deadly serous about his ambitions when he parked his Yamaha on P1 after an intense final qualifying period that saw the top spot change hands several times in the last frantic minute of action. One box ticked, two to go.

Sunday dawned and clearly nervous, Jones needed nothing more than a solid top ten finish to secure his third ASBK Championship. The nerves stepped up another level when just two laps into the race, it was red flagged due to a downed rider and the field was restacked for a ten lap sprint.

His re-start was good and he was travelling well inside the top three but the top eight were all wheel to wheel and with it being the last event of the year, they all had nothing to lose, expect Jones. He quietly settled into a good pace and deliberately stayed out of any on track tussles. He was shuffled back to sixth spot and was more than happy to reel off laps on his way to the championship. His sixth place was more than enough to claim the championship with one race remaining.

Race two and the pressure was off. It wasn’t for points any more it was for pride. Again, his start was good and within a few laps, he hit the lead. But the chasing pack wasn’t ready to lay down just yet and the battle heated up quickly as first it was Senna Agius, then Wayne Maxwell and later Troy Herforss, who all took aim at Jones.

But with a few laps remaining it was time for one last effort for the new crowned champion. He snatched back the lead from Maxwell, put in two sensational laps to break the spirit of his competition and then when race one winner, Herfoss, went down, suddenly the round win came into play. Jones took the race win and with his fist in the air claimed his fourth-round win of the season and put the finishing touches on a sensational championship run.

“I’m elated,” Jones announces from the podium. “I didn’t want just to win the championship, I wanted to do it the right way so after race one, it was time to send it. The team did a great job on the bike and as the laps went on, the better the bike felt. To see the guys climbing the pit wall as I went over the finish line was awesome as they got the chance to experience what I was feeling. We are a tight team and Dyllan, Joel and Kev work so hard.”

“I didn’t even realise at that stage I had won the day. I knew a 1-6 would put me on the podium but I didn’t think it would get the win until I got back to the podium and the boys told me. So, I didn’t get the pole, 1-1 goal but I was pretty close and it feels amazing to win the championship, not just for myself, but for Yamaha.”

“A huge thank you to everyone in the Yamaha Racing Team and the environment the team has created for me. When you change teams, you ae never sure how it’s going to pan out, but the team have been sensational and I hope they feel they are as much a part of this championship as me. My family who have continued to support and encourage me over the years, my partner Chrissie and so many others behind the scenes. This one just feels good,” Jones ends.

It was a weekend that just got away from Cru Halliday. From the moment his bike was unloaded from the truck on Friday morning, Halliday was fast. He was at the top or very near to it every time he hit the track and in fact, it was only in the last minute of qualifying that his teammate Jones and Moto GP regular, Jack Miller, dropped him back to third.

But he just wasn’t quite able to turn that pace into a podium position on Sunday. Let down by average starts in both races, Halliday finished the day with 8-6 results to claim fourth overall. Left to play catch up in both races, Halliday matched the pace of the front runners but was left behind the eight ball with track position after being swamped at the start.

“I felt like I was riding good all weekend and the bike was in great shape, but I turned a front row grid position into a mid-pack start in both races and left to chase for the next 11 laps. With the field as fast as they are now, no one can afford to give anyone a head start, so I just made it too hard on myself. Congratulations to Mike on his championship and a great result for Yamaha. The team deserve that success as they continue to work so hard behind the scenes each and every week,” Halliday said.

“Its been a massive year for the team and they can be extremely proud of their fantastic results in 2022,” says Yamaha Motorsport Manager, Scott Bishop.

“Its been a long time since YRT have won the ASBK Superbike division so this one not only means a lot to those within the team but also everyone at Yamaha Motor Australia. John, Kevin and Dyllan are the backbone of YRT and have made huge sacrifices to turn the team around and get themselves back on top. Mike has also been a massive boost coming to Yamaha and we congratulate everyone on their championship success and a job well done,” Bishop ends.

The post Jones Crowned 2022 ASBK Champion appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday
A full day of practice for all classes in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) from 8:30 am with clear skies, bright sun and near-perfect conditions for getting out on a racing motorcycle with some good friends/mortal enemies.

Alpinestars Superbike
In Superbike FP1, Josh Hook hit the top of the sheets when he completed the first flying lap of the day as 30 Superbikes made their way out on track. The Thriller Motorsport trio of Hook, Shrötter and Miller were very keen to bank as many laps as possible on their untested machines.

It was soon business as usual; Maxwell, Herfoss and very-keen-to-perform-at-home Arthur Sissis the top three early. Other early fast guys included West, Allerton, Jones and Waters. Jack Miller was into the top ten, a very good sign that his Thriller Motorsport bike was good out of the crate and an ominous sign for the regulars.

Fellow Thriller Motorsport rider Josh Hook and Marcel Shrötter were not unreasonably down in the mid-teens for the session, along with Moto3 regular Joel Kelso having his first hit out on a Superbike. Troy Herfoss was fastest for the session with a late fast lap of 1:51.737, narrowing the gap to the lap record of 1:50.972 and pole record of 1:50.520. It was very solid for a first practice.

At the very start of FP2, Josh Hook crashed on his out lap at turn 12 due to an electronics issue that resulted in a high side. He was icing his wrist in the paddock ahead of FP3, but indicated he would not join that session and see how he pulled up Saturday morning to decide if he would participate in the rest of the round.

While Hook was picking himself up, Maxwell went back up to the top with Arthur Sissis again second. Cru Halliday sorted out earlier issues to push into third with FP1 fast man Herfoss close. Jack Miller spent some time at the top of the timesheets before Cru Halliday delivered for the regular ASBK competitors and took P1 ahead of Sissis and Herfoss.

