ASBK Supersport 300 Race Reports from The Bend

2018 ASBK – Round Three – The Bend

Supersport 300

Supersport 300 Race One

The opening 300 Supersport race of the weekend got underway under brilliant blue skies and a sun that was starting to bite hard. Something else biting hard was Oli Bayliss, the Gold Coast youngster was left on the grid as the 31-bike field disappeared into the distance as they started their seven-lap bout.

Young Bayliss has had a few machinery niggles this weekend but unfortunately the worst of them happened on the start line just before the action started proper. A broken gearbox on the Ninja 300 as he got away putting him out of proceedings.

At the front of the pack that streaked away from the hapless Bayliss it was unfolding as a battle between Tom Bramich, Seth Crump and Olly Simpson for the lead. Tayla Relph was right in that picture too along with Hunter Ford, Zac Levy and Locky Taylor.

Early on the second lap Bramich lost a number of positions and got shuffled back into the pack as Crump and Ford tried to break away from Hunter Ford, as Bramich battled his way through numerous contenders to put himself back into the battle.

The action up front then got ever crazier! It was virtually impossible to keep up with who was where as riders cut and thrust between themselves at almost every one of the 18 turns that make up The Bend International Circuit.

As the race broached half distance Bramich had finally managed to break away a little from his pursuers just as Tayla Relph dusted up Hunter Ford and stole second place. Plenty of fight in this girl! Unfortunately half a lap later Relph ran wide and lost ground and a number of places. The battle for second was now waging between Zevy and Ford, meanwhile Bramich was trying to make the most of having some clear air and nobody nipping at his ducktail at every turn.

With two laps to run Hunter Ford managed to breakaway from Levy and Simpson and chase down Tom Bramich. Half a lap later Simpson had also left Levy in his wake and had joined Ford and Bramich up front.

At the last lap board that trio were in close formation and nudging each other as they approached the braking area at turn one. That trip then swapped positions all over the place as Zac Levy started to mount a sneak attack from the rear… Olly Simpson had been the fastest rider on the penultimate lap though with the first 2m10s 300 Supersport lap of the weekend.

Hunter Ford seemingly though had saved his best for last and somehow managed to leave his pursuers in his dust through the final turns to take a hard fought victory. Tom Bramich took second place from Zac Levy while Olly Simpson was just pipped off the podium after clipping the grass late on the final lap.

Supersport 300 Race One Results

1. Hunter Ford – Yamaha
2. Tom Bramich – Yamaha +0.311
3. Zac Levy – Yamaha +1.112
4. Olly Simpson – Yamaha +1.233
5. Locky Taylor – Yamaha +1.237
6. Harry Khouri – Yamaha +1.400
7. Ben Bramich – KTM +2.121
8. Tayla Relph – Yamaha +3.978
9. Seth Crump – KTM +4.835
10. Travis Hall – Yamaha +7.992
11. Jarred Brook – KTM +8.183
12. Ben Baker – Kawasaki +11.872
13. Max Stauffer – Yamaha +21.466
14. Mitchell Simpson – Yamaha +21.602
15. Dan Thomas – Yamaha +21.754
16. Bronson Pickett – Yamaha +21.852
17. Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha +29.778
18. Troy Ryan – Yamaha +30.330
19. Peter Nerlich – Kawasaki +30.384
20. Zane Ford – Yamaha +30.585

Supersport 300 Race Two

The second seven-lap bout of the weekend got underway at 1707 Saturday evening as shadows start to cast across The Bend Motorsport Complex.

Seth Crump got the best run off the line and through the first turn to take the early lead ahead of Tom Bramich and Zac Levy but Bramich then took the lead at turn six. A few turns later it was Olly Simpson in the lead from Bramich and Crump. Bramich in front again at the penultimate turn and led the field down the chute.

Bramich managed to retain that lead all the way down the main straight to lead Simpson and Crump into turn one. Stalking them also were Hunter Ford, Harry Khouri and Zac Levy.

Tom Bramich had actually started to eke a small buffer over his pursuers but then early on the third lap he made a mistake and ran wide, his foot off the peg. The door was open and Olly Simpson walked through it along with Hunter Ford.

A lap later it was again Tom Bramich up front but nothing separated the top half-dozen of riders and it still anyone’s race. Hunter Ford then took his turn at the front of the pack, then it was Olly Simpson again. Then Tom Bramich again…

With two laps to run Hunter Ford and Tom Bramich started to pull a few bike lengths over their pursuers. At the last lap board that pair had 1.3-seconds on third placed Seth Crump who was in close company with Khouri, Simpson and Tayla Relph.

It was going to be a two-man battle to the line and Ford and Bramich changed places numerous times on the final lap. Bramich led Ford onto the main straight with Ford right on his pipe, but Tom Bramich does it. Ford got the better of him on Saturday morning but Bramich got his revenge in this one.

