With the penultimate round 2015 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli one month away when the series reaches round four at Symmons Plains, Tasmania, on 4-6 September, CycleOnline.com.au evaluates the series so far.

Image: Andrew Gosling (tbgsport).

Q: Can anybody overcome Mike Jones in the race for the Superbike crown?

A: With a 29-point buffer over Daniel Falzon in the standings, Jones’ advantage is still within reach with two rounds remaining. The pair are by far the class of the ASBK field and at times have shown they are close by the level of Australasian Superbike (FX-ASC) title favourites Wayne Maxwell, Troy Herfoss and co. Even if Falzon does manage to start beating Jones on track (and that’s a big ask in itself), it will be harder to gain ground if they continue to go 1-2 in the races.

Q: How has the series been received in its ‘rebuilding’ phase?

A: It’s been positive for all involved from what we understand, but has flown under the radar of sorts – and this current layoff does nothing to help that (the last round held was Barbagallo way back in May). Marketing has been broad, branding very consistent, the official website informative enough, prize money helpful and Motorcycling Australia’s increased direct involvement under a new regime has largely been welcomed by those invested. Improvements can always be made with added experience and resources, but it’s on course to label it a positive campaign.

Q: Has the television coverage been worthwhile?

A: You could never say television – or any coverage for that matter – is a negative, but it does usually come at a vast expense at this level of competition. Sure, the competitors enjoy seeing themselves on track and the shows have been quality for the most part, however whether anybody has been able to actively leverage support from the programming and capitalise on it, I’m not certain. Is the ASBK only on TV because its rival series is? Could money best be spent elsewhere? Has it helped bring in new fans being on pay TV? Will it be enough to attract the factories moving forward? They are all legitimate questions. And for the record, all things aside, ideally at this point in time, we’d like to see motorcycle racing feature livestreaming of events online, packaged with a lifestyle-type program (think Supercars Life) for television. That way you get the live aspect (albeit not at the level of post-produced TV), while having a far more engaging TV package if it’s done correctly.

Q: If we could change one thing, what would it be?

A: The calendar. While building (or in this case, possibly rebuilding) relationships with circuits and piecing a schedule together is no easy task – especially first year in – two stops at Phillip Island (VIC) book-ending the season along with Morgan Park (QLD) , Barbagallo (WA) and Symmons Plains (TAS) in between, you would think has to be a compromise. Consistent breaks between rounds should be included and predictable without too much downtime to lose momentum (just enough for competitors to top up their budgets/savings) and have the calendar as accessible as possible for the bulk of competitors. States not on the eastern seaboard rightly deserve a spot on the calendar (possibly alternated between years as a cost-saver for now), but it needs to get back into New South Wales as well for obvious reasons.

Image: Andrew Gosling (tbgsport).

Q: What’s the ASBK’s biggest strength?

A: There are plenty of positives when you dig a little deeper into the organisation of the series, but for us there is no greater inclusion than the Racesafe Medical Team. Safety is of the highest standards, their expertise is world class and it is a real asset to have their extensive services on location at all rounds of the series.

Q: Where to from here?

A: MA needs to finish off the 2015 season strongly, continue to refine the processes in place, and then we can count on a stronger 2016 season (Morgan Park back on the schedule has already been announced, so plans are well underway). For the series to really take off they will need to attract the best riders and teams in the country (we have no true indication whether that will happen or not), continue to gain the respect and trust of the industry, and show us a consistent platform that stakeholders can depend upon in the long-term.

Q: Will CycleOnline.com.au cover the series closer in the future?

A: We have a coverage type that we refer to as ‘marquee events’ at Foremost Media, which we reserve for the most elite of series locally. On CycleOnline that goes to the FX-ASC, while on MotoOnline.com.au (our dirt bike site) it’s all about the MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship. Ideally, extending that level of coverage to more events is what we’d like to achieve (the Australian Off-Road Championship would be next in line), but right now we cover what we can and choose those series regarded by us as most beneficial (ie. where we will generate the most traffic). ASBK is still covered at the moment, but at a reduced rate when compared to the marquee events. Could the ASBK regain that status? That just depends on the entry lists and affordability of the calendar.