It’s not far off the mark that as a young junior rider Senna Agius may well have been described as a prodigy. Claiming 14 Australian dirt track and motocross titles, along with 19 State titles in the disciplines, it is a good indicator that the youngster from south of Sydney has a modicum of talent.
Senna Agius at the Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships in 2017 – Image by Andrew Kenny Visual94
It’s also safe to assume that Senna has had one major life goal since a very young age; to be a world champion motorcycle racer.
After talking with the 16-year old, it soon becomes apparent that he is extremely articulate, analytical and displays a maturity far beyond his years. Attributes that will hold him in very good stead as he chases his dream of being MotoGP World Champion.
Senna Agius – Asia Talent Cup Round 4 – Thailand, 2018
Born in the rural setting of Camden, in the south-western outreaches of Sydney (NSW), he was brought up in a perfect environment to pursue his racing aspirations and spent the vast majority of his time charging around a paddock.
Senna stated racing on the dirt in 2013, and three years later took to the bitumen at the earliest opportunity to hone his considerable skills in road racing aboard a Honda NSF100 and in 2017 competed in the Australian Junior Road Racing titles, finishing second in the 85cc two-stroke class even though he didn’t compete at all rounds.
His focus was already on the bigger picture of international competition and at the end of 2017 Senna was selected to compete in the 2018 Asia Talent Cup. He finished 17th with his best result an eighth place in the second race of the season at Qatar.
Asia Talent Cup 2018 – GP of Japan – Senna Agius
For 2019 he gained plenty of frequent flyer points as he competed in the MFJ All Japan Championship – GP3 Class with a brace of six place finishes his best results. At the same time he was commuting back and forth to Australia to contest the ASBK Supersport 300cc title. The title went down to the wire at the final round at SMSP with another young champion Max Stauffer as his main rival, Agius took the crown by a solitary point.
Senna Agius took out the Australian Supersport 300 Championship in 2019 ahead of Max Stauffer and Hunter Ford – TBG Image
For the past two seasons Senna competed in the helter-skelter class of the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship but didn’t manage to deliver the results his determination and talent warranted, but as they say, that’s racing at the top.
Agius returned to Australia to compete in the final round of ASBK Supersport 600 at the Bend but after a sterling effort in practice and qualifying to be third on the grid, he was forced to withdraw from the weekend because of a mix up in quarantine protocol.
Senna Agius in action at The Bend – Image RbMotoLens
While he didn’t get to strut his stuff that weekend, Senna has made up for it in 2022. Riding a Honda at the St George Summer Series in early January he broke the 13-year-old Supersport lap record set by multiple Australian champion Jamie Stauffer way back in 2008. He was also quick when he joined the Australian Supersport regulars at the recent Phillip Island pre-season test.
Senna Agius recently broke the long-standing 600 Supersport lap record at SMSP onboard Honda’s new CBR600RR – Image RbMotoLens
For 2022 Senna will step up to the CEV Moto2 class and There’s something about the opportunity for Senna, his attitude and suitability to the larger bike that gives the impression that this year may be his very best year on the international scene.
Senna Agius also rode at the recent Phillip Island ASBK Test – Honda CBR600RR – Image RbMotoLens
Senna Agius is delaying his return to Europe so he can compete in the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship later this month at Phillip Island in the Supersport class. If the planets align sufficiently, Senna will also return from Europe in time to compete in the final two rounds of ASBK, but at this stage is unsure as to which class he will compete in on his return.
Senna Agius
DOB 9 June 2005
Lives: Camden
MB: First up, well done on breaking such a long standing lap record at the Creek recently, and great to see you at The Bend before the authorities stepped in.
SA: “Thanks mate, but we couldn’t do much about that although we didn’t do anything wrong. It was just an ulnacky government change. It wasn’t something I did wrong.”
Senna Agius recently broke the long-standing 600 Supersport lap record at SMSP onboard Honda’s new CBR600RR – Image Half Light
MB: What actually happened in that regard?
SA: “When you land in Australia you have to be in your home state for seven days before you go interstate. I filled out the form and the first day we were in SA it was nine days since I had returned to Australia, and I had done the seven days quarantine at home. At this point, as you know, the cases went up overnight. I had my green entry form for SA for The Bend and the rules changed overnight ,from seven days to 14. I was at nine days. They tracked everyone down and they told us we had to go back and abide by the rules.”
Senna Agius in the pits at The Bend in December – Image RbMotoLens
MB: Thats unbelievable. It’s always changing day to day. What a disappointment for you. Last couple of years doing CEV with Sic 58, how was that, because personally, I don’t think your results were a fair indication of your riding talent?
SA: “Look, I had a character building two years with Sic 58. For me, honestly you had to be there to understand the progression because on paper and TV it didn’t look like I was doing what I was expected to do, but I was learning. Maybe it’s a question of my riding style and the little bike, proving to be a little bit more difficult than my riding style with a bigger bike, but the team was fantastic, and I’ve learnt a tremendous amount to take into the future as a person, and as a rider for other teams and other categories. I am forever grateful for what they taught me . It’s true that I didn’t get the results that I feel that I worked for but thats all part of it, but I guess we come across that over the years. I feel that I’ve taken those hard times and am turning it into a progression. I am very excited for the future.”
Senna Agius at SMSP in December – Image RbMotoLens
MB: So Is your size that much of a disadvantage on those little machine?
SA: “I don’t particularly believe so because some people make it work. It’s true that maybe the ergonomics for me, I get a bit more “crampy” after a certain amount of laps or it gets little bit more difficult, but I don’t believe that is the sole reason why I didn’t do super well.”
MB: Would you be willing to discuss the reason or keep that to yourself?
SA: No not really. I’d just like to move on, if thats alright.
Senna Agius recently broke the long-standing 600 Supersport lap record at SMSP onboard Honda’s new CBR600RR – Image Half Light
MB: “That’s okay. If you don’t want to say, you don’t need to say. I’m just thinking you’re there its going to happen and gel for you sooner or later. I think now that you are getting on this 765; you proved at the Bend you can sure ride a bigger bike. – I wish you’d hung around for those races, you Broc and Tommy would’ve had some great battles, as you proved with the lap record at Eastern Creek. Were you doing much riding on a Moto2 machine when you were over there?”
SA: “I started doing a lot of days in the second half but not a tremendous amount of riding. Me and Steph Redman from coach49 started training with me halfway through the year, so we progressed quite quickly when she came onboard, but we got a few days in. I have a Yamaha over there and a Honda over here, and the Honda is 180-degrees a different motorcycle to the Yamaha, so it helps to understand the power.”
MB: So I guess the learning curve starts all again when you jump on the Moto2 machine. Have you managed to sample one of them yet?
SA: “I had a few days on the Honda version. It’s been in the CEV traditionally In previous years; they were using the old Hondas with a Kalex frame, but the rules have changed for this year; we are on the 2021 Kalex Triumph 765 from last year.”
MB: You’re going to love the triple…
SA: “Yeah, I got to sample the Honda but I am excited because I gelled with it. By the time we got to the second day I was there or thereabouts happy with how I was riding. The times that were coming and how it was all working, the team is fantastic and I am super excited.”
MB: Who is the team?
SA: “Promo Racing Team, based in Barcelona. I live in Andorra.”
MB: With the rest of the boys.
SA: “Yeah, I am near Jack, I am friends with Jack but I rarely get to see him. He’s away a lot and obviously we have different schedules.”
Senna Agius – Image RbMotoLens
MB: This year obviously you would want to win the championship – like any rider, but the other side of the coin is that you have to take baby steps cause you’re learning a new bike, a new team and a new championship.
SA: “I feel that I have set my expectations higher than I did in the Moto3 class, because I’ve ridden on similar machinery and I am feeling super good on bigger bikes. I am definitely keeping two feet on the ground, but focused because I truly believe we can hit the ground running.”
MB: So how’s your feeling with your confidence – you’re sounding very confident and champing at the bit to get going compared to how you were feeling with your second year in the Sic58 team?
SA: “I am not thinking too much about the championship this year because everyone is going to be on new equipment and there are some super fast riders retuning to that championship. Everyone would love to win it. If we focus on round by round we could be in a good spot at the end ,but my second year in the Moto 3 I was confident about that as well . Maybe I am a little bit more confident than I was in the second year of the Moto 3 I wanted to keep progressing.
“I actually made a very solid improvement in the second year and actually went faster than all my times in 2020 but everyone improved, the field got quicker again. I am sure that is the case with a lot of riders who didn’t get the results they wanted but I 100% improved and I was actually quite happy. The team were happy with my results and improvements, so that year for me was okay.
“I feel if the rule change to enter the world championship didn’t happen we were very, very serious in doing a third year in CEV Moto3, but once the rule changed that you cant enter world championships until 18 ,that meant that I would have to do another two years in CEV Moto 3 and I felt – and everyone around me told me and really steered me into the position to get out of it while I can and get onto a big bike.”
Senna Agius – Image RbMotoLens
MB: Thats excellent to hear mate. With last year were you getting depressed or frustrated as the year went on, when it wasn’t gelling for you, or were you copping it on the chin and thinking “it’s going to get better sometime”?
SA: “At the beginning of the year maybe I didn’t handle the first two rounds when I came home and the attitude of the weekend transferred into my moods during the week and the weeks rolled on. Leon Camier and all my guys in Andorra, sat me down, not pulled me into line, not angry with me, but we had a serious talk of how to handle this as no situation is going to be ever perfect. When there are bad ones, like the first few rounds of CEV Repsol was, of how to handle that , because if I handle it in the future in the way I did those weeks, I am not going to enjoy the sport anymore. I learnt my lesson because a few months later I had a very good preparation and a very good start to the weekend at Misano, and then I came down with a crazy illness that we cant begin to describe what happened. That took me out of the event and I handled that one really well. That was a completely missed opportunity to maybe do my best weekend, but we handled that well and we left the attitude at the track. We started again so I corrected myself. Another lesson learnt last year.”
MB: You sound like you are pretty hard on yourself.
SA: “Yes yes I am. I dont give myself much leeway.”
MB: When you mention Leon, will you still have much contact with him next year, now you are moving on?
SA: “Yeah, Leon is Team Manager of HRC in WorldSBK so that takes away his presence a bit. After he retired he got straight into that gig ,and that takes a lot of his time but he’s happy to work with me next year. Everything he has brought to the table to help me is fantastic and he believes in me, and I believe in him, and everything he has brought me. It’s not just him, but all the guys he’s recommended to work with so we have a really good group at the moment. We keep in contact with each other and Leon oversees it all.”
Steph Redman helping out Senna at the recent St. George Summer Series round at SMSP – Image RbMotoLens
MB: Will Steph be going back with you this year?
SA: “Yep Steph is going to come back this year. She is putting in a lot of effort and that just drives me to put in the same amount of effort and motivation into training and racing.”
Senna Agius with Steph Redman – Image RbMotoLens
MB: So you have been putting in heaps of training and push bike riding?
SA: “Yeah last year we clocked nearly 12,000 kilometres on pushbikes, and that is my main source of cardio. It’s something I will enjoy later into life. I take it pretty seriously.”
MB: Well, you have a good place to be doing it in Andorra up at those heights so that’s got to be good?
SA: “Yes it’s really good. I cant complain.”
MB: All the best mate. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you kick it this year with the Moto2 class.
SA: “Thanks Bracksy, hopefully it’s going to be a great year.”
Jacob Roulstone is another of Australia’s many talented riders that will be competing in two prestigious championships in Europe this year as he graduates from two years in the European Talent Cup into the recently rebranded FIM Junior GP World Championship (formerly the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship), as well as competing in the 16th running of the Red Bull Rookies Cup (RBRC).Along with fellow countryman, Harrison Voight it will be a doubled-pronged attack of Aussie representation in both classes for ’22.
In the past few years, Jacob has flown under the radar, as he chases that “yellow brick road” of dreams. He may have gone unnoticed by many on the outside, but he’s been making a bigimpression on many in the race paddocks, and that’s why this year, he has his best prospects of success thus far in his relatively short road racing career.
While he has done plenty of laps of the dirt and bitumen in Australia, the majority of his road racing experiences have been in Asia and Spain. It’s not through choice. It’s just the way it’s all unfolded.
Roulstone kicked off his international travels with the Asia Talent Cup in 2019 where he finished 11th, with five top ten finishes from the 12 races contested.
Jacob Roulstone – Asia Talent Cup 2019
In that year he also competed in Australia in the new Oceania Junior Cup as well as the 300cc classes but due to date clashes with the ATC, missed three rounds of the ASBK titles.
At the end of 2019 he received an offer to compete in the European Talent Cup, a class of the Spanish CEV Championships, with the Leopard Impala Junior Team and the decision was made to relocate.
With the onslaught of the plague, it was almost over before it started. No sooner had Jacob and his mother, Leah arrived in Spain, the country went into complete lockdown. The pair were confined to their hotel room for 105 days and for the first 10 weeks of lockdown they weren’t allowed out of their room. Contemplate that predicament…
That confined experience would test the mettle of anyone, but for a 15-year-old champing at the bit to go racing and explore new frontiers, it would’ve been extremely challenging – to say the least!
And not only for Jacob.
Parents would empathise with Leah’s plight being locked in a as she attempted to cook up a storm with just a microwave oven and a single hot-plate! There’s only so much hotel room service food one can handle at the best of times, let along in a lockdown
Thankfully, the season was contested and at the completion of his first year in the ETC, Roulstone finished a very creditable 17th overall with a brace of top ten finishes.
Jacob Roulstone – OJC 2019 – Image RbMotoLens
Pretty impressive considering the circumstances. Especially in a field stacked with locals who knew all the vagaries of the local tracks that hosted the ETC after racing on the tracks for years.
The progression and improvement continued in the ETC last year, after he signed again with the Leopold Impala Junior team.
Jacob kicked off the year perfectly with a win at the opening round at Estoril (Portugal), however he had to wait until the final round at Valencia to climb the podium again: In the first race of the final round, he finished second, 0.120 sec off the win and backed that up with third place in his final race in ETC, for ninth overall.
After two years in the European Talent Cup, Jacob makes the move upwards into the newly-named “Junior GP” category with the highly regarded, and vastly experienced personnel involved with the Aspar Gas Gas Junior Team, owned by multiple world champion and living legend, Jorge “Aspar” Martinez.
Jacob Roulstone seen here running #12 in the FIM CEV Repsol series late in 2021
Being signed to the team is a massive dose of credibility and the faith they have in Jacob’s ability. For a rider to sign with Team Aspar you have to have that “something”.
It’s not all about money, as some may have you believe, as all riders – particularly Spaniards – dream of a ride in Aspar’s team.
Jacob’s signing for the future is also kudos to Aspar for looking outside the locals of the Iberian peninsula to sign the Australian teenager, when there may have been plenty of attractive alternatives.
Martinez has not only taken notice of his efforts, but has brought him into the fold, and not with just a short term plan. There are long tern goals pencilled in for the teenager, if Roulstone can deliver.
Hopefully with the faith shown by Martinez, in the next year or so, Jacob’s name and his talents will become more familiar to followers of road racing, not only in Australia, but worldwide.
Jacob Roulstone DOB: 4 Feb 2005 Lives: Jamberoo (NSW)
Mark Bracks: So where did you start? Were you a dirt tracker like many others?
Jacob Roulstone: “Firstly, I started with MX for a bit of fun. When I was younger, Dad did a bit of road racing so we were always around that. We tried some flat track and enjoyed that, traveling all over for a couple of years. I won three Australian Championships in 85-150cc Big Wheeland 80cc modified.
