Morning round up after FP1 at Morgan Park ASBK

ASBK 2024

Round Four – Morgan Park – Friday Morning

A foggy morning on Friday was the backdrop for the ASBK paddock at Morgan Park as engines were run up, tyres were warmed, and people were warming themselves up with a cup of coffee or whatever brew tickled their fancy.

This morning could hardly have been described as cold, though. The temperature was already eight degrees by 0800, on its way to a predicted top of around 20 degrees this afternoon. It will be cooler on Saturday, though, with lows of around four and a top of around 16.

On Sunday, we will get down towards zero in what is expected to be a brisk morning before rising into the mid-teens during the day.  Fogs are predicted for every morning but are generally expected to have risen by the time on-track gets underway each day around 0900.  The image below was taken just after 0800 this morning, as the rider briefing was taking place.

Robbie Bolger provided some entertainment at the briefing when, during proceedings, he presented Simon Maas from Motorcycling Australia an ‘I Love Mectronik’ t-shirt. This was Robbie’s way of celebrating the recent National Sports Tribunal action, following which M.A. reinstated the Mectronik YMER6WSS ECU back into the ‘Manufacturers Nominated Kit ECU & MA Approved ECU List’ on June 17, after removing it on May 31.

YMF R3 Cup

The ShopYamaha R3 Cup competitors were first out on track. Morgan Park marks the opening round of what is a condensed three-round series this season for the YZF-R3 category. Most of these youngsters however have been racing ASBK this year already in the Supersport 300 ranks, which they also cross-enter into this weekend.

Jordan Simpson topped proceedings this morning ahead of John Pelgrave and Will Nassif.   12 competitors were on track in that FP1 session.

Simpson’s FP1 time was almost five-seconds slower than Cameron Swain’s R3 Cup lap record set here last year, so there is a lot more progress to come.

YMF R3 Cup FP1

Supersport

16 Supersport competitors took to the circuit next as the track temperature passed 18 degrees.

Marianos Nikolis has been racing in the European Talent Cup category this year, a series that races as part of the FIM Junior GP rounds, but he returned to Australia ahead of this round to race a Stop & Seal YZF-R6. Unfortunately, he suffered some technical problems late in the sessions that stunted his progress.

Archie McDonald is another youngster returning from Europe, and the Albury teenager is doing it on a high note after recently breaking through for his first victory in the Stock ECh category at the Portimao FIM Junior GP event.

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Addicted to Track’s Jack Favelle took morning honours in FP1 at Morgan Park, pipping Stop & Seal’s Tom Toparis and championship leader Jonathan Nahlous, but nothing separated the top trio.  Favelle’s FP1 topping time a 1m16.447, but this is early days.  I expect riders to lop more than a second off that time before today is done. I will not be surprised if we see the category’s first 1m14s lap at some stage this weekend.

Supersport FP1

Supersport 300

Harrison Watts then topped the opening Supersport 300 session of the Morgan Park weekend on the Champions Ride Days entry ahead of Valentino Knezovic. Championship leader Josh Newman was fifth quickest in FP1.    The morning benchmark set by Watts a 1m25.294. The current race lap record for the Supersport 300 category is a 1m22.802 set by Brodie Gawith last year.

Supersport 300 FP1

Superbike

Cru Halliday topped the opening 35-minute practice session that started just before 1030 this morning at Morgan Park.  The YRT man putting in 15 laps for a best of 1m13.353 to finish the session ahead of Glenn Allerton on 1m13.508 and Mike Jones on 1m13.710.

Mike Jones set the qualifying lap record here last year at 1m12.079. The Queenslander also set a new race lap record that weekend, that benchmark to beat is 1m12.079. Will we see an 11 this weekend…?

Parts of the track experienced a power outage during the Superbike session, as happens sometimes here at Morgan Park when certain circuits get overloaded and fuses trip. The power supply is supplanted here with diesel generators, as we have come to expect.

In recent years, there have been talks that mobile phone reception at the circuit will be improved, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have happened yet.

Superbike competitors are scheduled to be back on track at 1310 this afternoon, before the third and final 35-minute session of the day at 1530.

Superbike FP1

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup FP1

ASBK Superbike Championship Points

Supersport Championship Points

Supersport 300 Championship Points

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Championship Points

2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

• Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25
• Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 22-23
• Round 3: Queensland Raceway, QLD Apr 26-28
• Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD Jul 12-14
• Round 5: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC Sept 7-8
• Round 6: One Raceway, NSW Oct 4-6
• Round 7: The Bend Motorsports Park, SA Nov 8-10