Goulburn teenager Tom Toparis has confirmed that he will contest almost the entire 2020 World Supersport Championship with Benro Yamaha.
Budget constraints for the team dictate that the 19-year-old Australian Supersport Champion will only race at the European rounds, thus Aussie fans will miss the chance to see him in the World Supersport ranks at the Phillip Island season opener.
Tom Toparis domninated the 2019 Australian Supersport Championship – TBG Image
Toparis will, however, race a locally built YZF-R6 in the Australian Supersport support races at Phillip Island before heading to Europe where he will contest 10 of the 13 round of the World Supersport Championship. The ten European rounds are referred to as the European Supersport Cup.
Tom Toparis on the Benro Yamaha
The Benro Racing Team was started in 2016 and Tom Toparis took the team’s maiden win and scored five podium finishes in the IDM Supersport Championship during 2019. Last year Tom flew back and forth to Europe where it did not clash with his Australian Supersport duties but in 2020 his and the team’s primary focus turns to World Supersport.
Tom Toparis
“I’m so happy to finally announce that I’ll be with the Benro Racing Team again, but this time on the world stage. I’m so grateful and lucky to get this opportunity. I know what to expect after a number of wildcards, so hopefully I can start out with solid results and build as the season progresses. With the Benro team and our experience last year racing IDM, I’m feeling confident we can learn all the new tracks quickly. I’m looking forward to an exciting step up to the World Supersport class in 2020.”
Team manager Sraar van Rens
“I’m glad we can finally announce that Tom Toparis will stay with Benro Racing in 2020. We have been speaking with Tom for a long time about this step, he is definitely ready for it and so we are proud that we can confirm our cooperation for 2020. Last year Tom did an excellent job and I think that we as Benro Racing have shown that we’re ready for the next step as well. With our experience over the last few years, we enter the WorldSBK paddock with a lot of confidence and I hope we prove it with some surprising results in the coming season!”
Scott Redding did the double at Assen on the weekend to push his way into the British Superbike Championship lead by 14-points over Josh Brookes.
Scott Redding – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
A good start to the weekend by Tom Toparis in the Dickies British Supersport on Saturday unfortunately was followed up a DNF on Syunday.
Tom Toparis – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Max Stauffer took seventh in the first International Junior Supersport race of the weekend – maching his qualifying result – and with improved confidence in the second bout looked set to challenge for a podium, but unfortunately crashed out with two laps to run.
British Superbike Race 1
Scott Redding hit the front early in the first bout ahead of Luke Stapleford, Tommy Bridewell and Josh Brookes. Bridewell was determined to move into second and did so by the end of the opening lap.
Scott Redding – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
A lap later Ryan Vickers crashed out heavily which saw the BMW Safety Car deployed at the start of the fourth lap. The pack formed up behind with Redding, Bridewell, Stapleford and Brookes first in line with the race resuming on lap six.
Bridewell was pushing hard to take on Redding but on the ninth lap he reached his limit, crashing out at turn nine, with Christian Iddon also falling at the same corner, both riders were unhurt.
Tommy Bridewell – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Redding broke from the pack at the front of the field, leaving Brookes embroiled in a huge battle for second with Showdown spoilers Stapleford and Jason O’Halloran who had hunted down the pair ahead of him.
By lap 14 the scrap had really intensified with Stapleford making a move on Brookes, only for the Australian to strike straight back to regain the position. As the laps counted down the trio in the battle for second were inseparable and on the penultimate lap Stapleford had the edge over Brookes and O’Halloran.
Josh Brookes – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Brookes still had more fight left though and on the final lap he dived back into second place and as Stapleford drifted slightly wide, O’Halloran saw his opportunity and he was into third for McAMS Yamaha.
Scott Redding topped the podium from Brookes and O’Halloran – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
As Redding took the flag to claim his eighth win of the season ahead of Brookes, O’Halloran became the 12 different podium finisher of the season ahead of Stapleford, who scored his best result of the season for Buildbase Suzuki.
Jason O’Halloran – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Xavi Forés was fifth for Honda Racing ahead of Showdown contenders Danny Buchan, Tarran Mackenzie and Peter Hickman who completed the top eight ahead of Bradley Ray and Hector Barbera.
Australian Ben Currie finished Race 1 in 15th.
Ben Currie – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
British Superbike Race 2
Luke Stapleford launched his Buildbase Suzuki off the line to lead the pack into turn one ahead of Redding, Tommy Bridewell and Brookes as the second race of the Assen BSB weekend got underway. Brookes, the 2015 champion, was instantly on the attack and he moved into third after pushing past the Oxford Racing Ducati of Tommy Bridewell.
The pack was inseparable but a mistake from Stapleford exiting the final chicane on the third lap scattered the pack and it gave Bridewell the opportunity he needed to move into second with Brookes and Redding then hunting him down.
A lap later and a determined Brookes captured the lead with Stapleford separating the Be Wiser Ducati teammates with Jason O’Halloran and Danny Buchan also in close contention.
Jason O’Halloran – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
By lap seven Redding had made a decisive move into second and had Brookes in his sights before taking the lead a lap later with a dive down the inside. From there Redding tried to make a break, but he was hounded by Brookes.
Bridewell had his sights set on a podium to make amends for his crash in the opening race and by lap ten he had moved into third, to push Stapleford back down into fourth on the Buildbase Suzuki.
Tommy Bridewell – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Redding then edged out his advantage, but the battle for second was becoming increasingly fierce; Brookes was holding off Bridewell, Buchan and Stapleford but with two laps remaining the Australian was under attack.