“I also rode an NSF100 at the local kart track, every week nothing major, just working on the small bike. My father wanted me to be able to push the small bikes around, lose the front, lose the rear and learn on an old Moriwaki 80 as well around places like Eastern Creek and Wakefield, with the St George club. and then at Broadford and at Phillip Island.
Jacob Roulstone was selected for the 2019 Asia Talent Cup and made the cut, hence the emotion in this shot taken at the try-outs
“In 2018 we went to the ATC try-outs and I was fortunate to be invited to do the ATC in 2019, where my best result was a fourth.
“Also in 2019, I did the new Oceania Junior Cup and the 300cc classes as well. I never really gelled with the 300 bikes. At the time I was only quite small, and very light, and it was difficult to move around on the larger machine.
“I suit the Moto 3 and the European Talent bikes a lot better, but I have shot up in the last year.
“After the ATC I went to Europe for the 2020 European Talent Cup with the Leopard Impala Junior Team, riding a Honda NSF250R, the same bikes as ATC except we had more data. When I went over to Europe I was a year older than a lot of the riders because they do stuff a lot earlier now.
“For ’22 my dreams are coming true as I have been signed with the Aspar Gas Gas junior team. They are a very good team.
Jacob Roulstone joins GasGas Aspar Team for 2022
“As well, I have been lucky enough to be selected for the RBRC as well.
“The Gas Gas Moto 3 is pretty much a KTM, like the Rookies bike, so they are quite similar. If we were on a Honda , like in the ETC, it would be more difficult to jump from one to another.”
Bracks: How do you rate your last couple of years?
Roulstone: “Really good. In 2020 I had not many expectations. It was a learning year; what it was like living over in Europe. I learnt all the data engineering, all the differences so you can ride over there as it is very different to here; how they ride. They’re a lot more aggressive. A lot faster.
“In 2021 they were about two-seconds faster than in 2020. I don’t know why. It was just ridiculous. They’re closer to Moto3 times which is incredible.
“To finish ninth in the championship out of 50 riders is quite good and to be the first of theinternationals, I think up to 15th, the rest were Spanish is very good too. It was productive year and I am extremely happy with it.”
Jacob Roulstone put in a strong performance for a fifth place result in the Asia Talent Cup round at Sepang late in 2019
Bracks: No doubt that had a bearing with where you have ended up with the team for this year.
Roulstone: “Absolutely. You could be the best kid but you still have to have the results.”
Bracks:But you have to behave off the bike as well.
Roulstone: “Yes for sure. You don’t want you or your team to be disrespectful. Sometime you have to bite your lip if there is an issue. You always have to be thinking about that. My parents have taught me quite well in that regard.”
Bracks: You seem to have had a similar path to Harry Voight racing against each other growing up and now in the same class again this year?
Roulstone:” Yeah we were doing the same thing with dirt track for awhile so we have raced against each other a bit but I think he went to road racing a year or so before I did. Should be fun to be on track with him again like back in 2019 with the ATC.”
Bracks: So are you learning a trade or anything?
Roulstone: “I am still doing school. I do school every day. I have a tutor. I don’t like sitting around doing nothing . I do distance education. It’s a little bit like home schooling but all the work is already set out for us. I do that every morning until about 1 o’ clock then I’ll do all my exercises, go to my trainer, gym or we go riding or something along this lines. It’s all pretty serious. I will definitely do some studies in engineering or something like that.I do enjoy that. If I don’t make it I can’t do nothing. I have to have something to fall back on.”
Bracks: Where are you based over there?
Roulstone: “We live north of Barcelona near Gerona on the Costa Brava. We live at one of the old team bosses houses. We still have a great relationship with all of them which is good. Even though I have left their team we are still a part of the family. They help me with everything; my training and help me with riding. It’s difficult sometimes over there, but we have good relationships with people which makes a big difference.”
Bracks: So are you pretty fluent with Spanish now?
Roulstone: “I can understand what they are talking about, but i find it very difficult to speak. Hopefully this time next year I’ll be able to speak it fluently. That’s my goal for the year, besides riding.”
Bracks: Spanish or Catalan as you live in Catalunya?
Roulstone: “I haven’t had my sights on learning Catalan whatsoever. It’s too difficult. (with a laugh).”
Bracks: Yeah I know exactly what you mean. It sounds like you’ve got your heart set on being in Spain for the next few years then?
Roulstone: “Absolutely. It’s the place to be.
“This year is a learning year like 2021 was; learning a new team and a new bike. They are a high profile team, so there will be expectations, so I’ll be going out and trying to win each time but its going to be extremely… a lot more difficult than it was. I’m not having huge expectations but every time I go out, I’ll try and win. That’s just me.
“In the RBRC I believe I can go quite good. My goal is to get two years in each championship to do this year, then next year.In just about every session I want to be top ten and my goal is to finish with a podium or two. It’s going to be difficult. But I have the right team, I have the right people around me who I believe can get me there.
“I wanted to bring my crew chief and mechanics but they couldn’tdo it for one reason or another. I have new everything: Two new mechanics and two new data engineers but it’ll be good as with rookies and Moto3 I have the same mechanics so I’ll be able to get a good relationship with them.
“I will have to learn with my new data engineer. They are good people. It’s all learning and taking in the experience.”
Bracks: Do you get on with other riders?
Roulstone: “We have a good little group of internationals; a Canadian and American. It’s the group we train with during the week. I try to have a good relationship with all the riders. Some struggle with that but I’ve been able to set up good relationships with the Spanish and some, I am great friends with.”
Bracks: So when does this year’s adventure start?
Roulstone: “We are leaving on February 7. We have an Aspar training week the day after we arrive so we head straight down to Valencia.”
Bracks: All the best, with the next chapter, mate.
Roulstone: “Thanks, Bracksy. I’ll be giving it a good crack!”
Australia has two lads strutting their stuff in international championships that go by the name of “Harry” and both had a very confronting year in 2021. I covered Harrison Voight in the last instalment, while the other Harry is of course Harry Khouri , more commonly called ‘Hazza’, and he’s taken a different path as he aims to turn his aspirations into success.
Harry Khouri at Wakefield Park in 2020 – Image by RBMotoLens
Unlike many others that learned their early race craft in dirt track racing, Hazz did very little in that discipline; just a couple of club races, but heaps of training days to learn the basics before he turned to road racing and entered the GP Juniors series in 2017, riding a Yamaha R15.
Such was his improvement during that year, he was presented the opportunity of an invite from AMCN magazine for a Wild Card ride at the final round of the ASBK Supersport 300 at Phillip Island.
During the next two seasons the progress to the front of the ultra-competitive class continued at a steady pace, and in 2018 he finished sixth and seventh respectively in the Yamaha R3 Cup and the Supersport 300 class.
Harry Khouri – Image by TBG
During 2019 Khouri travelled to Europe to try his luck for the first time and contested two rounds of the IDM German Championship, at Assen and Hockenheim. His performances at those two outings was enough to be invited to competed in the entire season of IDM in 2020.
At the beginning of that wretched year, Khouri competed in the first round of the ASBK Supersport 300 title, held alongside the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, (that event seems so very long ago now…) where he banked a perfect score of pole position and three wins.
Harry Khouri leads in the SS300 in 2019 – Image by RbMotoLens
With the consequences of the pandemic, the German racing season didn’t commence until July, but he had already relocated over there in anticipation of the year. The wait was worth it, as he claimed his first two international wins and a second place during the series where he finished seventh. After leading the title at one stage, he had a crash at the final round which saw him to drop down the order.
Obviously, the Australian season was decimated by the plague, with limited racing, but the cloud lifted enough for a double header round at Wakefield Park in December. Harry underwent the necessary requirements of quarantine to return to compete and claimed the shortened three round championship to add an Australian title to his rapidly expanding resume.
Harry Khouri at Jerez in 2021- Image by 2snap
2021 promised plenty, with a move to the Supersport 300 World Championship, run alongside the Superbike World Championship, with the Fusport RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki Team. With over 40 riders split between two groups to determine grid spots, it’s a cut-throat class where a few hundredths of a second can mean the difference between qualifying and not even getting a place on the grid.
The year started well at the first round where he claimed a ninth place, but in the race the next day he was taken out by another rider. From there, the season unravelled. At the next round at Misano, he crashed during the Superpole session and broke his hand. Hazza learnt quickly how little mistakes can mean severe consequences as he battled throughout the rest of the season, with only three point scoring finishes in the next 10 races.
Harry Khouri – Image by 2snap
But the unthinkable happened in the first race of the penultimate round, at Jerez, when he was involved in the tragic accident that claimed the life of Dean Berta Vinales, cousin of Maverick. Harry was utterly distraught over the incident, and as such was not permitted to race the next day.
The next weekend he competed in the final round at Portimao, rounding out the season with an 18th place.
This year Khouri will continue in the Supersport 300 World Championship title and has signed with the Irish-based, Team 109, and will return to Europe in the next few weeks.
Harry Khouri
DOB 1 March 2004
Lives: Richmond (NSW)
Mark Bracks: So a new team and renewed focus for 2022?
Harry ‘Hazza’ Khouri: “Yeah, after everything that has happened I am really looking forward to the new challenge. I will once again be based in Andorra throughout the season. It’s a good place and great for training because it’s all at altitude.”
Harry Khouri – Image by 2snap
Bracks: Are you living near Jack Miller and many of the other Aussies that are based there?
Khouri: “We aren’t too far away from each other. As you know Andorra isn’t a large country, but I haven’t seen much of Jack as we are doing different things and it’s not often you catch up with other riders as you do your own stuff.”
Bracks: Last year was certainly a pretty trying year for you.
Khouri: “It was a tough year both mentally, and physically. Coming into the year I only knew one track – Assen – from the year before, so I had a lot to learn with the new team and seven new tracks on the calendar. It wasn’t a bad start; P9 in the first race then I was taken out in the second race. Then we went to Misano and I broke my hand and it sort of all went a bit downhill from there. Overall I am not entirely disappointed with the season, but I’m disappointed in the way I know I could’ve done better.”
Khouri and the pack of WorldSSP 300 riders that were later caught up in the incident – Image 2snap
Bracks: I don’t want to dwell on it too long but what happened at Jerez is something no rider wants to think about.
Khouri: “Unfortunately these things can happen in our sport, and it is something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I would have liked to ride the next day, just to take my mind off it a little bit – as that’s one thing that riding does for me. And having to race again only a week later with that still on my mind was not just hard for me, but all the other riders as well.”
Bracks: I bet. Was Dorna good to you?
Khouri: “They were very respectful with it, however I wish that they gave me the chance to at least go out in warm-up. I can completely understand why they didn’t, because I was genuinely very upset about the weekend but it would have helped take my mind off the accident. The response from within the paddock and also outside was overwhelming. Many of the riders and teams came to see me in the garage, and I received messages from a lot of others around the world, and from back home.”
Harry Khouri – Image by 2snap
Bracks: That was a steep learning curve for you. How much can you take out of that – all the knocks. Not only Jerez, but everything with your injuries etc. Has that made you stronger in your determination and personality?
Khouri: “I think after having a year as hard as I did and still have the determination to keep going, I can draw from the negatives and focus on what I need to do for the coming season.”
Bracks: What are your goals for this year? I know it’s hard joining a new team and trying to think ahead…
Khouri: “My goal is always to be up the front and challenging for the win, and I didn’t give myself enough opportunities for that last year. I know I have the capability to be there, and am confident that Team 109 and I can achieve this together. Its difficult to know where you are at until the first test, where you get a reference in terms of other riders in the championship.”
Harry Khouri
Bracks: So the team is shaping up well?
Khouri: “Team 109 are a great bunch of guys and their focus is young rider development. They promote a great team environment and I’m looking forward to getting the season started in March. Daniel Mogeda from Spain has signed with them again. He and I are similar in speed, and I think we can really help each other out during the year.”
Bracks: I suppose one thing with an Irish team they’ll teach you how to celebrate! How is your Spanish?
Khouri: “Hopefully we’ll have a few opportunities to celebrate this year. I’m a bit useless at Spanish at the moment so Google translate is my friend!”
Bracks: All the best Hazz. Hopefully, it all turns around for you and we see you battling at the front a lot more often and you crack a win.
Khouri: “Thanks Bracksy. That’s the main aim mate!”
Australian road racing has faced challenging times in the past couple of years, but thankfully there has been some racing on a state and national level that has kept the kindling of what was a flickering fire, alight.
Harrison Voight – Image by RBMotoLens
One aspect of the recent dramas that has not diminished is the dreams and aspirations of young riders as they strive to make a reality of what fills their days at every waking hour. And more than likely, while they sleep.
Down Under has a proud history of rider representation on the world stage and 2022 will see the greatest participation of aspiring world champions than has been seen in a number of years. Testament to the dedication and commitment of everyone concerned in ensuring the avenues to world championship success have remained open, no matter what the limitations and protocols of the new world we live in.
Harrison Voight
At the moment, eight riders are heading off for their first overseas sojourn, while there are others returning to ply their trade to build on what they have achieved.
Check out the list of who’s racing where this year.
MotoGP – Jack Miller, Remy Gardner. Moto3: Joel Kelso.
WSBK – WSSP: Oli Bayliss, Ben Currie. WSSP300: Harry Khouri.
BSB – BSB: Jason O’Halloran, Josh Brookes, SSTK 1000; Billy McConnell, Davo Johnson (plus the pure road racing), Brayden Elliot, Levi Day. SSP600: Seth Crump, Jacob Hatch (17yo) Tom Toparis.
ATC – Carter Thompson, Marianos Nikolis, Cameron Swain.
Moto America – SSP600: Luke Power. SSP300: Joe Mariniello.
European Talent Cup – Angus Grenfell, Carter Thompson.
CIV – Archie Thompson.
In the lead up to the season, mcnews.com.au will look at some of the riders – in no particular order – as they prepare to head off on their individual adventures and quests for success.
Harrison Voight #29 in Red Bull Rookies
First up Harrison Voight
Lives: Gold Coast (Queensland)
For 2022 Harry will continue with the SIC58 Squadra Corse Team in the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship and also return for another tilt at the Red Bull Rookies Cup (RBRC).
Hopefully, it will be a year of more rewards compared to the character building set-backs he went through in a year that could be best described as a season characterised by recovery, toughness and resilience.
Harry’s year unravelled at the fourth round of the CEV at Portimao, Portugal. In the opening laps, he high-sided over the infamous crest of the roller coaster circuit, unsighted from following riders he was run over, breaking his femur and fibula, with a compound fracture of the tibia for good measure. Proper job that…
Harrison Voight in the CEV in 2020
Harry had started out road racing after a pretty successful career on dirt. While still competing in dirt track titles and bagging trophies, he added road racing to the CV commencing with the GP Juniors Australia competition in 2017, winning the 85 cc two-stroke class.
In 2018 dirt was still a major focus as he won the Australian Long Track and Dirt Track championships as well as taking out the FIM Supermoto Junior Lites Championship at Newcastle. The icing on the cake that year was finishing second in the AMA Grand Nationals Junior Half Mile TT Short Track Championship at the legendary Springfield Mile in Illinois, where he scored a win and two second places.
In 2019 he was invited to compete in the Asia Talent Cup where he finished 13th overall, his best result a fourth in the third round at Sepang, Malaysia.
