Image: Foremost Media.

Following his second Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) appearance at The Bend, MotoGP contender Jack Miller will assess his options to make a future cameo appearance in the series, in line with his transfer to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing from 2023.

Miller made a popular showing on the grid for last year’s ASBK at the South Australian venue, Ducati-mounted with support from DesmoSport Ducati, qualifying second and finishing third in race two.

He returned for the event this year, again on a V4 R but this time with his own Thriller Motorsport outfit, qualifying second once more before suffering a technical issue in race one that ruled him out. The North Queenslander rebounded in race two to grab the early lead, ultimately completing what was a thrilling encounter in P4, within striking distance of the podium.

Being contracted to the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP for the last two seasons enabled Miller to contest the final round of ASBK on each occasion equipped with the V4 R. Making the move to KTM from next year, a limiting factor for Miller in his bid to make a future ASBK cameo appearance is that the brand does not have a contemporary machine that is homologated and able to compete in the domestic superbike class.

The Austrian manufacturer would have to release and homologate such a platform, or, Miller will have to negotiate a clause to allow him to ride another manufacturer if he is to make a highly sought-after return to ASBK.

“It was awesome to be back, I don’t feel like I belong up here [parc ferme following race two], the other boys rode better than me today,” Miller recalled. “An amazing turnout again this year, a lot more boys, a lot more speed and it made me work.

“I had a lot of fun, awesome to see everyone back again so I don’t know what we are going to do about a motorcycle for next year, but we will have to try and find one or try to get something put in the contract to make sure I am able to come back, because I love it here so much.”

The Bend marked Miller’s last competitive outing onboard a Ducati in this phase of his career, with the Australian to now enjoy the MotoGP off-season before testing onboard the RC 16 resumes in February at Sepang.