ASBK Morgan Park Supersport, Supersport 300 and R3 Cup review

Round four of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul (ASBK), again produced a catalogue of exceptionally close racing in the Michelin Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300 and ShopYamaha R3 Cup classes.

Nahlous was the overall winner in Supersport after sharing victories with fellow Yamaha rider Archie McDonald – his bonus point for pole position the only difference between the pair – while Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) was in red-hot form the whole weekend with three victories and three second places across the Supersport 300 and R3 Cup categories – with feisty New Zealander Jesse Stroud (Yamaha) the only rider who managed to lower his colours.

MORGAN PARK RESULTS AND STANDINGS

Related:
Jones continues mid-season ASBK blitz at Morgan Park

Michelin Supersport
Qualifying saw polesitter Nahlous joined on the front row by Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha), before all chaos ensued in race one after a major oil spill.

The race was promptly halted, but the collateral damage was already massive: Bramich, Olly Simpson (Yamaha), Callum Barker (RaceDNA Yamaha) and Stop and Seal Yamaha duo Glenn Nelson and Marianos Nikolis all went down. Only minutes earlier, McDonald had also crashed after tucking the front end at turn six.

Bramich’s bike was totalled, and he was forced to ride his spare YZF-R6 for the remainder of the day – while also gritting his teeth with a very sore right rib cage.

After a long clean up and bikes repaired and/or replaced, the race restarted as a 10-lapper with Nahlous and Toparis in close quarters for a majority of the journey before the latter high-sided on the final lap, bringing out the red flag. The race was then declared with Nahlous the winner (his fourth of the season) from McDonald, Simpson, Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Bramich and Hayden Nelson (BC Performance Kawasaki).

A battered Toparis called it a day early, but it was McDonald who held up the Stop and Seal cause with aplomb in race two after an arm wrestle with Nahlous.

Hayden Nelson was third in his first Supersport podium, ahead of Favelle, Simpson and Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha).

Nahlous (46pts), McDonald (45pts) and Hayden Nelson (34pts) were the top three overall at Morgan Park, while Nahlous has extended his championship buffer to 32pts (176 to 144) over new second place man, McDonald. Simpson (137pts) is third.

Race and Road Supersport 300
Knezovic’s 1-2-2 scorecard in Race and Road Supersport 300 was emphatic, as the polesitter won the round from Casey Middleton (Race DNA Yamaha, 2-4-3) and championship leader Josh Newman (Kawasaki, 3-3-4).

After crashing out in race one, Stroud (Yamaha) won the final two races with winning margins of 0.026 and 0.159 seconds respectively – down to the wire heart-stoppers compared to Knezovic’s four-second runaway success in race one.

The championship battle has now tightened appreciably, with Newman just 1pt (224 to 223) in front of the charging Knezovic, followed by Harrison Watts (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki, 211).

ShopYamaha R3 Cup
It was a breathtaking way to start the new ShopYamaha R3 Cup season, with Knezovic’s insatiable Morgan Park appetite continuing with his 1-1-2 results, while Stroud (2-2-1) and Jordan Simpson (Yamaha, 4-4-4) were second and third overall.

Knezovic’s race two victory was resounding (3.4 seconds), while the opening and closing bouts remained up for grabs until the death knell. Will Nassif was third in race one, while John Pelgrave claimed the final podium position in race three.

The ShopYamaha R3 Cup will return in round six of the ASBK Championship at One Raceway from October 4-6, while Michelin Supersport and Race and Road Supersport 300 will be back in action at Phillip Island’s round five on September 7-8.

Images: RBMotoLens