It may only be a two round series for this year’s ASBK championship, but don’t let that fool you. It will still throw up some close and entertaining action as the grand finale marches into Phillip Island this weekend.

Yep, that’s right, Phillip Island… And being July, the weather is a big question mark. So that’s another factor which might throw a spanner into the works.

Dynotech Pirelli BMW’s Glenn Allerton trotted off and won Queensland’s lone race by 2.979s beating local boy Mike Jones (Crazy Dogs Kawasaki /XXX Rated Suspension) and Mathew Harding (K&R Hydraulics/ Kawasaki Connection), with Phil Lovett (Cessnock KTM/Lovetts Earthmoving/Central Coast Harley Davidson) in fourth position.

With Jones and Harding not riding this weekend, Allerton, who finished with a 2-1 at last year’s ASBK round is sure to be the early favourite to ride off into the sunset with another title under his belt. Lovett will still be putting the pressure on, however.

Apart from Lovett, a few serious attacks will his way from his teammate, Ben Nicolson, who finds himself lying in fifth and just maybe his former teammate in Linden Magee who has set up his own race team, LMR riding aboard a HP4.

Another fast man who could be a menace is our very own 2011 European Superstock 600 champion, Jed Metcher, on the number 91 Batteries North Race Center ZX10R who will make his racing return since hurting himself.

Phillip Island throws up some spectacular racing, and if it rains this weekends, which it is forecasted for, it will throw the bookies into overdrive! So watch this space.

The Supersport class, well, do I really need to say anymore? All I can say is, expect fireworks! While Caterpillar/YRD’s Daniel Falzon is the man to catch and is the championship leader after a ripper weekend in the Sunshine State, expect to the likes of Aiden Wagner (Wagner Soil Testing/YRD), Luke Burgess, Hudson Pitt, and Ryan Taylor (Motul/Pirelli/YRD) to be right up there giving Falzon a run for his money.

Just nine points is the difference between Falzon and Wagner, so expect that little fight to be well and truly alive come race one this Sunday. Don’t count out Michael Blair, who will also be having his first race back since injuring himself as well this year in February.

Allerton is once again paying the short odds to clean up in the EVO class as he did in Queensland. Making his come back to racing this weekend will be Victorian’s Chas Hern. Hern, 31, seems to always go very well at the island, but the strange thing is, he doesn’t really like the circuit.

In the Moto3/125, 11 hard chargers will line up on the grid and go toe to toe. Tayla Relph will be hoping she can deliver the goods on her A1 Race paints/Fibrezone Composites/Race Art Aus/SIN Eyewear Honda NSF250, or as she calls it, ‘Rex’, to try and bring home the title to become the first female to win the Moto3 championship.

Relph leads the championship with 72 points, just one point ahead of Bullet Racing’s Lachlan Kavney, while making it a Queenslander 1-2-3 is Callum Barker, who is two points behind Relph. Just to make it even better as well, Ted Collins (Magnum Welders/Arai/Ricondi/Spikes lunchtime Engineering) is just four points behind Relph! This championship will go down to the wire.

Watch out for the 300/250 Production class as once again it will be standing room only as the boys and the girls take to the grid and lock horns and battle it out for supremacy.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Circuit location

RMB 500GP Back Beach Rd, Phillip Island, VIC

Circuit facts
Length: 4.445km
Turns: 12
Superbike lap record: 1m32.316 (Wayne Maxwell, 2009)
Supersport lap record: 1m35.200 (Bryan Staring, 2009)

Event entry

Single day ticket: $15 per adult; $10 per child (12-16 years old); $10 per concession card holder; $40 per family (2 adults, 2 children)
Weekend tickets: $30 per adult; $20 per child (12-16 years old); $20 per concession card holder; $80 per family (2 adults, 2 children)

