Mike Jones tops ASBK Friday Practice at Symmons Plains
By Trevor Hedge
An almost cloud free sky bathed the 2.41km Symmons Plains Raceway today as practice got underway for the fourth round of the YMF Loan ASBK Championship.
The local based support classes for this round of the series included a Club Challenge Formula 3 class. The machines in the class ranged from a Husqvarna SMR511, to an RD250 Yamaha and an Aprilia RS250. How’s that for a wide variety!
A combined Moto3/125GP class also makes the card this weekend, as does a Production category populated by Kawasaki Ninja 300 riders and a sole CBR250 Honda.
A retro twist has been added to this meeting also with a Period 5/6 category.
Australian Road Racing legend Malcolm ‘Wally’ Campbell’s well credentialled son, Scott, will pilot a beautiful and very special Honda VFR750.
Predating the iconic RC30, this particular VFR750 machine is the full factory Honda Malcolm Campbell rode to the the 1996 Australian Superbike Championship.
Wally restored the bodywork and had it on display at his 60th birthday function but has only recently finished restoring the whole machine. Unobtanium items on this ultra rare Honda include magnesium carburettors rumoured to be worth around $30,000 alone!
There are probably only four or so factory machines of this vintage existing in the world. But no putting it in a glass case for the Campbell family! Instead Scott is out here competing on it this weekend.
The opening round of the 2015 ASBK Championship was held in conjunction with the World Superbike event at Phillip Island. Team Honda stole that day with Troy Herfoss taking the overall honours ahead of teammate Josh Hook.
In Team Honda’s absence from the series in recent rounds, it has been Cube Racing Kawasaki rider Mike Jones that has dominated with clear victories in the second and third standalone rounds ahead of Superbike debutante Daniel Falzon.
It again looks likely to be a two-horse race between these youngsters for top honours, while Ryan Hampton, Ben Henry and Brett Simmonds will tussle over the final spot on the rostrum. But with rain forecast for race day Sunday, anything could happen!
Practice today saw Mike Jones top proceedings with a 54.579, three-tenths clear of Falzon’s 54.880. New Zealand’s Ryan Hampton was third quickest with a 55.445 on the Shane Kinderis prepared BMW S 1000 RR ahead of Ben Henry (55.809) on the second of the Cube Racing ZX-10R machines. Hobart’s Brett Simmonds rounded out the top five with a 56.095 well clear of Brad Wootton in sixth.
ASBK Friday Practice – Symmons Plains – Superbike
- Mike Jones – Kawasaki – 54.579
- Daniel Falzon – Yamaha – 54.880
- Ryan Hampton – BMW – 55.445
- Ben Henry – Kawasaki – 55.809
- Brett Simmonds – Yamaha – 56.095
- Brad Wootton – Suzuki – 56.889
- Quentin Bailey – Suzuki – 57.240
- Adam Senior – Suzuki – 57.333
- Kurt Sushames – Kawasaki – 58.498
- Ashley Fleming – Suzuki – 58.660
- Phil Czaj – Aprilia – 59.346
- Nathan Spiteri – Honda – 60.099
- Tony Keogh – BMW – 60.310
- Marcus Burns – EBR – 62.161
Supersport
In the Supersport category things were a little closer across the top ten, but it was season standout Brayden Elliott that again stamped his dominance. The Tumut based Suzuki rider set the pace with a 57.219 to head off the challenge from fellow Suzuki rider Kane Burns, the Macksville (NSW) rider recording 57.551.
Darwin’s Sam Lambert was third quickest with a 57.619 on the Aero Style Triumph, while Chris Quinn was fourth quickest on the Coopers Pale Ale Yamaha with a 57.772.
Victorian based Western Australian Aaiden Coote was fifth with a 58.065 ahead of fellow sandgropers Thyron Van Vuuren and Mason Coote.
Australian Supersport Friday Practice
- Brayden Elliott – Suzuki – 57.219
- Kane Burns – Suzuki – 57.551
- Sam Lambert – Triumph – 57.619
- Chris Quinn – Yamaha – 57.772
- Aaiden Coote – Yamaha – 58.065
- Thryon Van Vuuren – Kawasaki – 58.236
- Mason Coote – Yamaha – 58.659
- Nicholas Liminton – Yamaha – 58.987
- Jason Spencer – Honda – 60.113
- Cam Russell – Yamaha – 60.534
Qualifying for all classes will be staged tomorrow with the opening races for the support categories also staged on Saturday afternoon.
The premier Superbike and Supersport categories do not race until Sunday, when both classes will have two 17-lap races each.
Honda Moto 3 / 125GP
Ted Collins (Magnum Welders) took honours in the opening practice session when we managed a 1:05.012 on the last of his 12-laps in the session.
Seasoned campaigner Brian Houghton (K1 Racing) was nearly a second behind Collins, and slightly faster that Victorian Matty Barton (ETS Racefuels).
Collins was again at the top of the timesheets in session two, with a 1:04.276 placing him ahead of Tom Bramich’s (Ron Angel Classic Racing) 1:04.418 and Houghton with a 1:04.585.
Houghton upped the ante in the final session posting a scorching 1:03.941 with Collins, Jack Mahaffy (JR Racing) Bramich and Barton rounding out the top-five.
Production
New South Welshman Justin Hall (The Boltbarn) took honours in the opening session for the class – his 1:13.424 a full 1.238 seconds faster than Drew Sells (Race Centre) and andother half second ahead of Riki Lanyon (Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Team).
Hall was again at the front in session two, while series points leader Michelle Marais (SP Racing) clocked her fastest time for the day with a 1:13.060 and Lanyon also looking the goods.
The third and final session saw four riders break the 1:13.00 barrier, with Hall producing a sizzling 1:11.800, Lanyon clocking 1:12.091, Marais recording 1:12.575 and Sells registering 1:12.798.
Club Challenge Period 5/6
Scott Campbell (Wally’s Wonderful World) had the fastest time for the day with a 1:01.596 aboard his Honda VFR 750, while Dave McCullagh (DEMRL Transport) finished second fastest overall with a 1:02.503.
Peter Cameron (Blyer Lawyers) steered his Suzuki into third after clocking a 1:05.927 in session two.
Club Challenge Formula 3
Andrew Blackberry (Engineering Solutions Tasmania) had the fastest lap in the class across the three sessions with a 1:08.326 in the final session, with Cody Travers (1:08.780) and Craig Johnston (1:12.538) rounding out the top-three.
