Nahlous takes first blood in opening Aussie Supersport contest

ASBK 2024
Round One – Phillip Island
ASBK Supersport Race One

Jonathan Nahlous scored the holeshot and managed to maintain the advantage over Olly Simpson as they tipped into turn one.  Tom Bramich, Jack Mahaffy and Mark Chiodo also in close company.

Nahlous had the bit between the teeth from the off, pulling a few bike lengths out of Simpson around the back of the circuit.  Simpson got a little of that ground back through the final turns, but Nahlous maintained the advantage down the chute to maintain the lead through turn one. Bramich and Chiodo right with them, that was until Chiodo got in a little too deep at turn four, Bramich having to take evasive action. That allowed Nahlous and Simpson to break away.

The first flying lap from Nahlous was 1m35.676, he then backed that up with a 1m35.438.

Mark Chiodo had regrouped after that early mistake, putting a brave move up the inside of Bramich after the door was left open for him at Hayshed. Chiodo was the fastest man on that lap, a 1m35.203 helping to get him back in the game.

There was no shortage of aggression from Chiodo.  Shoving it up the inside of Simpson on the approach to Lukey Heights from way back!  There was a collective gasp in the media centre, but they both remained upright as Simpson gave him the room he needed to prevent a clash. This tussle had allowed Nahlous some clear air, the youngster leading by eight-tenths with six laps to go, could Chiodo catch him…?

Tom Bramich sneaked past Simpson for third place, and that pair were trying to prevent Chiodo from getting away from them.  Up front though, Nahlous now led by more than a second with five laps to run. He then put a 1m35.136 in to extend his advantage over Chiodo further to 1.34-seconds.

Tom Bramich looked to develop some sort of problem with less than four laps to go. He lost ground on Simpson and started falling back into the clutches of Jack Mahaffy. Next time around Bramich fared even worse at turn four, running wide before resuming down in tenth place. Bramich’s lower fairing had started to foul his shifter, and he couldn’t shuffle down the gears quickly.

No such problems for our race leader.  Jonathan Nahlous led Chiodo by three-seconds with two laps to run.  Chiodo had a handy advantage over Olly Simpson by this stage of proceedings.  Jack Mahaffy was putting in a big charge to try and close in on Simpson.  Further back a titanic battle was unfolding for sixth place between youngsters Archie McDonald and Marcus Hamod.

Up front Nahlous continued to extend his advantage over Chiodo, his lead more than four-seconds with four-kilometres to run.  Mahaffy was now all over the back of Simpson….

Nahlous the clear victor. Chiodo, a clear second; after injuring his arm earlier in the weekend, he will take that.

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Olly Simpson just managed to hold off Mahaffy on the line by a nose to claim the final step on the rostrum.

Jake Farnsworth was a relatively lonely fifth.  Archie McDonald managed to get the better of Marcus Hamod in their tussle over sixth.

Supersport Race One

Phillip Island ASBK/WSBK Schedule

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