Earlier in the morning, Sissis had bemoaned the number of times he had been P2 during practice sessions at The Bend over the years and it had happened again. Jack Miller was an outstanding fourth with Wayne Maxwell fifth. Championship leader Mike Jones was down in eighth, but ahead of second-in-the-championship Bryan Staring who was 12th and Jones was close enough to third placed Wayne Maxwell to be justifiably unconcerned.

Higher track temperatures appeared to take some of the pace out of the field early in Free Practice Two, but they apparently worked it out and Halliday’s 1:51.518 was 2/10ths quicker than Herfoss’ time from the morning, still working towards the lap record of Maxwell from 2021 of 1:50.972.

In FP3, Herfoss was again up top early. Mike Jones responded brilliantly to all the pressure and other things from this weekend to go to the top with 15 minutes to go. Arthur Sissis – as he had done in every other session- was in the top three with Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell fourth and fifth respectively.

Jack Miller was down in tenth with 12 minutes to go and was a second slower than his best FP2 time. We all waited for him to let loose something special. At ten minutes to go, Cru Halliday put his Yamaha first for a YRT 1-2 with he and Jones at the top of the standings. Bryan Staring’s tough practice day got worse with crash at turn six, but the timing screens indicated “rider up” to the relief of all.

With six minutes left for the day it was Halliday, Jones and Herfoss on top. Maxwell (4th) was followed by two of SA’s finest in Sissis and Falzon in that order. DesmoSport Ducati’s day got even worse when Broc Pearson went down at Turn 12 and again we were pleased to see “rider up” but it was shaping as a rough evening for the factory Ducati squad with two bikes off in ten minutes.

The red flag came out with 4:57 left, perhaps effectively ending the session as a useful exercise. While they recovered the Pearson Ducati, riders went back to their garages to reset and that’s when we found out Miller had crashed as well; somewhere late in the lap and had ridden back to the pits. He was unharmed and the damage to his bike didn’t look severe, but it was also not minor. Screen gone, left winglet gone and some work to do to get the Thriller Racing Caterpillar machine back to race-ready.

When the session restarted, everyone was there at the end of pitlane ready to go. It was like a race start with riders desperate to get a few flyers in ahead of the chequered flag. Sissis put in his fastest lap of the session to go to P2, then Jones, Herfoss and Allerton were up in sector one as the chequered flag came out. At the end of the session it was again Halliday from Sissis with Mike Jones third. Maxwell was fourth with Herfoss in fifth.

Overall for the day result saw Halliday top dog and the only rider in the 1:50s with Arthur Sissis in P2, Mike Jones third and Maxwell and Herfoss completing the top five.

Superbike The Bend Merged Practice Results (Full Results Here)

1 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.969
2 Arthur Sissis – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:51.122
3 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:51.191

Michelin Supersport
Ty Lynch set the agenda for the Michelin Supersport crew with he and Tom Bramich going 1-2 in first practice while John Lytras was back in seventh, just adding a little warmth to the ingredients for the title fight in that class.

The points situation sees Lytras able to not have to win this weekend, simply keeping Lynch and Bramich in sight will see him take the title. In the second session, Harrison Voight- the only Supersport racer from the Thriller Racing stable -went P1 early and stayed there. Lynch and Bramich were two and three while Lytras slipped back to ninth. In the final session for the day Scott Nicholson went down early in Turn 13 after 6 laps.

Tom Bramich managed to pip Thriller Motorsport’s Harrison Voight for P1 with Ty Lynch in third. Lytras was sixth, but comfortably close to the leaders to avoid any panic stations vis a vis the title situation.

Supersport The Bend Merged Practice Results (Full Results Here)

1 Thomas Bramich – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.182
2 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.403
3 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.142

Dunlop Supersport 300
In FP1, 2021 OJC Champion Cameron Swain stepped up to P1 with a small but useful gap to Sam Pezzetta and Hayden Nelson. Championship leader Cameron Dunker was sixth and a second off.

By FP2 however, Dunker apparently made some changes and immediately leapt to the top of the standings to assert himself. Pezzetta worked his way past Dunker to P1 late in the session and Dunker responded, posting his fastest lap – good enough for P2- on his final lap. Taiyo Aksu was third with Henry Snell fourth and Brodie Gawith fifth.

The final practice session of the day saw Hayden Nelson bounce back and post the fastest time and ensure that he isn’t forgotten in the title chase. Cameron Swain was second and Dunker rounded out the top three.

The overall results for the day saw Hayden Nelson first, then Cameron Swain, Cameron Dunker, Sam Pezzetta and Taiyo Aksu fifth. Third in the title chase, Henry Snell did not post a time in the final practice of the day.

Dunlop Supersport 300 The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.604
2 Cameron Swain – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.783
3 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.885

R3 Cup
If Dunker was going to play it quiet in the R3 Cup while he focussed on the Dunlop Supersport 300 title, then he sure messed up when he was sure not playing it right as he was at or near the top in multiple sessions. In FP1, Cameron Dunker was top of the table from Glenn Nelson and Cameron Swain.

Cameron Swain was able to place his R3 up top in FP2 from Pezzetta and Gawith. Dunker was down in sixth, but was safe (for now!) with second overall Glenn Nelson in ninth while third in the title chase Hayden Nelson was seventh.

In the final practice session of the day, Dunker was on top by .2 of a second with Hayden Nelson second and Marcus Hamod third. Sam Pezzetta was fourth with Taiyo Aksu fifth to setup a fascinating weekend in the currently tied R3 Cup!

R3 Cup The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.675
2 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:10.909
3 Marcus Hamod – Yamaha YZF-R3 2:11.199

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Ryan Larkin was at the top – or near enough – in both early practice sessions and showed a real affinity for The Bend layout, comfortably out front with a second over the field at times. The interest remains with championship leader Harrison Watts who just needs to be thereabouts in qualifying and then ensure he buys a ticket on the leading group train come race time.

