Auto Express

ASBK Supersport category recap from Sydney Motorsport Park


ASBK 2023

Round Two – Sydney Motorsport Park

Michelin Supersport


There’s no denying that in the past few seasons the number of entrants in the 600 cc Supersport class has been a bit thin on the track, in 2023 however the category is having somewhat of a resurgence. There were 27 entries for the Michelin Supersport category. A single Kawasaki, a single Honda and a single Suzuki standing out from the horde of 24 Yamahas.

Where some riders may have graduated to the premier Superbike class in recent years, most of the Supersport field, including defending champ John Lytras, decided to stay put and have been joined by at least nine newcomers.

Australian Supersport 300 Champion and YMF R3 Cup winner Cameron Dunker, along with last year’s 300 runner-up Glenn Nelson, are just some of the youngsters stepping up to the 600 ranks in 2023.

There is also a bit of a tyre war going on in the category. While the majority is running Pirelli rubber, those on Michelin tyres are; Scott Nicholson, Ty Lynch, Declen Carberry, Hunter Ford, and Jack Favelle, while Sean Condon is on Dunlops.

Condon has not competed in a full season of the ASBK Supersport Championship for eight years. He has made cameo appearances at Wakefield Park, where he bagged race wins and podiums.

Sean Condon had a handy buffer over the rest of the Supersport field in practice and qualifying - Image RbMotoLens
Sean Condon had a handy buffer over the rest of the Supersport field in practice and qualifying – Image RbMotoLens

The major ingredient missing last weekend was Harrison Voight. In his summer season sojourn from racing in the Spanish CEV Championship he’d recently been honing his skills for the upcoming FIM Junior GP European Moto2 Championship by spending as much time on track as possible on a Supersport machine here at home.

Proving what international competition does, Harry won the St George Summer Series, posted the fastest ever lap on a Supersport machine at the ASBK test in February, eclipsing Jamie Stauffer’s record of 15 years, and a few weeks later at the WSBK Support races claimed pole and took two comfortable wins. He blotted a potential clean sweep, when he crashed out of race two with a comfortable lead, but in his defence the conditions were extremely sketchy. While he did contemplate competing at SMP, it was too close to his departure for Europe to risk anything going wrong. His rivals no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when his name didn’t appear on the entry list.

Jack Passfield had a wretched season last year and sat on the sidelines for most of it, recovering from a badly broken ankle that saw him miss much of 2022. As he negotiated the Turn 8 hairpin during qualifying the bike snapped to the left and launched Jack high into the air, with Passfield subsequently hitting the deck hard. The bike was on the outside of the track which brought out the red flag to interrupt the session. An inspection of the machine revealed that the bike had blown a head gasket which sprayed hot water over the rear wheel, thus causing the massive highside. It was a sore and sorry Passfield who fronted for race day Saturday, the objective to battle through and score as many points as possible.

From the outset it was Condon who set the pace through the practice and qualifying sessions. So much so that he elected to sit out the second qualifying session, he was the only rider to post a time in the 1m32s, three-quarters of a second ahead of the next best. He was kitted up and ready to go out if anyone neared, or bettered his time but by staying in the box he was saving tyres.

Defending champion John Lytras had a difficult weekend where he just wasn’t gelling with the bike as he qualified way down in an uncharacteristic 10th spot. He was quick to admit that it wasn’t anything to do with the bike or the after effects of his broken ankle.

Friday had not gone well for John Lytras but he was confident had had podium pace - Image RbMotoLens
Friday had not gone well for John Lytras but he was confident had had podium pace – Image RbMotoLens

Another that was slowly getting up to speed is Ben Baker. Last year, Baker’s season was over before it started when he suffered injuries at the official ASBK Test at the Island. In a similar vein to what Passfield did on the weekend, Baker had fluid leak onto his rear wheel as he got on the gas exiting Siberia Corner and was flicked over the bars. Baker has fully recovered but lost a year of 600cc experience as well as missing the SMP ASBK Test in February, and the opening round at Phillip Island. On the weekend he qualified 20th but was pragmatic, explaining that they are so far behind everyone else, but importantly the team are making progress in getting a base set-up and no doubt he will be closer to the front at the next round at QLD Raceway late next month.

