Champion Jones earns his place in motorcycling folklore
2015 Australian Superbike Champion Mike Jones (Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Team) has spoken out after he clinched the title at the fourth and penultimate round at Symmons Plains.
Jones has an unassailable lead heading into the final round of the 2015 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli, which takes place at Phillip Island from 2-4 October.
Speaking in Tasmania after wrapping up the title, Jones said that the fact he is an ASBK champion is starting to sink in.
“Its fantastic to get the Australian Superbike Championship, I’ve certainly had a bit of time now to let it sink in, so it feels fantastic,” he said.
“Obviously it’s disappointing that the main competitor fell off in the race, which meant that I ended up with the championship because of that – and it’s certainly not how you want to win, but I came here, and did everything I possibly could to get the win.
“I won the pole, won both races, so maximised points and I certainly would have been in a good position to go to Phillip Island, but at the end of the day I’m very happy to get the Australian Superbike Championship win.”
Jones admitted that he couldn’t have achieved the status of champion without the incredible support of his team and support crew around him.
“We’ve been strong all weekend, and full credit goes to the Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Team, and all of the supporters who get basically get behind us and give me the quality equipment to do my job out there.
“It shows in the lap times, and from the get go, we have an advantage. We had a bit of a gap there in terms of the lap times, and we were able to hold that throughout the weekend, so it certainly makes it easier to get out there and get the wins.”
When asked what it meant to him to be in the top group of riders in the country Jones said it was a special feeling, and he is now looking forward to Phillip Island before planning a title defense.
“Winning the Australian Superbike Championship means a lot, it’s got a lot of meaning to it.
“For me, there’s only a handful of riders who can ride an Australian Superbike to their full potential, and this sort of proves that I’m one of those riders, and it means a lot to me.
“We’ll see what opportunities become available throughout the year but we’ll be looking to try and come back and get that number one plate next year for sure.”
To get your fill of reports, photos, results and more from round four in Tasmania, head to www.asbk.com.au.