In FP2, Cameron Rende – currently second in the title chase – was 10th, while third overall Hudson Thompson was 14th.  In the final practice of the day -FP3, it was that Ryan Larkin fellow again and this time by an unimaginable 1.4 seconds to Hamod and Fleming in third. For the current Championship 1-2-3, Harrison Watts was in 12th, Cameron Rende fourth and Hudson Thompson in eighth.

OJC The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:29.878
2 Marcus Hamod – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:31.317
3 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15 2:31.434

Sureflight Superbike Masters
One of the popular-for-a-look-in-the-paddock classes, the Superbike masters were on track for three practice sessions. In FP1 it was local rider Strugnell on his Suzuki 750 who was P1 against higher capacity machines, but showing how good his machine was at The Bend.

In FP2 it was David Johnson on another Suzuki- an 1100 this time who was top of the table. The final session late in the day saw Aaron Morris finally push his Suzuki 1200 into the top spot and take the fastest lap honours for the day.

Superbike Masters The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Aaron Morris – Suzuki 1200 2:02.108
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750 2:03.134
3 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100 2:04.276

Horsell Sidecars
The pairing of Underwood and Vercoe abord their F1 class Suzuki were dominant all day with some 12 seconds (not a typo!) between them and the field in the first two sessions. Harvey and Marshall were the best of the rest in FP1 with Gorrie/Gorrie second fastest in FP2 and fastest in the F2 class.

In the final session of the day, it was… Underwood and Varcoe again on top, this time by under 2 seconds as Harvey and Marshall got down to business in the F2 class- and overall. For the day it was Underwood Varcoe from Harvey/Marshall with Clancy/Bonney just .8 behind. The earlier outrageous advantage enjoyed by the leaders was now under two seconds..!

Sidecars The Bend Merged Practice (Full Results Here)

1 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000 2:10.991
2 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000 2:14.800
3 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000 2:15.681

Saturday
Of course, there was some rain in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK), and we even had oil on the track at one stage, but The Bend refused to fall into the weather trap we found ourselves in at Phillip Island.

Alpinestars Superbike
In Qualifying Two the top three go through to the final Qualifying and effectively back into the main game. At the end of the session, it was Daniel Falzon back in after clocking the fastest time with Senna Agius and Jed Metcher for company. Both DesmosSport Ducatis were again absent with Bryan Staring fourth and .147 from third place, while Broc Pearson was seventh. Of the one-round riders, Thriller Motorsport’s Marcel Shrötter was fifth and Livson’s Joel Kelso sixth.

So to Qualifying Two and the last qualifying session of the year. Just 12 riders were present and so plenty of clear track was available. Billy McConnell had progressed from struggle town to the top nine and was now into this all-important final qualifying session. Jed Metcher and Daniel Falzon were busy turning their bikes around from Q1 and were not on the circuit at the session’s start.

Wayne Maxwell ran wide early at turn six just to ensure he was placing himself under maximum pressure to either produce a diamond or find himself further back. Arthur Sissis and Mike Jones posted fastest laps early to take some pressure off and Jack Miller banked a top two “safety” as well. Herfoss, McConnell and Maxwell were in the pits and yet to complete a flying lap with seven minutes left in the session. The lap record seemed safe at six minutes to go with the order Jones, Miller and Sissis.

While Jones and Miller were in the pits, Herfoss and Maxwell were out on track trying to respond. Maxwell was eleventh at three minutes to go and you had to wonder what the plan was. At two minutes to go the leaderboard was awash with riders on target for the fastest lap of the day.

Halliday suddenly went P1, and Waters to P2. Miller stuck it into provisional pole. Maxwell pitted without a fast lap and with that went any hope for the championship. Jones put his YRT R1M on pole with seconds to spare just to underline his justifiable claim to the title for 2022. Jack Miller was an outstanding second and Cru Halliday ensured the YRT squad would be well-represented on the front row of the grid.

In fourth was the outstanding Glenn Allerton who was not favourited to be this close to the front based on earlier results and fifth was Arthur Sissis who would be disappointed after beingg second in basically every other session Senna Agius pipped teammate Troy Herfoss for seventh with Billy McConnell ninth, Daniel Falzon tenth, and Jed Metcher eleventh.

Incredibly, Wayne Maxwell was 12th and the last finisher in this final qualifying session of 2022 and indeed his Australian Superbike career, some 2.753 seconds behind Jones sitting on pole.

Superbike The Bend Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.644
2 Jack Miller – Ducati V4R 1:50.805
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:50.864

Michelin Supersport
The first qualifying for the Saturday Michelin Supersport Squad was an early one and the man of the session was Harrison Voight who just went bang, bang, bang. To play that out, he went fastest on lap two (1:56.908), lap four (1:56.337) and lap five (1:56.058). No one else got a look in.

Tom Bramich made life difficult for himself and his team, crashing halfway through the session. Passfield also went down. Dallas Skeer was able to work his way to second, surprising even himself while a somewhat fortunate Bramich was third, the clearly injured Ty Lynch fourth and Scott Nicholson fifth. Championship leader John Lytras was back in eighth, but that spot still comfortably delivers the championship if replicated in the race.

In Qualifying Two it was a session split by both rain and a serious crash requiring a red flag after Luca Durning went down at turn 10 with 18 minutes to go. The results from the second qualifying reflect the rain situation with Morgan McLaren-Wood P1, Scott Nicholson second and the unfortunate Luca Durning third.

On combined times, the grid for tomorrow reflects the results from First Qualifying with Thriller Racing’s Harrison Voight on pole from Dallas Skeer, Tom Bramich, Ty Lynch and Scott Nicholson.