As we know Covid had a devastating impact on 2020, with only one round of the ATC held at the local circuit in Qatar where he claimed third place. Additionally Harry was fortunate to be able to keep racing in the European Talent Cup and scored a brace of third place finishes
Harrison Voight – 2020 ATC Round 1 Qatar
For 2021 he was accepted into the Red Bull Rookies Cup and signed to the SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda team with fellow Aussie, Senna Agius for the CEV Championships.
The year started very well for Voight, with a 12th place in the opening CEV race, but then soon turned to crap. At the next round, he had a coming together with another rider, crashed and broke his collarbone that forced his withdrawal for a few weeks from both competitions.
Harry made his return from that collarbone injury for the fourth round of the RBRC at Sachsenring (Germany) and finished eighth in the second race. His best result of the year, so a great confidence boost.
He then headed to Portimao for the fourth round of the CEV title. Which of course was the scene of the aforementioned terrible accident that saw his leg so badly broken. It was an horrific incident and if the impact had been 30 cm higher, up around the vital organs, who knows where the 15-year-old would be.
Harry was now out of both titles, but through massive hard work and determination made a remarkably rapid recovery from what were such serious injuries.
Harrison Voight, started as a dirt tracker but soon also made a name for himself on the tarmac – Image Craig Mayne
He competed in the final round of the CEV at Valencia after a medical clearance with strict instructions not to go too crazy. Easier said than done for a teenager, but Harry listened and scored 20th and 17th places to finish the year before returning home, to then go through quarantine and compete on a not-so-new race bike at the final round of the ASBK Supersport 600 at The Bend Motorsport Park.
At the moment he is at home on the Gold Coast, but it hasn’t all been about relaxing and having fun.
Mark Bracks: You did extremely well to get back on track at the end of the year at Valencia after getting a medical clearance.
Harrison Voight: “Race one at the last round wasn’t ideal but the second race I was a bit more in there. I was only 19-seconds off. My best from the first race of the season was only 12-seconds so it wasn’t a crazy amount of time.”
Harrison Voight at The Bend with ASBK – Image by RBMotoLens
Bracks: So are you fully recovered after everything that happened last year?
Voight: “I just got my collarbone plated the week before Christmas so I’ve just been working on that as well. When I got taken out at Valencia earlier last year it healed in a trianglular shape and every time I knocked it, when I had a pretty decent crash it just re-fractured every time. Even when I crashed at the Bend I hit it and it was so sore. I went to get a CT scan and found out I had to get it plated. The movement is fine. It’s coming good. But, I’ve still got screws and rods in my leg which will stay there for awhile.”
Bracks: What are your aims this year after a confronting year last year?
Voight: “I don’t know yet. I’d like to get the season started and see where we are at, because every year the competition keeps getting better and better, but I think we can do ok.”
Bracks: What is your main focus; CEV or Red Bull Rookies?
Voight: “My focus is pretty much even. Maybe a little bit more towards Red Bull but they’re pretty equal. I want to do very well in both to set me up for the future.”
Harrison Voight #29
Bracks: So when do you head off?
Voight: “I’ll be leaving end of March. During the season I am based about 45-minutes out of Barcelona. I’ve had a little bit of down time and about to start ramp up training again. A bit of gym work but nothing crazy. I’d love to get back on a bike again. We are doing the ASBK test at the end of the month, and maybe I’ll do the first round but we are still undecided on that.”
If the “Ying” and “Yang” can find a balance for Harry after such a traumatic 2021, let’s hope he can do what Joel Kelso did in CEV and follow in his wheel tracks. He’s proven to have the talent as well as the determination to recover from the setbacks and prove that he is faster than ever.
The ASBK Superbike class was obviously the main attraction at The Bend, but without the support classes there wouldn’t be a helluva lot of on-track action and drama over the weekend, but more importantly, there would be no breeding ground for new talent, and there is a whole load of youngsters coming through and showcasing their talents.
The Bend ASBK Grand Final
The five categories of the ASBK titles are like going to school; Junior racing is kindergarten, the Supersport 300 and R3 Cup are primary school, Supersport is high school and those lucky enough to graduate to university move onto the premier ASBK while those who graduate with honours move onto categories like World Superbike or MotoGP.
Angus Grenfell and Tom Drane – SS300
Looking through the ranks we have plenty of candidates keen on furthering their education, with a handful appearing to have the talent and ability, in coming years, to matriculate to the university of road racing on the world stage.
Pearson Tops Supersport
In the 600 cc Supersport Championship there was no more deserving winner than Broc Pearson. In the past few years he’s played second string to dual Australian Supersport Champion, Tom Toparis and 2018 Champ, Cru Halliday. Always there but didn’t quite bash the door hard enough to knock it down, to break through for a title.
Tom Edwards and Broc Pearson
Anyone that knows his history realises those knocks on the door have become more persistent and forceful, but there have been plenty of challenging moments – both physically, and mentally – that have knocked him from pillar to post and back again. It’s been a long, painful and confronting road for the Queenslander.
Pearson has overcome a major crashes, and even near death experiences in his quest for glory and at times for all money it appeared that his dream of road racing success was in the dust.
Broc Pearson at The Bend on Monday after the final round testing his new YZF-R1 that he will ride in 2022 as he steps up to Superbike – Image RbMotoLens
Thankfully, his determination and the support of many has put the trauma behind him. Broc now has a championship in the belt as he graduates to the Superbike class, in 2022. Not a bad way to celebrate your 21st birthday.
Broc Pearson
The championship battle between he and life-long race rival Tom Edwards went down to the wire. Pearson held a seven-point lead over Edwards heading to The Bend, with Max Stauffer in contention a further 13-points adrift.
The drama and excitement of the last round was a fitting end to a year that has seen them nipping at each others heels like pesky blue-heelers, with Max Stauffer keeping them in check.
Max Stauffer
Edwards won the first race by over five-seconds after Pearson made a mistake early in the race. Broc then mixed it with Max as Tom increased his gap but Max won the battle for second.
The gap between the pair had now closed to a solitary point advantage to Broc, with Max still nipping away ready for a mishap from either of them.
Pearson did a heap of soul-searching in the break between races. It was his worst result of the year, at the most crucial time of the year.
Broc Pearson won the championship by this much….. Image RbMotoLens
Whoever won the last race would win the title and it went down to a classic last corner of the last lap, with a last fast desperate drag to the line as Pearson crossed the line by the bee’s dick gap of just 0.05s!
Broc Pearson won the championship by this much….. Image RbMotoLens
No one likes to be the first loser, but Edwards was the first to congratulate Pearson on his feat and did not begrudge Broc one iota after the race.
The pair have been racing against each other since they were seven-years-old, chasing each other around the dirt tracks of Australia before the graduation to road racing. Their paths in road racing took different avenues before they reunited again this year to go head-to-head for the title.
There may have been only six races to the season, but in each one, the pair stalked and battled, breaking lap records while racing with the utmost respect for each other. It was heart-warming to see the pair embrace at the end of the race.
Broc Pearson – 2021 Australian Supersport Champion – Image RbMotoLens
An annual award that commenced in 1988 is the “Samurai Award” previously known as the RK Chains Samurai Award initiated by AMCN editor, the late Ken Wootton.
The Honour Roll of recipients of the award is a who’s who of Australian racing with recipients such as Mick Doohan, Daryl Beattie, Peter Goddard, Marty Craggill and 27 other illustrious riders.
The winner this year, Broc Pearson, was the unanimous victor and had his name etched on the trophy. Another award well deserved.
Aussie Ex-Pats Return
The Supersport class had a couple of international riders making a very welcome appearance at the final round with Billy van Eerde, Harrison Voight and Senna Agius entering the class for the weekend.
Billy van Eerde on the grid at Catalunya in September – Image 2snap
Some may have heard of Billy van Eerde, who won the Asia Talent Cup, competed in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and this year, did a few rounds of the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship along with a couple of steers in the World Supersport Championship.
Billy van Eerde
He was riding a fairly long-in-the-tooth Yamaha R6 and also had to learn the track but, like Jack, he was just happy to be there racing. In fact Jack was even on the spanners, assisting with his set-up.
Harrison (Harry) Voight is not as well known – at the moment – but he had a very confronting year racing in the FIM CEV Moto3 Championship. He graduated to that class after racing in the Asia Talent Cup in 2019 and 2020 and also the Northern Talent Cup in 2020 where he finished fourth.
For 2021 he was accepted for the Red Bull Rookies Cup and signed to the SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda team with fellow Aussie, Senna Agius. The above mentioned trio made up a quartet of Aussie competitors in the CEV champs with Joel Kelso – who won three races and finished fourth overall in the title.
The year started very well for Voight, with a 12th place in the opening CEV race, but then soon turned to crap. At the next round, he had a coming together with another rider, crashed and broke his collarbone that forced his withdrawal for a few weeks from both competitions.
Harrison Voight
Harry returned for the fourth round of the RBRC at the Sachsenring (Germany) and finished eighth in the second race. His best result of the year, so a great confidence boost. He then headed to Portimao for the fourth round of the CEV title. In the opening laps, he high-sided over the infamous crest of the roller coaster, unsighted from following riders then he was hit, breaking his femur, fibula with a compound fracture of the tibia for good measure.
It was an horrific incident and if the impact had been 30 cm higher, who knows where the 15-year-old would be. Harry was out of both titles but through massive hard work and determination made a remarkably rapid recovery from such serious injury
He competed in the the final round of the CEV at Valencia after a medical clearance with strict instructions not to go too crazy. Easier said than done for a teenager but Harry listened and scored a 20th and 17th places to finish the year to rush back here, go through quarantine to compete on a not-so-new race bike.
The good news is that Harry will again be with the SIC58 team in the CEV Moto3 class next year. Keep an eye on him as I reckon he will go a long way in the sport.
For 2019 Aussie Supersport 300 Champion Senna Agius the weekend was a perfect summation of his year in the CEV.
Senna Agius
He was quick from the outset and looked a real threat for a victory after he qualified third for the Supersport class, but unfortunately there was an oversight in his quarantine on his return to Australia and he was then forced to withdraw from the meeting on Saturday afternoon and head to Adelaide.
Senna is not short of talent but he’s not short in height either, which was a massive detriment to him racing with all the lighter, short-arse riders of Euro heritage, in the SIC58 Team alongside Voight in the CEV title.
Moving up to the FIM CEV Moto2 class will be manna for him as his weight and height will be nowhere near as critical as in the junior 250 cc class, and he proved in his time at the Bend (and a few days ago at SMSP) he will kick some freckle next year in Europe.
As for the weekend for Billy and Harry, in the first Supersport race, the pair finished seventh and eighth respectively, and in the last race they both crashed out!
In R2, Billy was battling with the leaders in third position when he crashed at the end of the second lap, while Harry battling in the top six, crashed at the tight T6 Hairpin with just over a lap to go. Thankfully, both were uninjured.
Moving On Up
While Pearson and Stauffer may be moving on to the Superbikes, in a way, its a pity to see Max graduate. After finishing in the top three two years in a row and also being a race winner, he’d be an equal favourite for next year’s title.
With Pearson moving on I reckon he will adapt to a Superbike pretty quickly to be in the top five. Finally he will be sitting on a bike that suits his rather tall frame.
There are others that are also moving on.
Luke Power chases Max Stauffer
Luke Power is heading to the USA to race in the MotoAmerica Supersport class with his good mate and Supersport 300 rider, Joe Mariniello (who’ll be competing in the Supersport 300 class), while Scott Nicholson may be heading over with them as a support crew with the trio based in Orlando, Florida. Look out Orlando, especially if LP gets dolled up in his watermelon PJs and matching hat for a night out!
While it will be disappointing not to see all of them racing locally, there are plenty to fill the void to ensure that Edwards doesn’t have it all his own way in 2022.
The Tom-E-Gun will start favourite for the title after finishing fifth in his first season last year and going oh so close in ’21.
South Australian, Dallas Skeer who finished fifth overall will be knocking on the door with the likes of Tom Bramich, Aidan Hayes and teenager John Lytras in the leading contingent more often.
Dallas Skeer
Skeer has been on a Suzuki in the past few seasons but that will change next year with him switching to Yamaha after purchasing one of Pearson’s championship winning bikes.
Dallas is a quiet achiever going about his racing with a minimum of fuss and fanfare. This year he had the experienced Glen Richards in his corner as crew chief. Whether that continues next year is uncertain, but if he stays it will be a major benefit for Dallas’s championship aspirations.
Tom Bramich will be a front runner next year. I don’t doubt it. He has a good team and good support and if he hadn’t had a whoopsie in race one he would’ve been well in the top ten in the race and in the championship. In the family run team it’s taken a bit of time for Tom to settle into the 600 but he’s never been that far away from the front runners. Next year will be a different yarn.
Tom Bramich
The seventh place overall finish of John Lytras doesn’t mirror his year as he was an early casualty at the Wakefield Park round when he wrote off his bike early on practice day and was forced out of the meeting going down a wagon full of points.
With his ever improving progress expect the diminutive teenager to be right up the front from the first round.
A debutant to the class next year will be this year’s dual Proddie champ, Ben Baker. Ben has the talent to be up the front. It won’t happen immediately but rest assured he will be getting closer on every lap.
The 300 cc Classes
Baker from the NSW Central Coast created his own piece of history by being the first rider to claim the Supersport 300 Championship and the Yamaha R3 Cup in the same year.
Ben Baker
Like Pearson in the 600s, Benny didn’t make it easy for himself. After finishing third in the opening 300 and R3 Cup races on Saturday afternoon, he came out for his first race on Sunday in the R3s and won the title with another third place (0.052 from the win) in a six rider bunch that was separated by 0.739 sec at the finish line.
Ben’s post race antics were one of the most bizarre championship celebrations ever witnessed in Australia; he was welcomed at Turn 1 by Lachlan Epis, dressed as a Roman centurion and Anthony Mariniello, – a close friend and supporter of Ben – dolled up like Emperor Julius Caesar. They presented the championship T-shirt and one-off gold-liveried helmet, and adorned him with a massive imitation gold chain with two rolls of Anthony’s home-made salami attached!
Ben Baker
As they say; “Once seen, can never be unseen,” and watching Epis bend over in his rather short centurion outfit was one of those sights.
However with the 300 title up for grabs, maybe it was the pressure, maybe he was overcome with winning the R3 Cup an hour previously, maybe it was the weight of the salami or maybe not enough spuds from his favourite food cart but while in the leading bunch with a 37-point lead, he just had to bring it home. That would’ve been too easy so, he crashed at T1 at the start of lap four! He remounted to finish the race but the title lead was now 23 points.
Brando’s Last Tango
The end of the 2021 season marked the end of Brandon Demmery’s racing career. Brando has been a mainstay of the 300 cc Proddie class for the best part of a decade; one of the original competitors and won the title when it was still running the Ninja 250.
Brandon Demmery
Brando came back from life threatening injuries after a start line incident in the 2017 MotoGP support races to still be a regular front runner.
He wears his heart on his sleeve and was never backward in expressing his thoughts, which could be detrimental but one thing was for sure, there was never a dull moment, and you sure knew where you stood with the man – good or bad!
His last race wasn’t a fairy tale winning end but he was just one second from the win in ninth position, mirroring the intensely close competition of the breeding classes, but he did leave a mark with a new Supersport 300 lap record to show there is still plenty of pace in him, if he did desire to change his mind.
Archie McDonald and Brandon Demmery
I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
Another that uttered he would be hanging up the leathers is Zachary Johnson but I’d like to make a public appeal to Zac: Keep on racing as you will be missed with your spectacular riding style.
