Superbike Masters join ASBK Phillip Island final
Supersport 300 decider between Bramich & Levy
The Superbike Masters will bring back the glory days of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s at the Australian Superbike Championship final at Phillip Island over the October 12-14 weekend, with classic racing joining the ASBK calendar.
The season final will also see the Australian Supersport 300 class decider with Tom Bramich holding a 37 point lead from Zac Levy, but with four races to go anything could happen. Hunter Ford and Oli Bayliss are also outside chances, however face hefty point deficits.
Superbike Masters
The Superbike Masters offers a chance to celebrate the past with classic race bikes being let loose in their natural environment. Concept supporter and competitor, Darren Lark, is thrilled by the inclusion of the historic bikes, recognising that these icons will help new and current ASBK fans get behind the sport at the home of Australian motorcycle racing.
Darren Lark
“The most important part of including the ‘Superbike Masters’ in Round 7 of ASBK is that older generations get to see the bikes from their youth and it can remind of when they were teenagers. Younger generations then get the pleasure of seeing how bikes operated back in the 1980’s and 1990’s and understand the growth of the sport over the past decades. Having the honour of joining ASBK at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will be special as it’s arguably the greatest motorcycle track in the world. It’s wide, it’s flowing and it’s very easy. This track also allows our riders to battle it out in the front, the middle and the back, so spectators get a great show from start to finish.”
For those making to the trek to Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, come see Bernie Leen on his immaculate Honda RC30, Craig Stewart on the delectable Yamaha OW01 FZR750, and Steve Kairl and Arron Morris on the very fast CM prepared FZR1000’s.
There will also be four Yamaha TZ750’s on the grid, taking spectators back to a time when four cylinder two-stokes ruled the racing world! The ‘Superbike Masters’ will be on track on from Friday 12th October to Sunday 14th October and race times can be found here. The historic competitors will duke it out in three races, whilst showing off their classic machinery.
Australian Supersport 300
The Australian Supersport 300 is set for a cracker final, with the championship coming right down to the final round and the class delivering arguably the most exciting and thrilling racing in the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli.
With overtakes at nearly ever corner of every lap, Australian Supersport 300 has had fans out of their seats all year. The class has featured racing akin to the Moto3 World Championship with riders slipstreaming and dicing their way to victory.
As it stands, Tom Bramich is the odds on favourite to secure the title with his 37 point lead. Despite his substantial points gap, anything can happen in this class. It will be tough to beat Bramich’s consistency however, he’s already chalked up five wins, 14 podiums and a pole position. Even when he does not take a win, he’s almost always on the podium.
Tom Bramich
“We have to treat this as a normal weekend, there’s only a 37 point gap so anything can still happen. I’m really looking forward to getting to ‘The Island’. Its really hard to make a strategy there due to the groups of riders being so large. I just hope I’ll be fighting towards the front.”
The most likely contender to take the fight to Bramich will be Zac Levy but he will have to go all out for wins at Phillip Island. Levy has made steps forward for 2018, taking two wins and eight podiums.
‘Podium Hunter’ Ford is also an outside chance to take the Championship, but a lot will have to go his way to have any hope of securing the title. When Ford is on fire, he’s nearly unstoppable and his five wins this year has him among the big improvers.
Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing, Ninja 300) remains a mathematical chance to win the Championship, but being 69 points down on Bramich would require an absolute miracle. He has managed to also take eight podiums for the season but a number of DNF’s have cost him a proper crack at the title this year.
Supersport 300 Standings after Winton
- Tom BRAMICH Yamaha 359
- Zac LEVY Yamaha 322
- Hunter FORD Yamaha 295
- Oli BAYLISS Kawasaki 290
- Locky TAYLOR Yamaha 243
- Seth CRUMP KTM 243
- Harry KHOURI Yamaha 229
- Tayla RELPH Yamaha 221
- Max STAUFFER Yamaha 197
- Travis HALL Kawasaki 158
You’ll be able to catch the ASBK finale Live on SBS and Fox Sports on Sunday October 14 from 1pm-3:30pm AEDT, or via the asbk.com.au Livestream all day long.
