YRT reflects on PI and looks forward to The Bend with Jones in charge

Mike Jones had one hand on the trophy…

Team Yamaha rider Mike Jones will take a 38-point lead into the final round of the 2022 Mi-Bike Insurance Australian Superbike Championship after a steady and mature performance in the championship’s penultimate lap. took place last weekend.

In traditional Phillip Island conditions, Jones methodically worked through a busy weekend of race in the sixth round of the championship to bring his thunderous Yamaha R1M home in second place. fifth place while his rivals made costly mistakes that sent the dominant Queenslander through to the final round. final round at Tailem Bend, this weekend.

Jones entered the Phillip Island lap with a 29-point lead but still five races ahead, with a lot of work to do. He leaves with a 38-point lead despite himself facing some challenges over the weekend following his 10-5-3 result.

Mike Jones

“The results on the track don’t look very good, but in theory, my increase in the lead is great and gives me a good buffer to get into the final lap this weekend,” Jones began. . “The conditions on Phillip Island were not ideal and the first race was wet, making it even more unpredictable.

“I definitely didn’t do that first race well because I watched Wayne go down in the second and my whole mindset changed. I walked very cautiously and rode as if I had more to lose than something to gain. I don’t want to fall because it’s very easy to do and just earn some points to increase my deposit. It’s not pretty but I got the job done.

“Things were better in the second and third races. The second race, I was a bit passive in the opening laps and dropped to ninth place in the chaos. I got back into the game at about half a point and started moving forward and was in fifth place, right behind third and fourth.

“The third race and I was more aggressive in the early stages and fought much harder for my place on the track. I saw Wayne fall again, but this time I thought I would keep attacking and I engaged well with Bryan Staring. A couple of times it came close, but that kept me focused and third was a good result and a positive way to end the weekend,” Jones finished.

The weekend also proved some challenges for teammate, Cru Halliday. Halliday put on good pace at the picturesque Phillip Island circuit and entered the weekend with confidence in a good display. Things got off to a slow start in qualifying when his tire strategy didn’t work and he was forced to start from P8 on the grid.

Race one saw Halliday move forward in wet conditions and seek a 5th place in the top 5. But as a team player, he gave up his spot as the race went on. continue to support his teammates. The second race and the shackles were released and Halliday finished in third and confident with a better start he could go on with the runners ahead.

Unfortunately, he never found out when he fell in a collision with multiple riders in the fourth round. He tries to keep going but his bike breaks down and he goes back to the pit lane. His 11-3-DNF weekend saw him finish ninth in the round and now sit eighth in the championship.

Cru Halliday

“It was a disappointing weekend as I had high expectations for this round. I raced well here at Moto GP a month ago and although it’s not my favorite lap, I’ve done very well here in the past.

“Most of the riders used up a few tires in qualifying while I only used the same rear tire. The pace is getting faster and faster, so I should have had a new tire at the end of the game to get myself higher because P8 is a difficult place to start.

“I felt very good about my riding and in dry conditions I was able to get through the group and finish third. I started doing the same thing in the last race but got tailed on the fourth turn and dropped.

“We still have a long way to go, so it may be all or nothing to get back to the front and end the year on a positive note,‘ Halliday gestured.

It was a quick turnaround for the ASBK teams as it went live from Phillip Island across The Bend in South Australia for the final round of the championship this weekend. Jones needs to keep a cool head, as he has done in previous rounds, to secure Yamaha’s first top ASBK championship in 15 years.