2019 ASBK
Round One – Phillip Island
Supersport 300 Race One
Luke Power started the opening Supersport 300 bout for ASBK season 2019 from pole position alongside Callum O’Brien and Locky Taylor. The eight-lap race got underway just before 1115 in front of a strengthening WorldSBK crowd at a sunny Phillip Island.
Leading them around turn one for the first time though was Seth Crump on KTM RC390. Crump touched fairings with Senna Agius at turn four as they tussled for position and was then dusted up by Luke Power, only for a red flag to be produced after a crash between Kyle O’Connell and Tayla Relph. The carnage was cleared quickly while the field formed up again on the grid, this time for a further reduced six-lap race distance from a full re-start.
This time around it was Max Stauffer with the holeshot and vying for position through turn one with Luke Power. The pair swapped positions numerous time over the opening lap as Seth Crump, Callum O’Brien and Hunter Ford gave chase.
Stauffer and Power though had the measure of the rest of the competition, breaking away and leaving the rest of the field to fight over the final step on the rostrum. And that battle for third was being fought in earnest between Ford, Crump, Agius, O’Brien, Lytras, Shaw and Khouri.
Max Stauffer was running smooth and consistent lines as Luke Power nipped at his heels over the following laps as both riders dipped into the 1m48s, lapping faster than they had managed in qualifying.
Then with a lap and a half to run Max started looking over his shoulder, he was more than four-seconds in front of third placed Senna Agius by this point in the race, but his body language started to suggest he might have some sort of problem. His lapse in concentration allowed Power through, and it looked like job done for the young Victoria, only for Stauffer to get a great run through turns 11 and 12 to claim victory on the line.
That is Stauffer’s second victory in the class and by the look of his form here today, there will be plenty more to come.
Luke Power also looks as though he will be a major force to be reckoned with as a new season of Australian Supersport 300 takes shape.
ASBK Supersport 300 Race One Results
- Max Stauffer – Yamaha
- Luke Power – Yamaha +0.150
- Senna Agius – 400 Kawasaki +4.733
- Seth Crump – KTM +6.381
- Harry Khouri – Yamaha +6.405
- Hunter Ford – Yamaha +6.453
- Zac Levy – Yamaha +6.650
- Dylan Whiteside – Kawasaki +6.799
- Callum O’Brien – 400 Kawasaki +6.851
- Ben Baker – Yamaha +7.057
- Yannis Shaw – Kawasaki +7.311
- Laura Brown – Yamaha +7.366
- Travis Hall – Yamaha +7.595
- Locky Taylor – Yamaha +12.461
- Peter Nerlich – Kawasaki +17.067
