Glenn Allerton will race this weekend’s Wakefield Park FX-Superbike event, opening the door for his team to qualify for the FX-Superbike 500 at the end of the year. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

There are two interesting factors coming up as the FX-Superbike series resumes at Wakefield Park this weekend in New South Wales. One; Glenn Allerton and his Next Gen Motorsports BMW team will be competing in order to assist them in gaining an entry in the FX-500 later this year. Two; Yamaha has confirmed it won’t be in that endurance event at all.

While Allerton and the Next Gen ASBK team aren’t certain starters at this stage while they finalise the required budget and structure to go racing, he will be using Wakefield Park’s Formula Oz round to get some points on the board and handy track time to go with them. From that point, he needs to ride another round in order to meet the eligibility process of racing two rounds.

This is where it gets tricky. After this weekend, it’s projected the only opportunity his Melbourne-based team has got to qualify for the FX-500 is if they travel all the way north to Queensland Raceway in August for the series’ fourth round.

Round five clashes with the ASBK finale at Phillip Island, while according to Allerton, the final round of Formula Oz on the same weekend as the FX-500 event will not be counted toward the tally. These factors could harm the event more than benefit it, which is possibly in part why it was recently made that touch simpler to gain an entry.

The Yamaha Racing Team have confirmed they will not be in the race for the FX-Superbike 500’s $100,000 prize. Image: Brian Dyer.

John Redding confirmed today that YRT won’t be in the FX-500 at all, but they will of course be there during that weekend to finish their Formula Oz and FX600 title campaigns.

When I asked if the chances of winning the $100,000 prize money for the winner could lure them to take a gamble in hope of recouping the cost, he said that’s not an option since their current rider contracts for 2013 state that riders retain all prize money won.

Redding pointed out that it is an expensive exercise for not much return as a factory team, while the riders would potentially reap all the rewards if they win. From that perspective, it makes sense. With such a big reward on offer to the winners, it’s expected that teams will require at least a percentage of the money and probably even the bulk of it in a lot of circumstances.

With 50 grid positions on offer, it will be interesting to see if the event gains the traction that ARTRP is hoping for. Will we actually see guest or expat riders return for it? Can the event attract the attention of mainstream press and a crowd to give the series organisers a return on investment? We will soon see, but they have until November to figure it out.

No matter what way you look at it, not having the factory Yamaha team – the main attraction of any FX event – involved is a huge stumbling block for the event in my opinion. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan though and builds momentum over the coming years. Australia deserves a landmark event to leverage from.

Over to Toby…

Mick Ronke’s passing will affect all levels of motorsport. Image: Border Mail.

Motorsport may be about machines, but it wouldn’t be possible without the people who stand by and support it. The passing of Mick Ronke this week is terribly tragic, and his loss will be felt by many. He contributed almost 50 years of his life, from the age of just 18, to making motorsport better for racers from all walks of life and all levels.

Winton is certainly a favourite circuit for many racers, but it wouldn’t be what it is today without the foresight of a man like Mick. He gave so much and stood firm in the interest in providing a top-quality facility, qualities he was able to apply as CEO of Wakefield Park and as a senior member of various motorsport organisations and governing bodies.

Australia’s permanent circuits haven’t had it easy in the past few decades, but Winton was and will continue to be safe in the hands of the Ronke family.

It will be interesting to see the battle resume in MotoGP this week at the start of the ‘European tour’. We were promised a completely level playing field at the brand new Austin GP a fortnight ago, and it was absolutely that…for the non-podium positions, that is. Jerez is neutral ground for the majority of teams. The bulk of testing is carried out here, and there’s not one inch of bitumen that riders wouldn’t know.

After a strong start, many were surprised that Rossi struggled in America, beaten comprehensively by both Cal Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl (who, incidentally, had tested there prior). Will he bounce back in Spain? He finished on the podium there in his last race on the Yamaha in 2010, but a repeat of that will be tough – he’ll need to find a way to defeat his clinical teammate, the rookie sensation and the Spanish rider who ‘says’ he has nothing to prove.

We’re in a for a good show, and of course we’re well represented across the board. Bryan Staring is making the progress he needs to, Ant West is punching well above the weight of his bike again and Jack Miller is making a name for himself, regularly running with the top five. Best of luck to them all and of course our countrymen racing BSB, also.