For the final time in 2023, the Mi-Bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championships would all be decided at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend. Twenty of SA’s own talented road race crew went up against Australia’s cream of the crop, resulting in a fantastic conclusion to the huge 2023 Championship. With a staggering 26 top-10 race finishes, countless podiums, and top series overall results, it’s safe to say that SA is producing an exceptionally high level of talent on the tarmac.
Championship positions came down to the barest of margins, and many historic on-track battles went down to the wire throughout the weekend, making it one for the ages. Before delving into the results and 2023 Championship overalls, let’s take a look at just some of the memorable moments from the weekend.
Dominance in the 2023 Michelin Supersport by SA
South Australia emerged as a dominant force in the 2023 Michelin Supersport class. Olly Simpson, Ty Lynch, and Dallas Skeer secured top positions in the Championship battle. Simpson’s consistent speed, translating from qualifying in the top 3 over both rounds to claiming victories in races 1 and 2, secured a second-place podium finish in the Championship, trailing Cameron Dunker’s lead by a mere 9 points. Lynch, despite an unfortunate crash in race 2, clinched third place in the Michelin Supersport Championship, with Skeer closely following in fourth place, trailing by 43 points.
2023 Oceania Junior Cup Deciders
The pressure was palpable heading into the weekend’s Oceania Junior Cup, with Archie Schmidt leading by just 1 point. Schmidt delivered an impressive performance, engaging in intense battles for first place and ultimately securing a weekend victory trifecta, claiming the overall Oceania Junior Cup for 2023. What an incredible achievement, especially considering this year marked his debut appearance in the series!
Rikki Henry was a consistent contender in the weekend’s OJC leading pack battles, displaying fantastic riding skills. He was able to walk away with podium results across all races, securing a third place in race 1 and achieving two second-place finishes in races 2 and 3. A great finish for the year!
We can’t overlook the journey both Rikki and Archie have undertaken to get to where they are now. Transitioning through and winning the bLU cRU SA Junior Cup, they are now excelling in the Oceania Junior Cup and internationally. Their achievements are a nod the immense development opportunities and benefits SA riders receive through the SA Junior Cup Program.
Catch up on the ASBK report on the Oceania Junior Cup – HERE.
Double Supersport 300 and Yamaha Finance R3 Cup ASBK Maiden Podiums
There aren’t many better ways to overshadow the highlight of a first ASBK podium, but Jordy Simpson certainly found one. He not only secured his first podium with a third-place finish in Race 2 of the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup but also continued the charge, clinching third place again in the Supersport 300 race 2. It’s great to see and definitely not the first time we’re going to see Jordy on the front row.
Davo’s Triumph in the 2023 Superbike Masters
Davo Johnson solidified his place in history at the 2023 Superbike Masters! Amidst a field of world-class talents including Gary McCoy and Troy Corser, he showcased his renowned riding skills, securing two first-place finishes in races 1 and 4 aboard his Suzuki GSXR. Despite facing challenges, such as a bike stall in race 2 that forced him to start from the last position, he impressively fought back to a fifth-place finish. At the wrap-up of the 2023 Superbike Masters Championship, Davo has now taken 5th overall, despite only racing 2 out of the 3 rounds.
Celebrating SA’s Round 7 Top 10 Achievements
On top of the podium results, SA celebrated countless top 10 overall results across the board! Before delving into the results, let’s take a quick look at the fantastic talents who achieved top 10 overall results for the final round: Arthur Sissis clinched 10th in the Alpine Stars Superbikes, while Declan Carberry secured 8th, and Mitch Simpson grabbed 10th in the Michelin Supersport. Additionally, Sam Pezzetta claimed 6th and 7th respectively in the Supersport 300 and Yamaha R3 Cup classes.
