AFX-SBK Support class wrap – Saturday – New champions crowned across all classes
Brandon Demmery, Angus Reekie, James Arnold and Matthew Harding – a whole host of new champions in the support classes at the 2014 YMF Loan Yamaha Australian FX Superbike Championship.
FX Pro-Twins
In the opening race of the Pro Twins, Craig McMartin (Racers Edge Performance) used his pole position to maximum advantage – shooting to the early lead from Aprilia rider Mario Gonzalez.
Unfortunately for McMartin he had some fuel issues with his bike towards the end of the second lap, allowing Trinder Aprilia Racing’s Kevin Curtain to move up into the lead.
It was a lead that Curtain never surrendered – finishing the seven-lap race in first place from McMartin with Gonzalez holding onto third place.
In race two it was again McMartin again got a great start to shoot to the lead from Gonzalez and Curtain.
Curtain had moved into second position by the end of the second lap, but was 3.5 seconds behind McMartin, with plenty of work to do to catch the race leader.
Over the next two laps Curtain shaved a full second and a half off the lead, and with three laps remaining looked determined to make a strong play for the race win.
It was clear soon after that the veteran was just getting warmed up, and on the next lap the Aprilia rider took the race lead, looking like a man possessed.
Curtain finished the race more than eight seconds clear of McMartin, with Gonzalez finishing in third.
If there was a prize for best starts it would surely have been awarded to McMartin, who again took the lead in the third race from Curtain.
Through three laps he had established a 4.343 second lead over Curtain but the question was always going to be whether he could hold the veteran at bay.
That lap had been cut to 2.634 seconds with two laps remaining, and despite the best efforts of Curtain, McMartin managed to hold him at bay and take out race three.
Curtain finished .643 of a second behind in second, while Gonzalez again finished third.
Results further back in the field on the day handed the championship win to Simon Galloway (Cessnock Motorcycles) – 30 points clear of James Arnold (The Little Red Grape) with Kris Keen a further 55 points behind in third.
Nakedbikes
Angus Reekie (KTM Racing) looked to put his disastrous round five at Wakefield Park behind him, as he stormed to the front of the Nakedbike field in the opening race.
It was a lead that Reekie never surrendered – finishing nearly 10 seconds ahead of closest rival Adrian Pierpoint (Quadrant Dev) in second.
Luke Follacchio (Lukey Luke Stuntrider) and Rennie Scaysbrook (LTR) finished race one in third and fourth respectively.
Reekie again stamped his authority early in race two, moving into third place overall (of the combined class with Pro-Twins) and taking the category race lead.
His nearest rival was again Pierpoint, and at the half way point of the race there was already an eight second gap between the pair.
The standings were never in doubt (barring any bike problems) and Reekie went on to win the race by 14.5 seconds from Pierpoint, with Follacchio again taking third spot.
The trifecta was complete for Reekie in race three when he cruised to another race win – Follacchio finishing second and Scaysbrook in third.
The result handed Reekie the Nakedbike Championship, finishing the series 34 points ahead of Pierpoint.
Kawasaki FX300 Ninja Cup
In the Ninja 300 category, it was the usual suspects of Brandon Demmery (Noise Guard Racing), Kyle Buckley (Bcperformance Motogo) and Bailie Perriton who jostled for the lead throughout the opening race.
They swapped positions on countless occasions – each rider having their turn in the lead, with less than half a second separating the trio throughout the entire race.
It was anyone’s guess who would take the race honours, and by the time they reached the chequered flag it was Demmery who took the win – .045 of a second ahead of Perriton.
Buckley was a mere .070 of a second behind in third, and managed to post the class lap record with the only sub 1:50 time of the race (1:49.859), while Robbie Phillis (Kawasaki Motors Finance) finished less than a second behind in fourth.
It was the same quartet in amongst the thick of the action in race two, with Demmery, Buckley and Perriton within .147 of a second between them through the first two laps, and Phillis not far behind.
And once more in terms of picking a winner, you may have just as well have tossed a coin and called out a name.
At the finish line it was Buckley who came out on top – made all the more memorable by setting a new lap record of 1.49.599.
Demmery finished a hair behind, with Phillis coming in third and Perriton having to settle for fourth.
Buckley topped off his day with another race win in the third and final outing for the day – this time finishing ahead of Demmery by .033 of a second.
Phillis finished in third, with Perriton again back in fourth.
The championship was won by Demmery – who pretty much had it stitched up at the start of the day – taking the crown with a 56-point gap to Buckley in the end.
Perriton rounded out the outright top-three.
Formula Oz
Matthew Harding (K&R Hydraulics) claimed the opening Formula Oz race win on Saturday, leading from start to finish in a commanding display of riding.
Harding was out front for the entire race and was never really challenged – finishing 8.679 seconds ahead of Brayden Carr (Fastaway Couriers) and Irishman Paul Byrne (LTR Honda).
Ben Nicolson (NextGen Motorsports) had been working his way through the field throughout the race, and spent significant time in third and second position.
However some trouble on lap six of the race forced him back in the field, and he could only manage to finish in 23rd spot.
Phil Lovett (Cessnock Motorcycles) and Jack Fox rounded out the top-five.
Harding made it two on the trot when he moved to the front in the second race and never relinquished his lead.
In a repeat of the opening race, Harding finished ahead of Carr in second with Byrne claiming another podium place finish in third.
Lovett and Fox again finished in fourth and fifth, while Nicolson rounded out the top-six.
Harding completed his flawless round at Eastern Creek by taking out the third and final race of the day as well.
He finished a couple of seconds ahead of Lovett, with Nicolson grabbing third, Carr in fourth and Fox rounding out the top-five.
There was only a three point gap separating Harding and Lovett heading into the final round, and the trifecta of wins handed Harding a well fought – 20-point series victory.
Lovett came second, while Nicolson rounded out the top-three outright.
eFXC
With the title race in the eFXC class a battle between two, it was again Danny Pottage (O’Hanlon Electric Motorsports) and Daniel Ripperton (Ripperton Racing) who battled it out up front.
Four riders took to the start line for the first race of the day, with Pottage finishing more than ten-seconds clear of Ripperton in the three-lap affair.
So dominant was Pottage, that he also posted a new lap record for the category with a 1:46:568, which was enough to clinch the championship with a race to spare.
Jason Morris (Varley Electric Vehicles) and Simon Galloway (ELMOFO) finished in third and fourth respectively.
It was déjà vu in race two – the final race of the Saturday schedule, as Pottage again took the honours from Ripperton.
Morris again had to settle for third, and Galloway finished in fourth.
