ASBK riders race hard at Phillip Island VRRC round

2022 Motul Victorian Road Racing Championships
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – Round 3

With Mark Bracks

It was a sight to behold. The paddock of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit was choc-a-bloc full for the third round of the 2022 Motul Victorian Road Racing Championships with the largest amount of entries seen at a road race meeting in years.

There were 185 entries, and with cross entries the tally of bikes exceeded 250 machines. In the five classes of the VRRC, plus the fourth round of the OZ BEARS National and Roaring Sporties series, there were full grids in all classes, spread over 32 races.

The BEARS had gone from one extreme to the other after being in Darwin for the previous round, a month ago, to the other end of the country at Phillip Island. They put on some spectacular racing to add to the roar of the 1200cc V-twins on full noise with over 20 entrants.

The event saw the 69^th running of the Harvie Wiltshire Trophy. A race that dates back to 1951, making it one of the longest running perennial awards in motorcycle road racing anywhere in the world, outside of the IOM and World Championships.

The list of winners is a who’s who of Australian racing;  Maurie Quincey, Ken Rumble, Len Atlee, Ron Toombs, Ken Blake, Gregg Hansford, Andrew Johnson, Robbie Phillip, Shaun Giles, Craig Coxhell, Daryl Beattie,  Anthony Gobert, Shannon Johnson, Steve Tozer, Steve Martin, Jed Metcher, Chas Hern and Mike Jones. The list goes on.

With the upcoming MotoGP and WSBK events it was a good excuse for major teams to make a cameo appearance and garner some data through testing in race conditions, while not having to worry about the stresses and traffic of a ride day.

It’s not the first time that ASBK riders competed in the VRRC round at Phillip Island. The last time the Vic Champs were at PI, in 2019, Troy Bayliss and Mike Jones came to play in the Superbikes. Jones won the Harvie Wiltshire that year, while Oli Bayliss, Tom Toparis, Jack Passfield and Aiden Hayes put on a great show in the Supersport class.

This year there was a decent turnout of ASBK front runners contesting the event with championship leader, Mike Jones joined by Yamaha team-mate Cru Halliday, Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss, Ant West on the MotoGo Yamaha and Jed Metcher on the 727 Moto R1.

Nathan Spiteri (Livson BMW) was also having a dip as well along with Ted Collins. That pair and Metcher had also contested the earlier VRRC rounds.

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Chandler Cooper was there as well. Also making an appearance was NZ Superbike Champion, Alastair Hoogenboezem (Addicted To Track R1) who is aiming to compete in the final two rounds of the ASBK title.

With the amount of testing that some teams do, it was surprising that a few more from the ASBK class were not in attendance, as there’s nothing like a race meeting to get down to the nitty gritty

Their absence was fortunate for the other entrants as there were over 45 entries in the SBK class, and, as such, the category was split in two in order to accommodate everyone.

Saturday morning qualifying was shrouded in rain with a wet track and many not venturing out, but by the time racing commenced the skies had started to clear and for most of the afternoon, except for one shower, it was mainly blue skies but still very chilly, with a track temp of just 19 deg.

As for Sunday it was mainly fine and sometimes cloudless for almost perfect racing conditions, and the track temp was more conducive to grip at around 25 degrees.

Superbike Race One

The three superbike races were as entertaining and exciting as any ASBK race with Halliday, Herfoss, Jones, Metcher and finally Ant West involved in some excellent dicing for the major placings.

Considering the conditions, times were not too far off Wayne Maxwell’s lap record, with many putting in consistent 1m32s.

The big three of the ASBK title all had a crack at leading a race but it was Cru who backed up his pole position with three wins from his team-mate, Jones.

Halliday was in an extremely determined mood for the weekend. One graphic example was on the second lap of the opening leg with his move around the outside of his team-mate through the dauntingly fast Stoner Corner (T3) as the pair chased Herfoss. Commitment plus.

In the first race, Herf led for the opening two laps then Halliday passed him on Gardner straight to take the lead at the beginning of the third lap, and Jones then moved up to second, the trio was separated by 0.097s as Metcher started closing in.

Halliday eventually made a gap and went on to win by just over a second. The battle for second was a typical Island drag to the line with Jones from Herfoss and Metcher, just 0.177 sec covering that trio.

Superbike Race One Results – Top 10

Superbike Race Two

Leg two was similar as Herfoss led off the line, before Jones then moved through to the lead later on the first lap and Halliday went with him. Herfoss was left struggling with bike set-up as the Yamaha team-mates chased each other.

Jones could not get past and missed the win by 0.231s. Herfoss battled Metcher for third only for Westy to close in, then pass them both with three laps to go, taking his first podium finish in a long time. Metcher got the better of Herfoss for fourth.

Any thoughts that the leading pack were not having a red hot crack are dismissed looking at the lap times and the fact that Jones was keen to put his name on the Harvey Wiltshire to make it two in a row. Halliday and Jones constantly circulated at the same pace (mid 32s) as they achieved in the opening round of the ASBK title, back in February in much warmer conditions.

Superbikes Race Two Results – Top 10

Superbike Race Three

The final Superbike race was also the Harvey Wiltshire and it was an absolute ball tearer. Herf led the first lap from Jones, Halliday and Metcher, the quartet 0.174s apart, with Westy then a second from Herfoss.