On lap 17 Bridewell moved into second and that pushed Brookes slightly off line, which gave Buchan the chance he needed to force through into third for FS-3 Racing Kawasaki. Despite his best counterattack, Brookes couldn’t regain the positions and he missed out on the podium by 0.311s, leaving Assen 14 points adrift of Redding in the standings.
Josh Brookes – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Bridewell and Buchan scored their first podium finishes of the Showdown in the second race with Stapleford again just missing out after his best weekend of the season so far in fifth.
Honda Racing’s Xavi Forés led the next pack home to the chequered flag to hold off race one podium finisher O’Halloran and Showdown contender Peter Hickman in eighth. Dan Linfoot and Bradley Ray completed the top ten with Tarran Mackenzie ending a tough weekend in 13th.
Xavi Fores – 2019 BSB Round 10 – Assen
Ben Currie had to settle for 17th in Race 2, matching his qualifying result, after 15th in Race 1.
The YRT pairing of Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday topped FP1 at Wakefield Park in dry and warming conditions under a cloudy sky. A gnat’s whisker separated the pair at the top, a 58.075 to Falzon and 58.093 for Halliday. Next best in the opening session was Mike Jones on the DesmoSport Ducati, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss. Maxwell and Herfoss were P4 and P5 respectively.
YRT had tested here privately in the lead up to this round, electing not to join the rest of the field during the official ASBK Test here earlier this month. At that test it was Wayne Maxwell atop the timesheets with a 57.659, heading Herfoss’ 57.728. But talk was that Mike Jones had actually gone a couple of tenths quicker again, but did not have a transponder fitted to net an official time.
Aiden Wagner suffered a hefty tumble in FP1 here this morning, knocking himself and his machine around quite heavily. Wagner was P6 in the opening session ahead of Bryan Staring, Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters while Matt Walters rounded out the FP1 Top Ten.
Aiden Wagner – TBG Image
FP2 got underway at 1340 this afternoon and just as riders were really start to get down to business, a red flag put a temporary halt to proceedings. Sash Savin had gone down at turn two on his BMW and needed to be moved to safer ground.
Sash Savin – Image Rob Mott
Cru Halliday was the first rider to dip into the 57s when the action got underway again just before 1400. A 57.916 to Halliday, who this year makes his return to Superbike after dominating the 600 Supersport category last year for YRT. Shortly after his team-mate joined him in that bracket, a 57.919 to Falzon, making it a YRT 1-2 at the top with 14-minutes remaining in the 30-minute Superbike FP2 session.
Falzon then upped the game further, the young South Australian dropping in a 57.757 to top the charts.
Herfoss then put in a 57.846 to go P2, splitting the YRT men. A couple of minutes later Herfoss then shot to the top with a 57.455. Maxwell then went P2 with a 57.754, pushing the YRT duo back to P3 and P4.
A red flag then came out just as the session was coming to a close. Ted Collins crashed coming out of the last turn and pitched his BMW over the pit wall! The young Queenslander walked away fine, but it was one very spectacular and unprecedented accident…
Wayne Hepburn – NextGen BMW
“Ted was on a really good lap. We had our own sector splits, which he was about to drop a second and a half off his previous lap time. He simply asked too much of the bike on the exit of the last turn, which he admitted to. This resulted in Ted having a big highside. The Maxima BMW S 1000RR went over the fence, which was pretty spectacular. Thankfully, Ted was able to walk away from it uninjured which is the main thing. Unfortunately, this is motorcycle racing and these things happen. As I said, Ted is fine. The team has a bit of work to do to get him going again. I don’t believe we will get him going for the final session this afternoon, but we’ll have him right for tomorrow. Ted was doing everything which he was asked to do. However, he just got a little bit enthusiastic.”
Ted Collins machine ended up over the wall and in pit-lane! – Image Russ Colvin
The fastest recorded motorcycle lap time around Wakefield Park was a 57.182 set by Maxwell last year, will we see that beaten later this afternoon…? We thought that might be eclipsed later this afternoon in FP3 but then came the thunder and lightning! A massive downpour soaked the circuit shortly after 1500, and we would see no further quick times set today.
Teams scrambled to get the gear away from the cavalcade of water, and their power cables etc. to dry ground as the drains at the circuit failed to cope with the downpour
ASBK Superbike Friday Combined Times
Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.455
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.754
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.757
Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.916
Mike Jones – Ducati 58.116
Josh Waters – Suzuki 58.193
Alex Phillis – Suzuki 58.676
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 58.677 (FP1)
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.699
Damon Rees – Honda 58.760
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.839
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.889
Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.916
Ted Collins – BMW 59.417
Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.425
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 59.432
Mark Chiodo – Honda 59.435
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.807
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 60.455
Phil Czaj – Aprilia 61.079
Will Davidson – Yamaha 61.509
Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.734
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 62.640
Paul Van der Heiden – BMW 63.360
Sash Savin – BMW 63.752
Supersport 600
Local Goulburn lad Tom Toparis dominated the season opener at Phillip Island, and was obviously be out to do the same this weekend in front of his home crowd.
There were a few young fellas out to try and stop that happening though. Oli Bayliss and Nic Liminton both on the early pace, a 61.238 to Toparis versus a 61.529 to Bayliss. Those times were expected to tumble in FP2 though, and that they did. Only a few minutes into FP2 though Nic Liminton stopped on track with a mechanical failure and the session was red flagged to check for any oil on the track. Oil was duly found and we had quite a delay while the track was cleaned. Liminton took no further part in FP2.
