Jones closes in on ASBK Championship.
Mike Jones takes a 38-point lead into the final round of the 2022 Mi-Bike Insurance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) after a consistent performance at the penultimate round of the championship over the weekend.
In traditional Phillip Island conditions, Jones methodically worked his way through a hectic weekend at round six of the championship to bring his Yamaha home in fifth place to leave the Queenslander in a dominant position heading into the final round at Tailem Bend, this weekend.
Jones entered the Phillip Island round with a 29-point lead but with five races still to come, there was plenty of work to be done. He left with a 38-point lead despite facing many challenges over the weekend.
“The on-track results don’t look great, but on paper to increase my lead has been awesome and gives me a good points buffer leading into the final round of racing this weekend,” Jones said. “The conditions at Phillip Island were far from ideal and the first race was wet so that made it even more unpredictable.”
“I certainly didn’t ride that first race well as I saw Wayne go down in turn two and my whole mindset changed. I went very conservative and rode like I had something to lose rather than something to gain. I didn’t want to fall as that was so easy to do and just get some points to increase my margin. It wasn’t pretty but I got the job done.”
“Things were better in race two and three. Race two I was a bit passive in the opening laps and got shuffled back to ninth in the chaos. I got my head back in the game at about the halfway point and started to move forward and got to fifth, right on the back of third and fourth.”
“The third race and I was more aggressive in the early stages and fought much harder for track position. I again saw Wayne go down, but this time I thought I would keep pushing and I got into a good battle with Bryan Staring. Things got close a few times, but it kept me focused and to finish third was a good result and a positive way to end the weekend,” Jones ends.
It’s a quick turn around for the ASBK teams heading directly from Phillip Island to The Bend in South Australia for this weekends’ final round of the championship.
Mike Jones just need to keep a cool head to secure Yamaha’s first premier ASBK championship in 15 years.
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ASBK Championship Standings
- Mike Jones – 287
- Bryan Staring – 249
- Wayne Maxwell – 238
- Troy Herfoss – 217
- Glenn Allerton – 210
- Josh Waters – 200
- Arthur Sissis – 199
- Cru Halliday – 189
- Daniel Falzon – 134
- Anthony West – 126