McKenna, Hyslop and Campbell share OJC spoils at The Bend
The BLU CRU Oceania Junior Cup’s appetite for extremely close and competitive racing played out again at The Bend from May 1-3, as three different winners were crowned across the five-lap races.
With the diminutive Yamaha YZF-R15s pushed to the limit around the expansive 18-turn Tailem Bend layout – and strong winds also adding an X-factor – Ryder McKenna, Lucas Hyslop and Callum Campbell came up trumps in the three races as the 2026 championship reached the halfway mark.
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In full flight: Hyslop (#31), Fookes (#25), Cameron (#23), McKenna (#24) and Plumb (#39) being chased by Attard (#11) and Campbell (#26)
For OJC rookie McKenna, it was his first victory in the circuit racing academy, and the South Australian won with plenty to spare over Liam Fookes (NT) and polesitter Austin Attard (Qld) as the OJC program opened at The Bend on Saturday afternoon.
While McKenna’s winning margin was atypical, normal service was resumed on Sunday as the two races went down to the wire.
New Zealander Lucas Hyslop – who sensationally won an OJC race at Phillip Island in 2025 as a wildcard – outlasted Campbell (NSW) and Lewis Birkle (WA) in a Sunday morning sizzler, with Attard, Thomas Cameron (NSW), Kael Brien (Qld) and Fookes were also in the frame during a hammer-and-tongs run to the chequered flag. The gap between the top seven was just 0.179 seconds.
The tempo went into overdrive during the frenetic last lap, with Birkle setting the fastest lap across the three races.
The Bend finale saw Campbell win his second OJC race after a stirring final lap where he moved up three spots from fourth to first.
Cameron and Attard joined Campbell on the podium.
Related: Dunker and Waters strike winning ASBK blows at The Bend
Attard with his cheque for securing the SpeedAngle-backed pole position
After a clean sweep in round one, Cameron still leads the OJC standings but with a reduced cushion. He’s now on 124pts, with Campbell (112pts) moving up to second ahead of Attard (106pts), Patrick Lucchitti (91pts), Hyslop (88pts) and Fookes (88pts).
The OJC continues at Morgan Park Raceway from May 29-31 alongside the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli. To purchase tickets for the event, click here.
Images: RbMotoLens
