Welcome to a new edition of Cycle Central, presented by Alpinestars, covering off hot topics in Aussie racing circles and beyond.

Source: MotoGP

Miller’s Moto3 double
The talking point in Australian road racing circles this week is undoubtedly the stellar win of our own Jack Miller, who mastered the Austin, Texas circuit to claim both pole and a race win in the Moto3 class.

It is, of course, his second win in a row after also starring at Qatar, and with two rounds down he must certainly be considered a title favourite.

It’s not only a reward for Jack’s own hard work, and indeed his family’s efforts to progress his career, it’s also a light on the horizon for domestic racers who in years past may have felt the goal of racing successfully in a world championship was becoming more and more fleeting.

It’s also a testament to those that invest their time and money into the development of junior racers. The formula, it seems, is working well. Lets hope for more success stories like Miller in the coming years.

And speaking of Jack, we’ve been able to grab some time out of his schedule post grand prix and will be having an exclusive chat with him for tomorrow’s latest Race Recap. Keep an eye out for that one!

Nightmare start for Lorenzo
If any rider in the world championship would want to put his hand up to restart his season, it would be Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo. The man most likely to challenge Marc Marquez for the MotoGP title has had two straight shockers.

His crash in Qatar was costly, the result of stepping past the limits his bike would allow in the searing hot pace at the front. But his jump start in Austin was just bizarre. We’ve become accustomed to a technically perfect rider with razor sharp focus, so such a mistake is amplified even more.

It’s a credit that he pushed forth and salvaged some points, probably saving himself a tough race anyway given the trauma that the tyres of teammate Valentino Rossi suffered.

One thing is for certain, there’s few sights more amazing to watch than a determined Lorenzo. The next few GPs will be pivotal, and without a doubt the long-running rivalry between the top factory Hondas and Yamahas will soon re-ignite.

Mallala in motion
Activity is already ramping up at the circuit on Adelaide’s outskirts in preparation for the second round of the Swann Series. Testing here, for the teams that have the resources, is a must-do, with no national competition held at Mallala for a number of years.

Yamaha’s factory effort is currently on track for the second day of their two-day test, with Team Honda scheduled for their own hit-out for the start of May. Various ride days will offer opportunities for other riders to get in some valuable track time ahead of the event which will take place on the weekend of 17-18 May.

Source: BSB.

BSB bursts into life
There’s less than 48 hours until the British Superbike Championship officially gets underway for 2014, with Brands Hatch to host the opener for the Easter Weekend.

With capacity grids across the board, the series is as healthy as ever, and we’ve got a good reason to follow extra closely with three Aussies in the mix.

For Josh Brookes, the assignment is clear – stop Shane Byrne in his tracks. The Milwaukee Yamaha R1 is a new machine for Brookes, but he has all the experience required to challenge from the get-go.

For Josh Waters, it’s a season of mixed objectives. He will build upon the experience he gained last year and in the process, be aiming to move his Tyco Suzuki up the order. It’s an exciting prospect to see Josh back on a well-sorted GSX-R1000, we wish him the best of luck.

A season of tough World Supersport competition under his belt should help Mitchell Carr no end as he looks to stir things up on the Anvil TAG Kawasaki. With a potent ZX-10R at his disposal, Carr is sure to impress.

With some solid testing time under his belt, his main assignment, much like Waters in 2013, will be to learn the circuits as quickly as possible.

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