Supersport 300 Race Two Results

1. Tom Bramich – Yamaha
2. Hunter Ford – Yamaha +0.291
3. Harry Khouri – Yamaha +2.878
4. Olly Simpson – Yamaha +3.007
5. Ben Bramich – KTM +3.433
6. Tayla Relph – Yamaha +3.559
7. Seth Crump – KTM +3.604
8. Zac Levy – Yamaha +3.765
9. Locky Taylor – Yamaha +3.940
10. Ben Baker – Kawasaki +11.923
11. Oli Bayliss – Kawasaki +11.948
12. Jarred Brook – KTM +15.233
13. Mitchell Simpson – Yamaha +22.702

Supersport 300 Race Three

The third and final seven-lap race for the ASBK Supersport 300 competitors got underway under bright blue skies at Tailem Bend just before midday in front of a fairly strong South Australian crowd.

Tom Bramich got a wheelstand off the line from his YZF-R3 but that perhaps cost him a little as Olly Simpson, Locky Taylor and Zac Levy pushed the pole-sitter back to fourth place early on lap one.

Olly Simpson led most of the opening lap before Levy slipped past him at the penultimate turn to lead the field onto the main straight.

Hunter Ford then took his turn at the front and actually held on to that lead for the entire lap as Zac Levy tussled over second place with Olly Simpson.

A lap later Levy hit the front again, but Ford was back into the lead a couple of turns later. Tom Bramich was right in that now four-strong leading bunch along with Olly Simpson. And it was the latter of that bunch that got back in the lead again the following lap.

As the race moved into its second half that leading quartet had started to swell in number… Looking to join that party was Locky Taylor, Seth Crump and Harry Khouri. Then it got next level crazy…

Seth Crump hit the lead with two lap to go but from there the lead changed at almost every corner. Meanwhile Hunter Ford and Ben Bramich had gone down together and were out of the hunt… And then there were seven…  Replacing the two fallers was Oli Bayliss had joined the party and on the final lap started slicing and dicing along with Tayla Relph.

Tom Bramich the leader as the last lap got underway by a nose from Zac Levy and Harry Khouri and Bramich managed to take the win on the line from Khouri while Seth Crump put in a final flyer to take the final step on the rostrum ahead of Simpson, Levy, Bayliss, Relph and Taylor.

Tom Bramich takes the round win on 71-points to extend his championship lead to 19-points over Zac Levy.

Supersport 300 Race Three Results

1. Tom Bramich
2. Harry Khouri +0.128
3. Seth Crump +0.581
4. Olly Simpson +0.816
5. Zac Levy +0.839
6. Oli Bayliss +0.852
7. Tayla Relph +0.925
8. Locky Taylor +1.341
9. Ben Baker +1.349
10. Travis Hall +3.811
11. Jarred BROOK +13.520
12. Max STAUFFER +21.027
13. Mitch KUHNE +21.081
14. Hunter FORD +21.123
15. Brandon DEMMERY +21.430
16. Bronson PICKETT +21.705
17. Mitchell SIMPSON +22.962
18. Ben BRAMICH +25.769
19. Dan THOMAS +25.815
20. John LYTRAS +25.853
21. Zane FORD +26.130
22. Troy RYAN +34.819
23. Peter NERLICH +34.871
24. Jake BRETT +46.867
25. Keegan PICKERING +57.931
26. Jack COUSENS +58.824
27. Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES +1:10.426
28. Austin BARNES +1:48.370

Supersport 300 Provisional Round 3 Standings

1. Tom BRAMICH 71
2. Harry KHOURI 53
3. Hunter FORD 52
4. Oliver SIMPSON 51
5. Zac LEVY 47
6. Seth CRUMP 44
7. Tayla RELPH 42
8. Locky TAYLOR 41
9. Ben BRAMICH 33
10. Ben BAKER 32
11. Travis HALL 29
12. Jarred BROOK 29
13. Oliver BAYLISS 25
14. Max STAUFFER 21
15. Mitchell SIMPSON 19
16. Mitch KUHNE 18
17. Bronson PICKETT 15
18. Dan THOMAS 11
19. Brandon DEMMERY 7
20. Zane FORD 3
21. Troy RYAN 3
22. Peter NERLICH 2
23. John LYTRAS 1

Supersport 300 Championship Points Standings

1. Tom Bramich 183
2. Zac Levy 164
3. Harry Khouri 156
4. Oli Bayliss 150
5. Hunter Ford 135
6. Locky Taylor 129
7. Tayla Relph 103
8. Ben Bramich 98
9. Seth Crump 95
10. Jarred Brook 85
11. Max Stauffer 68
12. Travis Hall 66
13. Corey Briffa 61
14. Olly Simpson 51
15. John Lytras 47