When action recommenced it was Oli Bayliss setting the pace. At 15-years-old, Oli is making fast progress and the team have been working very hard in the lead-up to this first year in Supersport to give him the opportunity to shine, and it is a chance he is grabbing with both hands. His level of commitment, as can be seen in this great shot by Rob Mott, can certainly never be questioned.
Oli Bayliss using all the track this morning at Wakefield Park – Image by Rob Mott
Times quickly started to drop further, Toparis the first man to dip under the magic minute mark, a 59.507 with ten minutes to go, a clear declaration of his intentions to dominate on home turf. And, it must be said, he does look in almost untouchable form. For the best of the rest to challenge him, they either need to make a significant step up, or Toparis needs to put a foot wrong.
The Supersport lap record was set here last year by Cru Halliday at 59.050s, will Toparis best it this weekend…?
Supersport 600 Friday Combined Times
Tom Toparis – Yamaha 59.507
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 60.471
Broc Pearson – Yamaha 60.565
Reid Battye – Suzuyki 60.635
Ty Lynch – Yamaha 61.060
Nic Liminton – Yamaha 61.666 (FP1)
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 61.675
Rhys Belling – Yamaha 61.736
Chris Quinn – Yamaha 62.039 (FP1)
Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 62.157
Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 62.184
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 62.756
Jack Passfield – Yamaha 62.848
John Quinn – Triumph 64.501
Supersport 300
In the Supersport 300 ranks it was Max Stauffer setting the pace from Harry Khouri, both riders under the existing lap record.
Brandon Demmery returns to racing this weekend after that horrifying crash in the MotoGP support events at Phillip Island in 2017. Those injuries included a double compound fracture of the Tibia and Fibia, a compound fracture of the Femur, numerous break in his Pelvis, a broken right wrist, a torn bladder and an incredible amount of bruising. He was ninth in FP2 this morning at Wakefield Park and ended the day 11th on combined times.
Supersport 300 – Friday Combined Times
Max Stauffer – Yamaha 66.306
Harry Khouri – Yamaha 66.478
Ben Baker – Yamaha 66.572
Zac Levy – Yamaha 66.677
Travis Hall – Yamaha 66.828
Hunter Ford – Yamaha 66.834
Locky Taylor – Yamaha 66.844
John Lytras – Yamaha 66.916
Laura Brown – Yamaha 67.021
Senna Agius – Kawasaki 400 67.110
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha 67.313
Yanni Shaw – Kawasaki 400 67.460
Seth Crump – KTM 67.602
Kyle O’Connell – Yamaha 67.626
Luke Johnston – Yamaha 67.684
Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha 67.746
Zylas Bunting – Yamaha 67.887
Tristan Adamson – Yamaha 68.090
Callum O’Brien – Kawasaki 68.345
Bronson Pickett – Yamaha 68.927
Sidecars
Three-wheelers join the ASBK action this weekend in Goulburn with the Horsell Consulting backed sidecar category making their first appearance for the year.
The LCR outfit of Steven Bayliss and Aaron Wilson were the pacesetters today with a 67.243. The lap record for the category here at Wakefield Park is 65.309, and is expected to fall this weekend.
Sidecar Friday Combined Times
Bayliss/Wilson 67.243
Ford/Menzies 68.211
Joyce/Blackman 68.431
Collins/DeAngelis 68.831
Alton/Clancy 69.346
Clancy/Bonney 69.655
Edis/Schluter 71.766
Clancy/Dawson 72.035
Underwood/Ford 72.313
Turner/Turner 73.920
Judd/Spanknebel 74.932
YMF R3 Cup Friday Combined Practice Times
Stauffer 66.208
Lytras 66.368
Baker 66.762
Hall 66.829
Taylor 66.932
Brown 67.212
Khouri 67.263
O’Connell 67.338
Ford 67.339
Johnston 67.832
Demmery 67.849
Kuhne 68.042
Levy 68.098
Bunting 68.111
Adamson 68.305
Pickett 68.723
Oughtred 68.754
Roulstone 69.726
Smith 69.996
Agostini 70.217
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
The 2019 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup roared into life for the first time ever at Wakefield Park today for the opening round of the new junior Road Race academy.
The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup features a field of ambitious young riders looking to become the first to claim an Oceania Junior Cup round, and make an initial claim for one of the five positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event, and a potential place in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
Goulburn teenager Tom Toparis has had a fantastic start to season 2019. with clear and total domination of the three Australian Supersport races over the weekend.
ASBK Supersport Championship Points Standings 1 Tom TOPARIS (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6) 76 2 Nicholas LIMINTON (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6) 60 3 Oli BAYLISS (Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) 52
Toparis then followed that up with a highly creditable 11th place finish in a World Supersport wildcard appearance on the Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6, scoring five World Supersport Championship points in the process.
Tom Toparis on the World Supersport grid – GeeBee Image
Toparis has now picked up a ride with Benro Racing for the 2019 IDM 600 Supersport Championship alongside new team-mate and fellow 18-year-old Milan Merckelbagh on Yamaha YZF-R6 machinery.
Tom Toparis – Phillip Island 2017 – Image by Andrew Northcott
This latest European adventure will add to the growing list of experience on the world stage for Toparis, who has previously taken part in some wildcard Moto3 rides and has Supersport 300 experience in Europe. During the European season, Toparis will stay with the family of Merckelbagh in Holland, which will allow the two 18-year-olds to train together.
