FX-Superbikes by kaye martin

Content PUBLISHER AVE Pty Ltd EDITORS Terry O’Neill Greg Sita Matthew Swaab WRITERS Dennis Newlyn Richard Craill Will Hagon GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kaye Martin © COPYRIGHT 2012. No part of this publication may in any form or by any means be reproduced without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Material contained in Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012 is protected under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012 Locked Mail Bag 2002 Goulburn, NSW 2580 Ph: 02 4823 5711 / Fax: 02 4823 5744 Email: admin@formula-xtreme.com.au

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

05I

Welcome from Australian FX-Superbike

08I

Race Categories

22I

2012 Australian FX-Superbike Calendar & Race Tracks

26I

2011 Australian FX-Superbike Champions

44I

Yamaha Prize Giveaways

48I

On Any Sunday

Message from Terry O’Neill, Managing Director of the Australian FX-Superbike

10 Different Australian FX-Superbike Race Class

Includes Eastern Creek Raceway, Winton Motor Raceway, Wakefield Park Raceway, and Queensland Raceway

Interview with the champions from each Race Category for the 2011 Australian FX-Superbike Championship

5 Lucky winners of the new Yamaha YZ450

Image Gallery of all your favourite FX-Superbikes Events

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

Welcome from the Promoter

Terry O’Neill with the 2011 FX-Superike champion, Kevin Curtain Welcome to the first Australian FXSuperbike Championship (AFX-SBK) year book. This coffee table quality year book not only celebrates the success of the 2011 champions but takes the time to explain the basics of the various classes in the 2012 YMF Loan Yamaha sponsored AFXSBK Championship and how the year is shaping up. First up we would like to invite all stakeholders in the sport and industry alike to consider the many benefits of being involved in the country’s fastest growing high profile televised Australian championship motorcycle road racing series. From the feedback we are getting from competitors and teams alike the upcoming AFX-SBK series is looking good for another year of continued growth and exciting close racing. The move to expand the series to include Queensland this year has been warmly welcomed and the successful format of two separately point scored race series being run on the same weekend continues on. Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

AFX-SBK competitors will once again benefit from receiving a mountain of good quality track time. It is widely accepted that track time is very important for competitors to reach their true potential in the sport and competitors in the AFX-SBK get just that with 5 x 15 minute sessions on the Friday practice day, one qualifying and three races on Saturday in the FX-Nationals Series and for Sunday one qualifying session and three races. That’s six races over the weekend for all competitors plus all the other track time! Every class in the AFX-SBK will once again receive the sports largest and highest profile nationally shown televised coverage on both SBS’s Sunday prime time Speedweek show and pay TV’s SPEED Channel for all six rounds of the championship. In fact the amount of TV coverage the series will receive in 2012 is truly staggering. Add to that the five YZ450F series bike prizes supplied by Yamaha Motor Australia with the top B and combined C/D graders in the FXSuperbike class getting one YZ450F each. Plus both C and D grade winners in the

FX600 class each get one YZ450F. Add to that the top overall C/D grader in the Supermono class getting a YZ450F, five very good reasons worth over $60,000 for privateers to consider racing in the whole AFX-SBK series. For competitors one thing that will not change is our continued belief in the necessity to run affordable level playing field racing and classes that provide excellent value. Added to the above we put together a stepping stone path to encourage riders to come from off of the Street or from doing Ride days to get a taste for racing right through to competing at Australian Championship level. Step one: To get started into racing we have the entry level ‘Race Your Mates’ race meetings for everyone from first timers on anything from Street registrable bikes to full on race bikes and we even cater for club level racers who want more quality track time. Step Two: New in 2012 ARTRP will host two club level race meetings for every level of competitor, but primarily aimed at racers who would prefer to enter a more relaxed club level event without the pressures of racing at a National level. Step Three: The Australian FX-Superbike Championship, I think this series speaks for itself. We hope you enjoy reading our first ever Year Book and also enjoy the 2012 YMF Loan Yamaha Australian FX-Superbike Championship Series. For more information on how to become involved with the series or classes, or how to get a full AASA National Competition license for just $100 please contact me on 02 48 235 711 in business hours or email me on admin@aus-superbikes.com.au cheers, Terry O’Neill 5

