More, from a press release issued by ASBK:
Jones continues mid-season ASBK blitz at Morgan Park
Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones has continued his mid-season purple patch at round four of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul (ASBK), at Morgan Park Raceway.
The Queenslander was the Sunday supremo yet again, winning both races to claim the overall Alpinestars Superbike honours on his Yamaha YZF-R1 ahead of polesitter Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), championship leader Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Penrite Racing Yamaha duo Cameron Dunker and Max Stauffer.
It was his second maximum-point haul in succession this season and his fourth and fifth victories at Morgan Park in ASBK Championship mode, where his speed, temperament and metronomic consistency are a perfect fit for a circuit which can throw massive curve balls at the unsuspecting.
The dominant performance has also given the 30-year-old’s 2024 championship aspirations a massive boost. He’s now on 162.5pts, only 17 behind Waters ahead of round five at Phillip Island on September 7-8. Jones’ teammate Cru Halliday is third on 145pts.
“It’s great to get two wins, which is super critical for the championship,” said Jones. “Both races were super hard, and most importantly I was able to pull back on a few points on Josh.
“The Yamaha worked a treat, in what was basically the same setup I used last year although the track and weather conditions have been a lot different this time around.
“Tough racing today, and I’m just pleased to take the wins.”
Alpinestars Superbike race one
Despite feeling stiff and sore after a huge crash in qualifying, Stauffer came out all guns blazing in the opening 14-lap Alpinestars Superbike race, setting the fastest lap and keeping his Yamaha at the sharp end of the pack for most of the journey.
Jones was glued to his bumper the whole way, though, before making his move on lap 10 – around the same time as Stauffer’s battered body started to cry enough.
Pearson then pushed Stauffer back to third two laps later, and that was the podium locked in for the opener with Waters in fourth from the fast-finishing Dunker, Halliday, Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – on his spare bike after also crashing hard in qualifying – and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha).
There were two DNFs, with veteran Bryan Staring one of them after a bingle on lap three left behind a very second-hand MotoGo Yamaha.
Alpinestars Superbike race two
Staring didn’t front the starter for race two, which began in a similar vein to the opener as Stauffer nailed the start with Pearson and Jones in tow.
On lap nine both Jones and Pearson passed Stauffer, who would slip further back to finish seventh.
However, all signs were pointing to a box-office battle for the win, and that’s how it panned out. Pearson passed Jones at turn one on the second last lap and, just when a maiden Superbike victory was in sight, he lost traction exiting turn four on the final circuit – an opportunity to reclaim the ascendancy that a wily customer like Jones wasn’t going to leave begging.
Pearson didn’t wave the white flag, though, and Jones’ final winning margin was just 0.044 seconds as they flashed across Morgan Park’s short front straight.
Only a few laps earlier, Waters looked like making it a three-way scrap for the win before he settled for third – with preservation firmly at the forefront of his mind as he heads to Japan next weekend to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours world endurance race which will also feature West and Stauffer.
Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) was an excellent fourth after being shunted off the track in race one, ahead of Dunker, Halliday, Stauffer and West.
Allerton crashed on lap five but remounted to finish 14th.
