2024

Staring sets the Friday Superbike pace at Queensland Raceway

Round three of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) kicked off at Queensland Raceway today, with veteran Bryan Staring taking the early honours in the premier Alpinestars Superbike class.

The West Aussie is the lap record holder around Queensland Raceway, and he showed his affinity with the 3.126km circuit hadn’t waned after he completed practice at the top of the timesheets on the MotoGo Yamaha ahead of Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) and Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati).

In superb conditions which will continue into the weekend, Archie McDonald (Stop & Seal Yamaha), Harrison Watts (Champion’s Ride Days Kawasaki) and Ethan Johnson (Yamaha YZF-R15) were the fastest in the other ASBK Championship classes at Queensland Raceway: Michelin Supersport, Race and Road Supersport 300 and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

And the great part: today was just the appetiser ahead of what’s expected to be an exhilarating weekend of qualifying and racing at a circuit which never fails to deliver showstopping action.

Aussie Racing Cars are also in action this weekend, and off-track there’s the ASBK Trade Alley, autograph sessions with all the top riders, and a few lucky patrons will score the ride of their lives behind former Aussie Superbike champions Steve Martin and Troy Corser in the ASBK Pillion Program.

To purchase tickets for Queensland Raceway, click here. Tickets will also available at the gate over the weekend.

For full results from Queensland Raceway, visit www.computime.com.au.

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Alpinestars Superbike
Staring was in the groove from the get-go this morning, so it was no surprise when the 2010 Alpinestars Superbike champion ended the day on top with a best lap of 1m07.508s – one of five riders to eclipse the current lap record.

Jones, battling a debilitating virus, looked like he might be able to challenge Staring but he was still more than impressive with a 1:07.609.

Waters (1:07.654), Max Stauffer (Penrite Racing Yamaha, 1:07.669) and last year’s double winner Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati, 1:07.781) were the others to dip below Staring’s circuit benchmark.

Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW, 1:07.885) also enjoyed a productive Friday, with the top 10 completed by Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati, 1:08.168), Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team, 1:08.399), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha, 1:08.421) and Arthur Sissis (1:08.867) making his debut on the Stop & Seal-backed Yamaha.

The 20-rider Alpinestars Superbike field will reconvene for final practice tomorrow morning, and then qualifying begins at 2:20pm to decide the grid positions for Sunday two 16-lap races.

Mike Jones was second fastest in Friday Superbike practice

Michelin Supersport
McDonald put the hammer down in Michelin Supersport, showing no signs of fatigue after returning from round one European Stock 600 commitments in Italy last weekend.

The Albury teenager edged out his teammates Tom Toparis, Corey Turner and Jack Mahaffy in an intra-squad shootout, followed by Tom Bramich (Apex Group Yamaha) and Olly Simpson (Yamaha Australia).

Championship leader Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV Yamaha) and Marcus Chiodo (Honda Australia) were next – but it’s all extremely tight, pointing to some exciting rolling scrums coming our way in Sunday’s two 14-lap races.

Archie McDonald (#69) and Tom Toparis were 1-2 in Michelin Supersport practice

Race and Road Supersport 300
Race and Road Supersport 300 co-leader Watts is on a rapid trajectory of both speed and maturity, and he delivered another example today by leading from the front in practice.

Jordan Simpson (YRD Yamaha Australia), Ryan Larkin (Green Panet Nutrients Yamaha), Valentino Knezovic (Motocity Yamaha), Josh Newman (Wet4U Race Fairings Kawaski) and New Zealander Jesse Stroud (Connect Homes Yamaha) completed the top six.

Newman leads the standings with Watts, while Stroud is on his first visit to Queensland Raceway.

There’s still plenty more to play out, with qualifying tomorrow followed by race one for the 23 riders at 3:15pm.

Harrison Watts set the Race and Road Supersport 300 benchmark on his Kawasaki

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
The standings sometimes don’t tell lies.Today, the top six riders in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup filled the top six positions in practice.

The order was Johnson from Hunter Charlett, Hunter Corney, Rossi, McAdam, Nikolas Lazos and Elijah Andrew.

Corney leads the points from Charlett and McAdam.

The young brigade will race for the first time tomorrow, with the final two battles on Sunday.