Benny Baker signs off on Supersport 300 career with championship victory

2021 Australian Supersport 300 Championship finale

In a dramatic final Supersport 300 race of the year Ben Baker made history becoming the first rider to win the Dunlop Supersport 300 Championship and the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup titles.

The 16-year-old has dominated the year in the Supersport 300 class and was only ever really challenged at round 1 where Carter Thompson took the race wins and during qualifying this weekend where he and Thompson were the front runners in qualifying.

Baker crashed in race 2 earlier today after battling with the leaders allowing Championship rivals Zac Johnson and Reece Oughtred to gain vital points.

Supersport 300 Race Two was taken out by Glenn Nelson ahead of Reece Oughtred with Archie McDonald came home third – Image by Optikal

Race 2 was taken out by Glenn Nelson ahead of Reece Oughtred with Archie McDonald came home third. Zac Johnson in fourth scoring crucial points to close the gap to Baker.

Pos Name Bike Time/Gap Speed
1 Glenn NELSON Yamaha YZF-R3 15m13.823 194
2 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.041 197
3 Archie McDONALD Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.065 184
4 Zac JOHNSON Kawasaki Ninja +0.083 192
5 Tom DRANE Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.371 193
6 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.465 195
7 Angus GRENFELL Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.696 193
8 Brandon DEMMERY Yamaha YZF-R3 +1.239 195
9 Joseph MARINIELLO Kawasaki Ninja +11.770 194
10 Varis FLEMING Yamaha YZF-R3 +15.789 193
11 Brodie GAWITH Yamaha YZF-R3 +15.826 194
12 Taiyo AKSU Yamaha YZF-R3 +15.891 195
13 Mitchell SIMPSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +15.999 195
14 James JACOBS Kawasaki Ninja +16.820 194
15 Sam PEZZETTA Yamaha YZF-R3 +17.437 193
16 Henry SNELL Yamaha YZF-R3 +28.664 191
17 Peter NERLICH Kawasaki Ninja +28.743 194
18 Hayden NELSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +28.923 191
19 Lucas QUINN Yamaha YZF-R3 +29.139 193
20 Cooper ROWNTREE Yamaha YZF-R3 +30.045 188
21 Jai RUSSO Yamaha YZF-R3 +30.057 190
22 Jamie PORT Yamaha YZF-R3 +30.367 193
23 Clay CLEGG Yamaha YZF-R3 +31.309 191
24 Matthew RINDEL Yamaha YZF-R3 +32.436 192
25 Ben BAKER Yamaha YZF-R3 +40.926 191
DNF Jordan SIMPSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +3 Laps 188
DNF Laura BROWN Yamaha YZF-R3 +6 Laps 173

In race 3, the pressure was on Baker to not only finish, but to ensure he finished in front of Championship challengers Johnson and Oughtred.

McDonald and Glenn Nelson continued their weekend long battle at the start of race 3 at the front, as Baker slipped to 6th place as Angus Grenfell, Tom Drane and Johnson jumped him.

By lap 3 Johnson had dived into the lead momentarily before Nelson punched back as Johnson visited the dirt but remained on track.

With a dozen riders in the front pack and only millimetres between them the lead swapped several times between Drane, James Jacobs, McDonald, Nelson with a massive pack of 14 riders all within two seconds.

Baker was trying to stay out of trouble in the big pack of riders and was sitting in 9th on lap 5 before he made several moves to sit in 5th at the first corner of lap 6.

Johnson crashed on lap six after colliding with another rider losing his Championship chase.

Archie McDonald the victor – Image by Optikal

Drane, Baker, McDonald and Nelson diced on the last lap and as they crossed the finish it was McDonald for another win over Nelson, Drane, Grenfell, and Baker in 5th.

Supersport 300 Round Results – Archie McDonald from Tom Drane and Angus Grenfell – Image by Optikal

Baker was ecstatic with his Championship win thanking Greg and Lachlan Epis, Janis and Stewart Winton, Yamaha YRD, and his many sponsors.