Supersport Combined Qualifying Results

Pos Rider Bike Q1 Q2 Best
1 Sean CONDON Yamaha 1m32.509 / 1m32.509
2 Jack PASSFIELD Yamaha 1m33.253 1m35.360 1m33.253
3 Ty LYNCH  Yamaha 1m33.538 1m33.782 1m33.538
4 Olly SIMPSON Yamaha 1m34.282 1m33.554 1m33.554
5 Jake FARNSWORTH Yamaha 1m33.722 1m34.171 1m33.722
6 Hayden NELSON Yamaha 1m33.758 1m35.994 1m33.758
7 Tom BRAMICH  Yamaha 1m34.482 1m34.053 1m34.053
8 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha 1m34.118 1m34.594 1m34.118
9 Dallas SKEERD Yamaha 1m34.161 1m34.404 1m34.161
10 John LYTRAS Yamaha 1m34.470 1m35.007 1m34.470
11 Jonathan NAHLOUS  Yamaha 1m34.613 1m34.471 1m34.471
12 Scott NICHOLSON Yamaha 1m35.340 1m34.527 1m34.527
13 Jack FAVELLE Yamaha 1m35.843 1m34.576 1m34.576
14 Luke SANDERS Yamaha 1m34.630 1m35.772 1m34.630
15 Luca DURNING Yamaha 1m35.096 1m34.900 1m34.900
16 Tarbon WALKER  Yamaha 1m34.904 1m35.526 1m34.904
17 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha 1m36.197 1m35.593 1m35.593
18 Hunter FORD Yamaha 1m35.762 1m36.508 1m35.762
19 Glenn NELSON Yamaha 1m35.790 1m36.401 1m35.790
20 Ben BAKER Yamaha 1m37.285 1m36.231 1m36.231
21 Noel MAHON Yamaha 1m36.413 1m37.039 1m36.413
22 Jake SENIOR Yamaha 1m37.543 1m37.424 1m37.424
23 Mitch SIMPSON Yamaha 1m37.634 1m38.228 1m37.634
24 Simone BOLDRINI Yamaha 1m37.706 1m37.662 1m37.662
25 Declan CARBERRY Suzuki 1m38.247 1m37.841 1m37.841
26 Brendan WILSON  Yamaha 1m38.416 1m38.298 1m38.298

Michelin Supersport Race One

Dark clouds were threatening above Sydney Motorsport Park when 26 competitors rolled out of pit-lane at 1540 on Saturday afternoon ahead of the opening 11-lap contest of the weekend.

The track was dry, the track temperature conducive to good times… Jack Passfield was missing a tyre-warmer on the front of his YZF-R6 on the grid.

Michelin Supersport Race One - Image RbMotoLens
Michelin Supersport Race One – Image RbMotoLens

Olly Simpson threaded the needle into turn one, splitting other riders to sneak the lead from Sean Condon and Tom Bramich as they tipped in. A number of riders ran off at turn two with Jonathan Nahlous ending up on the deck.

Simpson continued to hold sway from Condon throughout the opening lap and the start of lap two. Jake Farnsworth put a great move on Condon around the back of the circuit on lap two to push the poleman back to third place.

A few corners later Farnsworth then took the lead from Simpson.  Tom Bramich was fourth, John Lytras fifth and Hayden Nelson sixth as they started lap three.

Sean Condon and Jake Farnsworth - Image RbMotoLens
Sean Condon and Jake Farnsworth – Image RbMotoLens

Olly Simpson then made a mistake that saw him shuffled all the way back to seventh place. Farnsworth and Condon had started to break away from Tom Bramich and John Lytras.