Supersport The Bend Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:56.058
2 Dallas Skeer– Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.225
3 Thomas Bramich – Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.230

Dunlop Supersport 300
In race one, Dunker led as he is want to do, but had Hayden Nelson and Sam Pezzetta for company.  On lap one, Port and Rende came together at turn one and both crashed out of the race. Cameron Swain pitted with his gear lever hanging off. Glenn Nelson was found to have jumped the start and there his slim titles ended.

On lap four, Pezzetta and Hayden Nelson got past Dunker, but he returned the favour before the lap was done. Into the last few laps and the hard racing began in earnest. Any thoughts Dunker had about a solo break were quelled when he was shuffled down to fourth while Pezzetta and a resurgent Aksu took the top spots with Hayden Nelson third.

With two turns to run Aksu ran wide and found himself down in fourth while Dunker set himself for the run to the line.He was unable to slip past and a deserving Sam Pezzetta saluted for first with Hayden Nelson second.

Cameron Dunker was third at the line and this points haul saw the baby-faced assassin take the Dunlop Supersport title for 2022. Dunker paused at the entrance to pit lane to don the traditional champion t-shirt and a gold helmet to boot. His crew- including superbike rookie Max Stauffer- posed for a pic and he headed to the podium. At the post-race presser, he sat next to Jack Miller, drank it all in and perhaps dared to dream. As he ought.

Supersport 300 The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Hayden Nelson – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.131)
3 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+0.153)

Yamaha R3 Cup
Tension was mounting just at the start it was the perfect run into an exceptionally eventful race. Straight off the line Dunker, Aksu and Pezzetta were at another level until Pezzetta was squeezed back to sixth place down the main straight. This wouldn’t be the only time Pezzetta would find himself on the sharp end of some pointy racing.

Not giving up, Pezzetta clawed back to third place over Snell, Hamod and Aksu through lap three and then Pezzetta was again back into fourth. He was not to be denied, however, and a late charge saw him back up to second at the line. But today was Dunker’s to savour. Fresh from winning the Dunlop Supersport 300 title, he was the smooth operator and was dominant throughout the entire race posting his fastest lap of 2:11.144 on lap two.

It may have been Dunker’s Day, but Sam Pezzetta never gave up to take second place in the R3 Cup.

R3 Cup The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3  (+1.723)
3 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3 (+1.888)

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
In race one, fastest rider Larkin was not on pole after incurring a six-grid spot penalty from the Phillip Island MotoGP support race round. It mattered not, he was at the front of the pack by the end of lap one after lapping seconds ahead of the field and then just danced off into the distance. Thanks to consistent, clean and fast laps, it was never in doubt.

Terrin Fleming and Bodie Page battled on and were second and third with championship leader Harrison Watts down in tenth, leaving the door open to the title challengers Rende (5th) and Thompson (6th) who will need a lot more tomorrow to bridge the 20 and 22 points deficit they face.

OJC The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15 (+5.391)
3 Bodie Paige – Yamaha YZF-R15 (+5.488)

Sureflight Superbike Masters
In race one, the riders jumped away with a couple a little too keen and race direction placed the start under investigation. Aaron Morris jumped over Dave Johnson for the lead, only to have his bike expire a few laps later. Johnson went back into P1 with Strugnell and Coote for company.

And there they would remain to the line, with Johnson aboard his 1100 Suzuki taking the win by 2 seconds over William Strugnell on a 750 Suzuki with another 11 seconds back to the third place Honda 750 of Aiden Coote.

Superbike Masters The Bend Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750 (+2.071)
3 Aiden Coote – Honda 750 (+11.683)

Horsell Sidecars
Patrick Clancy and Stephen Bonney continued their reign taking out the fastest lap with a 2:09.661 on lap six. Underwood/Vercoe held second for the entire race and looked to be able to finish in second until the charge of Harvey and Marshal caught them in the final lap making sure they settled for third.  

Work was done early with Harvey and Marshal jumping into third place on lap one of the race chasing down and planning a successful attack on Underwood and Vercoe. The race was largely incident-free, with only mechanical issues striking a few victims in the race. Jones and Boggiano were 2 of these such victims stopping on turn 13, halfway through the race and the Turner/Turner machine stopping on turn 6 but being able to resume.

The last race of the day- race two for the sidecars- was eventful with multiple mechanical and other issues facing the field. We lost Watson/Hegarty, then Rayner/Warne with plenty of smoke and excitement. At the finish, it was Patrick Clancy / Stephen Bonney from the formerly unassailable Underwood/Vercoe second with Harvey / Marshall in third.

Sidecars The Bend Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000
2 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000 (+2.006)
3 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000 (+27.374)

Sunday
Sunday Sees All Our Champions Crowned: Jones, Lytras, Dunker and Watts! Of course, there was talk of rain in the Sunday edition of the Australian Superbike Championship, but it never materialised. Instead, we saw some of the best racing of the season with all the things that make motorcycle racing brilliant.

Superbike Race One
Sissis just sent it from the line and jumped away into the lead while Miller slipped back to fifth. Allerton was second with Jones in third. Maxwell, Herfoss and Starting got great starts. Halliday was caught napping and was 12th.

Sissis worked up a small gap over Allerton and Jones and no one who had been watching the Unitech Yamaha with Sissis aboard all weekend were surprised. Jones tried a move into turn one of lap two and it cost him a place as the wry contender Miller pounced.

As our eyes were rightly on Miller, Staring and McConnell came together and both went down at turn one and that brought out the red flag. The riders went to the grid for another go at the starting caper. Staring was allowed to rejoin (McConnell excluded) and Halliday would be thanking the racing gods, having been given another chance after his first start nightmare where he was 12th at the red flag.

Agius was missing with a clutch issue and Staring went late from pit lane. An electrical issue would end Staring’s charge shortly after.

