ASBK Championship Going Down To The Wire At The Bend This Weekend

11/08/2024 07:31 PM

ASBK Championship going down to the wire at The Bend

After another electrifying year of competition, the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) concludes at The Bend in South Australia from November 8-10.

Following momentum shifts throughout the season, all six ASBK Championship classes – Pirelli Superbike, Michelin Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300, ShopYamaha R3 Cup, bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup and Nolan Superbike Masters – are 'live' rubbers heading into The Bend, setting the scene for a nerve-wracking grand finale which will also include an international element thanks to the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship.

In the premier Superbike class, it's all boiled down to a box office battle between Josh Waters, Mike Jones and Broc Pearson for the 2024 championship, while defending champion Troy Herfoss is returning for a final round cameo and could play a defining 'shape-shifting' role in proceedings.

There will be three races apiece for the ASBK classes around the 4.95km circuit across the weekend, including the opening bouts on Saturday.

ASBK ticket holders to The Bend will also receive free entry into the Drag Bike Nationals, while there will also be kids' amusement rides, live music, autograph sessions and pit-lane walks. ASBK pit entry is also free.

Tickets will be available at the gate.

Pirelli Superbike

It's crunch time in Pirelli Superbike after 13 races, 152 laps and 524.132km of intense competition between the top riders in the country over six preceding rounds.

With a maximum of 76pts in the offing at The Bend – there's a bonus point for pole position – 37pts separate the top three in the title chase, with Waters (McMartin Ducati) leading on 256.5 from Jones (Yamaha Racing Team, 229.5) and Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, 219.5).

For Waters and Jones, the carrot is to become the first rider in the 35-year history of the Australian Superbike Championship to be crowned champion for a fourth time. The duo currently shares that honour with Herfoss, Shawn Giles, Wayne Maxwell and Glenn Allerton.

Herfoss will reunite with DesmoSport Ducati for the first time since round three at Queensland Raceway. Since then, he has added the popular 'King of the Baggers' title in America to his CV, and he returns to The Bend as the happiest of hunting grounds after a clean sweep and new lap record in 2023 on his way to a third Superbike title.

If Pearson can continue his stunning form on the second DesmoSport Ducati, Herfoss could be the perfect foil to allow his fellow Queenslander to keep the pressure on Waters and Jones.

Also wheeling out a Superbike in the 20-rider field is multiple Australian Supersport champion, Tom Toparis, who will make his debut in the class on a Stop and Seal Yamaha as well as making his return to racing after a bone-jarring highside at Morgan Park.

Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team), who is currently fourth in the standings, is a late withdrawal due to injury, which could see Penrite Racing Yamaha duo Max Stauffer and Cameron Dunker, Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) and Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) all relegate him down the final order after the three 11-lap races.

Unfortunately, retiring veteran Bryan Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) won't be able to enjoy a Superbike swansong at The Bend, joining Halliday in convalescence after injuries sustained at One Raceway.

Waters holds the Pirelli Superbike upperhand ahead of the three races at The Bend

Michelin Supersport

In Michelin Supersport, teenager Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha) is in the box seat to claim his first Australian title in a season which has seen him fend off all challengers with a heady mix of race wins and brutal consistency.

He has a healthy 40pt buffer (238 to 198) over South Australian Olly Simpson, but then it's tight back to Tom Bramich (195), Jake Farnsworth (193) and Archie McDonald (190) – all Yamaha mounted.

McDonald was clearly the fastest rider at One Raceway, but he then he crashed out of race one while holding a three-second lead. His teammate Jack Mahaffy (Yamaha) then won the race before McDonald won the second from Mahaffy and the rapidly improving Hayden Nelson (Kawasaki).

Simpson didn't do his championship hopes any favours either when he crashed out of race two at One Raceway.

Race and Road Supersport 300/ShopYamaha R3 Cup

The rider in the box seat in the Race and Road Supersport 300 class is Josh Newman, who holds a 32pt lead over Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha), with Harrison Watts just 4pts adrift to make it two Kawasakis in the top three.

In the last two rounds, emerging stars have dominated the headlines. At Phillip Island it was Will Nassif (Yamaha), while at One Raceway it was Kawasaki pair Calvin Moylan and Casey Middleton. The trio sits in positions 5-7 behind Jordy Simpson (Yamaha) in fourth.

South Australian Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), who will represent FIM Oceania in the inaugural Intercontinental Games in late November, will be looking to push hard towards the front at The Bend, while making late-season cameos will be Cameron Swain (Yamaha) after a season in Europe competing in the bLU cRU r3 World Cup (which included a victory at Magny-Cours) and 2024 Asia Talent Cup riders Archie Schmidt (Kawasaki) and Rikki Henry (Yamaha).

Meanwhile, Knezovic leads the way in the ShopYamaha R3 Cup by 13pts from Nassif, who won all three races at One Raceway to leapfrog his way into equal second place alongside Simpson.

Mitch Simpson (Yamaha) makes a welcome return to both classes after recovering from injuries sustained when he competed in the ProMX round at Gillman earlier in the year.

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup

The hard-charging bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup (OJC) will continue their handlebar-to-handlebar battles, but with a 71pt lead Hunter Corney should wrap up his first national championship in race one.

OJC was on the support card at the recent Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, with Corney winning two races while Ethan Johnson took out the last leg. Johnson is second in the standings, ahead of Hunter Charlett.

Meanwhile, the OJC races will also include a simultaneous battle for national pride in the FIM Oceania Trans-Tasman Challenge. Five riders from both Australia and New Zealand will compete, and the nation with the most points on Sunday afternoon will be the inaugural FIM Oceania Trans-Tasman Challenge winner.

Nolan Superbike Masters

The Nolan Superbike Masters is always a major attraction for spectators.

This is the third and final round after the opener at Sydney Motorsport Park in March and the second instalment a couple of months ago at Phillip Island.

There are five classes in the category for machines from different eras and ages, with defending champion Keo Watson leading outright from fellow Yamaha rider Jack Passfield.

But that's where it will end, with Watson sidelined with injury which opens the door for Passfield to cruise to the title. Alex Phillis (Suzuki) and Ryan Taylor (Suzuki) should be Passfield's major opposition at The Bend.

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