ASBK Supersport class recap from Sydney Motorsport Park

ASBK 2023

Spherical Two – Sydney Motorsport Park

Michelin Supersport

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There’s no denying that previously few seasons the variety of entrants within the 600 cc Supersport class has been a bit skinny on the monitor, in 2023 nonetheless the class is having considerably of a resurgence. There have been 27 entries for the Michelin Supersport class. A single Kawasaki, a single Honda and a single Suzuki standing out from the horde of 24 Yamahas.

The place some riders could have graduated to the premier Superbike class lately, a lot of the Supersport area, together with defending champ John Lytras, determined to remain put and have been joined by no less than 9 newcomers.

Australian Supersport 300 Champion and YMF R3 Cup winner Cameron Dunker, together with final yr’s 300 runner-up Glenn Nelson, are simply among the kids stepping as much as the 600 ranks in 2023.

There may be additionally a little bit of a tyre struggle happening within the class. Whereas the bulk is working Pirelli rubber, these on Michelin tyres are; Scott Nicholson, Ty Lynch, Declen Carberry, Hunter Ford, and Jack Favelle, whereas Sean Condon is on Dunlops.

Condon has not competed in a full season of the ASBK Supersport Championship for eight years. He has made cameo appearances at Wakefield Park, the place he bagged race wins and podiums.

The foremost ingredient lacking final weekend was Harrison Voight. In his summer time season sojourn from racing within the Spanish CEV Championship he’d not too long ago been honing his expertise for the upcoming FIM Junior GP European Moto2 Championship by spending as a lot time on monitor as potential on a Supersport machine right here at dwelling.

Proving what worldwide competitors does, Harry gained the St George Summer time Collection, posted the quickest ever lap on a Supersport machine on the ASBK check in February, eclipsing Jamie Stauffer’s file of 15 years, and some weeks later on the WSBK Assist races claimed pole and took two comfy wins. He blotted a possible clear sweep, when he crashed out of race two with a snug lead, however in his defence the circumstances had been extraordinarily sketchy. Whereas he did ponder competing at SMP, it was too near his departure for Europe to danger something going flawed. His rivals little doubt breathed a sigh of aid when his identify didn’t seem on the entry checklist.

Jack Passfield had a wretched season final yr and sat on the sidelines for many of it, recovering from a badly damaged ankle that noticed him miss a lot of 2022. As he negotiated the Flip 8 hairpin throughout qualifying the bike snapped to the left and launched Jack excessive into the air, with Passfield subsequently hitting the deck onerous. The bike was on the skin of the monitor which introduced out the pink flag to interrupt the session. An inspection of the machine revealed that the bike had blown a head gasket which sprayed scorching water over the rear wheel, thus inflicting the huge highside. It was a sore and sorry Passfield who fronted for race day Saturday, the target to battle by way of and rating as many factors as potential.

From the outset it was Condon who set the tempo by way of the apply and qualifying periods. A lot in order that he elected to take a seat out the second qualifying session, he was the one rider to submit a time within the 1m32s, three-quarters of a second forward of the following finest. He was kitted up and able to exit if anybody neared, or bettered his time however by staying within the field he was saving tyres.

Defending champion John Lytras had a troublesome weekend the place he simply wasn’t gelling with the bike as he certified manner down in an uncharacteristic tenth spot. He was fast to confess that it wasn’t something to do with the bike or the after results of his damaged ankle.

One other that was slowly getting on top of things is Ben Baker. Final yr, Baker’s season was over earlier than it began when he suffered accidents on the official ASBK Take a look at on the Island. In an identical vein to what Passfield did on the weekend, Baker had fluid leak onto his rear wheel as he acquired on the fuel exiting Siberia Nook and was flicked over the bars. Baker has absolutely recovered however misplaced a yr of 600cc expertise in addition to lacking the SMP ASBK Take a look at in February, and the opening spherical at Phillip Island. On the weekend he certified twentieth however was pragmatic, explaining that they’re thus far behind everybody else, however importantly the group are making progress in getting a base set-up and little doubt he shall be nearer to the entrance on the subsequent spherical at QLD Raceway late subsequent month.

Supersport Mixed Qualifying Outcomes

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Michelin Supersport Race One

Darkish clouds had been threatening above Sydney Motorsport Park when 26 opponents rolled out of pit-lane at 1540 on Saturday afternoon forward of the opening 11-lap contest of the weekend.

The monitor was dry, the monitor temperature conducive to good occasions… Jack Passfield was lacking a tyre-warmer on the entrance of his YZF-R6 on the grid.

Olly Simpson threaded the needle into flip one, splitting different riders to sneak the lead from Sean Condon and Tom Bramich as they tipped in. Plenty of riders ran off at flip two with Jonathan Nahlous ending up on the deck.

Simpson continued to carry sway from Condon all through the opening lap and the beginning of lap two. Jake Farnsworth put a terrific transfer on Condon across the again of the circuit on lap two to push the poleman again to 3rd place.

