It was an amazing weekend for Yamaha in the support divisions with the bLU cRU picking up all championship victories in the 2021 600cc Supersport, 300cc Supersport, R3 Cup and OJC on the Yamaha YZF-R15.
Yamaha Motor Australia in association with YRD, invest heavily in Australian road racing and results like this are a fitting reward for riders, teams and Yamaha who are the driving force at ASBK events around the country.
The 600cc Supersport division came down to a three man, all Yamaha race with Broc Pearson taking a narrow points gap in over rivals Tom Edwards and Max Stauffer. Things got even tighter after race one when Edwards got the race win and closed the gap to just one point between himself and Pearson. It was a one race, winner-take-all shootout, to determine the 2021 champion.
Edwards was in the lead, Pearson snatched it from him, Edwards fought back, Pearson grabbed it again and then in the waning moments of the race, Edwards made another huge lunge, but was .05 of a second short at the finish, giving Pearson a hard fought and well-earned championship victory. Max Stauffer finished third in the championship.
The 300cc Supersport wasn’t anywhere near as intense with Ben Baker entering the final round with a very comfortable margin over his rivals. Baker had built his lead via race smarts and race victories when it mattered, and he needed nothing more than to grab a handful of points at the final round to take the 2021 championship.
Ben Baker made it a real weekend to remember as he also topped the podium in the Yamaha R3 Cup. Like the 300cc Supersport, Baker had dominated the opening rounds to build up a sizeable lead and he kept the throttle on in the final round to score a third-place finish on the day and lock in another championship for 2021. Baker finished well clear of Glenn Nelson in second and Cameron Dunker in third.
Cameron Swain is the 2021 OJR-R15 champion. This class has proven to be real winner not just for the riders but Australian road racing that has been crying out for an entry level category to attract new, young riders to the sport. Yamaha and YRD have been the main players behind the scenes getting this class up and running and it now has shown itself to be a genuine breeding ground for talented riders to show case their skills.
“Congratulations to all our Yamaha competitors on a tough and challenging 2021 racing season. It was please to see that despite the Covid issues we all faced, Yamaha riders and teams continued to show up and race at ASBK events. These championship class wins, combined with our strong showing in the Superbike class and the Manufacturers Cup all points to a successful season for Yamaha.”
“A special congratulations are in order for Broc, Ben and Cameron who won their respective classes. Championships are never easy to win, and we hope the riders and teams enjoyed their success and will use it as a platform for a bigger and better 2022 season,” said YRD’s John Redding.