Ben Baker

A lot of work and effort has gone into this to take the double championship and I’m happy to be the first person to do it. Thanks to everyone for the support.”

Ben Baker – 2021 Supersport 300 Champion – Image by Optikal

Baker will love up to the highly competitive 600 Supersport class in 2022.

Pos Name Bike Time/Gap Speed
1 Archie McDONALD Yamaha YZF-R3 15m20.887 188
2 Glenn NELSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +0.077 185
3 Tom DRANE Yamaha YZF-R3 +9.152 185
4 Angus GRENFELL Yamaha YZF-R3 +9.162 187
5 Ben BAKER Yamaha YZF-R3 +9.286 192
6 James JACOBS Kawasaki Ninja +9.381 199
7 Mitchell SIMPSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +9.494 194
8 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha YZF-R3 +9.748 194
9 Brandon DEMMERY Yamaha YZF-R3 +1.000 193
10 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha YZF-R3 +1.139 195
11 Varis FLEMING Yamaha YZF-R3 +1.742 195
12 Taiyo AKSU Yamaha YZF-R3 +2.286 196
13 Joseph MARINIELLO Kawasaki Ninja +2.441 194
14 Sam PEZZETTA Yamaha YZF-R3 +14.017 189
15 Lucas QUINN Yamaha YZF-R3 +14.170 191
16 Henry SNELL Yamaha YZF-R3 +21.404 191
17 Matthew RINDEL Yamaha YZF-R3 +21.429 189
18 Peter NERLICH Kawasaki Ninja +22.112 192
19 Cooper ROWNTREE Yamaha YZF-R3 +22.117 190
20 Hayden NELSON  Yamaha YZF-R3 +22.192 190
21 Jordan SIMPSON Yamaha YZF-R3 +28.700 188
22 Clay CLEGG Yamaha YZF-R3 +28.722 190
23 Jamie PORT Yamaha YZF-R3 +28.760 185
24 Brodie GAWITH Yamaha YZF-R3 +39.193 191
25 Jai RUSSO Yamaha YZF-R3 +39.913 178
26 Zac JOHNSON  Kawasaki Ninja +1m10.668 188
Pos Name Bike Pole R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Ben BAKER Yamaha 1 18 16 171
2 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha 14 20 11 143
3 Zac JOHNSON Kawasaki 16 17 134
4 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha 13 15 13 127
5 Archie McDONALD Yamaha 25 18 25 119
6 Brandon DEMMERY Yamaha 12 13 12 111
7 Tom DRANE Yamaha 20 16 18 108
8 Glenn NELSON Yamaha 25 20 96
9 Angus GRENFELL Yamaha 15 14 17 87
10 Joseph MARINIELLO Kawasaki 7 12 8 78
11 Carter THOMPSON Yamaha 76
12 Caleb GILMORE Yamaha 75
13 James JACOBS Kawasaki 17 7 15 67
14 Peter NERLICH Kawasaki 2 4 3 56
15 Jacob HATCH Yamaha 46
16 Lucas QUINN Yamaha 2 6 41
17 Jonathan NAHLOUS Yamaha 40
18 Zylas BUNTING Kawasaki 39
19 Brodie GAWITH Yamaha 11 10 35
20 Varis FLEMING Yamaha 10 11 10 33
21 Matthew RINDEL Yamaha 4 32
22 Mitchell SIMPSON Yamaha 9 8 14 31
23 Jake FARNSWORTH Kawasaki 31
24 Taiyo AKSU Yamaha 8 9 9 30
25 Clay CLEGG Yamaha 26
26 Zakary PETTENDY Yamaha 23
27 Sam PEZZETTA Yamaha 6 6 7 19
28 Jai RUSSO Yamaha 16
29 Henry SNELL Yamaha 3 5 5 14
30 Laura BROWN Yamaha 5 14
31 Liam WATERS Yamaha 10
32 Zane KINNA Yamaha 7
33 Hayden NELSON Yamaha 1 3 1 5
34 Jordan SIMPSON Yamaha 4 4
35 Cooper ROWNTREE Yamaha 1 2 3

Source: MCNews.com.au

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