Mike Jones, Yamaha and YRT reflect on championship season

Mike Jones

Mi-bike motorcycle insurance 2022 Australian Superbike Champion

Mike Jones of Team Yamaha became the 2022 Australian Superbike Champion (ASBK) after another impressive performance on the seventh and final lap of the championship, held at The Bend circuit in South Korea. Australia.

Jones entered the final round with a comfortable 38-point lead but was determined to end the year as strong as he started. He has publicly stated his goal is to put his Yamaha R1M on the pole and then win both races over the weekend to claim the 2022 championship. That is a lofty ambition, but Jones has shown he is more than capable of achieving it with his 2022 form on Yamaha.

Jones immediately shows he is deadly serious about his ambition when he Parked my Yamaha on P1 after the intense final qualifying round The period saw the top spot change hands several times in the final minute of frenetic action. One tick box, two to go.

Sunday dawned and obviously nervous, Jones needed nothing more than a solid finish in the top 10 to win his third ASBK championship. The tension took it to another level with just the start of two laps, it was flagged red due to a rider falling and the course was folded up for a ten lap sprint.

His restart has been good and he has gone well into the top three but the top eight are all wheels and with this being the last event of the year they all have nothing to lose, Jones expects wait. He was quietly settling in at a good pace and purposefully staying out of any scramble on the track. He was shuffled back to sixth and was happy to spin on his way to the championship. His sixth place is over enough to win the championship with one race left.

Second race and the pressure was off. It’s not about points anymore, it’s about pride. Again, his start was good and within a few laps he was in the lead. But the chase party wasn’t ready to lay down yet and the battle heated up quickly as first Senna Agius, then Wayne Maxwell and then Troy Herforss, who all had their sights set on Jones.

But with a few laps left, it’s time for a final push for the newly crowned champion. He regained the lead from Maxwell, made two sensational laps to break his spirit and then when the first race winner, Herfoss, went down, suddenly won the race. round begins.

Jones won the race and with fists in the air, he won the fourth round of the season and put an end to a sensational championship.

“I am very excited,” Jones announced from the podium. “I don’t just want to win the championship, I want to do it the right way so that after race one, it’s time to send it in. The team did an excellent job on the bike and as the laps went on, the bike’s feel got better.

“Watching the men climb the wall as I cross the finish line is amazing when they get a chance to experience how I feel. We’re a tight team and Dyllan, Joel and Kev work really hard.

“I didn’t even realize at that stage I was winning the day. I knew 1-6 would put me on the podium but I didn’t think it was going to be won until I was back on the podium and the boys told me. So I didn’t win pole, goal 1-1 but I was pretty close and it was amazing to win the championship, not only for myself but also for Yamaha.

“My sincere thanks to everyone on Team Yamaha and the environment the team has created for me. When you change teams, you’re never sure how it’s going to turn out, but the team has been impressive and I hope they feel they are as much a part of this championship as I am.

“My family, who have continued to support and encourage me over the years, my partner Chrissie and so many others behind the scenes. This just feels good,“Jones finished.

It was a weekend away from Cru Halliday. From the moment his bike was unloaded from the truck on Friday morning, Halliday has been fast. He was always on top or very close to it every time he touched the track and in fact, just in the last minute of qualifying, his teammate Jones and regular Moto GP, Jack Miller, took down he’s down to third place.

But he was unable to turn that pace into a podium spot on Sunday. Lowering the average starting point in both races, Halliday finished the day 8-6 to take fourth place overall.

Left behind to catch up in both races, Halliday caught up to the pace of the front runners but was left behind at track number eight after getting bogged down from the start.

“I felt like I rode well all weekend and the bike was in great shape, but I switched my front row position to a mid-range start in both races and went on to chase the next 11 laps. follow.

“With the speed as fast as now, no one can give way first, so I made it difficult for myself.

“Congratulations to Mike on his championship and a great result for Yamaha. The group deserves that success as they continue to work hard behind the scenes every week,” Halliday said.

That’s the end for the 2022 season and as soon as the truck returns home to its Brisbane headquarters, the YRT team will kick off their 2023 campaign.

“It has been a great year for the team and they can be incredibly proud of their great results in 2022.,” said Yamaha Motorsport director Scott Bishop.

“It’s been a long time since YRT won the ASBK Superbike so this tournament means a lot not only to the people on the team but also to everyone at Yamaha Motor Australia.

“John, Kevin and Dyllan were the mainstays of YRT and made a lot of sacrifices to turn the team around and bring them back to the top. Mike is also a huge motivator for Yamaha and we congratulate everyone on winning the championship and on a job well done.,” finished Bishop.