Dunlop Tyres press release:

Darwin’s fourth round of the 2017 Australian Superbike Championship saw Kawasaki BCperformance’s Robbie Bugden move within striking distance of the premier class series lead.

After qualifying in sixth position aboard his Dunlop-equipped ZX-10R, Bugden raced to a pair of fifth-place finishes in Sunday’s warm and challenging conditions to finish sixth overall.

Finishing ahead of multiple series rivals at Hidden Valley Raceway, the Queenslander now moves up to second in points, just 13 markers behind new series leader and defending champion Troy Herfoss.

Yamaha-mounted Cru Halliday wrapped up his Top End affair just two spots behind Bugden in the Superbike rankings. Using a 9-7 race score, the New South Wales racer finished seventh for the day in hot and challenging conditions.

In the Supersport category it was Triumph rider Mark Chiodo who claimed pole position with a new circuit best lap-time of 1m08.715s before running into issues in both races of the day.

Yamaha-mounted Supersport racer Sam Lambert finished just off the overall podium in fourth. After qualifying in fourth on Saturday, it was a strong and consistent round for the returning racer.

In the Moto3/125GP field Dunlop-backed racers also occupied first and third on the overall podium following three 10-lap races.

Topping the class was local youngster and Dunlop-equipped racer Joel Kelso followed by South Australia’s Dallas Skeer who rounded out the podium in third.

“It was a positive weekend for us in Darwin and we’re really excited to see Robbie move up the Superbike rankings in second position,” commented Dunlop national motorcycle manager Sebastian Mincone. “With Sam finishing just off the podium in Supersport and both Joel and Dallas on the podium in the Moto3/125GP category, we’re looking forward to a continued strong season as the focus turns to round five.”

The 2017 Australian Superbike Championship will resume now head to Morgan Park in Queensland on 25-27 August. Visit www.dunloptyres.com.au or find Dunlop Tyres Australia & New Zealand on Facebook and @ridedunlopau on Instagram for further information on the brand.