It’s not just the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes that will fire off their 2024 season at Phillip Island for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round, with the ASBK – Australian Superbike Championship kickstarting their 35th Anniversary at the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round.

AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE 

 

Last year saw one of the closest Australian Superbike Championship fights in recent history against Superbike favourites Troy Herfoss and Josh Waters. Ultimately, Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss came out victorious after Waters’ Championship hopes came tumbling down in the final race of the season.

Now as we head into the 2024 season, it will be yet another jam-packed grid of well-established riders who will headline the Superbike category, such as the likes of three-time Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters [McMartin Racing Ducati], Mike Jones [Yamaha], Cru Halliday and Glenn Allerton [BMW].

While it was announced early this year that reigning Australian Champion Troy Herfoss had signed on to race within America’s popular King of the Baggers Championship and as a result, would be departing from the ASBK Championship; the three-time Australian Champion last week announced he will complete Round 1 of ASBK as a wildcard with DesmoSport Ducati.

Herfoss won’t be the only one completing a wildcard onboard Ducati machinery, with International talent Harrison Voight linking up with the McMartin Racing Team at Round 1, alongside Mildura’s Josh Waters.

Voight, who has been competing Internationally for several years now across multiple Championships, is no stranger to cameo appearances in the ASBK Championship in the Australian Supersport category, where last year he took victory in two of the three Supersport races at Phillip Island Circuit as well as claiming the National Supersport lap record of a 1:34.797.

Another rider to keep an eye on is young Max Stauffer, who has gained serious momentum in the Australian Superbike field after obtaining his first-ever Superbike podium at Round 6 at Phillip Island Circuit in October of last year. The 2024 season will see Stauffer embark on his third season in the premier class, and his times in testing certainly indicate the #27 machine could very well be a consistent podium contender.

While there are many returning faces to the Superbike field, there’s a wide variety of rookies who will line up on the grid for the first time.

Kurri Kurri’s Cameron Dunker has smashed the history books in the ASBK Championship, with his name in the headlines for many good reasons. Cam has been a household name at the front of the field over the past two years, claiming three Australian Titles to his name during this time.

2022 saw Dunker claim both the Australian Supersport 300 Championship and the Yamaha R3 Cup. In 2023, Dunker continued his winning ways, completing a historic year in the Australian Supersport Championship last season. The 16-year-old became the youngest Australian Supersport Race Winner, claiming his first win in the class at 15 years of age, and further became the youngest Australian Supersport Champion, securing the title on his 16th birthday at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Now, Dunker will headline the Australian Superbike Championship as the youngest competitor on the grid, but pre-season testing has shown both his age and rookie status are by no means a reflection of his ability to battle with the best in Australia.

Broc Pearson will also be a name to watch out for at Round 1 of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, with the Queensland rider securing Pole Position in his last ASBK outing at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit onboard his DesmoSport Ducati.

Warrnambool-based rider Ted Collins will also return to the ASBK – Australian Superbike grid at Round 1.  Although this year, he will be sporting his family team once again, running under the JC Motorsport banner following the departure of Livson Racing. Collins last year finished the ASBK Australian Superbike Championship in eighth position, and following a positive test at Phillip Island Circuit recently with the support of SK1 Racing’s Shane Kinderis, will be a strong contender this weekend.

 

AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPORT

25 riders will line up on the Australian Supersport grid at Round 1 of the ASBK Championship, running as one of three National Support Categories at the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round.

Olly Simpson [Simpson Motorsport] came narrowly close to sealing the Australian Supersport Championship in 2023, finishing runner-up to Cameron Dunker. But, with Dunker moving onto the Superbike field, it is all eyes on Simpson for the Title fight. Joining him will be Tom Bramich, who will return to the Australian Supersport grid after injury forced him out of the 2023 title fight halfway through the season.

There will be many fresh faces to the Australian Supersport grid, including an array of Supersport 300 graduates such as Brandon Demmery [RaceDNA], Samuel Pezzetta [Unitech Racing], and Marcus Hamod. There are also some returning names to the Supersport grid that have been absent over the past few years, such as Mark Chiodo on the Honda CBR600RR, and Corey Turner aboard the Stop and Seal Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

The presence of teams is also ever-growing within the ASBK paddock, with Stop and Seal featuring a four-rider lineup on the Supersport grid with Queenslanders Corey Turner and Glenn Nelson and international talents of Archie McDonald and Jack Mahaffy.

The newly formed and fastly growing Race DNA Team will also have a strong presence in the Supersport field, with 300 graduate Brandon Demmery, as well as Jacob Hatch and Stephany Kapilawi-James.

BC Performance will also welcome back a rider in the Australian Supersport category supporting Hayden Nelson, and Addicted to Track will also remain in the Supersport category with Jack Favelle and Declan Van Rosmalen.

AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPORT 300

The Australian Supersport 300 class always excites, and 2024 will be no different, especially around the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit where the racing is closer than any other track on the ASBK calendar. Make sure you save the times of the Supersport 300 races, as they are certain to leave you on the edge of your seat in awe of the talent our youngest ASBK riders have.

The largest field across all three National Support Categories, the Supersport 300 grid will see 26 riders across both Yamaha and Kawasaki machinery this weekend, which also includes an international wildcard from World Supersport 300 competitor Petr Svoboda from Czech.

While many of the 2023 front runners and race winners have graduated to the Supersport Championship, with the likes of Cameron Swain, Brodie Gawith and Henry Snell also securing international rides, it will be a rejuvenated podium of fresh faces set for 2024.

With a Championship fight as close as the Supersport 300 category, the likes of Jordan Simpson and Joshua Newman, who were consistently within that leading pack in 2023, will be sure to fire off their championship strong.

There will also be a strong female presence at Round 1 of the Australian Supersport 300 class, with Tara Morrison [Kawasaki], Haych Short [Yamaha], and Abbie Cameron [Yamaha] set to make their mark in the Championship. One to certainly keep an eye on will be the #95 machine of Tara Morrison, who set a blisteringly fast time at the Island a few short weeks ago to claim her first race win at the Hartwell Championship and lapping solo at a 1:49’s pace, a time fast enough to be in podium contention.

Article written by: Tayla Relph

Images supplied by: Russell Colvin

Don’t miss a second of the action from the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round – 23 – 25th February 2024.