ASBK 2025
Round Three – QLD Raceway
Kawasaki Supersport Race One
Championship leader Jack Mahaffy was a little nervous on the grid after missing morning warm-up due to some problems with his Stop & Seal Yamaha. A machine he had crashed earlier in the weekend. Mahaffy was also nursing a shoulder injury.
Jesus Torres got a great launch, but sweeping across to the lead on the entry to turn one was Tom Bramich, and following him through was Olly Simpson.
The South Australian then took the lead from Bramich at turn three as Jake Farnsworth and Jack Mahaffy settled in behind that duo. Torres ran wide at turn three and was shuffled all the way back to tenth. Will Nassif then went down at turn six.
Cam Swain picked up speed as the race progressed and was up to fourth place by lap four, and was then promoted to third after Olly Simpson ran off on to the grass at turn five, losing more than ten positions in the process due to a gearbox issue.
The fastest man on circuit now was Jack Mahaffy, moving up to second place after the demise of Simpson, and starting to chase down Bramich. Jake Farnsworth was in third place, but would have a jump-start penalty applied to his result, putting him well out of podium contention.
Jesus Torres had forged his way forward after the aforementioned mistake at turn three on the opening lap and with six laps to run the young Spaniard had moved up to fourth place after dispensing with Swain and Nelson.
Carrera came from behind to chase down Nelson and Swain – Image RbMotoLens
Up front Mahaffy was still chasing Bramich but Tom was continuing to hold Jack at bay. Torres was a further four-seconds further back in fourth but was now closing in on Farnsworth, and coming along for that ride was Swain and Nelson.
Mahaffy continued to shadow Bramich and ran him hard on the final lap, but Bramich had enough in the tank to hold on for the win.
Torres got the better of Farnsworth to cross the stripe in third. After his jump-start penalty was applied Farnsworth was demoted further to 14th.
Hayden Nelson earned 17-points from his fourth place finish while Swain will be encouraged by his progress forward to fifth place on his Supersport debut with Stop & Seal.
Archie McDonald is absent from the grid this weekend due to overseas commitments. Glenn Nelson, who came into the weekend fourth in the championship standings, is also sitting this round out.
1. Tom Bramich
2. Jack Mahaffy +0.130
3. Jesus Torres +6.187
Kawasaki Supersport Race One Results
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J. Farnsworth (10 sec jump start penalty applied) |
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Kawasaki Supersport Race One winner – Tom Bramich – Image RbMotoLens
Kawasaki Supersport Race Two
Jake Farnsworth capitalised on his pole position to lead the field through turn one ahead of Tom Bramich and Jack Mahaffy.
Olly Simpson had his elbows out right away, slotting up the inside of Mahaffy at turn two to move up to third place. Jesus Torres then joined that party to make it a five-way contest for the lead.
Tom Bramich worked his way past Farnsworth for the lead, but nothing separated the leading quintet as the race progressed.
Jesus Torres went down at turn four with six laps to run. Now there were four…
Olly Simpson moved through to the lead on lap ten, relegating Bramich to second, and that pair still had Farnsworth and Mahaffy right on their heels.
The BC Performance squad had changed the gearbox in the ZX-6R after problems in race one. Pulling the gearbox out of the spares bike in the van. A relatively simple process as the Kawasaki has a cassette gearbox that makes for a 90-minute turn around.
Farnsworth pushed Bramich back to third on the penultimate lap, and then went on to move through to the lead. At the last lap board it was Farnsworth, Simpson, Bramich and Mahaffy.
The quartet running nose to tail through turns one and two on the final lap, Simpson up the inside at turn three, Bramich throws it in deep from the outside to nose ahead, coming out the other side it was Simpson leading Bramich, but Bramich then stole the lead between four and five, Simpson up the inside at turn six, Farnsworth out of the seat with a slide out of the final turn, costing the pole man his chance of the podium.
A dead heat at the flag between Simpson and Bramich saw Simpson judged the victor. Mahaffy third, Farnsworth four. That quartet covered by only four-tenths of a second at the line.
Simpson with Team Owner Kelvin Reilly and Crew Chief Bryan Staring – Image RbMotoLens
Simpson’s first victory on the BC Performance Kawasaki, and a breakthrough moment for the Sydney based squad as a whole.
Hayden Nelson, Cam Swain, Marcus Hamod and Levi Russo had a four-way battle over fifth a further six-seconds behind the leader, and finished in that order.
Tom Bramich the round winner ahead of Mahaffy and Simpson.
Mahaffy will head to Morgan Park next month with a 27-point advantage over Simpson in the championship standings. Archie McDonald will also be back in the mix at Morgan Park to add his unique flavour back into the proceedings.
Kawasaki Supersport Race Two Results
Kawasaki Supersport Round Points
