ASBK Supersport round up from Morgan Park

ASBK 2023
Round Five – Morgan Park Raceway
Michelin Supersport

Supersport Qualifying

Hayden Nelson took his maiden pole position at Morgan Park, the 16-year-old punting his Pirelli shod YZF-R6 to 1m15.143 to earn that pole position ahead of Ty Lynch on his Michelin backed Yamaha. Young Cameron Dunker rounded out the front row ahead of Tom Bramich and Jonathan Nahlous. John Lytras made a gamble with set-up in qualifying that didn’t work out so was set to start from P6 ahead of hugely experienced championship leader Olly Simpson.

Supersport Qualifying Results

Supersport Race One

Olly Simpson made an awesome start from the third row to lead the field towards turn one but Ty Lynch had his elbows out to lead Cameron Dunker around the opening lap but the youngster got the better of the South Australian for the lead as they started lap two. Tom Bramich also had his elbows out on the opening lap to march his way forward to third place by lap two.

Ty Lynch pushed his way past Dunker for the lead again around the back section as Glenn Nelson tumbled out of eighth place at turn nine. Scott Nicholson then went down at turn one.

Olly Simpson was back by Bramich on lap three to move back up to third place and was all over the back of Dunker as Lynch continued to lead. Simpson parked it under Dunker on the entry to turn one next time around to take second from the youngster, but Dunker repaid the favour a few turns later to show he was not going to be any pushover.

Ty Lynch then pushed a little too hard at turn six and fell. Further behind Dallas Skeer had also gone down.  Lynch eventually rejoined the race in a quest to salvage some important championship points.

Inheriting the lead was Cam Dunker from Simpson and Bramich, but looming large and getting stronger as the race progressed was defending champ John Lytras…

Dunker and Simpson side-by-side across the stripe but it is Simpson that leads through turn one as they broached half-race distance. Bramich, Lytras and Hayden Nelson also in close formation, less than a second covering that top five with seven laps to run.

Hayden Nelson then started to make some moves… The youngster pushing his way past Lytras, then doing the same on Bramich up the inside to move up to third place but still nothing separated the top five.

Dunker back through to the lead thanks to his diminutive size helping his YZF-R6 to a higher top speed down the chute but he then ran in a little too deep a few turns later and was gazumped by both Hayden Nelson and Olly Simpson. Nelson then went through to the lead and Dunker moved back up to second place, relegating Simpson to third in the process.

Tom Bramich then crashed at turn four to reduce the number of front runners down to a quartet.

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Dunker moved back through to the lead at turn one with two laps to run.  Nelson then went down at turn nine, his machine cartwheeling across the grass and the Taree youngster left with his head in his hands ruing what might have been…

The red flag then came out due to possible oil on track, and that fluid may have been what brought Nelson down…

Cameron Dunker credited with the victory ahead of Olly Simpson and John Lytras rounded out the podium.

Supersport Race One Results

Supersport Race Two

Hayden Nelson’s crew had been working desperately to try and repair his machine after he crashed on oil in the opening stanza but unfortunately they couldn’t quite pull it off and the second 14-lap bout got underway without the pole-sitter.

Ty Lynch dislocated his shoulder in a race one crash but the South Aussie had popped it back in for this one, ahead of what was going to be a case of grimace and bear it…

Lynch got the holeshot to lead Cam Dunker and Olly Simpson through the first turns as Jonathan Nahlous, John Lytras and Tom Bramich gave chase.

Cam Dunker moved through to the lead on lap two despite the best efforts of Lynch to stay on terms with the youngster. Olly Simpson got past Lynch on the main straight to start lap three but Simpson got pretty untidy under brakes for turn one which allowed Lynch back through. Not for long though as Simpson then moved up to second place once again and started hounding the back of Dunker. John Lytras was striving hard to gain entry to that party, closing in on Lynch.  Tom Bramich was still not out of the picture either.

Simpson put a great move on Dunker to steal the lead with 11 laps to run after the youngster opened the door, Simpson needed no second invite. Lytras was now up to third and lining up for an attack on Dunker for second after putting in a new fastest lap of the race.

Tom Bramich snuck up the inside of Lynch to take fourth place with eight laps to run but Lynch got him back next time around.

Up front little changed for the next few laps but Lynch started to make progress back towards the front, his Michelins proving their longevity and perhaps giving him an advantage over the final laps…

Dunker up the inside of Simpson at turn one with three laps to run, nothing separating the top four, Dunker leading Simpson, Lytras and Lynch. Ty Lynch had a look up the inside of Lytras but pulled out of the move.

Dunker still in the lead as they started the penultimate lap, Simpson up the inside before the bridge after Dunker had a rear end slide, Lytras then through to the lead, it was on like Donkey Kong and I couldn’t keep up! Lynch then pushed Dunker back to fourth late on that lap.

Lytras almost took the lead off Simpson into turn one but the South Australian held on… Nothing separating the top four… Still Simpson from Lytras… The defending champ closes right onto the tail of Simpson through the final complex and it looked as though Lytras might indeed do it on the run to the flag but Simpson held on for the victory by two-hundredths of a second in an almost photo finish.

A great win for Simpson for the round win to extend his championship lead over Dunker to 13-points.

Ty Lynch denied Dunker a race two podium but the 15-year-old still claimed second overall for the round ahead of Lytras.

Supersport Race Two Results

Supersport Round Points

Michelin Supersport Championship Points

2023 ASBK Calendar