Schedule

Saturday:
0910-0930 Production Practice 20 mins
0935-0955 EVO Unlimited Senior Practice 20 mins
1000-1030 Supersport Practice 30 mins
1035-1055 Moto3/125GP Practice 20 mins
1100-1130 Superbike Practice 30 mins
1140-1200 Production Qualifying 20 mins
1205-1225 EVO Unlimited Senior Qualifying 20 mins
1230-1250 Supersport Qualifying 1 20 mins
Lunch
1320-1340 Moto3/125GP Qualifying 20 mins
1345-1405 Superbike Qualifying 1 20 mins
1410-1430 Production Race 1 Six laps
1435-1455 EVO Unlimited Senior Race 1 8 laps
1500-1520 Supersport Qualifying 2 20 mins
1525-1545 Superbike Qualifying 2 20 minis
1550-1610 Moto3/125GP Race 1 8 laps
1615-1625 Supersport Superpole 10 mins
1630-1640 Superbike Superspole 10 mins

Sunday:
0915-0925 Production Warm Up 10 mins
0930-0940 EVO Unlimited Warm Up 10 mins
0945-0955 Supersport Warm Up 10 mins
1000-1010 Moto3/125GP Warm Up 10 mins
1015-1025 Superbike Warm Up 10 mins
1035-1055 Production Race 2 6 laps
1100-1120 Evo Unlimited Senior Race 2 8 laps
1122-1200 Supersport Race 1 12 laps
1205-1225 Moto3/125GP Race 2 8 laps
1230-1305 Superbike Race 1 12 laps
Lunch Break 25 mins
1330-1350 Production Race 3 6 laps
1355-1415 EVO Unlimited Senior Race 3 8 laps
1420-1455 Supersport Race 2 12 laps
1500-1520 Moto3/125GP 8 laps
1525-1600 Superbike Race 2 12 laps

Entry lists
Superbike:
Phil Czaj
Nick Marsh
Glenn Allerton
Ben Nicolson
Ryan Lawes
Phil Lovett
Stephen Mion
Richard Ellis
Linden Magee
Paul Dutton
Chris Deckert
Kym Grosser
Adam Senior
Chris Perini
Jed Metcher
Josh Cuming

Supersport:
Daniel Falzon
David Barker
Callum Alderson
Chris Gallagher
Sam Lambert
Patrick Li
Kane Burns
Aiden Wagner
Chris Early
Matthew Davies
Joshua Leonard
Justin DiGiandomenico
Ryan Taylor
Luke Burgess
Hudson Pitt
Brenton Hyde
Mitch Levy
Cam Russell
Michael Blair
Chris Quinn
Kieran Maher
Adrian DiGiandomenico
Aaron Linham
Anthony Nicolo

EVO Unlimited:
Max Jordan
Nick Marsh
Glenn Allerton
Ben Nicolson
Ryan Lawes
Phil Lovett
Chris Edmunds
Chas Hern
Greg Stevens
Linden Magee
Richard Ellis
David Trotter –
Max Crocker
Chris Deckert
Paul Dutton
Kym Grosser
Ryan Taylor
Andrew Ord
Richard Cannatelli
Shane McKenzie
Chris Perini
Greg Epis
Josh Cuming
Mark McHenry

Moto3/125cc:
Callum Barker
Sarah Fairbrother
Matt Barton
Tayla Relph
Ted Collins
Tom Bramich
Benjamin Leonard
Lachlan Kavney
Lachlan Epis
Chris Boulton
Josh Mercieca

250/300 Production:
Harrick Simons
Kagan Simons
Tom Bramich
Luke Sanders
Chris Gallagher
Helen Parker
Ross Lush
Grant Jordan
Greg Epis
Brian Bezzina
Craig White
Jack Gallagher
Tim Boujos
Melanie Crockford
Mark Ferrari
Adam Nicolson
Mitch Kavney
Lachlan Epis
Luke Davies
Jessica Derrin
Joshua McHenry
Tyler Ferrari

2014 ASBK calendar

Rd1 – 5-6 April – Queensland Raceway, QLD
Rd2 – 18-20 July – Phillip Island, VIC