Condon went through to he lead with eight laps to run and immediately started to gap Farnsworth, a 1m32.969 on lap four seeing him stretch away.

Sean Condon broke away from Farnsworth but he didn't give up the chase... - Image RbMotoLens
Sean Condon broke away from Farnsworth but he didn’t give up the chase… – Image RbMotoLens

Tom Bramich was in third while further back Olly Simpson had recovered from his earlier mistake to be in the middle of a five-rider battle for fourth place, being waged between Simpson, Lytras, Lynch, Dunker and Nelson.

John Lytras heading Ty Lynch - Image RbMotoLens
John Lytras heading Ty Lynch – Image RbMotoLens

Jake Farnsworth actually started reeling Condon back in late in the race but Condon responded and stretched away again on the last lap to secure victory by just over a second.  Tom Bramich a further 2.5-seconds behind in third to round out the podium.

Tom Bramich completed the podium - Image RbMotoLens
Tom Bramich completed the podium – Image RbMotoLens

Olly Simpson won that heady battle for fourth place despite almost being chased down on the final lap by young Cam Dunker. Ty Lynch 1.3-seconds further back in sixth place but with half-a-second over seventh placed John Lytras.

Olly Simpson - Image RbMotoLens
Olly Simpson – Image RbMotoLens

Michelin Supersport Race One Results

Pos RIder Bike Time/Gap Speed
1 Sean CONDON  Yamaha YZF-R6 17:m3.969 254
2 Jake FARNSWORTH Yamaha YZF-R6 +1.053 258
3 Tom BRAMICH  Yamaha YZF-R6 +3.613 256
4 Olly SIMPSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +6.512 259
5 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha YZF-R6 +6.631 260
6 Ty LYNCH Yamaha YZF-R6 +7.970 255
7 John LYTRAS  Yamaha YZF-R6 +8.543 254
8 Hayden NELSON Yamaha YZF-R6 +8.760 254
9 Tarbon WALKER  Yamaha YZF-R6 +18.891 248
10 Jack FAVELLE  Honda CBR RR +19.924 254
11 Dallas SKEER ( Yamaha YZF-R6 +27.200 261
12 Glenn NELSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +28.249 253
13 Scott NICHOLSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +30.871 258
14 Jack PASSFIELD Yamaha YZF-R6 +30.926 258
15 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha YZF-R6 +32.014 260
16 Ben BAKER  Yamaha YZF-R6 +33.121 257
17 Hunter FORD  Kawasaki ZX6 +35.652 253
18 Mitch SIMPSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +36.902 255
19 Luke SANDERS Yamaha YZF-R6 +42.467 258
20 Declan CARBERRY Suzuki GSXR +42.494 257
21 Jake SENIOR  Yamaha YZF-R6 +47.950 255
22 Brendan WILSON Yamaha YZF-R6 +48.018 249
23 Simone BOLDRINI  Yamaha YZF-R6 +51.865 247
DNF Noel MAHON Yamaha YZF-R6 +1 Lap 250
DNF Luca DURNING Yamaha YZF-R6 +9 Laps 248
DNF Jonathan NAHLOUS  Yamaha YZF-R6 +10 Laps 96

Michelin Supersport Race One Results – Image RbMotoLens

Michelin Supersport Race Two

Jake Farnsworth ran Sean Condon pretty hard in the opening Supersport bout but Condon had held on to secure the victory.

Complicating things ahead of the second and final race of the weekend was some drizzle that drifted across the circuit an hour before the start of race two.

The drizzle ebbed and flowed, stopped and started, in the lead up to the second and final 11-lap Supersport bout of the weekend. By the time riders gridded up the surface was a bit of this and a bit of that, a bit wet, a bit damp in other places, and mainly dry in other areas…

The rain started falling as night fell at Sydney Motorsport Park – Image RbMotoLens

Jake Farnsworth was pushed off the grid due to a faulty rear light, and had to start from pit-lane after it was rectified.