The Winning Feeling
Successful riders tell me that the first win in any class is a mighty relief.
Archie McDonald and Glenn Nelson will certainly agree. Both have been on a steady upward progress this year although Archie had a rough start to the year missing the first round with a broken leg – as did Angus Grenfell – but he certainly made up for that at the Bend.
Archie McDonald
Not only did he break through for his first win in the ASBK Proddie classes, he had a stellar weekend with two wins and a third in the Supersport 300, while in the R3 Cup he had one win and two second places, meaning he was on the podium in every race, taking round wins in both classes. An excellent way to finish his time in Australia, before he heads to Italy in 2022.
Queenslander, Glenn Nelson wasn’t far behind in accomplishments to crack his first win. In the opening race he looked to have the edge in a frantic duel with four others but took the long way to the line weaving across the straight while Archie nailed it in a straight line to win, momentarily thwarting his maiden win by another bee’s dick distance of an almost invisible 0.05-sec gap.
After being summoned to the head master’s office for a little chat regarding weaving during the race, Glenn was suitably admonished and ready to rumble on Sunday, and that he did with a race win in each class backed up with two second places, a third and a crash in the opening 300 cc race.
Glenn Nelson
The fairly consistent results were enough for him the finish second overall in the R3 Cup class after Cameron Dunker was forced out of the final race of the year – crashing at T1 to bring out the red flag and a complete restart. While disappointing for Dunker he still held onto third in the championship.
Another to keep your eye on in 2022 will be Reece Oughtred who through consistent results finished second behind Baker in the Supersport 300 and it won’t be too long into next year where he gets a taste of that winning feeling.
As for 2019 OJC winner and last year’s R3 Cup champion Carter Thompson, it was a weekend to forget for he and his younger brother, Hudson, who both ended the weekend visiting a hospital.
Carter Thompson
Thompson the elder started out in fine form and looked to be back in his winning ways after he qualified first in the R3 Cup and second in the Supersport 300 class. In the opening R3 Cup race he was part of the frantic four rider duel with McDonald, Nelson and Baker to finish fourth but in the first 300cc heat he very uncharacteristically crashed while in a good position and walked away seemingly ok.
It only got worse for the youngster as in the opening race on Sunday, in the R3 Cup he crashed again virtually at the same spot, knocking himself out and breaking a collarbone.
But he will bounce back, he is a champion in the making, has been successful in the Asia Talent Cup and will race in the European Talent Cup next year.
Oceania Junior Cup
As with any junior program, the OJC continues to produce future stars and one of the brightest to come through is Cameron Swain.
Cameron Swain
While he won the OJC to join other victors it is the way he did it that had folk sit up and take notice. In the nine races this year he was never off the podium taking six wins, two second places and one third – the only OJC rider to podium at every race, and he wrapped up the title with two races to go. Not too shabby for a 13-year-old.
Add in that Cam has never crashed in two years of the OJC and won the 2021 title by 56-points, and he is sure to go a long way.
Cam will remain in Australia next year but has been invited to compete in the Asia Talent Cup alongside fellow Aussies, with Carter Thompson fronting up for his third year in the series, while Marianos Nikolis will join the ATC for a second year.
As mentioned above it was a wretched weekend for the Thompson brothers with Hudson the younger, who debuted in the Oceania Junior Cup this year, also joining his brother with a trip to hospital.
Hudson finished fifth in Race 1, and scored the fastest lap time of Race 2 before he crashed at the tricky turn 6 and suffered an ankle injury,
Look out for Teerin Fleming too, the younger brother of Varis. He is just old enough to race and was granted a Wild Card to compete before joining OJC full time next year. A typical case of brotherly rivalry as he finished in front of his older sibling in two of the three races, with the pair finishing on equal points.
Varis Fleming
The OJC will no doubt give rise to many future champions, but over the weekend at the Bend there were a multitude of riders that had come through the junior ranks in the past, that has now morphed into the OJC that we recognise today.
On a personal level, after running the GP Juniors Australia program for three years with the Yamaha R15s, from 2016-18, it’s very special to witness so many graduates of the class succeeding; Harrison Voight, Max Stauffer, Joel Kelso, Tom Edwards, Luke Power, John Lytras, Ben Baker, Reece Oughtred, Harry Kouri and Glenn Nelson are doing so well. Then there’s a few more like Zylas Bunting and Marianos Nikolia that competed in the GP Juniors. It makes an old man very proud to have had some effect on road racing.
Combine those names with Jack Miller, Billy Van Eerde, Josh Hook, Daniel Falzon, Mike Jones and Remy Gardner that competed in the MRRDA series, as well as Tony Edwards and Joel Kelso whose initial road racing commenced in the MRRDA, before continuing with GP Juniors, proves emphatically that the junior programs have succeeded in the past.
Jack Miller himself came through the MRRDA
Go back before the MRRDA was formed, and the likes of Wayne Holland and Tony Hatton started the Moriwaki 80 series in the mid-1990s that featured fledgling riders such as Wayne Maxwell and Josh Brookes.
Now it is run with the ASBK at every round with such a professional setup, the OJC program will provide even more opportunities for young Aussie racing hopefuls to have a broader avenue to achieve their dreams. The lines of your little black talent spotter’s book will be filled with plenty of names to be used for future reference.
Summing up a watershed weekend
There were so many positives about the final round but one observation from the spectators’ point of view is worth consideration. A few mates from Phillip Island rode over, meeting up with others that rode from interstate for an excellent adventure and camped out. The general consensus was they would never complain about the spectator facilities at the Island ever again.
The lads related to me that the Bend is a great layout and while the pit lane facility is world class with a hotel, corporate facilities and a restaurant and bar to watch the action, plus sky decks for a great view, and a great campground adjacent to the track, but if you are out spectating around the track, it’s a very different story.
Jack Miller added something extra special to the event
While there are some great vantage points, perched on the mounds to watch the racing, there is very little in way of facilities; with no toilets, or food vans and no protection from the elements particularly the gamma rays. You have to bring your own quick shades, eskies and anything else you might need if your desire is to remain in the one spot. .
Added to that I was informed, they were assaulted by dry hot winds and dust with barely any grass and massive weeds and clumps of nettles and thorns ready to attach themselves to human flesh.
Overall the entire weekend was something very special. There’s no denying that the presence of Jack Miller, along with Josh Hook, Harry Voight, Billy Van Eerde and to a certain extent Senna Agius, added exposure on an international scale through the myriad of broadcast avenues that aired the event.
Troy Bayliss and Josh Hook in the pits
Their participation, combined with the local talent that strutted its stuff over that weekend will benefit the future exposure and ever increasing popularity of the ASBK Championships.
Let’s hope the racing gods see fit to allow a full season of competition that will culminate in another stellar event at the Bend Motorsport Park in early December, next year, and Jack will have the opportunity to grace us with his involvement again.
You never know who may come to play with him! Thanks Jack and thanks Hooky for dangling the bait for him to bite.
In many ways 2021 was more challenging than last year in the hurdles and detours that had to be negotiated with this bloody wretched pandemic.
Supersport 300s in pitlane
In closing for the year, a massive thanks to everyone involved is due and as such, I’d like to thank everyone from M.A. who worked tirelessly to ensure that we completed a championship, to the officials, the riders, teams and families, to all the spectators that attended the events in this challenging year to assist in making it what it was – no matter how many rounds were changed and/or cancelled.
Also thanks to the amazing bunch of people I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with during the year to broadcast the event at the circuit and around the world. I trust we were entertaining, although it’s a fact of life you can’t please all the people all the time, and indeed some of the people any of the time!
Angus Grenfell and Tom Drane
Here’s to a massive 2022. A merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and everyone of you.
Bracksy’s take on the ASBK Grand Final at The Bend
Images by RBMotoLens
The dust from the final round (and there was plenty of that), of the 2021 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend has settled, but the buzz and memories are still swirling.
Mark Bracks was at The Bend to catch all the action and of course report on it all
With a week’s reflection Bracksy is one of those still buzzing about an event that will go down in the annals of Australian road racing as a watershed moment. Here’s his take on the event.
It may be over a week since the event but that really doesn’t matter as ASBK fans will be waxing lyrical about this particular event for many years.
The Grand Final at The Bend also attracted a bumper crowd, especially in light of the last two years
It’s no coincidence that M.A. has announced a very similar date for the final round of 2022 at the same venue. Will Jack be back? You can bet on it. And as he hinted to yours truly there may be a few other of his MotoGP mates that may follow. If he does manage to get a few of his buddies to come on down, there’s a fair chance Joan Mir will probably not get an invite!
In the weeks leading up to the event, there was a hint of doubt as the dreaded pandemic raised its ugly head again which could lead to another event being canned, but thanks to all the hard work behind the scenes we managed to all unite.
Superbike Race One underway – Image RbMotoLens
It wasn’t just a case of getting excited about the on-track action. That was a bonus. Uniting with the road racing fraternity was the highlight, and after being in the paddock for all of five minutes it was palpable that everyone felt the same.
The event was magnificent medicine for the mental health of everyone; from officials to sponsors, to families and the thousands of spectators that witnessed the racing.
The weekend also provided a great chance for the paddock to catch up
According to circuit management, over the weekend of the event more than 17,000 paying customers went through the entrance gates, considerably more than the first ASBK event at the venue in 2018, when the Asia Road Racing Championships was also on the card.
Mates from Victoria and NSW travelled to the meeting, while there were some that introduced themselves that had ridden down from Queensland. There was a real buzz in the atmosphere with so many people in attendance.
It was good to be back.
In the Supersport 300 pits
The old adage ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ was definitely the case, as besides the Darwin ASBK round in late June, it was the first time since mid-April that the ASBK paddock was all together. The event was only the sixth time in two years that a full ASBK round had been conducted.
There will never be too many words written or spoken about the involvement of Jack Miller and what he has done for the sport in this country on the back of this. But here’s a few more.
Jack Miller on the grid at The Bend
The motorcycle racing world was king-hit with the news that Jack would compete and put it all on the line, with a target on his back, and nothing to gain, but a lot to gone wrong.
After his appearance there are thousands more folk that are aware of the ASBK title that may not have shown any interest before. The entire road racing world was watching ASBK.
Miller’s presence added a whole new level of focus on the ASBK championship
Anyone that doubted Jack would be competitive was already eating messy egg sandwiches just after lunchtime Friday when he topped the second practice session of the 4.95 km layout.. The most obvious hurdle was tyre wear as after just a couple of laps the Michelins were crying ‘Enough!’ after being tortured by Miller, but it sure as hell didn’t slow him down. Watching him man handle the Duke around The Bend on shagged tyres, wheel spinning, sliding and smoking the rear while tying the thing in knots was magnificent.
Jack Miller had his hands full on the Ducati with tyre wear an issue
Tyres weren’t his only woe, as he had problems running out of fuel a few times during Friday’s three sessions and during Saturday morning. With the lads helping him coming from a dirt bike background a bit of banter in the DesmoSport Ducati box was that maybe they should throw more fuel in, as road bikes have much larger fuel tanks to fill than what they are used to when topping up a dirt squirter!
To put Jack’s appearance in perspective, it was the first time since 1980 – 41 years ago – that a current, contracted premier class Australian GP rider competed in a round of the Australian Championships. That rider was the late Gregg Hansford, another people’s champion.
Miller’s attendance was the first in 41 years from an Australian GP rider
Gregg finished runner-up in the 1978/79 250 cc and 350 cc world titles with 10 GP victories, behind his South African team mate Kork Ballington. In 1980 he competed in a few GPs in the lower classes waiting while Kawasaki made an ill-feted attempt at constructing a 500 cc machine. After competing in a few European GPs, Gregg returned to Australia, to compete in three events; the annual Australian Grand Prix at Bathurst festival, a round of the Australian Road Racing Championships at the Adelaide International Raceway, and Oran Park for an endurance race.
In modern times it never happens. Jack changed that in one fell swoop.
Jack Miller
The momentous occasion eventuated because one of his best mates, Josh Hook put it to him with a bet. The pair share a house in Andorra and as mates do when a challenge is thrown, one thing led to another. As Josh said to the crowd – tongue in cheek – at the autograph signing, “You can thank me for getting him down here!“
After that, Jack did it all on his own. He purchased a bike and everything fell into place, with the blessing of his employers in Italy. He wasn’t paid any appearance money and he brought a few mates down from Townsville to work on his bike. They had never worked on a road bike before, but they had a ball.
Jack Miller bought an ex-DesmoSport Ducati for the event
The bike he purchased was an ex-DesmoSport Ducati from Ben Henry. A spare bike from the ASBK squad with a fresh engine and taken to Darwin as a spare but never raced. Jack himself hadn’t even seen the bike in the ‘flesh’ until he arrived at the track.
There was one difference between Jack’s bike and the other Panigale V4Rs that graced the track, primarily due to the fact that Jack is restricted from using the full race kit ECU set-ups currently fitted to the other Ducatis being raced in ASBK. That restriction stems from the rules set in place by Dorna, preventing MotoGP riders testing in the off-season on Superbikes fitted with that level of telemetry.
Jack Miller and Daniel Falzon
In many other Superbike series around the world their race bikes would be modified in many other ways that would also prevent any MotoGP rider from legally being able to ride them at all, let alone race them.
Luckily, ECU aside, our ASBK Superbikes are otherwise so standard that Miller can race here without breaking the MotoGP testing rules that only allow competitors to ride production bikes with minimal changes. And that, essentially, is what an Australian Superbike is. Our Superbikes are more standard than most Superstock categories around the world, let alone a British Superbike or World Superbike.
Jack cannot be commended highly enough for what he did. The same must be said for Ducati head office for giving him the stamp of approval to take part in the final round. I am sure there was a lot of tension at Bologna as they watched from afar, and no doubt a few gasps of breath when he tumbled across the deck twice.
Jack Miller had the stamp of approval from Bologna, but there must have been some baited breaths with his offs
With his off-track actions, attitude and his interaction with everyone he gained a massive amount of adulation. Jack’s fan base would’ve grown massively, probably doubled, even tripled. Nothing seemed to be any trouble for him.
Nothing was too much trouble, with Jack spending plenty of time with the fans
The amount of time he spent with his fans was insane. No one was knocked back for a photo, or an autograph.
After the second ASBK race – where he finished second – on the slow down lap, he stopped at the back of the circuit. He asked a Marshall to hold his bike while he ran over to another Marshall behind the retaining wall and gave him his gloves, then pointed up to the spectator hill and instructed the Marshall to give the gloves to a kid that had been waving a Miller flag all weekend. Pure class.
Jack Miller with his crew – Image RbMotoLens
There were countless moments in the pits when he spoke, joked and posed with fans to prove he really is the People’s Champion.
Another fact about Jack; his house in Andorra is known as the ‘Australian Embassy’ a half-way training house for many young Aussie rider that compete in various championships in Europe.
But the final round wasn’t just about Jack.
There were five championships to be decided.
Because of the drama of the last couple of years, there’s been words uttered and comments posted on social media that the past two seasons haven’t been a real championship because they were unusually short seasons. That is way off the mark.
Superbikes on the grid at The Bend
It may have been a shortened season due to the ever-changing landscape during all the lockdowns, but to think that is an insult to those that put it on the line every time they head out on track.
Take a wander through history; there have been many years when the Australia titles were decided over only one weekend. Or 2014, when there was two rounds, as the championship sunk to its nadir, before M.A. stepped in to take control the following year. Very few remember there were only two rounds, but Glenn Allerton’s name will be in the record books for ever more.