At the restart, it was Sissis all over again with Glenn Allerton again second. Herfoss was faster this time and third, while newly minted SBK champion Jones was fourth. Miller did a better job off the line this time and yet was only fifth. Halliday would perhaps have been happier with sixth at this point and Maxwell settled for seventh from his 12th on the grid. Miller pulled up with a chain issue and did not complete lap one, but was able to circulate to pit lane. His long face in his pit box told the story.

Meanwhile, Herfoss got past Allerton and Arthur Sissis was up the road a little, just .6 ahead. In a fascinating and potentially explosive situation, teammates Waters and Maxwell were upon Mike Jones who was sixth. For all the potential of this situation, both riders passed the championship-leading #46 Jones without incident. It was apparent that Jones was indeed happy to ride for the points needed to take the title.

Up front, the sentimental local favourite Arthur Sissis was doing his best work of the season with Herfoss for company. Waters was up to third, Maxwell fourth while Glenn Allerton found himself down in fifth. Maxwell had an easy pass on teammate Waters, but for those who thought there were team orders, Waters nearly repassed the #1 Ducati shortly after. he would later reveal it was just due to a hot tow down the straight from his teammate.

At half distance, Arthur Sissis was putting his speedway skills to good effect and was sliding here and there. Maxwell was now second on a huge charge and we could only ponder the tyre life on the Pirellis. Lap six, and Maxwell took the lead and pulled out to a .4 second gap. He was riding like a man possessed and some consideration really had to be given to tyre life for the powerful Ducati.

Marcel Shrötter was doing the job for the Thriller Motorsport Team in tenth with West ahead and Metcher behind him. Herfoss had Maxwell down to under .4 but it was clear there were some tyre degradation issues for some more than others as Sissis dropped to fifth. Shortly after, Herfoss took the lead into turn one of lap nine.

We now had a group of three with Herfoss, Maxwell and Allerton battling on. Waters could see them, but was just a little further back. The last lap and Herfoss was hungry for his first win of 2022. Maxwell needed the 25 points and Allerton was similarly keen to salute for a win in a winless year. As we headed to turn 17, the most likely passing point for The Bend, Herfoss did all he could to get a gap. Maxwell looked to be too far back. Allerton and Maxwell were briefly out of their seats and so were the crowd. Herfoss’ gap was enough. He took his first win of the year at the second-to-last race of 2022.

That would be enough cause for an enormous celebration but for one factor. By finishing fifth, YRT’s #46 Mike Jones was now the 2022 Alpinestars Champion.

Superbike The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
3 Arthur Sissis – Yamaha YZF-R1

Michelin Supersport

Race One
With the championship still live, it was the non-championship players who were well involved with Dallas Skeer taking the holeshot with Harrison Voight close by. Championship challengers Bramich and Lynch were thereabouts, but Lytras- the heir apparent- was back in 10th early.

Voight pulled out a sensational opening lap and took a second-plus lead into lap two. Bramich and Lynch were dicing for fourth, but really needed to push to the front to put Lytras under any pressure. Scott Nicholson was in third, three seconds behind second-placed Dallas Skeer who was feeling rejuvenated at the 4.95km Bend International Circuit. Lynch got past Nicholson on lap four and pushed on towards Skeer, while Thriller Motorsports Harrison Voight just scooted away. On lap five he was four seconds up and the interest then remained with Lynch, Nicolson and Bramich.

Despite the race being just a nine-lap journey, tyre life was going to feature so some riders were just holding back a tad to ensure they could run to the finish. Lynch set his fastest lap of the race to date to cement his third place and Bramich realised he had to chase and set off, passing Nicholson as the fight was on for third place for the race and second for the title. Lynch responded and pulled another fast lap and was 3.6 seconds ahead while Tom Bramich in fifth fell away from Nicholson in fourth. Meanwhile, Lytras was up to seventh, but not enough points to take the title with a lap to go.

Harrison Voight sensibly backed off a little on the run to the line and the Thriller Motorsport racer took a four-second victory to post the first win for the team for the day. The title championship would require just one more race to be decided.

Race Two
Harrison Voight came to play and was out of the gate fast and loose and looking to escape. Thanks to an epic and fast lap two, the 16-year-old worked his way up the road lap by lap, leaving the championship regulars in his wake.

Lynch set after the Thriller Motorsport Yamaha, but by lap five, the gap was 4 seconds. Skeer was third, some 2 seconds further back. And so it was for multiple laps. Voight was on the edge and yet in control and you could not help but be impressed. In the title race, Bramich was sixth and out of the hunt, while Lytras was eighth and on track to take the title. Lynch was in second, but would need to get the win and have Lytras DNF.

Meanwhile, Lytras had his hands full with Farnsworth challenging, but Lytras wisely let him go. All he needed was some points as a safety barrier for the title and Lynch was now six seconds behind Voight. Voight went over the line for the win, Lynch in second, Skeer third. John Lytras crossed the line in ninth, but rightfully took the 2022 Supersport title..!

Supersport The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Harrison Voight – Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Ty Lynch – Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Dallas Skeer – Yamaha YZF-R6

Supersport 300 The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

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

R3 Cup The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Dunker – Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Sam Pezzetta – Yamaha YZF-R3
3 Taiyo Aksu – Yamaha YZF-R3

OJC The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Teerin Fleming – Yamaha YZF-R15
2 Bodie Paige – Yamaha YZF-R15
3 Ryan Larkin – Yamaha YZF-R15

Superbike Masters The Bend Round Podium (Full Results Here)

1 David Johnson – Suzuki 1100
2 William Strugnell – Suzuki 750
3 Murray Clarke – Suzuki 1100

Sidecars The Bend Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Patrick Clancy/Stephen Bonney – Suzuki 1000
2 Phillip Underwood/Tristan Vercoe – Suzuki 1000
3 Des Harvey/Stephen Marshall – RHR 1000

The post ASBK Weekend: All The Action From The Bend appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Josh Hook: The newly crowned 2022 Endurance World Champion was at The Bend in 2021 and will be back again, this time alongside good friend Jack Miller. “Hooky” will race in Alpinestars Superbikes.

