Link International press release:

The DesmoSport Ducati team and Mike Jones clinched the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Sydney Motorsport Park in New South Wales on Sunday, 3 November, in a round that also saw recently-crowned Tom Toparis (Supersport), Senna Agius (Supersport 300), Hunter Ford (R3 Cup) and Carter Thompson (Oceania Junior Cup) establish themselves as this year’s champions.

Sydney, NSW, 8 November 2019 – Pirelli rider Mike Jones has claimed a second-career Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) after a thrilling final round at Sydney Motorsport Park, where the Queenslander won both races to secure the title for DesmoSport Ducati.

While it was Yamaha Racing Team’s Daniel Falzon who secured pole position at 1m30.039s, Jones’ 1m29.893s lap-time set in timed practice was the quickest of the entire weekend. However, he could only manage seventh position on the grid when it counted in qualifying, resulting in a third-row start.

The opening 13-lap affair saw Jones quickly slice his way through the field and go on to take victory by 0.341s over 2018 title-winner Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) and, as a result, the pair entered the final race of the season separated by just half a point. A titanic dual eventually saw Jones victorious again, this time by 1.050s to seal the round and championship.

Second position in race two saw Herfoss runner-up overall for the weekend and in the final standings as well, as 3-4 finishes were enough for Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar) to finish third overall in both the round and series. Pirelli-equipped riders filled the top five in points, with Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) fourth and Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) fifth.

The majority of Pirelli riders in the Superbike class chose the Diablo Superbike 125/70R17 NHS TL SC1 (552J) front tyre, combined with the Diablo Superbike 200/65R17 SC0 (551J) rear tyre option over the course of the weekend.

In Supersport it was new champion Tom Toparis (Yamaha) who captured pole position and both race wins to further stamp his authority on a remarkable 2019 campaign. He was joined on the round podium by World Supersport 300 Championship regular Tom Edwards (Yamaha) and Jack Passfield (Yamaha). In the series, Toparis topped Broc Pearson (Yamaha) and Nic Liminton (Yamaha).

Pirelli options primarily selected in the Supersport class were the Diablo Supercorsa SC 120/70ZR17 SC1 (R035) and Diablo Supercorsa SC 120/70ZR17 SC2 (R036) front tyres, paired with the Diablo Supercorsa SC V3 180/60R17 75V TL SC0 (098D) rear tyre in the races.

Winning the Supersport 300 finale was championship victor Senna Agius (Kawasaki) over Luke Jhonstone (Kawasaki) and Hunter Ford (Yamaha). Agius took the title by a single point from longtime leader Max Stauffer (Yamaha), who finished fourth at the final round.

The R3 Cup round was won by Zac Levy from Ford and John Lytras, with Ford sealing back-to-back titles. Both classes Pirelli saw racers use the Diablo Supercorsa SC 110/70ZR17 58W TL SC1 (U616) front and Diablo Supercorsa SC 140/70ZR17 66W TL SC2 (U617) rear tyre options.

It was Marianos Nikolis who rode to the top step of the podium in round six of the Oceania Junior Cup series, joined in second by Tom Drane and in third by Archie McDonald. The inaugural championship was won by Carter Thompson as he took seventh place in Sydney. Each rider used the Diablo Superbike 100/90-17 SC1 front and Diablo Superbike 120/70-17 SC2 rear control tyres.

“A hot and humid SMSP awaited the final round seven of the ASBK,” commented Pirelli product manager Garry Crilly. “With the high ambient and track temperatures, Pirelli competitors worked through compound options and settings to find correct options for qualifying and the races. Pirelli competitors were able to fill all race podiums in all classes and championships, which was an amazing result in such difficult conditions.

“Pirelli congratulate the 2019 ASBK championship winners Mike Jones, Tom Toparis, Senna Agius, Hunter Ford and Carter Thompson, plus we also thank every competitor who chose Pirelli product during the series – we greatly appreciate your support.

“Personally, I want to thank Dave Fuller, our Pirelli tech, as without his direction none of these results would be possible. Also, our service teams who have worked in all conditions at each round to ensure all our customers’ requirements are filled.”

Pirelli Motorcycle Tyres are imported and distributed exclusively in Australia by Link International. Visit www.linkint.com.au for additional information.