2017

Moto 3 / 125GP & Motorsports NT Club Challenge Shine ASBK

Round 4 of the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK) featured fantastic and exciting racing from the Moto 3 / 125GP and Motorsports NT Club Challenge support categories respectively.

Moto 3 / 125GP

Race Two
Darwin local, Joel Kelso (Deborah Motorsports, Honda NSFR250) fittingly took the Race Two win at his home circuit in front of his family, friends and fans. His domination started from the very beginning of circulation, getting the hole-shot into turn one. Kelso managed to lead the entire 10-lap race duration.

Victorian rising star, Dylan Whiteside (Aussie Crane Trucks, Honda NSFR250) would once again be Kelso’s greatest threat. This time however, Whiteside managed to finish three and a half seconds behind Kelso, down on the four and a half from yesterday.

15-year-old South Australian Dallas Skeer (Penrite Oils, Honda NSFR250) would round out the final podium positions in third. Ross Taylor (GDR, Honda NSFR250) and Scott Topping (B-spoke Design, Honda RS125) would finish a distant fourth and fifth from the leaders.

The race was all about Kelso on his number 66 bike, and he will deservedly take all the plaudits for a well-deserved race victory. Kelso also managed to set the fastest lap time of the race. Whiteside managed to keep Kelso honest at times reeling him in, but the front man’s pace was still far too strong.

Peter McFarlane (Honda RS 125) would experience an unfortunate high side after an excursion into the grass in the closing few laps.

Provisional Moto 3 / 125GP Race Two Top Ten Results
1 Joel KELSO (Deborah Motorsports, Honda NSFR250)
2 Dylan WHITESIDE (Aussie Crane Trucks, Honda NSFR250)
3 Dallas SKEER (Penrite Oils, Honda NSFR250)
4 Ross TAYLOR (GDR, Honda NSFR250)
5 Scott TOPPING (B-spoke Design, Honda RS125)
6 Taran OCEAN (Keith Ogilvie, Honda RS 125)
7 Mark LAING-HUGHES (Yamaha TZ125)
8 David DOUGHTY (Fastline GPRacing, Aprilia RS125)
9 Nick MATHIAS (Fastline GPRacing, Honda RS125)
10 Ian HUGHES (125)

Race Three
Kelso again came out the victor, making Race Three a clean sweep for the weekend after leading from start to finish. Whiteside appeared to be able to run with Kelso in the opening laps but Kelso once again quickly put the hammer down and disappeared out of sight, winning by over three and a half seconds.

Young Kelso took the lead into turn one, again ahead of Whiteside in a carbon copy of the previous Moto 3 / 125GP race. Starting to leave the other racers behind. Kelso is very talented at maintaining corner speed. His light frame also assisting him to get the hole shot into turn one.

Kelso gave a salute to the camera after his race victory and was very pleased with his weekend’s work within the class. The Deborah Motorsports rider, Kelso incredibly set a lap record in class in each of the three races.

Skeer finished in third once again to round rout the podium places.

Kelso would be the overall round winner with 76 points, ahead of Whiteside with 60 and Skeer with 54.

Provisional Moto 3 / 125GP Race Three Top Ten Results
1 Joel KELSO (Deborah Motorsports, Honda NSFR250)
2 Dylan WHITESIDE (Aussie Crane Trucks, Honda NSFR250)
3 Dallas SKEER (Penrite Oils, Honda NSFR250)
4 Scott TOPPING (B-spoke Design, Honda RS125)
5 Ross TAYLOR (GDR, Honda NSFR250)
6 Taran OCEAN (Keith Ogilvie, Honda RS 125)
7 Mark LAING-HUGHES (Yamaha TZ125)
8 Peter McFARLANE (Honda RS125)
9 Daniel SHERWOOD (ProTwin Australia, Honda RS125)
10 Ian HUGHES (125)

Motorsports NT Club Challenge

Race Two
Race Two for the Motorsports NT Club Challenge was won by Douglas Clark (Suzuki GSX-R1000) after managing to finish just in front of Warwick Price (Yamaha YZF-R6). This would be Clark’s first ever race win and he was very pleased to finally stand on the number one podium matt. This race was a much closer affair than the first, as Clark never managed to shake Price off his tail. Peter Troon completed the podium places.

The sultry Darwin temperatures had very little effect on these hardened riders from the Northern Territory who were able to adapt to the track conditions quite quickly.

Matt Edwards (Triumph Daytona 675R) after dominating yesterday’s race did not manage to finish the race and retired after four laps. There was a significant gap to fourth with Alex Mcwhinne.

Motorsports NT Club Challenge Race Two Provisional Results
1 Douglas CLARK (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
2 Warwick PRICE (Yamaha YZF-R6)
3 Peter TROON (Yamaha YZF-R6)
4 Alex McWHINNIE
5 Nunzio META (Suzuki GSX-R600)
6 Peter McCAULEY (Cyclone Motorcycles, Honda CBR600RR)
7 Robert CLARKE
8 Merrawyn ROGERS (Suzuki GSX-R600)
9 Karina MORRIS (Suzuki GSXR 750)
DNF Bradley LE SUER (Ducati 998)

Race Three
Queenslander Edwards on bike 122 would reenact a carbon copy of Race One as he took victory on Triumph 675. The race winner would cross the line with a gap over 9.4 seconds. The victory meant Edwards handed him two out of three wins for the weekend.

In second place was Price on the Yamaha R6. Price would maintain the same position as Race Two to be Edwards greatest challenger.

To round out the podium was Douglas Clark on the Suzuki GSXR 1000.

Peter Troon (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Alex McWhinnie (Kawasaki ZX6R) completed the top five.

Motorsports NT Club Challenge Provisional Race Three Results
1 Matt EDWARDS (Triumph Daytona 675R)
2 Warwick PRICE (Yamaha R6 600)
3 Douglas CLARK (Suzuki GSXR 1000)
4 Peter TROON (Yamaha R6 600)
5 Alex McWHINNIE (Kawasaki ZX6R)
6 Nunzio META (Suzuki GSXR 600)
7 Peter McCAULEY (Honda CBR RR 600)
8 Robert CLARKE (Triumph Daytona 675R)
9 Merrawyn ROGERS (Suzuki GSXR 600)
10 Karina MORRIS (Suzuki GSXR 750)

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2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship Presented by Motul Pirelli Calendar:

Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick, QLD	25-27 August
Round 6 SMP Eastern Creek, NSW	8-10 September
Round 7 Spokes.com.au presents Phillip Island Circuit, VIC	6-8 October