Marcel Schrötter: The Twenty-nine-year-old German motorcycle racer is currently with Liqui Moly Intact GP competing in Moto2 where he is a regular top ten finisher. Marcel will also compete in the Alpinestars Superbike class at The Bend finale.

Harrison Voight: The sixteen-year-old Queenslander recently raced in Moto3 at the San Marino GP event, finishing 23rd. His regular race category is the Red Bull Rookies Cup where he is a top ten contender. Harry will compete in the Michelin Supersport 600 class at The Bend Finale.

For Peter Doyle, CEO of Motorcycling Australia, the growing numbers in the Thriller Motorsport team is a boost to the event and the finale: “Last year Jack came back to- as he put it; have some fun with his mates, and the three riders announced today shows he’s really continuing that commitment to the event and to having fun..! It will be great to welcome back Josh (Hook) and Harrison (Voight) to the ASBK paddock and for Marcel (Schrötter) I am sure it will be an interesting debut in both the Championship and a first time at the world-class Bend circuit”

“I want to commend Jack for his efforts to bring these quality riders to our event and for fans of Australian motorsport, there’s no better reason to come along or tune in to see what will be an epic finale to season 2022!”

Tickets to the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) finale at The Bend are on sale now via Outix.com.au, thebend.com.au or asbk.com.au.

The post Jack Miller Announces Team Mates For ASBK Finale appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

This year, seven spectacular national classes will compete for supremacy and glory across the 3-day-event showcasing Australia’s top two-wheeled warriors, alongside the stars of the future.

Read last year’s ASBK Finale reports here…

Classes at the ASBK finale will include:

• Alpinestars Superbike
• Michelin SuperSport
• Dunlop SuperSport 300
• Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
• bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
• Superbike Masters
• Australian Sidecar Championship

After battling it out all season long, nearly every class will have to wait until their final race on Sunday to crown their champion for season 2022.

For the first time ever, the Superbike Masters and Australian Sidecar Championship will leave their mark on The Bend’s world-class 4.95km International circuit. The amazing sidecars and classic class of Superbike Masters will return to the ASBK line-up, the first occasion that these historic race bikes from the 70s, 80s and 90s will race at the venue.

The finale offers ASBK fans from across Australia the opportunity to kick-start their summer adventures with all GA tickets enjoying a free upgrade to access prime ride ‘n’ view spectator areas. Additionally, all ticket holders will have access to the paddock area where you get up close to the riders and machines.

Tickets are on sale now via Outix.com.au, thebend.com.au or asbk.com.au.

Dr Sam Shahin, Managing Director, The Bend Motorsport Park: “The Bend is thrilled to welcome the Australian Superbike Championship back to South Australia this November. Interest in Superbike racing is at all-time high driven by the wonderful spectacle the category always offers. Intense racing in previous visits to The Bend has already created some memorable highlights, and the 2022 finale promises to be another exciting event for motorcycle fans.”

Peter Doyle, Motorcycling Australia CEO: “After the runaway success that was last year’s event, the ASBK paddock is very much looking forward to returning to the internationally renowned circuit for what promises to be a fitting finale to season 2022 for all of our categories.’’

Zoe Bettison MP, South Australian Minister for Tourism: “Events like the Superbike Championships provide huge opportunities to showcase once again how South Australia loves an event, and in particular loves motorsport. Not only will the weekend be terrific for race fans, but it will also be a terrific for the region. Historically, visitors tend to explore parts of the stunning Murray River, Lakes & Coorong throughout their time at The Bend – that is great for both the local economy and for our tourism sector.”

The post Tickets On Sale Now For The ASBK Finale At The Bend! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The premier Superbike class saw Wayne Maxwell (Pirelli) enter the weekend with a comfortable points lead over second place, but with a championship up for grabs, and with a field stacked deep with talent, Wayne would have to be on top of his game. And from Friday afternoon it was evident just how good Maxwell and the entire Boost Mobile K-Tech Ducati team are. Setting the fastest lap time in Free Practice 3 on his Ducati V4R was just the start of what was a flawless weekend for Maxwell, going on to take Pole position with a new qualifying lap record on Saturday afternoon, and two race wins on Sunday to secure the Superbike Championship for himself, the Boost Mobile K-Tech Ducati team and Pirelli. 

Taking second overall for the round and securing second place in the championship standings was Glenn Allerton (Pirelli) aboard his Maxima Racing BMW. Allerton rode strong all weekend and put in two great second place finishes behind Maxwell in what was a great result for Glenn and the Maxima Racing BMW team. Rounding out the championship standings podium was Cru Halliday, with Troy Herfoss in fourth, while DesmoSport Ducati’s Oli Bayliss (Pirelli) in his rookie year on board a Superbike rounded out the top 5.

The Australian Supersport Championship is always hotly contested and 2021 would be no different, with 3 riders in the hunt for the title going in to the Grand Finale at The Bend. It was a battle between Broc Pearson (Pirelli) who led the points going in to the final round ahead of Tom Edwards (Pirelli), and Max Stauffer (Pirelli) and it would be no holds barred racing between the riders in what made for some epic racing that won’t soon be forgotten.

Race 1 saw Edwards, Stauffer and Pearson battle at the front of the field early before Edwards was able to make a convincing pass for the lead and gap the other 2 riders. Stauffer was then able to make a pass on Pearson for second with 2 laps to go, holding him off until the finish line. The implications of that pass meant Edwards now trailed Pearson by 1 point in the championship standings with 1 race remaining. The final race of the season would determine the 2021 Supersport champion. And didn’t the final race of the season deliver. With everything on the line, Tom Edwards and Broc Pearson pushed the absolute limits of their Yamaha R6’s at the front of the field, trading paint and swapping positions almost once a lap for the entire race.