Jones led the next time around with the gang of five 0.213 apart as positions changed a number of times with less than a second covering the top five throughout.

The next lap Halliday pulled off a move to take the lead and was never headed, although Jones was just 0.212 away at the end – his late race manoeuvre falling a tad short of besting Halliday’s corner speed in the final turn.

Westy claimed another podium six-seconds behind the leading duo, beating Herf to the line by just 0.037 seconds.

Herfoss’s fastest lap in race three was only a couple of tenths off his fastest ever lap of the island, (1:32.512) set in 2019, Troy managed to string five laps together within a tenth of each other. Plus, he was well over a second quicker than what he achieved during testing back in February when he and team looked a little lost for direction.

There were plenty of positives for Westy too, as he is closer to sorting out the MotoGo R1, the electronics and the Dunlop tyres. He claimed his best results in a long time with a pair of podiums, and a PB lap of 1:32.560 in the final leg, after some very spirited riding in close battles at the pointy end to prove that he is more than capable at running at the front with the right kit underneath him.

Jed Metcher is getting closer to finally sorting out the 727 Moto R1 and he’s sure to ruffle a few feathers in the last two rounds after his efforts near the front on the weekend and also achieved a PB on the weekend.

After some scintillating racing, Halliday won the overall from Jones with West third, although on equal points with Herfoss.

Ted Collins wasn’t too far off the leading bunch and, even with a DNF combined with his 5–6 results, he bagged enough points to stay on top of the VRRC points table from Brad Shaw  and Trent Binaisse.

Superbikes Race Three Results – Top 10

VRRC Round 3 Superbikes Overall

VRRC Superbike Standings after Round 3

Supersport

The Supersport class was well subscribed with 35 entries that provided great pockets of racing throughout the field and featured three different winners over the three legs.

One rider that was grateful to be back was Jack Passfield (Stay Upright Yamaha) after spending most of the year on the couch after severely breaking his ankle early in the year.

The first race incorporated the long standing Hughie Hoare Memorial race and it was held in sketchy consitions on a damp track with a dry line forming so there was some puckering moments for all.

Tom Bramich (Apex Yamaha R6) adapted better, or for that matter was prepared to risk a bit more, as he took the win by almost four-seconds from Passfield. Dallas Skeer prevailed by 0.088 second ahead of Scott Nicholson for third.

Bramich was over the moon with the win as it has been a challenging year getting the most out of the electronics and engine tuning of the R6, but it appears the team is heading in the right direction.

The second leg saw Bramich and Passsfield swap places as Passfiled took the win by just 0.317s.  Nicholson and Skeer went toe to two again and this time around  Nicho got to the line by just 0.033 to round out that podium.

All through the large field there were pockets of competition between two three and four riders with lttle more than a tear off separating them. Very enteraining.

In the final leg it was Skeer’s turn to take the win from Bramich.  Passfield second with Nicholson missing a top three by the slimmest of margins.

For all the race winners it was the boost of confidence they all needed. Skeer haas been questioning his future in the class but a weekend like he experienced has rekindled his own faith and commitment after proving that he is quite capable of mixing it at the front.

Supersport 300

The level of riding skill and respect in the three Supersport 300 races was astonishing.

There’s no point attempting to describe the three races in detail as each was a carbon copy with a gang of 10 or 12 youngsters all over each other.

The racing was intensely close as positions changed wherever there was enough room on the bitumen to make a pass, so that was everywhere at the Island as every lap was edge of the seat action. Not that anyone could sit down while witnessing the antics of these talented maniacs!

The final race produced arguably the closest ever finish witnessed in the class at Phillip Island.

All the combantants deserve a mention with round winner Henry Snell having to fight for it every millimetre of the way, as did second overall Brodie Gawith and Jack Favell who was third, the trio prevailing to rebuff the attentions of the likes of Luke Jhonston, Taiyo Aksu, Cooper Rowntree, Marcus Hamond, Jai Russo, Jamie Port, Matt Rindel and Tayla Relph.

Tayla came out of retirement for a bit of fun but proved that she definitely still has the talent and desire to mix it at the front with her rivals. It’s a pity she retired a couple of years ago. Maybe the weekend has set the passion ablaze again to return for the final two rounds.

Saturday’s leg one, contested In sketchy conditions, saw Gawith win by over three-seconds. Halfway in, he made a very bold move on the third lap to break away and win by 3.6 seconds from Snell, with Favelle, Aski and Rowntree millimetres behind

Sunday’s racing was as intense a battle as you’d ever see at the top level. Absolutely jaw dropping.

In Race two the top eight were split by just 0.192 sec with Russo beating Aksu to the line by 0.040 second and Snell third a further .076 adrift. Jamie Port might have been eighth but even in that place he was less than two-tenths behind the winner.

As hard as it seemed to top the racing we had witnessed in the second leg, the dicing in act three was next level. Absolutely mental.

The drag to the line was breathtaking and it took some time to check the photo finish to determine the finishing order, as 11 bikes were spread across the track as they swept across the line.

Another lap and the order wold have been completely different.

Snell took the win from Relph who missed out on a return victory by just 0.001 second! Favelle, 0.010 away in third with Jhonston agonisingly one thousandth of a second away in fourth. Russo was ninth just 0.142sec behind. That has to be one of the largest number of bikes to cross a finish line in the closest time!