Tom Toparis – Moto3 Qualifying Practice – Motegi 2017 – Image by Andrew Northcott
Toparis will also be concentrating on the Australian Supersport Championship, as he shares his time between here and Europe. He will head to Europe at the end of April to prepare for his IDM appearances in a deal that was made possible by Dutch intermediary Rob Vennegoor.
Tom Toparis – Motegi Moto3 2017 – Image by AJRN
Tom Toparis Interview
Big weekend, tell me how did you find it?
Tom Toparis: “I’m very lucky to have done the WSBK and ASBK, I got the opportunity from Landbridge Transport Team and of course when you get offered the chance to ride World Supersport you’re never going to say no. The bike was good all weekend, I let the team down with a crash on Tuesday, which set us back, and we had to go into Melbourne and get some parts and what not and sort a few things out. The result in the World Supersport… P11 is really good I think.”
Tom Toparis – World Supersport – Phillip Island 2019 – GeeBee Image
Do you think that effected your result?
Tom Toparis: “In a way yes, we pretty much lost the whole of Tuesday, so that was four hours of track time we didn’t get and it set us back for Friday morning. For sure it could have been a fraction better, but I am definitely so grateful the team did such a good job in the stop, as that’s such a big variable, if you get it wrong, even if you lose one second in a pit stop, that’s one whole second on the track, which is a lot of risk you have to take. I haven’t look at the time yet, but the minimum was 1:14 or 1:18 or something, I feel like we did a good job. I just listened to what the team said, and once they let me go I was gone, it was 8 laps or so to the end. I’m so proud of my team, getting me out there and putting it just outside the top 10.”
Tom Toparis – GeeBee Image
How are your injuries from the big off on Tuesday? (Tom wore through his leathers during a crash earlier in the week and lost a lot of skin off his bum!)
Tom Toparis: “It’s a bit annoying, itchy and awkward to ride on, it’s OK and I think I got through the weekend without it causing too much trouble. Hopefully I’ll listen to what the doctors have to say, and I might need to go get a skin graft tomorrow in Melbourne. It was a bit of a set back and it was annoying for me. But anyway apart from that we were happy to score four World Supersport championship points. It’s such a good weekend to get all the Aussies [Supersport wins] and taking pole, and getting the points in WSSP.”
Tom Toparis – TBG Image
And off to Europe?
Tom Toparis: “I’m very happy to announce that in 2019 I’ll be doing some racing in Europe in the IDM Supersport on a Yamaha R6 for Benro Racing. I’m very grateful to the people who have made this happen. Through RT Racing Support I was able to get in contact with Sraar van Rens. It will be a busy year, because I’m going to combine the Australian and IDM championship. This year, my family and I are fully committed to racing and I will be doing everything possible to win here in Australia. I have no expectations for the IDM as I don’t know what to expect. But I’ll be doing everything I can to learn the tracks and the bike as fast as possible, whilst enjoying the different lifestyle on the other side of the world. I’m really looking forward to meet my team-mate Milan. A big thank you to everyone involved including my sponsors here in Australia.”
2019 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island World Supersport Results / Race Report
WorldSBK organisers and Pirelli had made a ruling that forced World Supersport riders to pit during the 16-lap race in order to change rear tyres. This mandate was made in the aim of safety off the back of the Supersport tyres failing to be able to withstand the rigours of Phillip Island.
Jules Cluzel was the early leader before being oversome by Randy Krummenacher and Federico Caricasulo. Raffaele De Rosa set a new fastest lap of the race before a vicous high-side out of turn 11.
As the race wore on team-mates Krummenacher and Caricasulo traded places regularly. While the Italian was running the A option Pirelli front and rear the Swiss rider was on the B option. It was Krummenacher that chose to pit first, on lap eight. Caricasulo came in on the next lap which left Thomas Gradinger in the lead from Okubo. Caricasulo’s exit from the pits was delayed when the rear stand got caught up on the YZF-R6 and dragged down pit-lane, forcing him to stop near the pit exit and wait for his mechanics to run up the pit-lane and remove the stand before he could rejoin the race.
After all the riders had stopped it was Randy Krummenacher in the lead from Cluzel and Mahias while Caricasulo had been shuffled back to fourth place.
Caricasulo got back past Mahias to secure himself a spot on the podium but his quest for a win was gone as race leader Krummenacher was nine-seconds in front of him.
Pit stop rules mandated a minimum period of time to be spent in the pits, to stop crews rushing and perhaps sending their riders back out on a machine without a properly secured wheel. Officials decreed that Cluzel, Van Straalen and Mahias had all stopped for less than the mandated time and would have time penalties added to their total race time at the end of the race.
Randy Krummenacher went on to win the race from Cluzel and Caricasulo.
Wildcard entrant Tom Toparis finished a highly creditable 11th place and earned five World Supersport Championship points.
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race Three
Supersport Race Three – TBG Image
Sunday’s racing at the opening round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) got underway bright and early today with Race 3 of the Supersport class, held during the FIM World Superbike Championship (WSBK) weekend here at Phillip Island.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
It was Tom Toparis’ (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6) chance to make it a clean sweep of the weekend and he delivered, putting on an absolutely clinical performance to finish the race more than six seconds ahead of the rest of the field. This performance meant that he took the honour of being the ASBK’s first round winner for 2019.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Second place for the round belonged to Nic Liminton (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6), who had a trio of second places but had to work for the final one- bumping Callum Spriggs (Allsite Concrete Cutting Yamaha YZF-R6) down to third in the last-minute dash for the finish line after Spriggs had spent nearly the whole race in second spot.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Toparis once again started on pole ahead of Liminton and Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6). Liminton, battling a shoulder injury picked up earlier in the weekend but had been putting in good performances nonetheless.