On the final lap it was Broc Pearson who was able to make the pass on Edwards, and with just several corners to contend with, was able to block any pass attempts Edwards made to lead in to the last turn. With a short run to the finish line it was Broc Pearson who would cross the finish line first, just 5 one hundredths of a second in front to claim the 2021 ASBK Supersport Championship. A well-deserved and hard fought championship win. Tom Edwards secured second in the championship with his second place finish for the round, while Max Stauffer rounded out the podium in third.

The two deepest fields of the weekend belonged to the two 300 classes, the Supersport 300 class, and the Yamaha R3 Cup. The two extremely competitive classes both had full grids for their 3 races across the weekend, but there was one rider who had been a dominant force in both classes all year. Ben Baker (Pirelli) came in to the weekend with a sizeable points lead in both classes, and just needed consistent finishes across the 3 races in each class to wrap up the titles.

Two third place finishes and a race win in the final race of the weekend was enough to see Baker crowned the 2021 ASBK R3 Cup champion, ahead of Glenn Nelson (Pirelli) who put in 3 great rides which included a race win in Race 2 to secure second overall in the championship standings, while Cameron Dunker (Pirelli) did enough to secure third overall for the championship despite a crash in the last race of the weekend.

In the Supersport 300 class it was anything but smooth sailing for Baker who had once again put himself on Pole, and after a solid third place finish in race 1, it was a crash in race 2 that left him outside of the points and potentially opened up the opportunity for another rider to snatch the championship from his grasp. The final race saw Baker ride a solid race to finish fourth, enough to wrap up the ASBK Supersport 300 Championship.

An amazing effort by Ben to win both the R3 Cup and the Supersport 300 championships. Reece Oughtred (Pirelli) had a great weekend to secure his second place finish in the Supersport 300 class, while Zac Johnson (Pirelli) did enough to hang on to his third place finish overall despite a crash in the final race which saw him finish outside of the points.

The Oceania Junior Cup always sees great battles with every rider aboard identically prepared race bikes, and the Grand Finale at The Bend was no different. With a points lead coming in to the final round, Cameron Swain (Pirelli) would be the rider to beat for the championship, with the likes of Ryan Larkin (Pirelli) and Levi Russo (Pirelli) looking for race wins and maximum points. In the end it was Swain who came out victorious with 2 second place finishes and a race win for the weekend to take out the 2021 Oceania Junior Cup. Larkin put in 3 great rides with 2 race wins and a third place finish to secure his second place overall for the championship, while Levi Russo was super consistent all weekend to lock away his third place for the championship.

Congratulations to all of the 2021 ASBK Champions as well as every rider that went racing in what was a difficult year due to the interruptions and cancellations of events throughout the year. Bring on 2022.

The post Pirelli Secure All 5 ASBK Championships For 2021 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

After a hearty breakfast I zipped over to the track to check out how the inclusion of a MotoGP rider affected crowd numbers at the ASBK Grand Finale. The fact that it took 35 minutes to get into the gates should tell the story – reports indicate that this might be the best attendance in ASBK history.

The entire facility and organisation of the event was absolutely top shelf. Kudos to the track owners and event organisers, considering the disjointed and limited nature of the 2021 ASBK season this weekend should provide a beacon of light for years to come.

I witnessed Miller spending time with almost all of the Oceania Junior Cup kids, chatting about various aspects of life as a racer…

On to the action, and early practice saw the usual suspects at the top of the leader board – Maxwell, Falzon, Bayliss – with outright lap records tumbling further and further as the session progressed. Lucky too, as they were pushed hard by the ring-in. And that really goes to the heart of what we are seeing here this weekend – a transfer of knowledge.

To see Jack Miller riding in competition with the ASBK guys is to witness everyone having their skills elevated. Jack was adamant he was going to make this round to finish his year off with a home race, because he knows how much the local fans have missed out these last two years. 

Whether he realises it or not it actually means more than that. The value to the up and coming riders is immeasurable. The lack of the MotoGP media contingent has provided a freedom I am sure that Miller has missed, one that has allowed him to wander the paddock alone and unfettered. I witnessed Miller spending time with almost all of the Oceania Junior Cup kids, chatting about various aspects of life as a racer. For these heroes of tomorrow with stars in their eyes that alone is an opportunity I am sure they would never have dreamed of.

For these heroes of tomorrow with stars in their eyes that alone is an opportunity I am sure they would never have dreamed of…

Back on the track, Miller had a minor off at turn 1 while he was exploring the limits of his Michelin tyres. Anthony West continued to have troubles with his YZF-R1 and Oli Bayliss made it a Ducati 1-2-3 at the top of the timesheets with all three bikes clocking almost 10km/h faster than 4th placed Falzon.

Running a MotoGP-style double qualification format, the top three of West (Yamaha), Wagner (Yamaha), and a still-wounded Troy Herfoss (Honda) progressed through Q1 to ride for pole. The Q2 session ended prematurely for Westy as his R1 called it a day at the back of the track.

Miller almost repeated his earlier mistake but managed to stand the bike up and get away with a wide exit out of T1. Falzon briefly headed the table Maxwell lit the blue touch paper and absolutely operated the 1:50.9 lap record he had set early in the morning – ultimately finishing top with  1:50.5!

The Q2 session ended prematurely for Westy as his R1 called it a day at the back of the track

Arthur Sissis and Falzon both impressed with their incredible efforts all day, and their teams should both be proud of the bikes they have delivered this weekend. But in the end, it was Ducati power that stole the day once again, with Maxwell and Miller delivering when it counted. The front row is completed by Falzon who just held into 3rd after Bayliss could not quite string together a complete lap to kick the Yamaha out of the spot.