Since 2008 six riders have shared the ASBK Superbike championship title, and all competed at some stage this year; those riders were Wayne Maxwell, Josh Waters, Glenn Allerton, Bryan Staring, Mike Jones and Troy Herfoss.
Wayne Maxwell is just one of three riders to have won the championship on different machinery
In the past 21 seasons, only three riders; Wayne Maxwell, Glenn Allerton and Mike Jones have won championships on different brands.
Additionally, Wayne Maxwell is the first rider to claim back-to-back titles since 2006/07, when Jamie Stauffer did the double.
Adding to the drama were a couple of developments that occurred a few weeks out from the meeting, dubbed The Grand Finale.
The biggest news was the demise of the BC Performance Kawasaki team after the Japanese manufacturer withdrew direct support from the team, leaving Bryan Staring and Josh Waters without a ride.
BC Performance weren’t present with Kawasaki withdrawing, leaving Staring and Waters without a ride
The other was the earlier than anticipated split in the Next Gen Maxima Oils BMW team. Glenn Allerton and Lachlan Epis had shared a pit box at the previous rounds this season but at the Bend Allerton was the sole rider, stewarded by long-time crew chief Shane Kinderis, still under the Next Gen Maxima Racing Oils banner. Lachlan Epis entered with the new BMW Alliance Team alongside Nathan Spiteri for a two rider line-up, that will continue in 2022.
The Tyre War
The bitumen of The Bend is renown for tyre degradation. The last time ASBK visited, in April 2019, Bryan Staring took three wins from three starts using Dunlop tyres. This was somewhat of a standout anomaly in comparison to their performances that season at most other tracks. The Dunlops were more durable and Staring used the length of the three races to conserve tyres and then pick off riders at will as their tyre degradation set in, and his Dunlops stayed strong.
Dunlop looked to be the tyre to beat after the last running at The Bend where Staring won on them
A couple of years down the track and the performance of tyres, naturally, was still a headline. All tyre brands were a little nervous about what lay ahead, but none were admitting it. It’s the nature of their corporate pride as they put on a brave face exuding confidence in the product while quietly stressing about durability, weather conditions and the track surface.
It was soon apparent that the track surface was a lot more user friendly than in past years. The surface is now “bedded-in” with the track a little bit smoother due to the amount of use it has been through, wearing away the hard edges of the surface that is common with a green track.
Heading into the event, riders on Pirelli and Dunlop rubber were cautious in regards to tyre durability. Michelin were quietly confident as they had tested at exactly the same time of year, in very similar hot conditions, albeit two years previously with a range of tyres, two of which proved very satisfactory.
The company took the two preferred rears but mysteriously neither of them performed as expected, causing a lot of head scratching in the Michelin truck. The rear was lasting just a few laps before grip became an issue and it wasn’t only on Jack’s bike; anyone running Michelins suffered the same fate with a lack of rear tyre durability. Speaking to the Michelin crew they were at a loss to explain what had gone wrong and have since been in contact with head office in France in an attempt to rectify the situation in future.
There was some recompense for the French rubber when Jack finished third in Race Two, but his tyre was deteriorating rapidly. One more lap and a fast finishing Cru Halliday would’ve put Dunlop up on the podium again, after his third place finish in the opening stanza.
By the end of the weekend it was Pirelli who was smiling the loudest as Maxwell had claimed pole, the two wins, a new race lap record and the fastest ever lap of the circuit.
Lap Records
This year we have become nonchalant with lap records as after such a prolonged gap between meetings at many venues, the advances in tyres and machinery has seen many records broken. The question was by how much the qualifying and race lap records set by Mike Jones in April 2019 would be lowered.
The lap record tango between Miller and Maxwell in qualifying and the racing was extremely entertaining, but they were not the only ones to lap under the previous records.
Wayne Maxwell and Jack Miller
Bear with me as I explain the numbers.
On Jack’s very first flying lap during the Timed Practice session on Saturday morning, the MotoGP star went within 0.5 second of the all-time fastest lap that at the time was 1:51.220. Maxwell then went within 0.023sec. On Jack’s very next lap the record fell with a time of 1:51.163 taking just 0.067 sec off. Jack appeared to be aiming for an even faster time but crashed at T1 to end his session.
Not to be out-done, as Jack was brushing off the dust, Maxwell lowered it again to a new benchmark of 1:50.924 – 0.296 seconds quicker.
Wayne Maxwell was fastest overall, consistently shaving down the times
As the Q2 session heated up, Miller couldn’t quite match his morning’s time but Maxwell chomped almost half-a-second under his morning time to set a new qualifying record of 1:50.520
The record breaking continued in the races, or more to the point, the race lap record of 1:52.875 was obliterated, a number of times.
On the second lap Maxwell took 1.330 sec off the record as he crossed the line over a second in front of Jack, who was just 0.059 sec slower than Maxwell’s stellar lap. Glenn Allerton on the Next Gen BMW was also a second under the previous benchmark.
Glenn Allerton was also well under the previous benchmark
Miller and Maxwell again shaved time off the new lap record as Maxwell posted the fastest lap of the race on Lap 4 with a 1:51.192 – an astonishing 1.683 sec under the old record. Okay, the weather was a lot warmer in December than April, and the track is more tyre friendly, but that is still a remarkable time.
If that wasn’t enough in the last race of the year – and quite possibly Maxwell’s last race – the successful defending champion was the first rider to get under the 1:51s, setting another record with a 1:50.972 lap – less than half-a-second off his qualifying record set the previous day. Astounding.
Top Speeds
Timed Practice
Maxwell 306 km/h
Miller 306
Bayliss 306
Q2
Maxwell 304 km/h
Miller 309
Falzon 298
Sissis 303
Bayliss 308
Halliday 300
Race 1
Maxwell 298 km/h
Miller 309
Allerton 302
Halliday 301
Sissis 300
Race 2
Maxwell 301 km/h
Miller 305
Bayliss 303
Sissis 303
At the end of the day Wayne Maxwell was dominant, with a well earnt title to show for it
Jack was repeatedly the fastest as his corner speed through the final sector was ultimately the difference in top speeds. His speeds and lap times demonstrated that there is not a lot of differences in ECU. It’s more in the fine tuning over race distance. It might also have something to with who is in the jockey seat of the 200+ hp weapon.
Troy Herfoss
Taking a bit of shine away from the weekend was the lack of bike fitness/strength exhibited by Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda, still recovering from the terrible injuries he suffered at Hidden Valley.
Troy Herfoss made a return, despite still recovering and made an early exit opting to focus on 2022 rather than take risks
Before a wheel was turned he was second in the title chase, 26 points adrift from Maxwell. Glenn Allerton on the Maxima Racing Oils BMW was then just six points away in third and Cru Halliday, in his last meeting for the Yamaha Factory Team, sitting in fourth spot, in with a huge sniff of a top three finish, 12 points adrift of Allerton.
Riders are different to us mortals. If a doctor tells them not to do something for a certain period of time, they use that as motivation to get back in the saddle sooner. Herfoss is one of those riders. No matter the pain and discomfort, he had to compete. To him, it was a better option than sitting at home watching the weekend from afar.
He sure gave it a great crack and considering the physically and mentally draining nature of the undulating 4.95 km track his efforts were all the more impressive.
Troy Herfoss
Unfortunately, after giving it his all over the weekend where Troy qualified in eighth spot and finished in seventh place in the restarted first leg, discretion played the better part of valour and he withdrew from the event.
Fair call, too. The championship hunt was over after Maxwell claimed the title in the first leg. Allerton had drawn level with Herfoss and Halliday had closed the gap Halliday.
Troy will be back just as strong and all the more determined to claim another ASBK title.
Local Lads Shine
Hats off to the local lads, Daniel Falzon and Arthur Sissis who flew the flag high for the Crow Eaters. The pair were on the pipe from the outset on Friday afternoon and in the first session the pair topped the timesheets – understandable considering they had the bonus of some track days at the venue.
Local talent Daniel Falzon looked set for a great weekend
Sissis was the more consistent of the pair throughout the weekend. To see the way he gained on Maxwell during the final free practice on Friday was most impressive, and many were thinking that the quietly spoken lad had a real chance come race day.
Arthur had a bit of extra motivation as he and Jack competed in the Moto3 World Championship from 2012 – 2014. In 2012 Arthur actually finished in front of him in the title chase, that included a third at the Oz GP.
Arthur Sissis was another local with a history with Miller
As for qualifying Falzon had the bragging rights but only just, as he was third on the grid sitting beside Jack Miller with Maxwell on Pole Position, Sissis just 0.081 behind him in fourth. With his trademark rocket starts fourth was a great position for a run into Turn One.
While it all looked promising for the pair, it soon went pear shaped on race day. Falzon crashed in the opening lap when his front wheel kissed the white line at T6 and he went down, he remounted to be mobile when the red flag came out. As he was at the rear of the field, he threw in a new rear tyre and started from last on the grid.
After the 15 km dash he finished in fifth place, and no doubt with a couple of extra laps would’ve been in line for a podium. It went even worse in race two when he again crashed and in the melee was hit by another ride suffering leg injuries. Whatever the result sheets say, we all know that Falzon is very rapid so expect him to be back at the sharp end in 2022.
Falzon had to settle for fifth in a restarted Race 1, with a crash in Race 2
Sissis was in a buoyant, but quietly confident mood as race day dawned but in reality what promised so much, delivered very little. In the first leg of race one he was in a strong position, in third place, and closing on Jack Miller, when the red flag was displayed after another local, Evan Byles, had a massive high side exiting the second last turn, requiring medical assistance.
In the re-start Sissis cooked the clutch and had to retire.
Leg two went further downhill for Sissis when he was caught up with Josh Hook at Turn One. That combined with the incident with Falzon at T3, saw the red flag brought out again. Fortunately, Sissis remounted and was able to return to the pits and so was able to compete in the restart and salvage a little from the weekend, finishing seventh but unable to get close to the lap times he was reeling off previously.
Arthur Sissis
Wagner and Miller
There was one incident in the restart of the first Superbike race that had tongues wagging and race control investigating. Heading into the downhill Turn 6 hairpin, Miller ran a little wide as he struggled severely with a shagged rear Michelin. (In a restart if you fit a new tyre, you have to start from the rear of the grid, so most riders opted to race the three laps on old bags).
That left a gap and Yamaha’s Aiden Wagner went for it. Unfortunately he lost the front and skittled the Ducati with two riders and bikes sliding off track. As the dust settled and the pair ran back to their bikes Jack gave Aiden the thumbs up.
Many thought it was a derogatory gesture but in fact, Jack was asking if Aiden was ok. Initially, race control thought there was something in it and Aiden’s appearance was required where he was informed that he would be penalised 10 positions on the grid for the next race.
Wagner appealed and with Jack backing him up saying it was just a racing incident as he’d left a gap and as he said, “He’s a racer. I ran wide, there was a gap and he went for it. It was just a racing incident.”
Aiden Wagner
With Jack’s support, Wagner maintained his original grid position with no other penalty and the matter was put to bed.
Thirty-three days between events doesn’t seem such a long time, but thankfully we are now on the verge of the third round of the ASBK at The Bend Motorsport Park (SA) this weekend. It’s going to be a tremendous event – dubbed the “International MotoFest” – as we hook up with the Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC) for the second year at the new venue.
The Bend in 2018
From a spectator perspective it is an excellent venue to see the majority of the track, as well as the world class facilities of a GP standard international circuit. As an added attraction to local race fans a number of Australian riders will be competing in the new Asian Road Racing Championships Superbike class, led by Broc Parkes.
The “new” venue is an unknown quantity this weekend, albeit a bit better than the first visit. A little over a year ago, the ASBK was the first major motorsport competition to take advantage of the facility. Back then the track was green and the infrastructure was about 90 per cent completed, the rest of the venue was brand new and there had been a reported $1 million of grass seed planted – as being on the edge of a desert, the surrounds tend to be dusty and bone dry.
ARRC returns alongside the ASBK to The Bend Motorsport Park in 2019
Besides making it aesthetically more impressive, it serves the purpose of keeping the dust down – somewhat – from the winds that blow off the desert. Hopefully these pristine autumn conditions will continue for the coming weekend with next to no wind, but the forecast contradicts what we wish for with very cool morning temperatures and gusty winds of up to 30 km/h predicted for the weekend…
Tory Herfoss holds the lap record on the championship winning Penrite Honda, but with only three ASBK races held here before, no doubt this will be blown away this weekend, with the dust adding another element to the grip problems that many are talking about.
Herfoss leading Falzon and Maxwell from Bayliss at The Bend in 2018
The recent test had the dynamic Team Ecstar Suzuki duo of Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters ascend to the top of the time sheets. However as far as working out a favourite for this weekend, that time sheet will be about as meaningful as reading the TAB form guide the day after a hay burner race meeting.
Herfoss dominated Wakefield
At the previous round of the Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championships at Wakefield Park, in March, there were surprises, disappointments, season ending incidents, successes and lap records lowered. However the one constant that stood head and shoulders above all the proceedings was the continued dominance of the “Guvna of Goulburn”, Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda.
Troy Herfoss claimed the Wakefield win – Image by TBG
Simply irrepressible.
For the fourth year in a row, the defending Australian Superbike Champion ruled the roost on race day as he smacked all opposition to take the double win in the Kawasaki Australian Superbike Championship races, and lowering his own lap record in the closing laps of the opening leg.
The only thing that he didn’t achieve was extending his run of three consecutive pole positions. That honour (and the $500 Elite Roads Pole award), went to re-born Superbike rider, Cru Halliday. He claimed the top spot with the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle at the circuit.
Troy Herfoss in the lead – Image by Rob Mott
With a brace of impressive second place finishes Halliday confirmed he is a true dark horse for the title after his consistency across the opening two rounds.
Halliday leads the championship from Herfoss as we head to South Australia, with the new draftee into the DesmoSport Ducati Team, Mike Jones, a further eight-points adrift in third.
Aiden Wagner out with injury
Before the weekend at Wakefield Park really got into its stride, it lost a massive amount of gloss and oomph that had had the paddock salivating after the controversial opening round at Phillip Island in February.
A repeat action of Aiden Wagner’s air-to-ground strafing and bombing attack aboard the Landbridge Racing Yamaha R1 failed to eventuate when the pilot crashed in the opening practice session and severely damaged his starboard wing.
Injured Aiden Wagner tried to hold it together for the opening Superbike race at Wakefield – Image by Rob Mott
Wagner valiantly gritted his teeth and battled through with a severely damaged shoulder that kept popping out of its socket while he was riding the bike. It even popped out at night while he was sleeping.
It’s not the first time he has had trouble. He has had three shoulder reconstructions and this latest incident will ensure it is operation number four and he will, more than likely, be out for the season. It is a body blow to the intrigue of the title as he had brought an exciting element of mongrel to the championship. And in a lot of people’s eyes the ASBK needs a bit of that mongrel.
Aiden Wagner’s big off – TBG Image
It was saddening to see the Queenslander, sitting dejected during Sunday’s lunchtime Pit Lane Walk, trying to put on a brave face as he autographed his posters for the many fans in attendance. Luckily he is left-handed. You have to shake your head in bewilderment and respect for what many motorcycle racers put themselves through for their chosen sport.
Troy Herfoss – Penrite Honda Racing
While it was a disappointment to see the slow and painful, demise of Wagner’s season, it was refreshing to see “The Guvna” walking around the Goulburn paddock, a spring in his step that was definitely missing at Phillip Island, a few weeks previously where he had an absolutely wretched week splitting his time between WSBK and ASBK fields.