Ty Lynch – TBG Image
Ty Lynch (Russell Phillips Motorsports, Yamaha YZF-R6) couldn’t replicate the performances in the previous races and was down in ninth by lap four and ten seconds off the leaders.
At half distance and Toparis was four seconds up. Spriggs was at the head of the chasing train of riders, having a good day way up from his finishing position of eighth in Race 2 yesterday.
Callum Spriggs – Rob Mott Image
With three laps to go it was, Toparis, Spriggs, Liminton, Broc Pearson (Yamaha YZF-R6), and Bayliss, and it looked like it would stay that way until Liminton pulled off the move of the race to pip Spriggs on the line by a miniscule 0.04 seconds to secure second.
Tom Toparis – P1
“It’s been an awesome weekend; pole and three wins is exactly what we wanted to do for this round. Leading into Wakefield Park we’ve got a 16 point advantage now so pretty happy with that.”
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
South Australia’s Nic Liminton was thrilled to finish second in the round standings.
Nic Liminton – P2
“It’s been such a good start getting second overall on the new Yamaha R6” he said. “That last race was hard though, Callum was in a solid second position but on the last lap I just managed to get in his slipstream on the line and get second overall.”
Nic Liminton – TBG Image
Oli Bayliss – P3
“I was hoping at the start of the weekend that I could get a top three and that’s exactly what I did in the last race” said Bayliss. “We struggled a bit off the start and managed to lose Nic and Cal but other than that had a really good race.”
ASBK Supersport Championship Points Standings 1 Tom TOPARIS (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6) 76 2 Nicholas LIMINTON (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6) 60 3 Oli BAYLISS (Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) 52
ASBK Supersport Race Three Results
Tom TOPARIS (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6)
Nicholas LIMINTON (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6)
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race Two
Tom Toparis ran away with the opening Australian Supersport race which left Nic Liminton, Callum Spriggs and Oli Bayliss to fight it out for the other steps on the podium.
Toparis again jumped away from the pack and immediately started stretching away as Nic Liminton, Oli Bayliss, Reid Battye, Ty Lynch and Callum Spriggs vainly gave chase.
Toparis did it easily once again while Nic Liminton was the best of the rest, putting in consistent 37s to pull away from Oli Bayliss, who managed to stave off a late attack from Broc Pearson to claim his first Supersport 600 podium.
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race One
The opening Supersport race of ASBK 2019 got underway at 0900 this morning under clear skies at Phillip Island in front of a building crowd. Goulburn teenager Tom Toparis had looked the man to beat all weekend and the Yamaha rider got away to an early break while Oli Bayliss, Callum Spriggs and Nic Liminton gave chase.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Bayliss the new debutante in the class after moving up from Supersport 300 under the new rule that allows suitably proven 15-year-olds to now step up to the vastly different Supersport 600 Championship. Bayliss has Glen Richards in his corner for his first season in the category, the well-known South Australian back from crew chief duties in British Superbike and a lengthy career within the ranks of BSB in various roles. A busy testing schedule leading up to the season has seen young Oli well-prepared for his step up to the heavier and faster category of racing.
Oli Bayliss, Nic Liminton – Image Rob Mott
Out front Toparis was streeting the field though, pulling away by more than a second a lap and clearly in a race of his own.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Behind him Nic Liminton had eased his way past Bayliss but could not break away. The pair traded places over the opening few laps while Callum Spriggs and Ty Lynch kept in touch with them. A couple of second behind that quartet a battle for sixth place was unfolding between Broc Pearson, Jack Passfield and Aidan Hayes.
Nic Liminton, Oli Bayliss and Callum Spriggs – TBG Image
In the closing stages of the race Liminton finally managed to break clear of Bayliss, leaving his younger foe to fight for the final step on the rostrum with Callum Spriggs and at the flag it was the more experienced of the two that got that podium position by a nose, the difference only three-thousandth-of-a-second at the line.
Toparis had backed off in the closing laps but still took victory by more than five-seconds, his pace though was good enough for that to be ten-seconds should he wished to have pushed all the way to the chequered flag.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Nic Liminton second from Callum Spriggs with Oli Bayliss just missing out on a podium in his Supersport debut. Broc Pearson, Ty Lynch, Aidan Hayes and Jack Passfield rounded out an all Yamaha top eight ahead of Sam Lambert on an MV Agusta while Reid Battye rounded out the top ten on a Suzuki.
SBK Supersport 600 Race One Results Tom Toparis – Yamaha Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495 Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786 – Image TBG
ASBK Supersport 600 Race One Results
Tom Toparis – Yamaha
Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495
Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha +7.789
Broc Pearson – Yamaha +8.749
Ty Lynch – Yamaha +9.672
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha +9.692
Jack Passfield – Yamaha +9.869
Sam Lambert – MV Agusta +15.373
Reid Battye – Suzuki +18.363
Dylan Whiteside – Yamaha +24.138
Scott Nicholson – Suzuki +29.365
Rhys Belling – Yamaha +29.367
Chris Quinn – Yamaha +29.605
Luke Mitchell – Yamaha +39.079
John Quinn – Triumph +39.106
Luke Sanders – Yamaha +51.992
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki +52.157
Matt Cranmer – Honda +52.437
Dan Leonard – Yamaha +60.466
ASBK Supersport 600 Race One Results Tom Toparis – Yamaha Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495 Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786 – Image Rob Mott
WorldSBK 2019 Phillip Island Test
Day 1 – PM Report
A stiff wind caused riders all sorts of problems this afternoon and of the morning top ten it was only Tom Sykes on the new BMW, and the man that replaced him on the KRT ZX-10R, Leon Haslam, that successfully battled the breeze to lower their markers this afternoon. Sykes moving up fourth quickest on combined times just ahead of Haslam.
