Image: Foremost Media.

Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday opened the final round of the 2022 Mi-Bike Australian Championship (ASBK) as the only rider to drop into the 1m50s bracket, as Tom Bramich emerged on top in Supersport following free practice at The Bend.

Halliday’s fastest time of 1m50.969s was 0.153s clear of Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing Yamaha), the South Australian showing strong pace in each session to end the day P2.

Making it three R1’s inside the top three, championship leader Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) notched a 1m51.191s in FP3 for third, with Wayne Maxwell (Boost Mobile Ducati with K-Tech) the fastest Ducati in P4.

FP1 pace-sitter Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) posted 1m51.619s to end the day in fifth, ahead of Phillip Island winner Josh Waters (Boost Mobile Ducati with K-Tech) in sixth courtesy of a 1m51.819s.

Seventh was Next Gen Motorsports BMW’s Glenn Allerton, with Jack Miller (Thriller Motorsport) eighth, notably falling late in FP3 while on a hot lap which brought out the red flags as his bike was cleared from the track. Daniel Falzon (Caterpillar Yamaha) and Senna Agius (Penrite Honda Racing) completed the top 10.

Notably, Josh Hook (Thriller Motorsport) fell on the opening lap of FP2 due to a mechanical failure, injuring his wrist. It is understood he will seek medical advice and make a decision in the morning whether he will continue in the event.

Image: Foremost Media.

Phillip Island winner Bramich took the Friday Supersport honours, setting in a 1m56.182 in the closing stages of the third practice session to lead returning international Harrison Voight (Yamaha).

Voight’s best lap of a 1m56.403s came in FP2, which he topped, but was only marginally slower in FP3 when he notched a 1m56.410s.

Completing the top three was South Australian Ty Lynch (Yamaha), 0.960s from Bramich’s benchmark while Supersport newcomer Archie McDonald (Yamaha) was fourth, ahead of Dallas Skeer (Yamaha) in fifth with a 1m57.560s.

Championship leader John Lytras (Yamaha) was the final rider in the 1m57s bracket, finishing P6, as positions seven to 10 were completed by Scott Nicholson (Yamaha) – who suffered a fall in FP3 – Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha), Jack Passfield (Yamaha) and Rhys Belling (Yamaha).

In the R3 Cup, Cameron Dunker (Yamaha) posted a 2m10.675s to lead Friday’s practice from Hayden Nelson (Yamaha) and Marcus Hamod (Yamaha), as Ryan Larkin (Yamaha) set the standard in the Oceania Junior Cup (OJC), 1.439s clear of Hamod (Yamaha) as Teerin Fleming (Yamaha) rounded out the top three.

Supersport 300 saw Hayden Nelson (Yamaha) at the top of the charts, trailed by last year’s OJC champion Cameron Swain (Yamaha) and points leader Cameron Dunker (Yamaha).

Detailed results