Troy Herfoss had a renewed spring in his step after Wakefield, after a less than stellar start to the season – Image by TBG
The less that is said about the WSBK challenge the better, and in the domestic races he finished with 9-6-7 results to be in sixth place in the championship coming into Wakefield.
The spring in his step and the confidence in his voice became more apparent as the weekend went on. Back on his home track was the best medicine to get his title defence heading upwards. Being in front of a very healthy bunch of locals could only but lift him to another level as he attempts to be the first rider since Jamie Stauffer, in 2006-07, to successfully defend his title.
Anyone who discounts that he cannot do the double better have a dozen eggs at the final round at Eastern Creek in early November.
There was no denying Herfoss. He again demonstrated his affinity for tight, twisty and challenging tracks. He may have qualified third fastest beside Halliday and Wayne Maxwell (who has quickly acquainted himself with the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-R1000R), but he was still on the all-important front row.
Herfoss and Halliday dueling it out at Wakefield – Image by Rob Mott
Herfoss has a secret groove around the tight, twisty and at times bumpy 2.2 km layout. More akin to a “Scalextric” groove. If he gets in front, put down the glasses. He also has a unique setup by holding one gear from turn two all the way to the final turn, that allows him to keep the bike settled and really attack the laps on what he calls a real rider’s track.
It’s not only Wakefield’s tightness that Herfoss excels in. Take last year for instance. Herfoss reigned supreme at Morgan Park to take the double (to follow up on from his win in the second race at the previous round at Hidden Valley in Northern Territory), and then wrapped up the title in 2018 with a win in the first race at Winton a few weeks later to record four wins in a row on his way to a second title in three years.
But the weekend wasn’t all about the dominance of Herfoss and the demise of Wagner’s title assault. There were plenty of subplots to keep the cauldron bubbling away, with a two-pronged attack coming to the fore.
Troy Herfoss took the overall round win from Wayne Maxwell and Daniel Falzon at The Bend in 2018
After a dominant display at Wakefield last year, Herfoss went on to win the round taking out two of the three races at The Bend as well as the lap record. He was never headed in the championship lead for the remainder of the year.
While Herfoss may have the historical consistency going into the third round, the man leading the title and undoubtedly supremely determined to keep it will be Cru Halliday on the Yamaha Racing Team R1M. As I have stated a few times this year, he is my true dark horse for the title and I reckon this weekend the track may well play into his hands.
Cru Halliday – Yamaha Racing Team
Last year, Halliday continued his domination of the Supersport field at The Bend and this experience should hold him in good stead. While he changed his riding style last year for the Supersport bike, this in turn has changed his language on the Superbike. His lines are a little different, as he incorporates a bit of what he learned being back on the Supersport machine. With 18 corners on the undulating surface of The Bend, he may just have the ingredients to even increase his title lead.
Halliday scored the $500 cheque from Elite Roads for taking pole position at Wakefield
Halliday has won Superbike races before – as a factory rider and as a privateer (2017). Now back on a fully supported ride in the premier class he has brought some of that refinement with him and is carrying more corner speed than the majority of the field.
You only have to go out trackside to do some corner split times to see that. Halliday is riding with the confidence that comes with winning and with such a dominant performance in last year’s Supersport title, he has brought his A-game to the premier class.
Mike Jones – DesmoSport Ducati
Mike Jones is proving again that he has what it takes. In recent years he has been an occasional visitor to the ASBK, as he predominantly chased his dreams to compete overseas and get back to where he was; racing in MotoGP and other top level competition in Europe.
This year, the opportunities were evaporating and he borrowed a bike off Matt Harding to compete in the opening round. It garnered impressive results including a new lap record – the first ASBK rider to dip into a 1:31 lap at Phillip Island.
Mike Jones kicked off the season on the Mike Harding Kawasaki- Image by Rob Mott
Every cloud has a silver lining and this is true for the Troy Bayliss/Ben Henry owned team. Bayliss’ championship aspirations evaporated in the second race of the year at Phillip Island when he suffered his second huge crash of the weekend, damaging the ring finger on his right hand so badly that it required surgery.
It was another blow to the championship as Troy has his own fair share of mongrel, and he appeared to be in the frame of mind and fitness to really take it to his younger rivals. Hopefully, he will make a return at the next round at Morgan Park aboard the new V4.
With the unfortunate withdrawal of Troy Bayliss from the second round, a ride on a top flight team was presented to Jones on a plate. He grabbed the plate and devoured the contents.
Mike Jones joined the DesmoSport Ducati for the season after Bayliss was injured
From the outset of Friday practice Jones looked comfortable as he became reacquainted with the bike and the team he last rode for in 2016. Jones also claimed the 2015 title on a Kawasaki, at that time the championship was at its nadir with no factory participation, as instead the majority of top flight teams were participating in Terry O’Neill’s Australasian FX Superbike Championship.
In just two rounds this year, Jones has demonstrated that he has the ammunition to reclaim the title, and this time around it would no doubt be so much sweeter for the depth of this field is so much deeper than in 2015. No doubt the overseas experience has been of a benefit ,but his pedigree in Australian racing is very impressive.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
It is a much needed boost for Jones as the opportunity he was looking for in Europe failed to materialise, so it opens the way for him to make a huge impact on the domestic scene, as well as keeping his name in the frame for future overseas forays.
Ben Henry – DesmoSport Ducati
“We’re looking forward to racing this weekend. It’s a challenging track, and the surface means the winner this weekend might not be the outright fastest, but instead, the rider that can be consistently quick while preserving grip in the Pirelli’s throughout the race. Mike hasn’t raced here before, but he rode well in the test, and looked really comfortable on-track, so together with Troy (Bayliss) and Paul (Free), I’m looking forward to helping him get some more strong results.”
Mike Jones – Wakefield Park – TBG Image
Troy Bayliss will not be on track but will be at the track.
“It was great to finally get the V4R out for a shakedown during testing for this weekend’s racing.” Said Troy. “It was a really good first impression, and I’d love to see it on-track this weekend, but with only one bike and still some work to do on settings, it’s just not quite ready to race yet. Mike had a solid test on the Panigale FE and with his style and feedback, will be in contention again as we chase the 2019 ASBK Championship.”
Wayne Maxwell – Team Suzuki ECSTAR
Discount any rider at your peril but Maxwell will be geed up for a stellar performance. He needs to pulls back points on the leaders after that much well publicised incident with Wagner at Phillip Island in February damaged his points tally.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
With the tightness of the championship a rider can really only afford one bad race result throughout the year, if he is going to stay in contention Maxwell is hoping that his misfortune is behind him.
Ones that will be equally determined to get their title chase back on track will be three-times champions, Josh Waters and Glenn Allerton.
Josh Waters – Team Suzuki ECSTAR
Josh finished third overall at the opening round but in reality his results are only a poofteenth off securing a better result, such is the level of competition and the depth of talent in the field. In the opening round he finished third overall, stating that he was happy with the 5-3-5 results.
Josh Waters – TDJ Image
His then new team-mate, Maxwell, led him home in the opening leg, however he was in front until that incident in leg two. In the final race for the weekend Waters did beat his team-mate, but Maxwell was pretty well battered and at the finish line the gap between the pair was just 0.085 second, and Josh’s fastest lap in that race was just 0.082s faster.
In the other two races a fit Maxwell also carded the fastest lap times of the pair. They might have been only a tenth or so quicker but to a top line rider, the difference doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that his team-mate is faster and higher up the leader board.
The positive foundation of the opening round was negated at Goulburn as he could only manage a brace of sixth-place finishes. More worrying was the gap as in race one he was a massive 13-seconds behind the race winner, and in leg two over eight-seconds behind after 13 laps – a similar gap to leg one at the same distance…
Josh Waters – Image by Rob Mott
As we head west to South Australia Josh is running fourth in the title, only 16-points off the title lead and in front of his team-mate.
Last year at the Bend was where Waters’ title aspirations were derailed somewhat with electronic glitches in the Gixxer and brake problems then giving the then defending champion nightmares, his strong start to the year had started to unravel.
I expect that Josh will do something special this weekend. The 32-year-old from Mildura needs a solid bag of points. The test confirmed that he is very much in the game, but he won’t be happy if he doesn’t lead his team-mate home in both races as the series approaches the halfway point.
Glenn Allerton – Maxima Oils Next Gen Motorsports BMW
This first two rounds of this year’s chase have been a challenge for Allerton who sits in a lowly 10th position on the Maxima Oils, Next Gen Motorsports BMW. At the beginning of the year the team took a gamble and switched to Dunlop rubber which necessitated a change of set-up and development for the different characteristics of the rubber.
Glenn Allerton – TDJ Image
Additionally there is not a lot of development work being carried out on the S 1000 RR engine as the team await delivery of the BMW HP4. This is not expected before the half-way point of the year which no doubt adds to the frustration.
Compounding the situation was the decision after the first round, for a number of reasons, to revert back to the tried, and tested, Pirelli rubber.
Wakefield was a disaster for the team. Leg one arguably gave Allerton his worst on-track result in an ASBK race when he finished 16th. He managed to recover somewhat to finish 11th to cap off a completely forgettable weekend for the team. Hopefully a decent result is awaiting this weekend so we may see a collective smile reappear on the team’s faces.
Glenn Allerton
“I was hugely disappointed about my results at Wakefield Park. I know I can race a lot better than what I did, but sometimes you are going to have those tough days at the office and we certainly had a tough outing last time out. However, this has got me revved up for this weekend to improve on my results and get a better outcome for both myself and the team. I believe The Bend Motorsport Park will be a much better round for myself, as the Maxima BMW S1000RR suits the high speed and corners which the circuit lends its self to. Honestly, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I’m just going to lay it all on the line and go for broke this weekend. After a tough opening two rounds, the team and sponsors deserve a good result and nothing would please me more than to deliver them that for their hard work they have put in. Regarding the Bend Motorsport Park circuit. I really like track and the overall layout. It’s got a bit of everything which makes for a good fun circuit to race on. I’m looking forward to getting back there and hitting the track for the First Practice session on Thursday.”
Glenn Allerton was chasing setup all weekend at Wakefield Park – Image by Rob Mott
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki BC Performance Team
Mentioning Dunlop brings us to the Kawasaki BC Performance Team of Bryan Staring. There is no doubting Staring’s talent; he is the only rider to win Australian Championships in 125cc, Supersport and Superbike classes, and also boasts an impressive resume on the world stage.
Bryan Staring – Image by TBG
Similarly to last year, the season has started off pretty well, he was third in the opening race and followed that up with a fourth and a sixth and is in a good spot in fifth overall, on equal points with Maxwell, and just 21-points off the lead.
Staring is a proven race winner but maybe his biggest disadvantage is being the only rider in the leading bunch that is on Dunlop rubber. Also to add to his challenge this weekend, he is doubling up in the ARRC as a replacement rider for Team Kawasaki Thailand.
He will be on the Dunlop control tyres that are used in the Asian championship, but these are different spec’ to what he is running in the Australian title. Maybe that might change this weekend.
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha Racing Team
Herfoss may have put on an impressive display in front of his home town fans, but expect a similar showing from crow-eater, Daniel Falzon on the second of the Yamaha Racing Team R1Ms. The paramedic is eighth on the championship ladder (behind the absent Wagner in seventh), on 65-points, 31-points off his championship-leading team mate, Halliday, and 10-points behind Maxwell and Staring.
Daniel Falzon – Image by TBG
Falzon has been within tenths-of-a-second a lap from fighting for the lead in the opening rounds, and with a huge contingent of fans in attendance this weekend he will be digging very deep to ensure he is fighting for the lead.
He gives 100 per cent every time he jumps on the bike but the situation is sure to provide him with a little more incentive and cunning. Besides, what more motivation do you need than when your team-mate is so far in front of you?
The Bend Motorsport Complex
Over qualifying and three races there are 76-points on the table for the main courses of the weekend. Around the table a bunch of rapid riders are poised to savage the offerings. A pack of screeching and screaming hyenas devouring a zebra carcass may be better behaved!
The Bend ASBK Round 2018 – TBG Image
Live coverage of the third round will be telecast on the weekend
Fox Sports Australia
LIVE coverage on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00-5:00pm (AEST)
Kayo Sports
LIVE coverage on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00-5:00pm (AEST)
SBS Australia
LIVE coverage of ASBK races on Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm (AEST)
Online streaming live at ASBK.com.au
LIVE extended coverage of Friday, Saturday and Sunday available free, with no geo-blocking and no paywalls, via ASBK.com.au HERE
There is no doubt John McGuinness is a walking, living and quite funny legend of motorcycle racing. The fact that he is able to go racing, let alone walk again, is a testimony to his determination and passion for road racing, as in May 2017 that passion nearly brought it all to an end.
In Superbike practice for the North-West 200 in Northern Ireland, he had a massive crash through no fault of his own. The ECU of the new Honda Racing Fireblade he was riding looped out when an electronic glitch in the gearbox “auto-blipper”, caused the bike to accelerate unexpectedly. This was due to some early software problems on the race bikes.
John McGuinness
His injuries were broken vertebrae, ribs and smashed tibia and fibula in his right leg. It was mashed, the fractures so severe the docs had to remove 50 mm of bone forcing his leg to be encased in scaffold with a fixator. During the rehabilitation he had to screw out the rods with a spanner a millimetre at a time to create a gap so new bone could grow. (Shiver!)
He was aiming to race at last year’s IOM TT but complications arose after the fixator was removed in March last year, putting his racing return back a couple of months.
The evidence of the injury was painfully evident at the recent InterFOS event in Sydney, his lower leg still severely swollen. He has had a special over-size boot and leathers made to compensate. You shake your head in admiration and amazement at what these riders put themselves through for that unbridled and unique rush of what only motorcycle racing can bring.
Following the 18 IOM TTs he has contested, including 23 TT wins, he stands in the books as the fifth fastest of all time to lap the circuit (132.701mph, 2015 Senior) and has covered around 49,500 miles (79,200 kms) or over 1300 laps of that iconic piece of real estate in the Irish Sea.
That’s not to mention his success and the miles of black ribbon he has covered in Northern Ireland, Macau and venues far and wide, all the way to GP.
One would think he would have had enough. Not at all. The passion still burns deep.
McGuinness has been to Australia a couple of times for the Phillip Island International Classic, with Team Winfield Classic Racing, but it was his first time to Sydney and the ‘Creek.
McGuinness, along with Michael Rutter, flew out from Sydney at 8am Monday morning after the event to head straight to the IOM press launch in Douglas for this year’s TT, where the soon-to-be 47-year-old will make his delayed debut for the Norton factory.
Before he bolted, Bracksy cornered him for a few questions.
John McGuinness Interview
Mark Bracks: So, first time to Sydney Motorsport Park, what did you reckon?
John McGuinness: “It’s sorta ticking a box thing for me, I’ve never been before so it’s exciting. It’s totally different to what you see on YouTube. I did a bit of stuff, trying to learn the track, but I didn’t realise it was as up and down as it is. I’ve been to tracks around the world, it’s just like another track innit. There’s some interesting bits. Turn one is mega, having a scratch in a few places, stop-start and then flows in some places. It’s good, it’s a bit bumpy, a bit old school, been around a long time this track.”
John McGuinness at Interfos 2019
Bracks: What about the event itself?
John McGuinness: “I’ve loved every minute of it, the people are friendly, the organisers are friendly, all the competitors have been friendly. Roger and his team, we all get on well. We’ve been doing a bit together for a few years, I’ve been out of action for a bit, so, we got ourselves a bit nervous when we got here. Probably took me a bit to get going really, but I was always a little bit behind them guys really.”