Morning or afternoon, wind or no wind, the consistently fastest man of the day was Alvaro Bautista but it was his morning time that remained the fastest overall. The #19 Ducati Panigale V4 R the only machine to dip under the 1m31s benchmark today, a 1m30.743 the best of three laps in a row that the 34-year-old recorded in that 1m30s bracket during FP1.
Bautista’s best time is actually under the 1m30.848 race lap record set by Marco Melandri during last year’s second World Superbike race at Phillip Island on the V-Twin Panigale. The outright World Superbike lap record though belongs to Jonathan Rea who put in a 1m29.573 during qualifying here two years ago.
Alvaro Bautista – GeeBee Image
Bautista’s Ducati team-mate Chaz Davies has not had such an enjoyable day. A technical gremlin this morning saw his Panigale V4 R roll to a stop at Siberia, then this afternoon the Welshman was plagued by agonising back spasms. The 32-year-old ending day one 13th on combined times.
Another rider not having any fun today was Troy Herfoss as the Penrite Honda squad try to get a handle on the new bike they have built for this one-off World Superbike wildcard effort. Proceedings are not going well at all thus far and the team will be scratching their heads. Herfoss rounded out the tail end of the timesheets today with a 1m34.961 in FP1. Worryingly he could only muster a 1m35.475 from his 13 laps this afternoon.
Troy Herfoss – GeeBee Image
The reigning ASBK Superbike Champion went more than two-seconds faster than today’s best in race trim aboard the ASBK, almost Superstock spec’, Fireblade here back in October. Some serious head scratching and spanner twirling going to be undertaken in that pit garage this evening…
Troy Herfoss – GeeBee Image
Alex Lowes is showing encouraging speed on the Pata Yamaha to clock the second fastest time of the day ahead of Jonathan Rea.
Alex Lowes – TBG Image
Along with Tom Sykes in fourth, that made for four different brands filling the top four spots on the day’s combined times.
Jonathan Rea – GeeBee Image
Marco Melandri was sixth quickest ahead of fellow Yamaha riders Michael Van der Mark and Sandro Cortese.
Marco Melandri – TBG Image
Markus Reiterberger and Toprak Razgatlioglu rounded out the top ten ahead of the leading Honda of Leon Camier.
WorldSBK RPM Limits
Overnight Dorna released updated RPM limits for the 2019 WorldSBK season that will be in place for the start of the season. If a single type of machine looks to have much of an advantage these limits will be reduced further during the season. The new BMW will start season 2019 with a 14,900 rpm limit while the Kawasaki will be pegged to 14,600 rpm.
The new Ducati Panigale V4 R will start with a 16,350 rpm limit, but with both Bautista and Davies clocking by far the fastest speeds in today’s morning session, one would expect that the Ducati rev limit to be reduced in due course…
World Supersport
In the World Supersport ranks it was a Yamaha 1-2 in both the morning and afternoon sessions but while Caricasulo topped FP1 it was team-mate Randy Krummenacher that went fractionally faster in FP2 to top the day on combined times.
Randy Krummenacher – GeeBee Image
Goulburn youngster Tom Toparis had been inside the top ten in the morning session but on combined times this afternoon the 18-year-old slipped to 14th. Still a highly creditable results in the 24-rider field. We spoke to him at the end of proceedings today and that interview can be found at this link.