A number of corners later Farnsworth then took the lead from Simpson.  Tom Bramich was fourth, John Lytras fifth and Hayden Nelson sixth as they began lap three.

Olly Simpson then made a mistake that noticed him shuffled all the best way again to seventh place. Farnsworth and Condon had began to interrupt away from Tom Bramich and John Lytras.

Condon went by way of to he lead with eight laps to run and instantly began to hole Farnsworth, a 1m32.969 on lap 4 seeing him stretch away.

Tom Bramich was in third whereas additional again Olly Simpson had recovered from his earlier mistake to be in the midst of a five-rider battle for fourth place, being waged between Simpson, Lytras, Lynch, Dunker and Nelson.

Jake Farnsworth truly began reeling Condon again in late within the race however Condon responded and stretched away once more on the final lap to safe victory by simply over a second.  Tom Bramich an extra 2.5-seconds behind in third to spherical out the rostrum.

Olly Simpson gained that heady battle for fourth place regardless of nearly being chased down on the ultimate lap by younger Cam Dunker. Ty Lynch 1.3-seconds additional again in sixth place however with half-a-second over seventh positioned John Lytras.

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Michelin Supersport Race One Outcomes

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Michelin Supersport Race Two

Jake Farnsworth ran Sean Condon fairly onerous within the opening Supersport bout however Condon had held on to safe the victory.

Complicating issues forward of the second and last race of the weekend was some drizzle that drifted throughout the circuit an hour earlier than the beginning of race two.

The drizzle ebbed and flowed, stopped and began, within the lead as much as the second and last 11-lap Supersport bout of the weekend. By the point riders gridded up the floor was a little bit of this and a little bit of that, a bit moist, a bit damp somewhere else, and primarily dry in different areas…

Jake Farnsworth was pushed off the grid on account of a defective rear gentle, and needed to begin from pit-lane after it was rectified.

After that delay the lights went out and Ty Lynch scored a blinder to guide the sector by way of flip one for the primary time and the South Australian instantly began streaking away.

By the top of the opening lap Lynch led Olly Simpson by 1.2-seconds. Cam Dunker was in third place, Passfield fourth, Sanders fifth.

Lynch, Simpson and Dunker broke away from the sector on lap two. That trio closed proper up on the second lap, Simpson proper on the tail of Lynch, and Dunker nipping at their heels.

Simpson took the lead at first of lap three and began to drag away from Lynch. Polesitter Sean Condon was manner down in nineteenth place on slicks… Conversely the riders up entrance had been on wets, or no less than a mixture of moist at one finish and slick on the different.

Cam Dunker took second place off Lynch after which pulled away with ease. With seven laps to run Simpson led Dunker by four-tenths and Lynch was now five-seconds behind.  The main duo each presumably on wets and solely two laps later that they had greater than ten-seconds on Lynch.

With 4 laps to run Sean Condon went down at flip six. Defending champion John Lytras was tenth at this juncture. Tom Bramich was fifteenth.  The person on the transfer was Jonathan Nahlous, who on lap seven set a brand new quickest lap of the race after passing Luke Durning after which closing in on Dallas Skeer and Scott Nicholson.

Jack Passfield relegated Ty Lynch to fourth place, the South Australian combating a steering damper catching on his triple-clamps after switching to the spare bike and solely discovering the issue on the nice and cozy up lap.

Up entrance Dunker was shadowing Simpson lap after lap… Biding his time…

Simpson then ran large at flip one as they began the penultimate lap, having to save lots of a entrance finish slide opened the door for Dunker to stroll proper by way of and take the race lead.

Simpson misplaced nearly seven-tenths on Dunker however instantly set about clawing that floor again, Simpson had it all the way down to four-tenths on the final lap board.

Dunker responded although, stretching it out to seven-tenths by way of the primary cut up, nine-tenths on the second cut up, he does it, 15-year-old Cam Dunker breaks by way of for his first win within the Supersport class in what is just his second occasion within the class.

A slick shod Scott Nicholson charged onerous on the finish to take a podium end, albeit nearly 20-seconds behind Dunker.

Nicholson demoted Jonathan Nahlous fourth, Hayden Nelson fifth, Dallas Skeer sixth on slicks, and Jack Passfield painfully pushed again to seventh on the ultimate lap. Ty Lynch eighth forward of John Lytras whereas Luca Durning rounded out the highest ten.

That victory additionally provides Cam Dunker the spherical win and strikes him as much as fifth within the championship. Ty Lynch nonetheless leads the title chase on 82-points forward of Olly Simpson on 74 and John Lytras on 72. Jack Passfield fourth on 68 factors.

Subsequent cease Queensland Raceway…

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Michelin Supersport Race Two Outcomes

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Michelin Supersport Spherical Factors

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Michelin Supersport Championship Factors

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2023 ASBK Calendar

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