Bracks: Is this your first serious ride since that incident?
John McGuinness: “I did the Classic TT and Macau TT. Macau is a bit, sort of my territory. This again is a new track, big heavy superbike, and I struggled a little bit. Being a second-and-a-half or two-seconds behind these guys I’m kicking myself, probably being a bit hard on myself. It’s gonna take a bit to get back to the sharp end, we’ve been safe, going OK.”
John McGuinness at the Macau TT in 2018
Bracks: That’s the other thing, you gotta keep in the back of your mind, anything could have happened out there…
John McGuinness: “When it’s dry and its hot and you’re hitting all the right spots on the track, and you have the rhythm, I did that wet race yesterday, it was OK, got in a nice rhythm, wasn’t a million miles worse than the other guys, but it was getting wetter and wetter, and there was more puddles and more puddles… You know having spent two years recovering to get back to where I am, if I did something – no disrespect to the event – I sorta got bigger fish to fry.”
Bracks: And it’s not as if it’s an event with sheep stations out there. You’re coming here for a bit of fun.
John McGuinness: “It’s a premier classic event in Australia ya know, the crowds been disappointing, maybe they don’t want to come see John McGuinness anymore.
International Festival of Speed 2019
Bracks: I don’t think that’s the case…
John McGuinness: “I feel a bit disappointed about the whole thing. In my head it was going to be sunny, in my head I was going to get some laps, and unfortunately we picked the wrong weekend. I’ve been watching the weather excited, and we just got a freak weekend. That knackered the job really. I got some quality riding Thursday, some riding Friday, some riding Saturday, Sunday’s a wash-out.
“It’s been a long way to come, and I don’t have to come, I come because I want to come, because I enjoy riding bikes and working with these guys. I’ve had some lovely comments from spectators, a few families kicking around, watching my racing at the TT, never been there, but would love to go there, and pleased to have a chat and a meet up.
“That for me is also part of the journey, you know, it’s not all about me and the racing, it’s the people and the fans. Without them we’re nothing. It’s ticked the box, I’ve had a look around Sydney, you know, it’s like Newcastle at home. It’s a town with a bridge in it, it’s just a bit warmer, that was about it. So yea I’ve had a bit of a nosey about.
International Festival of Speed 2019 – John McGuinness chasing Michael Rutter and Glen Richards – Image Rob Mott
Bracks: So you getting around the bike alright?
John McGuinness: “I can move around, but I just want to hit the brakes really hard. I just haven’t quite got that upper body strength yet. I need to do a bit more riding, I’ve been doing a bit of moto-crossing, plenty of enduro, a bit of mini-biking, but not much road riding. I rode in November, but this weekend has given me a bit of a kick up the ass, a rude awakening.
“I’m just not quite in shape here. All the top TT riders have been, Hickman’s doing a bit, Harrison is doing a bit, Hillier is doing a bit, ya know, they are all just getting that one step ahead of me. So when I get back, I need a bit of a program to go and do some riding. Otherwise I’m going to get humped – my pants pulled down.”
John McGuinness
Bracks: You’ve got these new challenges, getting fit and being able to ride the bike…
John McGuinness: “It’s a new chapter with Norton, a big thing for Norton, a big thing for me. Had a lot of success at IoM TT and the North West, long may it continue, but realistically I’m not sure really. The Norton; Josh Brookes got it around 131.8, so it’s definitely got pedigree, I know my way around, got the experience, if I can line all the planets up and go reasonably fast we won’t be a million miles away. Coming from laying on the ground with lots and lots and lots of broken bones to being able to do it has been a big journey and a big exercise. Nothing left to prove now.”
John McGuinness with the Norton
Bracks: You’ve done everything, 23 TT wins, you very nearly paid the ultimate price, for something that wasn’t even in your control.
John McGuinness: “I didn’t want it to finish that way. The easiest way would be to say that’s it, and roll over. I want to retire on my terms, not on someone else’s terms.”
Bracks: Has this given you a rekindling, an enthusiasm?
John McGuinness: “It has given me a focus to get fitter, stronger, and back to the position of where I was. Not just for racing, for me, myself and the rest of my race. There’s other things outside racing, I got kids springing up, if I didn’t have a focus and a direction, my leg wouldn’t have got better. It would have been easy to eat burgers and chips and beer, some asshole will say I’m bitter and twisted about it, but I just have to pick myself up. I’m looking in front not behind now.
Bracks: So that’s all settled.
John McGuinness: “Just getting back to where we were. I’ve got a new place at home, life’s good really outside of racing as well.”
Senior Classic TT 2018 – John McGuinness – Paton
Bracks: So when you retire, will you have to work, or has racing been good to you?
John McGuinness: “I can probably tread water and put groceries in the fridge. I don’t know, I mean, what I’ve got now racing, is way way more than I ever expected when I was started at school, not doing any listening. Laying bricks when I was an apprentice, I’ve come a long way. But I mean I’ll always stay involved, someone will invite me here, or there, won’t they. Get a quid here and a quid there. Old Parrish can’t do it forever can he, I’ll kick him out of the job one day.”
Bracks: Come and join the comedy team mate! Thanks John.
John McGuinness will ride the Norton at TT 2019
NB: John McGuinness was to debut on the Norton at the North West 200 in mid-May. But overnight NW200 organisers have rejected their entry. The reason being that Norton wanted John on a 1200cc version of the Norton at the NW200. While special dispensation can be made by NW200 organisers in certain cases, they were not willing to stretch the boundaries to allow a 1200cc entry. It is yet to be ascertained if Norton will modify their entry and have John on a litre capacity motorcycle for the NW200, as the man stated himself above, he does need track time.
Fastest 25 riders of the IOM TT course
1. Peter Hickman (BMW) 2018 Senior 16m42.778s 135.452mph
2. Dean Harrison (Kawasaki) 2018 Senior 16m46.742s 134.918mph
3. Michael Dunlop (BMW) 2016 Senior 16m53.929s 133.962mph
4. Ian Hutchinson (BMW) 2016 Senior 17m00.384s 133.115mph
5. John McGuinness (Honda) 2015 Senior 17m03.567s 132.701mph
6. Conor Cummins (Honda) 2018 SBK 17m04.431s 132.589mph
7. James Hillier (Kawasaki) 2015 Senior 17m05.779s 132.414mph
8. Guy Martin (BMW) 2015 Senior 17m05.907s 132.398mph
9. Bruce Anstey (Honda) 2014 SBK 17m06.682s 132.298mph
10. Josh Brookes (Norton) 2018 Senior 17m10.994s 131.745mph
11. David Johnson (BMW) 2015 Senior 17m12.165s 131.595mph
12. Michael Rutter (BMW) 2016 STK 17m15.924s 131.118mph
13. Gary Johnson (Kawasaki) 2016 Senior 17m17.291s 130.945mph
14. William Dunlop (BMW) 2014 Senior 17m18.016s 130.853mph
15. Lee Johnston (BMW) 2015 STK 17m18.037s 130.851mph
16. Martin Jessopp (BMW) 2018 SBK 17m18.910s 130.741mph
17. Cameron Donald (Honda) 2013 SBK 17m19.007s 130.729mph
18. Steve Plater (Honda) 2009 Senior 17m20.91s 130.490mph
19. Dan Kneen (BMW) 2017 STK 17m22.051s 130.347mph
20. Keith Amor (Honda) 2011 Senior 17m23.41s 130.177mph
21. Phil Crowe (BMW) 2018 SBK 17m25.176s 129.957mph
22. Ryan Farquhar (Kawasaki) 2010 STK 17m25.77s 129.883mph
23. Sam West (BMW) 2018 Senior 17m27.118s 129.716mph
24. Steve Mercer (Honda) 2016 SBK 17m30.299s 129.323mph
25. Ivan Lintin (Kawasaki) 2018 STK 17m31.442s 129.183mph
The first enthralling round of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship is but a memory – a vivid one at that – and now the second round at Wakefield Park is nigh. Bracksy looks back and peers into the future of what is shaping up as a momentous weekend at the Wakefield Park circuit near Goulburn in NSW, March 22-24.
If Alvaro Bautista was akin to a cyclone engulfing the WSBK paddock at the opening round of that Championship, in the ASBK class, Aiden Wagner was an air-to-ground, below radar low level attack dropping a couple of 500lb HE incendiaries on the ASBK field at Phillip Island.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
A few weeks previously, the 25-year-old Queenslander, on his privateer Landsbridge Transport Yamaha R1 used the official ASBK test to strafe the field with armour piercing shells to let everyone know, he is back, fully fit, ravenous for success, and he doesn’t give a rat’s arse about reputations.
He certainly ruffled a few feathers at the test. By the end of race two of the ASBK Superbike season on Saturday Feb 23 they were singed beyond recognition with his scorched earth, take no prisoners policy.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
With his round one victory with Pole, two wins and a second, the snatching strap of tension has been ratcheted up a notch. Or, five.
The quality and intensity of the on-track competition easily eclipsed the demonstration put on by the lads of the World Superbike field and showed the parity between the different motorcycles in our domestic championship is very even.
The ASBK season was shaping up as a landmark year, even before Wagner bounced back in the paddock. Now he is here, look out. The anticipation going into round two is even more palpable than the season opener.
Mike Jones will stand in for Troy Bayliss at Wakefield Park – TBG Image
2019 is shaping up as the most competitive in many a year, as each season seems to increase in intensity and level of competition.
Round 1 Recap
So let’s have a recap of the opening round then a peer into the looking glass to see what this weekend has in store.
There was plenty of anticipation as the meeting got under way and Bayliss led the first session to continue his testing form, but his weekend was to soon unravel. In the afternoon qualifying session he had a monumental get off heading into turn four when he was distracted by a rider stricken on the edge of the track. The bike was basically obliterated in the cartwheeling that was reminiscent of his crash on a Ducati during the Australian Grand Prix of 2003.
Thankfully, this time he walked away to be able to relate soon after that he had cracked a finger on his left hand and the bike “was sent to heaven”.
In qualifying the prodigal son, Wagner grabbed the number one slot, one-thousandth of a second under Bayliss’s lap record, set at the final round last year. More importantly, he scored an extra championship point that goes with it to lead a Yamaha block out of the front row.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
This year the extra championship point for Pole Position at each round could be more critical than ever in deciding the champion. Remember when since Shawn Giles was pipped in a countback with Josh Brookes in 2005…
The privateer gave a bloody nose to the Yamaha Racing Team duo of Superbike returnee, Cru Halliday, and his team mate in the official Yamaha team Daniel Falzon who made up the front row.
Wagner has some very astute people in his corner with Sam Costanzo, the principal of Landbrige Transport and Landbridge Racing. Sam has a fine reputation for preparing race machines while Adrian Monti is a very astute and analytical operator who knows how to set up a race bike, and probably more importantly, the understanding to translate what a rider is talking about to bike set-up.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
Before the opening race of the year, many people were asking the annual question of how far into the opening race we’d get before some carnage would erupt. In the past couple of years the season has only reached Turn Four on the opening lap before the cauldron has boiled over. Last year it was Glenn Allerton who hightailed it out of the race as he launched himself high over the bars, nearly bringing rain and almost dragging Wayne Maxwell off his bike as he flew past him.
It is understandable as it’s over four months since the last race of 2018 and we all know the eagerness riders display and the red mist visor is also a deeper tinge than normal for the opening laps of the year. In recent years there has been a bit of drama at Turn Four.
Race 1 – Phillip Island
This year we had to wait a few laps for the first real jaw dropping moment but the opening laps of race one were absolutely manic. What we had been anticipating had been confirmed. This year will be a seven-round, street brawl.
Falzon jumped to the front off the line to lead for the opening corners but Bayliss took over heading into turn 10 and led the frantic first lap across the line from Maxwell and Falzon. After a very mediocre start, Wagner was back in seventh, just shading Waters, the octuplet separated by less than a second. It was on as they all spread across the track careering to the apex on their 200+hp machines like the charge of the Light Horse, fighting for track position.
Wagner was excellent in testing. Now we were witnessing what he could do in a race mixed up with the pack of gangsters in front of him as Wagner commenced his carving exhibition. He showed from the outset that he is not here for a free lunch and it wasn’t even lunchtime Sunday!
Wayne Maxwell leads Aiden Wagner – TBG Image
He was up to second by the end of the third lap managing to pop out in front while everyone else was having a dip at the passing game, particularly Bryan Staring on the Kawasaki BC Performance ZX-10RR as he scythed his way through on the Dunlop shod machine to be among the leading pack climbing from 10th on the grid.
Wagner took the lead on the fourth lap and held it until the final few corners as he and Bayliss, Maxwell, Halliday, Waters, and Staring keeping well in touch
The first jaw dropping moment of the year came at the start of the sixth lap. Wagner led the charge from Maxwell and Bayliss, the others not far adrift as they tipped into Doohan Corner at a head shaking, meteoric rate. Wagner had a couple of bike lengths over Maxwell with Bayliss taking a deeper, more outer line into turn one but his entry speed was a little quicker, or maybe Maxwell slowed a tad but it was j-u-s-t enough for the brake lever of TB#32 machine to touch the rear of Maxwell’s machine.
The front wheel locked, a puff of blue smoke and in a nano second, Bayliss was sliding on his arse at over 200 kays and another steed of the Desmo Sport Ducati stable went looking for directions to the Pearly Gates to join its sibling.
The crash looked innocuous enough considering the speed of his trajectory into the kitty litter. Coming to a tumbling halt after a less than elegant face plant, he sat there, legs spread and punched the ground in exasperation, jumped to his feet and wandered back to the pits.
Bayliss may have exited stage left but that didn’t halt the swashbuckling as Staring joined the fray in fifth behind Wagner, Maxwell, Halliday and Waters. Half race distance and it was on.
The sword clashing continued at every corner and while Wagner led across the line there was plenty of pushing and shoving scything, slicing and magnificent dicing many times a lap.
Less than a second separated the quintet as they commenced the final lap but back markers were looming. The snarling pack negotiated the first couple ok but Wagner was baulked by one over Lukey Heights into T10. Maxwell was his typical blue heeler self as he nipped the heels of the Queenslander.
Out of T11 Wagner jumped on the gas, the pack broke away slightly losing drive which allowed Maxwell the opportunity to storm past into the lead and take the win from Wagner, with Staring filling the last step on the podium after another determined ride from the 2010 ASBK champion to prove that he will be in the mix all year.
Wayne Maxwell was clearly emotional after winning the opening race of ASBK season 2019 at Phillip Island, a win he had not expected as he was yet to feel as though the GSX-R was ‘his bike, and was not fully comfortable after a few years on Yamaha machinery – TBG Image
Wagner demonstrated in the opening stanza he has the goods to push for not only the privateer championship but the outright. He also has his own definitive style in riding a 1000cc machine at Phillip Island, riding more Supersport lines to carry corner speed. This was most evident at Turn 4 as he hung out very wide and swept across the track for a very late apex.
High corner approach had the others seemingly second guessing as if they tried to take an inside line there was a good chance that a collision may occur. In fact, it did happen with Halliday and Wagner touching with feet off the pegs, both lucky to stay aboard such was the hit.
Wagner and Halliday tussle – Rob Mott Image
His antics reminded us in the commentary booth of a philosophy of racing that 2002 Australian Supersport Champion, Shannon Johnson, uttered to explain some of his determined moves, “A front wheel has a three-and-a-half inch rim. If there is three and a half inches of track then there is enough room for me.”