A great day’s action at a great venue with a fantastic crowd to provide an awesome atmosphere – what else could a race junkie ask for?! The only blight on the day was the announcement that Adelaide had been declared a COVID hotspot by the Queensland government, meaning this little maniac had to run out for an emergency PCR test to ensure I will be allowed back home… 

A great day’s action at a great venue with a fantastic crowd to provide an awesome atmosphere – what else could a race junkie ask for?

Race One
After all the Saturday action, a quiet race day was never on the cards – and true to form we were all on the edge of our seats from the off. Before Race 1 even began the drama started off track with one International rider being picked up by police, after quarantine rules were changed overnight meaning he had not served enough time in isolation!

Race 1 started in warm conditions with Miller going backwards off the line after he struggled to master the traction control and clutch of his Panigale V4R. All the hard work to get onto the front row was undone by turn 1, with Miller slipping back to 7th place. Up front Maxwell, Sissis, Allerton, Falzon, and Bayliss made the early running until Falzon crashed out and Bayliss made a small error that allowed a recovering Miller to slip by into 3rd. Oli’s day didn’t get any better as a mechanical issue forced him to retire soon after.

Up front Maxwell was still breaking lap records in a display of dominance. No-one could get near the rear wheel of his Ducati…

Up front Maxwell was still breaking lap records in a display of dominance. No-one could get near the rear wheel of his Ducati and he was able to focus on riding the amazing Bend track layout. With Miller having made his way back up to 2nd ahead of Sissis and Allerton the race seemed to settle down until local rider Evan Byles went down in a dangerous area and needed medical attention (we hope you are OK Evan). This forced a red flag and the excitement once again grew.

As the riders made their way back around to re-form the grid we were informed by race control that the restart would be a 3 lap sprint, effectively undoing all Maxwell’s hard work. The 2nd race start of the day again saw Miller struggle with a launch but he manage to stay with the leaders. He then showed why he is a world class rider by outbraking everyone into turn 1 – classy stuff but short-lived as Maxwell grabbed the place back almost immediately along with Allerton. 

Epis also managed to slide by Miller as he saw the leaders pulling away. As Jack struggled with rear grip Wagner saw an opportunity but overcooked his corner entry up the inside of Miller. The result was a very inelegant dismount that took out the MotoGP star and made Wagner the most unpopular guy of the weekend. 

Back at the front Maxwell had again cleared out, with Allerton in hot pursuit. Epis and Halliday engaged in battle, with Halliday coming out on top to secure the final podium spot. The victory was enough for Maxwell to secure the title, his victory lap saw the now traditional gold helmet presented by his team.  

ASBK Grand Finale Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Wayne Maxwell – Boost Mobile Racing with KTech / McMartin Racing Ducati
2 Glenn Allerton –  Maxima Racing Oils BMW (+0.906)
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha Racing Team (+1.562)

Race 2
Race 1 earlier in the day had exposed some serious tyre degradation issues for many riders. By the time race 2 came around tarmac temps were even hotter at over 50°C, meaning everyone expected most riders to struggle with rear grip. 

The race start saw Miller struggle yet again as he just could not get to grips with the Ducati launch control. But that turned out not to matter as a series of incidents at turns 1 and 3 again brought out the red flag. The first involved Honda rider Hook and Yamaha’s Sissis, with both riders getting up immediately but bike debris littering the track. The 2nd incident was rather more severe however, with Falzon sustaining serious injuries to his back and pelvis, and breaking his femur, and privateer Cooper  knocking his head and having no memory of the incident plus his bike caught fire.

The 4th race start of the day was soon upon us. In another familiar sight, Miller bunny-hopped his Ducati off the line in pursuit of Maxwell, Allerton, and Bayliss. Bayliss showed his skill by passing Maxwell to take the lead, but then ran wide to allow him and Allerton back through.

Oli’s day got worse as he fell victim to Miller and slipped back to 4th. Allerton managed to challenge Maxwell somewhat until the new champion lit the blue touch paper and dropped his Ducati down into the 1:50’s – a time previously unthinkable on a race tyre that showed why he is the best in Australia. 

As the pace started to settle it was clear that Miller was struggling on his tyres. Halliday saw the opportunity and picked up the pace to get within a few tenths of the MotoGP star. It was not quite enough however, with Miller retaining the bottom spot on the podium behind Allerton and Maxwell.

The post-race celebrations saw stand up wheels and burnouts aplenty, with both Miller and Maxwell lighting it up in Parc Ferme. Everyone was on a high as they were finally able to see the guy they had travelled to the middle of nowhere to get a glimpse of. Jack was gracious with his time and open with the crowd. Wayne Maxwell remained cagey about his future and would not be baited on whether he would have another tilt at the title in 2022. 

As the post-race interviews wrapped up Jack was asked if he would be back for another cameo. His reply? “Let’s have a summer series so I can compete right around the country!” Hell yes!

ASBK Grand Finale Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Wayne Maxwell – Boost Mobile Racing with KTech / McMartin Racing Ducati
2 Glenn Allerton –  Maxima Racing Oils BMW (+3.823)
3 Jack Miller – Ducati / Ducati Corse / Dainese / AVG / Red Bull / Caterpillar / Rival Ink (+5.887)

ASBK 2021 Season Standings (Full Standings Here)

1 Wayne Maxwell – Boost Mobile Racing with KTech / McMartin Racing Ducati Panigale V4R
2 Glenn Allerton –  Maxima Racing Oils BMW
3 Cru Halliday – Yamaha Racing Team

For the full results and reports on all classes of the weekend, click here…

GALLERY BY OPTIKAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The post ASBK Superbike Finale: Miller Stars While Maxwell Wins! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....