After that delay the lights went out and Ty Lynch scored a blinder to lead the field through turn one for the first time and the South Australian immediately started streaking away.

By the end of the opening lap Lynch led Olly Simpson by 1.2-seconds. Cam Dunker was in third place, Passfield fourth, Sanders fifth.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

Lynch, Simpson and Dunker broke away from the field on lap two. That trio closed right up on the second lap, Simpson right on the tail of Lynch, and Dunker nipping at their heels.

Simpson took the lead at the start of lap three and started to pull away from Lynch. Polesitter Sean Condon was way down in 19th place on slicks… Conversely the riders up front were on wets, or at least a mix of wet at one end and slick at the other.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

Cam Dunker took second place off Lynch and then pulled away with ease. With seven laps to run Simpson led Dunker by four-tenths and Lynch was now five-seconds behind.  The leading duo both presumably on wets and only two laps later they had more than ten-seconds on Lynch.

With four laps to run Sean Condon went down at turn six. Defending champion John Lytras was tenth at this juncture. Tom Bramich was 15th.  The man on the move was Jonathan Nahlous, who on lap seven set a new fastest lap of the race after passing Luke Durning and then closing in on Dallas Skeer and Scott Nicholson.

Jack Passfield relegated Ty Lynch to fourth place, the South Australian struggling with a steering damper catching on his triple-clamps after switching to the spare bike and only finding the problem on the warm up lap.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

Up front Dunker was shadowing Simpson lap after lap… Biding his time…

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

Simpson then ran wide at turn one as they started the penultimate lap, having to save a front end slide opened the door for Dunker to walk right through and take the race lead.

Simpson lost almost seven-tenths on Dunker but immediately set about clawing that ground back, Simpson had it down to four-tenths at the last lap board.

Dunker responded though, stretching it out to seven-tenths through the first split, nine-tenths at the second split, he does it, 15-year-old Cam Dunker breaks through for his first win in the Supersport category in what is only his second event in the class.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

A slick shod Scott Nicholson charged hard at the end to take a podium finish, albeit almost 20-seconds behind Dunker.

Nicholson demoted Jonathan Nahlous fourth, Hayden Nelson fifth, Dallas Skeer sixth on slicks, and Jack Passfield painfully pushed back to seventh on the final lap. Ty Lynch eighth ahead of John Lytras while Luca Durning rounded out the top ten.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

That victory also gives Cam Dunker the round win and moves him up to fifth in the championship. Ty Lynch still leads the title chase on 82-points ahead of Olly Simpson on 74 and John Lytras on 72. Jack Passfield fourth on 68 points.

Michelin Supersport Race Two – Image RbMotoLens

Next stop Queensland Raceway…


Michelin Supersport Race Two Results

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap Speed
1 Cameron DUNKER  Yamaha YZF-R6 19m12.708 247
2 Olly SIMPSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +1.040 247
3 Scott NICHOLSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +19.159 259
4 Jonathan NAHLOUS Yamaha YZF-R6 +19.287 251
5 Hayden NELSON Yamaha YZF-R6 +19.308 253
6 Dallas SKEER  Yamaha YZF-R6 +20.243 254
7 Jack PASSFIELD  Yamaha YZF-R6 +21.020 243
8 Ty LYNCH  Yamaha YZF-R6 +23.067 245
9 John LYTRAS Yamaha YZF-R6 +35.512 247
10 Luca DURNING  Yamaha YZF-R6 +37.816 254
11 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha YZF-R6 +39.907 250
12 Ben BAKER  Yamaha YZF-R6 +40.082 254
13 Glenn NELSON  Yamaha YZF-R6 +50.762 247
14 Tom BRAMICH Yamaha YZF-R6 +52.940 254
15 Tarbon WALKER  Yamaha YZF-R6 +54.976 239
16 Declan CARBERRY Suzuki GSXR +56.665 245
17 Jake SENIOR Yamaha YZF-R6 +1:06.078 254
18 Hunter FORD Kawasaki ZX6 +1:22.763 244
19 Jack FAVELLE  Honda CBR RR +1:37.714 246
20 Brendan WILSON Yamaha YZF-R6 +1:46.714 237
21 Mitch SIMPSON Yamaha YZF-R6 +1 Lap 247
22 Jake FARNSWORTH Yamaha YZF-R6 +1 Lap /
DNF Sean CONDON Yamaha YZF-R6 +4 Laps 251
DNF Simone BOLDRINI Yamaha YZF-R6 +4 Laps 232
DNF Luke SANDERS Yamaha YZF-R6 +6 Laps 250
DNF Noel MAHON Yamaha YZF-R6 +8 Laps 235