Stay tuned with our SA crew’s first hand experiences from round 7 and the overall Championship by following their social media channels:
Tara Morrison – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087208255688
Unitech Racing Team –https://www.facebook.com/ArthurSissis61RacingTeam
Arthur Sissis – https://www.facebook.com/arthursissis61
Sam Pezzetta – https://www.facebook.com/groups/168193281155722/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=831024528205924
Olly Simpson https://www.facebook.com/ollysimpsonracing
Dallas Skeer – https://www.facebook.com/DallasSkeerRacing
Ty Lynch – https://www.facebook.com/TyraLynchRacing
Michael Kemp – https://www.facebook.com/michaelkempracing
Dallas Skeer Racing – https://www.facebook.com/DallasSkeerRacing
Declan Carberry – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057635011292
Cooper Rowntree – https://www.facebook.com/CooperRowntree57
Brock Quinlan – https://www.facebook.com/brockquinlan87
Ryder Gilbert – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089634796268
Ghage Plowman – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553643668449
Davo Johnson – https://www.facebook.com/davojohnson20
Georgia Stephens – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082959693425
With the season wrapped up and celebrations underway, thoughts are already turning toward next year’s ASBK Championships. Keep an eye on the ASBK socials below as an exciting year is taking shape, with Morgan Park Raceway now joining Phillip Island (February 24-26), Sydney Motorsport Park (March 22-23), and Queensland Raceway (April 26-28) on the 2024 ASBK calendar. Further announcements are on their way very soon.
Get all the ASBK action –
WEBSITE; https://www.asbk.com.au/
SOCIALS; https://www.facebook.com/asbksuperbikes
RESULTS; https://www.computime.com.au/Default
SA rider’s round 7 results and Their final Mark for 2023 in the Mi-Bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul
| RACE 1 | RACE 2 | RACE 3 | ROUND OVERALL | 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL | ||
| ALPINE STARS SUPERBIKES | (after final round 7) | |||||
| Arthur Sissis | 12th | 9th | 10th | 9th | ||
| Michael Kemp | 14th | 11th | 11th | 13th | ||
| MICHELIN SUPERSPORT | (after final round 6) | |||||
| Olly Simpson | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | ||
| Ty Lynch | 4th | DNF | 11th | 3rd | ||
| Dallas Skeer | 7th | 6th | 5th | 4th | ||
| Declan Carberry | 10th | 11th | 8th | 14th | ||
| Mitch Simpson | 11th | 12th | 10th | 16th | ||
| Cooper Rowntree | 12th | 14th | 13th | 30th | ||
| 300 SUPERSPORT | (after final round 6) | |||||
| Sam Pezzetta | 10th | 5th | 7th | 6th | 8th | |
| Jordy Simpson | 7th | 3rd | DNF | 10th | 11th | |
| Tara Morrison | 11th | 22nd | 11th | 14th | 14th | |
| Ryder Gilbert | 15th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 18th | |
| Brock Quinlan | 20th | 15th | 15th | 17th | 21st | |
| Ghage Plowman | 18th | 16th | 17th | 19th | 29th | |
| Georgia Stephens | 23rd | 20th | 18th | 22nd | 33rd | |
| Jiabin Zhang | 19th | 19th | DNF | 24th | 34th | |
| Phoenix Agar | 25th | 21st | 20th | 25th | 35th | |
| OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP | 2023 OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP OVERALL | |||||
| Archie Schmidt | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| Rikki Henry | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 10th | |
| YAMAHA R3 CUP | (after final round 5) | |||||
| Sam Pezzetta | 8th | 5th | 7th | 7th | 6th | |
| Jordy Simpson | 5th | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 7th | |
| Ryder Gilbert | DNF | 11th | 12th | 14th | 14th | |
| Ghage Plowman | 13th | 14th | 15th | 13th | 21st | |
| Georgia Stephens | 14th | 15th | 16th | 15th | 22nd | |
| Phoenix Agar | 15th | 16th | 17th | 17th | 24th | |
| RACE 1 | RACE 2 | RACE 3 | Race 4 | OVERALL | |||
| SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS | (after final round 3) | ||||||
| Davo Johnson | 1st | 5th | DNF | 1st | 4th | 5th | |