What a scene setter for the year. The first World Superbike race soon after the opening leg was somewhat of an anti-climax compared to the cut and thrust of ASBK.
ASBK Superbike Race One Results
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha +0.147
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki +0.320
Maxwell had taken first blood, and was somewhat emotional in parc ferme as the 36-year-old had not expected to take the win. After recent years on Yamaha machinery, he was still not feeling fully comfortable on the GSX-R, saying the bike did not yet feel like his. Be interesting to see just how fast he goes when he does get back to that stage with familiarity on the Suzuki!
Wayne Maxwell celebrates victory – Image Rob Mott
Bayliss injuries surface
We didn’t have to wait long for part two later the same afternoon. If the opening race was a scene setter, race two will be in the background for the rest of the season as well. The action was a carbon copy of the opening leg with a few more exclamation marks for good measure – albeit with one disappointing turn of events.
After his whoopsie of the first race Bayliss seemed fine and in his usual laconic way was circumspect with the turn of events of his two massive crashes in less than 24 hours, but ready to come out swinging.
Bayliss headed out on a hastily prepared machine, but on the sighting lap as he applied the front brake for the first time he realised that he could close the ring finger of his right hand, but couldn’t extend it. A torn tendon forced his exit from the rest of proceedings and the loss of plenty of potential points.
Race 2 – Phillip Island
Race two soon turned into a Maxwell vs Wagner vs Waters vs Halliday vs Falzon affair, with the others not far off. Falzon crashed at turn 10 losing the front which baulked those following, allowing the top four a gap over the likes of Staring, Mike Jones (K&R Hydraulics ZX-10R) and Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda who was struggling to stay in touch.
Daniel Falzon slides out of contention – TBG Image
Wagner had complete faith in his front end in his desire to poke a wheel up the inside of the opposition and managed to hold his line. After a few laps the rear was starting to walk on him but he didn’t give a toss about what the rear was doing. He was right in the mix.
It all came down to the final lap dogfight. Again.
Hundredths of a second covered the top four and so typical of Phillip Island it all came down to the final four corners: setting up over Lukey Heights, a possible dive up the inside into MG Corner, then the drag through 11 and 12 to the line.
The last five hundred metres of the second Superbike race is now etched in history, but its repercussions may reverberate throughout the year. Maxwell had managed to get in front in the final set of corners and led Wagner, Waters and Halliday as they tipped into Turn 12.
Maxwell hung it up a little higher than usual leaving a bit of vacant bitumen. Wagner saw that lonely bit of bitumen as an invitation and reacted accordingly driving through – hugging the ripple strip, with Halliday and Waters line astern.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
Kaa-boom! A clash as Wagner and Maxwell collided in the rush with Maxwell falling off the inside of the bike, cartwheeling into the track-side beach, spraying the gravel high.
Wagner kept it pinned as the carnage unfolded to take the flag from Halliday second and Waters third and a crater of destruction and controversy hot on their heels. Thankfully, Maxwell was soon on his feet and taking the long walk back to the pits from the outside of the track. Fuming.
Wayne Maxwell dusts himself off… – Image Rob Mott
Controversy
At race’s end, I descended down the stairs from the three-storey eyrie that is the commentary box in the control tower to head to park ferme to conduct the usual post race interviews. I had just emerged from the tower to pass a rapidly advancing and extremely arced-up, Phil Tainton from Team Ecstar Suzuki, who was charging up to race control to explain his point of view.
I hadn’t seen Phil like that in a long time. Hoo-ee, this has just taken the championship to another level.
There were plenty of words said from both sides and also the view of onlookers. Wagner claimed there was a gap. Maxwell claimed there wasn’t any room. Wagner was contrite and apologised to Maxwell for the incident but at the time it fell on deaf ears. Everyone else had their own opinion. Was there a gap or not?
Officials deemed it as a racing incident and no action was taken, much to the chagrin of some. Riders had different opinions with one telling me, “Tell them to stop sooking. It’s a racing incident. I’d rather be fighting for the lead and crashing than being back here where we are.” Touche!
Personally, I think it is fantastic for the intrigue and interest. It brought more international attention to the ASBK and many in the WSBK paddock were talking about it, including Jamie Whitham who thought it was fantastic. It made the opening WSBK race seem like a procession!
Whoever was right, or wrong, it brought back a statement that the great Ayton Senna said at the 1990 Australian F1 Grand Prix, “By being a racing driver you are under risk all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win. And the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory, it’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it’s possible. Sometimes you get it wrong. Sure, it’s impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I’m doing it right.”
But that philosophy didn’t work out all that well for the Brazilian legend in the end did it…
Race 3 – Phillip Island
With the third and final race of the opening round held on Sunday morning, at least we could get our collective breath back over night. Lucky because race three left us all breathless. It was the race of the weekend.
Maxwell was battered and bruised after his 200 km/h+ get off the day before but his determination wasn’t lessened by any stretch. The anticipation was palpable.
Wayne Maxwell kits up – Image Rob Mott
Arthur Sissis stormed from 15th on the grid to grab the holeshot but was soon swamped as Waters led the first lap from Wagner and Falzon – the trio covered by 0.624 sec. Jones joined the fray on the next lap and created history by not only breaking the lap record but being the first rider to dip into a sub 1:32 with a corker of a lap to record 1:31.881!
ASBK Superbike 2019 – Race Three Start – Rob Mott Image
The leading freight train was adding extra carriages as the laps went by. It became a quintet the next lap when Haliday chimed in, 0.753 sec adrift.
Josh Waters leads into turn one – Rob Mott Image
The passing moves had been stepped up especially at the frighteningly fast Hayshed where Jones was making it his corner, just like Jamie Stauffer did in the past, to dive up the inside accelerating through the apex.
Mike Jones leads Cru Halliday – Rob Mott Image
Another couple of laps and there were seven carriages but none of them remained in the same place. It was mental the amount of positional changes and at two thirds race distance, seven bikes were covered by less than a second with Wagner and Jones taking turns to lead the end of consecutive laps.
Wagner made it two victories after getting the best of Jones by 0.317 sec (the largest gap over the three races), with Halliday in third, the trio separated by just 0.394 sec. A blink of the eye behind was Falzon, Waters and a very gallant Maxwell 0.933 away in sixth.
Over the three races you wouldn’t see as much carving in a dozen pubs for a Sunday roast! Enthralling. The total winning margin for the three races was an astronomical: 0.765!
What lies ahead this weekend? There are no similarities between Phillip Island and this weekend’s round at the tight twisty bumpy and extremely demanding Wakefield Park, except they are racetracks.
This weekend extreme tension is a given. How far before the tension is too much and something snaps is anyone’s guess but I reckon something will happen in qualifying in the fist fight for the extra championship point.
Troy Herfoss testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Herfoss will no doubt start as a favourite such is his affinity with the track and he will have an added incentive of making up for what was, in his and the team’s eyes, an extremely disappointing weekend at Phillip Island – a place that has never been too kind to him.
Maxwell has done well at the the track in recent years and the pair have split wins pretty evenly. Then there is Cru Halliday. He has had some memorable moments at the track and now he is back on a Superbike after his domination of last year’s Supersport title.
Wayne Maxwell testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Don’t be surprised if he takes a victory as he is a true dark horse for this year’s title, as is his team mate, Falzon. The South Australian, who now works as a fully qualified paramedic, has a hunger for race wins and he may well bring a take-no-prisoners approach into the meeting as well
Unfortunately, Bayliss will be a non starter but that allows Mike Jones to be reunited with the Desmo Sport Ducati team as he has been drafted in to fly the flag in the absence of Troy.
Mike Jones testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Staring showed that he and the Kawasaki BC Perfomance ZX10 is not too far off the pace. The big question mark for him is whether the Dunlop tyres are up to the rigours of the 2.2km track? Could they even have a weather dependent advantage this weekend..? Saturday and Sunday are looking warm.
Bryan Staring – TBG Image
Then there are the riders with three Australian Superbike Championships in Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters. Allerton and the Next Gen Motosrports BMW team have had a challenging start to the year. Still awaiting delivery of the new HP4, they had a setback with going to Dunlops then returning to Pirelli. At the Island they were well off the mark but anyone who discounts Allerton does so at their peril.
Glenn Allerton – TBG Image
The same must be said for Waters. After the disappointment of last year, the Gixxer and Waters look to be back to their rampaging best. Plus he now has a team mate that is out to claim another title, and we all know what they say about team mates.
Josh Waters testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Then there is Wagner. What he brings to the table has given the championship that bit of extra mongrel and disregard for reputations that the series has been aching for.
Mike Jones and Aiden Wagner – These two will figure hghly this weekend – Rob Mott Image
After his first round blitzkrieg the opposition will be more prepared to deal with what ever firepower Wagner throws their way. The arsenal of the opposition will be well stocked to defend the attacks.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
Wakefield history
An interesting bit of trivia. In the past three years good mates, Maxwell and Herfoss have been the best performers at Wakefield, sharing the wins at three apiece. Herfoss has two second places to Maxwell’s one, with Herfoss’ worst result a fourth, while Maxwell has not fared quite as well overall, with an eighth and a DNF. Herfoss has also taken the last three pole positions. Herfoss’ points haul is 135 points compared to Maxwell on 108.
During the week leading up to the opening round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, it was noticeable on first sight of the 2013 Superbike World Champion, Tom Sykes, that there is a renewed vigour and spring in his step. A beaming smile with a “heeey-oop” heavy in a Yorkshire twang, rather than the more sullen demeanour we witnessed last season.
The last couple of years have been especially challenging for the 33-year-old, not only having to contend with a dominant team mate in his business life, but the real challenges had come in his personal life. That is now behind him and Tom has now come full circle after the break down of his marriage, with a new lease on life.
The “old” Tom Sykes has returned
Tom Sykes
Signing with the new look BMW Motorrad WSBK Team, led by the vastly experienced Shaun Muir, and complete with factory support from Germany.
The head of BMW Motorrad, Markus Schramm, stated on the weekend that BMW is in the WSBK field for the long haul, and won’t be happy until they have at least one World Championship trophy in the Bavarian locker.
2019 marks Sykes’ 11th full season in the WSBK paddock, a period that has yielded one championship (in 2013), and five top-three championship positions since 2012, including 34 race wins on the green beasts, as well as being Mr Superpole over the last six years.
Tom Sykes – Image by Rob Mott
Also for the first time in a number of years, the second fiddle is no long his as he is the lead in the BMW orchestra. Last year was Sykes’ worst season since 2011, with only one win (at Assen), but with consistency he still managed to wind up fourth overall, behind his teammate Jonathan Rea, Chaz Davies and Michael van der Mark.
The BMW project to join the 2019 title was only finalised back in May last year, so there is still a lot of forward progress expected and demanded by all concerned in the team.
Additionally, off-track happenings in his private life did not make for a happy person in recent seasons. The combination of the two pressures, in business and at home, had taken their toll on a guy that used to be the joker in the paddock.
Tom Sykes – Image by TBG Sport
Tom Sykes, will be joined by BMW faithful Markus Reiterberger, and is ecstatic with the new uniform and the S 1000 RR. Last week gave plenty of indications that the old Tom is the new Tom.
MCNews.com.au caught up with him for a chat over the weekend.
Tom Sykes Interview
Mark Bracks: Tom Sykes, first up, sum up round one for us.
Tom Sykes: “Yea, quite good. I’m really happy with where things are progressing, the whole of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team is working really quite flawlessly, so I’m really just enjoying riding the S 1000 RR. We’re certainly making progress. In a lot of areas, wow, working on the chassis, electronics, suspension, there’s a lot of stuff. So we’re just slowly working through it.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Mark Bracks: Have you worked with Shaun before?
Tom Sykes: “No this is the first time.”
Mark Bracks: What’s the biggest – I know they are both in-line fours,– what’s the biggest difference between the BMW and the Kawasaki?
Tom Sykes: “Well, you know I could really go into detail, but it might give the game away, let’s just say that the engine characters are quite different, but certainly something which I’ve been looking for, and like I said it is proven. I enjoy riding the BMW, so we’ll just work around what we’ve got and keep improving.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK – TBG Image
Mark Bracks: What stage is the engine development at? Full race pack engines?
Tom Sykes: “I’m the wrong person to answer that, I like to think there’s plenty more in the tank, and I think when you take into account, that when the green light was given on this project, the time to start doing a lot of research into the tuning aspect was obviously quite limited.
“It’s probably not the place to say too much, but what I will say on the other hand is that [considering] when the green light was given, where we are at now is absolutely incredible. Given my experience I’d probably say that no one else could have done any better, the work the guys have done to turn up here at Phillip Island with all the parts and the spares, and get on the grid and to be as competitive as we are, is a credit to all them boys involved.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Mark Bracks: Where’s your best and worst corners here?
Tom Sykes: “The main sector when you need big melons would do it pretty well, through the hayshed and through that area. I’m not shy when it comes to there, our worst area is the straights really, a couple of the guys in the box were thinking the last sector is probably not as sharp as it should be.
“I said don’t worry we’re missing a little bit down the straight, which is obviously most of the last sector, but you know I’ve got some experience behind me, and like I said to the boys, on the quiet, I really feel we’re doing our job through the corners, so the rest will come naturally as we develop the engine on the S 1000 RR.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Mark Bracks: This really has invigorated your passion and penchant for racing, hasn’t it?
Tom Sykes: “The last few years have been difficult on and off the track, obviously I just enjoy racing motorcycles and I just want the opportunity to show my potential again. Personally, now things are getting a lot clearer after my recent private life dramas, and I’m now putting that behind me. That clarity is also influencing my on-track action, and like I said really really enjoying it all. You know the S 1000 RR is a bike which I’ve probably been looking for, for a couple of years anyway, like I said it’s so early in the development stages that to be where we are is really impressive and I’m grateful for this opportunity from SMR, and BMW.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Mark Bracks: So your personal life and professional life is in the best spot for a while?
Tom Sykes: “For at least probably three years at least, so you know it’s now where I can hopefully start to work again and make things happen. You know what, it’s one of those ‘on the business side of things’, it is what it is. I don’t think it’s a big problem swapping the teams, but on the personal side, I really feel like I’m getting rid of a black cloud that’s been following me around, so that’s certainly going to help on the business end of the equation.
“I think what’s good is that it is a clean slate, a real clean slate and I’m just grateful that I’ve got so much experience to not get lost in the early stages of development, because it’s very easy to do. I think with my experience and the quality of the team and the manufacturer around me, we’ve been able to work together very efficiently, in this respect.”
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Sykes claimed seventh in Race 1 at the 2019 opening round at Phillip Island, before taking 11th in the Sunday Superpole Sprint Race, with a strong start marred by running wide on the opening lap and losing a number of positions. The final race of the weekend saw Tom Sykes claim 13th place, with a total haul of 12 points to kick off the season.
Tom Sykes – 2019 Phillip Island WSBK
Shaun Muir – BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team Principal
“We’ve got to be realistic and we have probably reached our goals for the first time we have raced the BMW S 1000 RR. So we are very happy. We have had no major incidents and I think that we have proved that the bike is going to be competitive very soon. We clearly have our limitations at the moment and we will work hard on sorting them out in the break until the next races. Both riders rode very well and both have been very patient to understand that we need to work for the development parts to come through. So from my side the overall summary is that we can look forward to a very competitive bike over the course of the season. We just need to be patient and wait for that to arrive.”