Tom Toparis – GeeBee Image
WorldSBK Testing Phillip Island
Day One Combined Times / Best Speeds
Alvaro Bautista – Ducati 1m30.743 – 314.9 km/h
Alex Lowes – Yamaha 1m31.146 – 308.6 km/h
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 1m31.189 – 308.6 km/h
Tom Sykes – BMW 1m31.300 – 303.4 km/h
Leon Haslam – Kawasaki 1m31.399 – 308.6 km/h
Marco Melandri – Yamaha 1m31.445 – 314 km/h
Michael VanderMark – Yam 1m31.458 – 304.2 km/h
Sandro Cortese – Yamaha 1m31.639 – 304.2 km/h
Markus Reiterberger – BMW 1m31.992 – 300.0 km/h
Toprak Razgatlioglu – Kaw 1m32.050 – 302.5 km/h
Leon Camier – Honda 1m32.459 – 307.7 km/h
Jordi Torres – Kawasaki 1m32.670 – 300.0 km/h
Chaz Davies – Ducati 1m32.706 – 313 km/h
Leandro Mercado – Kaw 1m32.789 – 300.8 km/h
Eugene Laverty – Ducati 1m32.797 – 305.1 km/h
Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda 1m32.962 – 306.8 km/h
Michael Rinaldi – Ducati 1m33.402 – 307.7 km/h
A Delbianco – Hon 1m33.949 – 292.7 km/h
Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m34.961 – 295.1 km/h
WorldSSP – Combined Practice Times
KRUMMENACHER Randy SUI Yamaha 1’33.820
CARICASULO Federico ITA Yamaha 1’33.882 +0.062
CLUZEL Jules FRA Yamaha 1’34.198 +.378
MAHIAS Lucas FRA Kawasaki 1’34.222 +0.402
DE ROSA Raffaele ITA MV Agusta 1’34.293 +0.473
OKUBO Hikari JPN Kawasaki 1’34.584 +0.764
BARBERA Hector ESP Yamaha 1’34.751 +0.931
GRADINGER Thomas AUT Yamaha 1’34.753 +0.933
PEROLARI Corentin FRA Yamaha 1’34.850 +1.030
VINALES Isaac ESP Yamaha 1’35.369 +1.549
SOOMER Hannes EST Honda 1’35.516 +1.696
SEBESTYEN Peter HUN CIA Honda 1’35.581 +1.761
CRESSON Loris BEL Yamaha 1’35.588 +1.768
TOPARIS Tom AUS Landbridge Transport Yamaha 1’35.690 +1.870
FULIGNI Federico ITA MV AGUSTA 1’35.762 +1.942
BADOVINI Ayrton ITA Kawasaki 1’35.974 +2.154
VAN SIKKELERUS Jaimie NED Honda 1’36.150 +2.330
HERRERA Maria ESP Yamaha 1’36.214 +2.394
DANILO Jules FRA Honda 1’36.421 +2.601
RUIU Gabriele ITA Honda 1’36.569 +2.749
COPPOLA Alfonso ITA Honda 1’36.629 +2.809
CALERO Nacho ESP Kawasaki 1’36.647 +2.827
HARTOG Rob NED Kawasaki 1’37.043 +3.223
VAN STRAALEN Glenn NED Kawasaki 1’37.273 +3.453
WorldSSP – Free Practice 2 Times / Speeds
F Caricasulo (ITA) Yamaha 1’33.882 – 272.7 km/h
R Krummenacher (SUI) Yam 1’34.226 +0.346 – 266.7 km/h
R De Rosa (ITA) MV Agusta 1’34.293 +0.411 – 270.0 km/h
J Cluzel (FRA) Yamaha 1’34.539 +0.657 – 266.0 km/h
H Okubo (JPN) Kawasaki 1’34.584 +0.702 – 272.0 km/h
L Mahias (FRA) Kawasaki 1’34.807 +0.925 – 270.0 km/h
I Vinales (ESP) Yamaha 1’35.369 +1.457 – 268 km/h
C Perolari (FRA) Yamaha 1’35.695 +1.814 – 264.7 km/h
T Toparis (AUS) Yamaha 1’35.725 +1.843 – 262.1 km/h
A Badovini (ITA) Kawasaki 1’35.974 +2.002 – 256.5 km/h
H Soomer (EST) Honda 1’36.305 +2.423 – 260.9 km/h
F Fuligni (ITA) MV Agusta 1’36.313 +2.431 – 264.7 km/h
L Cresson (BEL) Yamaha 1’36.313 +2.431 – 272 km/h
P Sebestyen (HUN) Honda 1’36.331 +2.449 – 265.4 km/h
H Barbera (ESP) Yamaha 1’36.636 +2.754 – 265.4 km/h
WorldSBK Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Event Schedule, 22 – 24 February 2019
FIM Track Safety Inspection
Safety Car TestTrack closed
All 1st Time RidersRiders Briefing
All ClassesTyre Stickers DistributionTechnical Bay
Tom Toparis talks Phillip Island Official WSBK Test Day 1
With Mark Bracks – Images by GeeBee
Tom Toparis kicked off Day 1 of the official Phillip Island WorldSBK Test today, setting the ninth fastest time in the initial session of the day, before finishing the day 14th overall on the combined timesheets.
Setting a final best of 1m35.690s on the Lambridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6, Toparis was still coming to terms today with the additional power of the World Supersport spec’ machine, and the difference that makes compared to riding the Australian Supersport machinery. He will compete on both bikes in the double-header WorldSBK and ASBK season opener this weekend at Phillip Island.
Tom Toparis
We caught up with Tom Toparis on the conclusion of Day 1 of the Official Test to see how we was progressing.
Tom Toparis Interview
MCNews.com.au: Tom Toparis talk us through your day, you ended up 14th fastest?
Tom Toparis: “I don’t know where I ended up actually, we didn’t finish the session. It wasn’t a bad day, just struggled a little bit with overall grip on every corner. If we sort that out, I think that I will be a lot faster. I was following a lot of the fast guys, and the place I was losing time was on similar corners.
“If we can sort out the issues we’re trying to fix… tomorrow we have Adrian [Monty] coming so hopefully he can come up with something. Hopefully we can just sort that little bit in every turn and obviously hope for a big gain. The bike feels OK and the conditions are obviously good as everyone’s going quite fast. We still have a bit of work to do and I know we can go a lot faster than we did today.”
Tom Toparis
MCNews.com.au: What’s your speed like compared to the others when you’re in a slipstream?
Tom Toparis: “I haven’t looked at the actual times, in the first session I think I was just under 10km/h off, but that was with different gearing, now we’ve gone longer with the gearing, so it should be closer. And in a tow and everything you don’t know where everyone is at.
“I don’t think I’ve been passed in the straight yet, not that I’ve been riding with anyone particularly. I think the bike is pretty much there, in terms of power… there’s no real excuses from my side.”
Tom Toparis
MCNews.com.au: What is it like with the new gearbox?
