Cycle News Staff | November 30, 2022
Yamaha Racing’s Mike Jones has wrapped up his third Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at the final round at The Bend in South Australia, November 26-27.
Mike Jones is now a three-time ASBK Champion after emerging victorious at the final round.
Photos by BrettHemmings.com
The meeting included current KTM MotoGP rider Jack Miller in his final race on a Ducati, Moto2 star Marcel Schrotter (Yamaha), Endurance World Champion Josh Hook (Honda), BSB star Billy McConnell (Honda), MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and factory Harley-Davidson King of The Baggers rider Travis Wyman and his brother Cody in the Supersport category, Moto3 star Joel Kelso (BMW) and European Moto2 Championship runner-up Senna Agius (Honda).
Jones steadied himself in a tense race one for a sixth-place finish, which was enough to wrap up the championship over Ducati’s retiring series champion Wayne Maxwell, with the win going to former ASBK number one and AMA Supermoto Champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda).
Maxwell took second on the Boost Mobile Ducati with BMW’s Glenn Allerton taking third, the top three long-time ASBK protagonists covered by 0.516 seconds at the finish.
Jack Miller was competitive on his near-stock Ducati Panigale V4 R, leading for half of race two.
Miller ended the race with a mechanical DNF, as did Agius, with Schrotter the best of the visiting internationals in 10th. Travis Wyman took 16th in race one to hold up American honors.
In race two, it was Miller who led for the first half of the race on his Thriller Motorsport Ducati Panigale V4 R, leading the impressive Agius in his first race meeting on a superbike. Jones eventually worked his way past for the lead and Miller gradually dropped back on his near standard-spec Ducati as the factory bikes came charging through, sitting in sixth on the final lap that was promoted to fourth when Herfoss and Allerton both crashed out.
Agius was then hoisted from fourth to second behind Jones at the flag in a brilliant performance by the 17-year-old, who finished ahead of Maxwell, Miller and former Moto3 star Arthur Sissis (Suzuki).
“I’m elated,” Jones said after race two. “I didn’t want just to win the championship, I wanted to do it the right way, so after race one, it was time to send it.
“To see the guys climbing the pit wall as I went over the finish line was awesome as they got the chance to experience what I was feeling. We are a tight team and work so hard.
“I didn’t even realize at that stage I had won the day. I knew a 1-6 would put me on the podium but I didn’t think it would get the win until I got back to the podium and the boys told me. So, I didn’t get the pole, 1-1 goal but I was pretty close, and it feels amazing to win the championship, not just for myself, but for Yamaha.”
Outgoing champion Wayne Maxwell (1) retired from ASBK competition after a national career spanning over 20 years.
For Agius, the result was far more than either he or the Penrite Honda team were expecting, as Australia’s next international star more than held his own against the series veterans.
“It was surreal, following Jack [Miller] for the first couple of laps, I was looking to pass him, but couldn’t quite get it done,” Agius said to CycleOnline.com.au. “I could see, it was pretty blatantly obvious that he was struggling for grip out there.
“When [Mike] Jonesy, Troy [Herfoss] and Glenn [Allerton] came past me, I thought okay, it’s going to be hard to stay with them, but I found myself there. I dropped back and then I did one of the fastest laps of the race [1:51.133] to get back on them and found some speed at the end.
“I found my way how to write the bike, my lap times dropped and I had never done those lap times all weekend. I think it’s a shame that the championship is finished, I just want to keep going, it’s quite fun to be here and race guys that I have looked up to forever.”
In the final series standings, Jones captured the championship with 328 points over Maxwell’s 276 and Bryan Staring (Ducati) third at 258.
In the Supersport class, current CEV Moto3 and Red Bull Rookies star Harrison Voight (Yamaha) decimated the field in his class debut, taking both wins easily. John Lytras (Yamaha) came away with the title in race two, while Cody Wyman (Yamaha) took a 13th in race one and 14th in race two.
Yamaha dominated the ASBK championship in 2022, winning every category (Superbike, Supersport, Supersport 300, Yamaha R3 Cup and Oceana Junior Cup). CN
