Bramich and Hall take opening race wins

Tom Bramich (Ron Angel Classic Racing) and Justin Hall (The Boltbarn) have claimed opening race wins in the Honda Moto 3 / 125GP and Production classes at the fourth round of the 2015 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli.

 

Both riders finished the day in the best possible fashion in front of a large crowd that turned out at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.  

Honda Moto 3 / 125GP

 

Matt Barton (CB Racing) took the honours in the opening qualifying session of the day – looking to claim the lead in the overall standings.

 

Barton posted a 1:03.277 as the fastest time of the session ahead of Victorian Bramich and Ted Collins (Magnum Welders).

 

Series leader Brian Houghton (K1 Racing) could only manage the fifth fastest time in the field of seven.

 

In the second session it was Collins who on his final lap registered a 1:03.127 to scoop pole for the opening race, while Bramich’s 1:03.160 handed him second spot on the grid.

 

It left Barton’s opening session time allowing him to qualify in the final spot on the front row of the grid, with Houghton moving up to fourth.

 

Unfortunately Barton did not make it onto the grid for the opening race – two blown engines ending his weekend prematurely.

 

Race 1

 

When the racing started it was Bramich who controlled the race, getting to the lead and slowly pulling away from his rivals.

 

Collins held second spot from Houghton for most of the race – with Houghton occasionally edging his nose in front for second.

 

Houghton was aware that with a good lead in the championship and his main rival Barton out for the weekend, the most important thing was to finish the race

By the end of the 10th lap the gap from first to second was four and a half seconds, with Bramich managing to post a lap record time for the category of 1:02.716.

He cruised his way to the opening race win, while Collins held a fast finishing Houghton off for second as the pair rounded out the podium.

Production

In the Production class Hall continued his good form from Friday’s Practice sessions – recording the fastest time of the morning with a 1:10.540.

Victorian Drew Sells (Race Centre) was the next fastest with a time of 1:11.338 ahead of Queenslander Riki Lanyon (Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Team) with a 1:11.416.

Josh McHenry (Peter Stevens Motorcycles) and Ilish Ross (Chas Hern Racing) rounded out the top five, while series leader Michelle Marais (Sp Racing) had her work cut out after finishing the session with the sixth fastest time.

And did she respond in the second qualifying session! On her second last lap, Marais posted a 1:10.349 and looked to be heading for pole.

However on the last lap of the session Lanyon wowed onlookers with a 1:10.283 to pinch pole position ahead of Marais.

Hall improved on his opening session time with a 1:10.513 to round out the front row of the grid for the opening race.

Race 1

In the opening race Lanyon did not get the start he was after – a jump off the line leading to a 10 second-penalty being issued.

As the dust settled off the start Hall moved into the lead from Marais, with Lanyon settling into third before the penalty was applied.

On lap two of the 12-lap race Marais moved right up to the rear tyre of Hall – putting pressure on him the whole way around the track.

Behind them Lanyon was in third before the applied penalty, with Sells holding fourth from Ross.

But all eyes were on the front duo – Hall and Marais locked in the tightest of battles with less than half a second separating the pair at the conclusion of each lap.

Marais carefully calculated the best chance to make a move past Sells, and it was at the start of lap nine that it happened.

The Western Australian took the lead on the first kink on the home straight, and held the lead all the way through lap nine before Sells reclaimed it coming round back onto the home straight.

Despite trying her best, Marais could not get back in front, as Hall went on to win and set up a tantalising day of racing in the class on Sunday.

Sells finished the race in third place.

For a full list of results, head to the results section of the ASBK website (www.asbk.com.au).

IMAGE: TBGSPORT