By Peter Cleeland
THE picturesque Phillip Island Auto Racing Circuit provided the venue for the commencement of the Victorian Road Racing Championships over the Australia Day long weekend. Preston Motorcycle Club presented a race program of 29 events that included the Australian F1 and F2 Sidecar Championship, the prestigious Hughie Hoare Supersport feature race, the Harvie Wiltshire Superbike event as well as a number of other supporting categories.
Riders were greeted with outstanding weather conditions commencing practice on Thursday and Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the race program kicked off on Saturday afternoon. There was no shortage of talent across the entry list as Aussie Josh Brookes of British Superbike and Isle of Man TT fame, Glen Allerton and Ant West both highly credentialled Australian Superbike riders took up the cudgels. In the 600 Supersport class young gun Tom Bramich on the Yamaha YZF R6 and Marcus Hamod on the Honda CBR-RR were setting a cracking pace in practice.
On Saturday afternoon the screaming 600 Supersports contested the Hughie Hoare feature race first up over 10 laps with Canberra based rider Marianos Nikolis riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 jostling with Tom Bramich and New South Welshman Hayden Nelson on a Kawasaki ZX6-R. The pace from the outset was electric as these three riders broke away from the field and frequently took turns in the lead. At the business end of proceedings Nikolis with a fastest lap of 1.35.399 seconds was able to assert his superiority to take out the Hughie Hoare from Bramich three seconds back and Nelson a further 10 seconds in arrears.
The Superbike race contested over 8 laps was an absolute humdinger between Glenn Allerton, Cameron Dunker and Joshua Brookes. Dunker on the Yamaha YZF-R1 took an early lead from Allerton (Ducati V4R) and Brookes riding a Honda CBR-RR however Cameron could not breakaway. Allerton seemed to be biding his time waiting for an opportunity to pounce which he did but at the chequered flag his slim margin was 0.195 seconds from Dunker who had set the fastest lap of the race trying to wrestle back the lead. Joshua Brookes was a further 3.246 seconds back in third.
Queenslanders, Corey and Daniel Turner on the Suzuki GSXR 1000 smashed the opposition to record a 21 second win in the first round of the Australian Sidecar Championship for F1 and f2 carts. Max and Sam Hutchesson from South Australia on a similar machine came in second with Terry Goldie and Matthew Johnston on the Honda LCR 600 filling out third place on the dias a further 6 seconds back. A special mention to the Horner duo, Michael and Katherine, who took 8th place in this event on the Irving Vincent P4 1300, a machine with a magical deep throaty note.
The second Supersport race was an absolute nail biter with Marianos Nikolis coming home with the chocolates by 0.242 seconds from Tom Bramich and Jake Farnsworth four seconds away in third. This race was an absolute thriller as the two leading contenders were at each other’s throats throughout the seventh lap event. While Bramich recorded the fastest lap time Nikolis was more consistent over the race distance.
To start Sunday’s jammed packed program the sidecars jetted off the line for their second race of the weekend with the Turner brothers showing an early ascendency. However, due to a blown motor on lap 3 the Turners gave way to Victorian pairing Jamie Crass and Lee Menzies on the Suzuki GSXR 1000 who had 3 seconds on the Hutchesson brothers also on a Suzuki with Goldie and Johnston a further 1.5 seconds back in third.
The top four riders in the Superbike class turned on a rip snorter of a contest in the second Superbike event on Sunday with Josh Brookes leading out on the Honda only to be hauled in and passed by Glenn Allerton (Ducati), Anthony West (Yamaha) and Cameron Dunker also on a Yamaha. Allerton was clearly showing his supremacy through extensive knowledge of the Island circuit.
Victorian Jack Mahaffy on his Yamaha YZF-R6 took over the lead from Marianos Nikolis with three laps to go and looked to have the second Supersport race of the weekend wrapped up. Bramich, too, also passed Nikolis who was losing grip as his tyres went off. In an astonishing effort on the last lap of this event Nikolis repassed Bramich and set his sights on hunting down Mahaffy only to fail by 0.183 seconds at the chequered flag.
Race three for Sidecars saw Jamie Crass and Lee Menzies from Victoria hold sway by 7.646 seconds from the Hutchesson brothers, while Michael Alton and David Rumble on a Suzuki LCR 600 came in third.
The main race for the weekend, the Harvey Wiltshire Superbike Feature event for Superbikes was an absolute rib tickler. This event was named after a member of the Preston Motorcycle Club who lost his life in the 1940’s and in honour of Harve’s memory his widow donated a trophy to be contested. The first event was held in 1951with Maurie Quincey winning the race. Famous motorcycle riders such as Ken Blake, Ron Toombs, Anthony Gobert and Robbie Phillis have also added their names to be winners list over time.
At the drop of the flag Josh Brookes led the field away with Allerton, Ant West and Cameron Dunker in hot pursuit. On lap 2 Allerton’s hopes of victory disappeared as he high sided at turn 2 and it looked as though Brookes, the perennial bridesmaid might score a victory as he built a slender lead from West and Dunker. But his was never to be as on the final lap Ant West pulled a brilliant passing manoeuvre to oust Brookes by 0.075seconds from the top step on the podium with Cameron Dunker 0.166 seconds back in third.
Jack Mahaffy scored a brilliant win in the final Supersport race slipping under the guard of Marianos Niklois at turn 5 (Siberia) where he threaded his Yamaha through a tiny gap pushing Nikolis wide on the exit of the corner. Nikolis’ Yamaha had a bent rim which impeded his progress with handling and grip issues. A 4.66 second gap separated first and second while Hayden Nelson on the Kawasaki ZX6R was a second back in third.
The last Superbike race followed in the same vein as the first three with the closest of racing with Cameron Dunker basically pinching the event from Josh Brookes by 0.152 seconds with Ant West 0.223 seconds away in third.
The Preston Motorcycle Club are to be congratulated on a professionally run, well organised event that produced safe, thrilling racing at the Island circuit which those spectators who entered for free were privileged to witness. The 2025 World Superbike Championship gets underway on February 18th-21st at Phillip Island and spectators are guaranteed a fantastic spectacle of first-class competition.