Michelin Supersport Round Podim – Image RbMotoLens

Michelin Supersport Round Points

Pos Rider Bike Pole R1 R2 Points
1 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha 16 25 41
2 Olly SIMPSON Yamaha 17 20 37
3 Hayden NELSON Yamaha 13 16 29
4 Ty LYNCH Yamaha 15 13 28
5 Scott NICHOLSON Yamaha 8 18 26
6 John LYTRAS Yamaha 14 12 26
7 Sean CONDON Yamaha 1 25 26
8 Dallas SKEER Yamaha 10 15 25
9 Tom BRAMICH Yamaha 18 7 25
10 Jack PASSFIELD Yamaha 7 14 21
11 Jake FARNSWORTH Yamaha 20 20
12 Tarbon WALKER Yamaha 12 6 18
13 Jonathan NAHLOUS Yamaha 17 17
14 Glenn NELSON Yamaha 9 8 17
15 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha 6 10 16
16 Ben BAKER Yamaha 5 9 14
17 Jack FAVELLE Honda 11 2 13
18 Luca DURNING Yamaha 11 11
19 Hunter FORD Kawasaki 4 3 7
20 Declan CARBERRY Suzuki 1 5 6
21 Jake SENIOR Yamaha 4 4
22 Mitch SIMPSON Yamaha 3 3
23 Luke SANDERS Yamaha 2 2
24 Brendan WILSON Yamaha 1 1

Michelin Supersport Championship Points

Pos Rider Bike Total
1 Ty LYNCH Yamaha 82
2 Olly SIMPSON Yamaha 74
3 John LYTRAS Yamaha 72
4 Jack PASSFIELD Yamaha 68
5 Cameron DUNKER Yamaha 63
6 Tom BRAMICH Yamaha 57
7 Hayden NELSON Yamaha 54
8 Dallas SKEER Yamaha 53
9 Harrison VOIGHT Yamaha 51
10 Scott NICHOLSON Yamaha 50
11 Jake FARNSWORTH Yamaha 49
12 Sean CONDON Yamaha 41
13 Tarbon WALKER Yamaha 39
14 Ben BAKER Yamaha 39
15 Glenn NELSON Yamaha 36
16 Jack FAVELLE Honda 34
17 Declan CARBERRY Suzuki 32
18 Mitch SIMPSON Yamaha 32
19 Luke SANDERS Yamaha 31
20 Reece OUGHTRED Yamaha 29
21 Luca DURNING Yamaha 22
22 Jake SENIOR Yamaha 19
23 Hunter FORD Kawasaki 18
24 Jonathan NAHLOUS Yamaha 17
25 Brendan WILSON Yamaha 13
26 Noel MAHON Yamaha 1

2023 ASBK Calendar

2023 ASBK Calendar
Round Circuit Location Date
R1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit VIC Feb 24-26
R2 Sydney Motorsports Park NSW Mar 24-25
R3 Queensland Raceway (Masters Round Two) QLD Apr 28-30
R4 Hidden Valley Raceway NT Jun 16-18
R5 Morgan Park Raceway QLD Jul 14-16
R6 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (Masters Round Three) VIC Oct 27-29
R7 The Bend Motorsport Park (Masters Round Four) SA Dec 1 – 3

 

news7g

News7g: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button