Tom Toparis: “It’s not been a problem so far, I think when I mix it with the Aussie stuff – hopefully I don’t make too many mistakes. Basically it’s just one extra gear going into first into MG and Honda. It’s a little bit different through the Hayshed, but we still haven’t actually sorted out what we want to do yet.
“In the Hayshed… it’s just a close ratio, so it’s definitely different, going back five gears into Honda. So it’s a lot of work to do and I’m getting used to it. Tomorrow if everything goes our way, I think we’ll be able to get into the 1:34s I hope.”
Tom Toparis – GeeBee Image
MCNews.com.au: Has today refocused your ambition for the weekend?
Tom Toparis: “Not really, you know I really want to win the Aussie stuff straight away – that has to happen, but Sam and the guys are trying so hard to do well in the Worlds, I really want to do as good as I can.
“Obviously Aiden did really well when he was on the same motors – he was on the same motors as I’ve got, so if I can do something like he did on these motors, then I’ll be very happy. Still a little bit of work to do in certain places, but overall the bike is not too bad.
“I just want the bike to feel like it did the other day, when I was here on the Aussie bike. Just that little bit more power is upsetting me through the long corners with grip, at the moment, that’s pretty much the issue we’re having, but if we can get around that we’ll be sweet.”
MCNews.com.au: So you notice a big different in power from the [Australian] Supersport?
Tom Toparis: “Yep, it’s just that little bit everywhere. If you had an Aussie bike in there you could get away with it, but just that little bit extra power over an entire lap, that extra couple of km average across an entire lap, at the end of the lap it ends up being a second or two faster, so it’s definitely a different bike.
“We’re still trying to get comfortable. This weekend we have some new parts, new handlebars and rear sets and whatnot, so just trying to get comfortable with that. I think it’ll be alright.”
MCNews.com.au: The tyre you were using, is that new?
Tom Toparis: “Yep new tyre, same tyre, same compound as the Aussie one (190), but different carcass, because last year they had issues, people were blowing them up last year. So Pirelli made the same tyre with a much stiffer carcass, and the same compound.
“It’s not a lot different, but over the race distance it should be better, you would think – in theory. We didn’t use a lot of tyres today, so tomorrow hopefully I can come up with something, and see if we can do some good times.”
MCNews.com.au: Thanks!
Tom Toparis: “Cheers.”
WorldSSP – Combined Practice Times
KRUMMENACHER Randy SUI Yamaha 1’33.820
CARICASULO Federico ITA Yamaha 1’33.882 +0.062
CLUZEL Jules FRA Yamaha 1’34.198 +.378
MAHIAS Lucas FRA Kawasaki 1’34.222 +0.402
DE ROSA Raffaele ITA MV Agusta 1’34.293 +0.473
OKUBO Hikari JPN Kawasaki 1’34.584 +0.764
BARBERA Hector ESP Yamaha 1’34.751 +0.931
GRADINGER Thomas AUT Yamaha 1’34.753 +0.933
PEROLARI Corentin FRA Yamaha 1’34.850 +1.030
VINALES Isaac ESP Yamaha 1’35.369 +1.549
SOOMER Hannes EST Honda 1’35.516 +1.696
SEBESTYEN Peter HUN CIA Honda 1’35.581 +1.761
CRESSON Loris BEL Yamaha 1’35.588 +1.768
TOPARIS Tom AUS Landbridge Transport Yamaha 1’35.690 +1.870
FULIGNI Federico ITA MV AGUSTA 1’35.762 +1.942
BADOVINI Ayrton ITA Kawasaki 1’35.974 +2.154
VAN SIKKELERUS Jaimie NED Honda 1’36.150 +2.330
HERRERA Maria ESP Yamaha 1’36.214 +2.394
DANILO Jules FRA Honda 1’36.421 +2.601
RUIU Gabriele ITA Honda 1’36.569 +2.749
COPPOLA Alfonso ITA Honda 1’36.629 +2.809
CALERO Nacho ESP Kawasaki 1’36.647 +2.827
HARTOG Rob NED Kawasaki 1’37.043 +3.223
VAN STRAALEN Glenn NED Kawasaki 1’37.273 +3.453
WorldSSP – Free Practice 1 Times / Speeds
F Caricasulo (ITA) Yamaha 1’33.882 – 272.7 km/h
R Krummenacher (SUI) Yam 1’34.226 +0.346 – 266.7 km/h
R De Rosa (ITA) MV Agusta 1’34.293 +0.411 – 270.0 km/h
J Cluzel (FRA) Yamaha 1’34.539 +0.657 – 266.0 km/h
H Okubo (JPN) Kawasaki 1’34.584 +0.702 – 272.0 km/h
L Mahias (FRA) Kawasaki 1’34.807 +0.925 – 270.0 km/h
I Vinales (ESP) Yamaha 1’35.369 +1.457 – 268 km/h
C Perolari (FRA) Yamaha 1’35.695 +1.814 – 264.7 km/h
T Toparis (AUS) Yamaha 1’35.725 +1.843 – 262.1 km/h
A Badovini (ITA) Kawasaki 1’35.974 +2.002 – 256.5 km/h
H Soomer (EST) Honda 1’36.305 +2.423 – 260.9 km/h
F Fuligni (ITA) MV Agusta 1’36.313 +2.431 – 264.7 km/h
L Cresson (BEL) Yamaha 1’36.313 +2.431 – 272 km/h
P Sebestyen (HUN) Honda 1’36.331 +2.449 – 265.4 km/h
H Barbera (ESP) Yamaha 1’36.636 +2.754 – 265.4 km/h
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