What a weekend was Round Two of the ASBK at Sydney Motorsport Park, previously known as Eastern Creek! This round is always special as it’s the only night racing round in the series, adding extra excitement to the atmosphere. Heading into this round, I was sitting third in the championship. The goal was simple: stay consistent, keep a level head, have fun and keep adding points to the board!
Mum and I set off from Adelaide on Wednesday night after work, driving 1355km through the night and arriving at the track by Thursday evening. We set up the pit shed, signed in, got the bike scrutineered, and then picked up Dad and Cameron from the airport. Friday came quickly and, by 1pm, the first practice sessions were underway. The weather stayed dry for the first two practice sessions and qualifying, which was a bonus. After missing this round last year due to a collarbone injury (plates and screws went in that weekend, ouch!), I knew I was a little behind in track experience compared to some of the other riders.
Despite that, I managed to qualify ninth after the second qualifying session got cut short, which I was pretty happy with. My focus was on improving during the races.
Race 1 threw a curveball with heavy rain and with the new “one bike rule”; we had to rush to change it to wet tyres. I finished eighth, which wasn’t ideal, but I knew there were improvements we could make. After speaking with Steve Martin and Chris Vermeulen, who offered valuable advice, Dad and Cam worked on adjusting the suspension and bike set-up.
We decided to shorten the bike slightly to help it turn quicker on SMSP’s aggressive, flip-floppy layout. This adjustment made a huge difference! The bike felt much better and we put in stronger performances in the next two races. I finished seventh in Race 2 and fifth in Race 3 after a restart due to a big crash by another rider. These results secured me fifth overall for the round and bumped me up to second in the championship standings – I’m stoked with that!
And there’s more exciting news: Before Round Three of the ASBK in May, I have the incredible opportunity to head to Thailand to fly the AMCN flag and test ride a Ducati Panigale V4 at the world launch on the legendary Chang International Circuit. This is such an amazing chance to take my riding to the next level and experience one of the world’s most powerful superbikes. I can’t wait to feel the V4 engine on a track known for its technical corners and high-speed straights.
What makes this experience even more exciting is the chance to explore Thailand’s motorsport culture and immerse myself in a completely different racing environment.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the Panigale V4 handles this challenging track. I’ll be vlogging the whole trip, so you can join me on this adventure and get a first-person look at the Ducati crew, the testing sessions and my opinion of the V4.
This trip isn’t just about riding; it’s also about connecting with amazing people in the motorsport world and taking part in a unique experience. Whether it’s exploring the track or riding the Ducati, I’m excited for every moment of it.
Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to catch all the action, including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and plenty of high-speed moments on the Panigale V4. This is going to be a trip I’ll never forget, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!
It’s going to be a busy month ahead but I’m pumped to keep the momentum going, get more laps in and have some fun along the way!
