Experience gives Houghton the edge in WA
K1 Racing’s Brian Houghton has proven that age is no barrier, as he took the overall honours in the Honda Moto 3 / 125GP class at the third round of the 2015 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli.
Houghton was a model of consistency over the weekend at Barbagallo posting a second, first and second from his three races to take the outright honours from Tom Bramich (Ron Angel Classic Racing) in second (sixth, second and third).
Benjamin Leonard (Salters Engineering) claimed third place overall for the round (fourth, fourth and fifth).
Race 2
Matt Barton (ETS Racefuels), Houghton and Locky Taylor (TAS Earthmoving WA) filled the front row of the grid for the second race of this class, and off the line Taylor got the perfect start moving into the lead.
Houghton and Barton managed to pass him in the second half of the opening lap however, with Barton moving into the lead on the final corner of the race opener.
Behind the trio, Ted Collins (Magnum Welders) and Bramich were in hot pursuit and they moved up the leaderboard when a lapse in concentration from Taylor relegated him back to sixth.
Leonard moved up into fifth spot, but it was up the front where the racing intensified – Barton holding a .265 second lead to Houghton through three laps.
Bramich and Collins were locked in a battle of their own for third spot, before Barton came unstuck at the opening turn and ending his race in the sand.
That left Houghton in the lead and looking comfortable, as Bramich and Collins swapped spots several times before the race ended prematurely.
A number of incidents on lap seven saw the race red-flagged, forcing a re-start with the second part of the lap scheduled as a six-lap affair.
As they came off the line at the restart it was Houghton and Bramich locked in a tussle at the front, while race one winner Daniel Wilson came unstuck at turn six and was put out of contention.
The remaining laps in the race were quite non-eventful compared to the opening part, and Houghton rode on to claim the race win ahead of Bramich and Collins.
Taylor held on to fourth spot with Leonard claiming fifth.
Race 3
Off the line Taylor got the ideal start in the third race for the class, moving into the lead at the first corner from Bramich and Houghton, with Barton being pushed back into fifth.
Houghton soon took the lead from Bramich as Taylor drifted back into third on the second lap of the race.
Only 1.3 seconds separated the top six riders through three laps, with Bramich leading the way from Houghton, Barton in third, Collins in fourth and Taylor back into fifth.
Houghton soon moved into the lead at the halfway mark of the race with series leader Barton moving into second – but you could throw a blanket over the top five riders.
Barton pressed Houghton for the lead – putting in his fastest lap of the race on lap seven, and at the end of the lap even held the lead briefly.
But Houghton made sure it was short-lived – regaining the lead and holding Barton, Bramich and Collins at bay.
Coming down the hill into the final turn on lap 10, Barton edged in front once more – before Houghton came inside the Victorian at the opening turn of lap 11.
A lapped rider helped Houghton keep the field at bay and the Queenslander looked likely to claim the race win.
But on the final corner of the race, Barton slipped past to take an emphatic race victory ahead of Houghton, while Bramich claimed third.
The results at Barbagallo mean that Houghton holds a 15-point championship lead over Barton heading into the fourth round, with Bramich and Leonard only a further five points behind.
Round 3 Results:
1 Brian HOUGHTON (QLD) (20, 25, 20) 65
2 Tom BRAMICH (VIC) (15, 20, 18) 53
3 Benjamin LEONARD (QLD) (17, 17, 16) 50
4 Matt BARTON (VIC) (18, 0, 25) 44
5 Locky TAYLOR (QLD) (16, 13, 15) 44
6 Daniel WILSON (WA) (25, 0, 12) 37
7 Ted COLLINS (VIC) (0, 18, 17) 35
8 Nathan SMITH (WA) (13, 11, 7) 31
9 Scott PETTIT (WA) (0, 16, 14) 30
10 Roman RAJEK (NZ) (0, 15, 13) 28
Overall Championship Standings:
1 Brian HOUGHTON (QLD) 164
2 Matt BARTON (VIC) 149
3 Tom BRAMICH (VIC) 144
4 Benjamin LEONARD (QLD) 144
5 Ted COLLINS (VIC) 126
6 Locky TAYLOR (QLD) 91
7 Callum BARKER (QLD) 87
8 Daniel WILSON (WA) 81
9 Olly SIMPSON (SA) 76
10 Tayla RELPH (QLD) 75
For a full list of results from Barbagallo and to see the championship standings head to: http://www.computime.com.au/meetings/index.aspx?MeetID=2015/asbk3/.
For the latest photos, news and information from the round head to www.asbk.com.au.
IMAGE: tbgsport
