Image: Foremost Media.

Stop & Seal Racing’s Tom Toparis has emerged as the Supersport overall winner after splitting race wins with teammate Archie McDonald (Stop & Seal Racing), his pole position point granting him the top spot at Queensland Raceway’s third round of the 2024 Mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) was first around turn one in the opening Supersport encounter ahead of a chaotic first lap. Pole-sitter Tom Toparis (Stop & Seal Racing) dropped down the field as Archie McDonald (stop & Seal Racing) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha) traded positions for the lead, while Jack Mahaffy (Yamaha) and points leader JJ Nahlous (Yamaha) both crashed out in separate incidents.

McDonald attempted a brave for the lead on Bramich on lap four, making contact with the number 44 while being lucky to escape without going down. The duo would trade places for the lead multiple times again before McDonald made it stick on lap eight, meanwhile, Toparis had latched back onto the lead group.

Multi-time champion Toparis bided his time behind teammate McDonald, ultimately making the pass for the lead with a lap to before charging home to victory, setting a new Supersport race lap record of 1m10.596s.

McDonald and Bramich were second and third respectively, followed by Farnsworth and Brandon Demmery (Kawasaki). The top 10 was completed by Olly Simpson (Yamaha), Glenn Nelson (Yamaha), Jack Favelle (Yamaha), Jacob Hatch (Kawasaki), and Sam Pezzetta (Yamaha).

It was just as dramatic a start in race two, this time with Farnsworth crashing at turn one on the opening lap, forcing Bramich into gravel and denying him of a podium chance.

McDonald took the lead as Toparis once again dropped back, although he was able to work his way back to P2. It was too little too late for Toparis, as an untimely red flag on lap 12 – the result of a Mahaffy crash at the final turn – saw the race declared, crediting McDonald with the win ahead of Toparis and Simpson.

Corey Turner (Stop & Seal Racing) and Nahlous rounded out the top five, followed by Hatch, Demmery, Hayden Nelson (Kawasaki), Glenn Nelson, and Favelle. Toparis was granted the overall after picking a point for pole position ahead of McDonald and Simpson, as Nahlous still leads the championship with a 27-point advantage.

Kawasaki-mounted Josh Newman emerged as the overall Supersport 300 winner ahead of Harrison Watts (Kawasaki) and Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) – the trio enjoying a race win each – as Hunter Corney (Yamaha), Connor Lewis (Yamaha), and Rossi McAdam (Yamaha) made up the Oceania Junior Cup podium.

The ASBK championship returns on July 12 at Morgan Park in Queensland.

Detailed results