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

FX SUPERBIKE

The FX-Superbike class is the Australian FX-Superbike Championships premier category. The class is open to a large variety of 1000cc to 1200cc production based sports bikes that are currently sold in Australia and ridden on Australian roads. The basic secret to the classesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success is that it ticks a number of important boxes for competitors and manufacturers alike and big fast sports bike are always popular with spectators and viewers alike. To be relevant and have a chance of ongoing success a class must be first and foremost affordable for the vast majority of competitors so they can 8

afford to stay racing in the class for many years. Tick two, the rules must make it as close to a level playing field as possible so all competitor have equal chance of winning based on talent and the correct choice of competitive machinery. Not on how many factory mechanics or how big the race transporter is. This successful formula of skill winning through has been proven once again in 2011 with the current champion Kevin Curtain one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best ever road racers only winning three of the six rounds and three different privateers on different brands of bikes taking out the other three rounds just as convincingly.

Tick three, the class must produce close exciting racing that is fun to race in and exciting to watch. This point in part heavily reflects on the mantra of the series as well as the class, as the AFX-SBK championship backs up the importance of also providing an exciting and affordable series for the majority of competitors. As with every class in the championship the FX-Superbike class gets six (6) races over Saturday and Sunday plus two qualifying sessions, racers also get five x fifteen minute practise sessions on the Friday. This format gives AFX-SBK competitors the most track time of any championship in Australia today by a Australian AustralianFX-Superbike FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

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massive margin, which in turn provides racers with more opportunity to hone their skills. Here is a basic overview of rules of the FX-Superbike class and they are easy to achieve and affordable to comply with, no engine modifications are allowed, restricted suspension mods are allowed, no chassis mods are allowed, Exhausts can be changed, ECU reprogramming is allowed providing the standard OEM Rev limit is retained, Steering Dampners can be fitted, Brake lines and master cylinder can be up graded and last but not least all competitors must race on only one set of control tyres per day. Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

Restricting control tyre numbers and to only one compound for the series makes it very easy and cost affective to properly set up a FX-Superbike race machine, which is a godsend for competitors as tyres have in the past often been the most expensive part of going racing at a championship level. Having many short races is also a great leveller for B,C and D graders who can and do also compete against the top A graders. The race distances are worked out so there is very little to hardly any lapping of riders who are still working their way up through the grades and gaining race skills by competing in the premier class. In

fact the B and C/D graders in FXSuperbike are eligible for fantastic series championship prizes with the top B and also the C/D grader winning a brand new Yamaha YZ450F valued at over $12,000 at series end. There is lots more important information that I can go into here regarding the FX-Superbike class but space is limited so if anyone has any questions on how to enter or what bike is eligible to compete in the FXSuperbike class then please contact me on 02 48 235 711 in business hours or email me on admin@aus-superbikes. com.au TERRY Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NEILL 9

FX600

Alongside the premier FXSuperbike class reins the nearly as quick FX600 category at the Australian FX-Superbike Championship. Competitors in the FX600 class because of the closeness in the specification of the bikes often enjoy the closest and hardest fought out racing of any class in the series. 600 cc Supersport style bikes are very popular in Australia and most of the country’s top racers have come through the 600 ranks in one form or another. The FX600 class various from any other national 600 class in that in 2012 the medium sized Supersport based production bikes will swap over to slicks from threaded tyres. This one change on its own will see lap records tumble and running costs reduced for the vast majority of competitors. The differences for the FX600 class aren’t restricted to tyres alone though, the rules in our AFX-SBK’s premier 600 class are even more restrictive then the FX-Superbike rules. This keeps the cost of competing in this class down dramatically and makes 10

it even more affordable for the average racer while not allowing an equipment advantage to larger often better resourced teams. The very restrictive but balanced way the rules have been written make sure the FX600’s are as close to a level playing field category of racing as one can find. Again here is a basic overview of the rules, there are no engine mods, suspension can only be modified not changed, new for 2012 a full exhaust can be fitted but it must be made of a ferrous metal (no Titanium other than a muffler rap). ECU’s can also be reprogrammed providing the standard OEM per model Rev limit is retained. Like all other classes bodywork can be changed to replica fibreglass to keep crash costs down. A steering dampener can be fitted and brake lines can be upgraded as well. The FX600 class is open to all grades of racers and early on was more popular with C and D graders but now also becoming far more desirable for many A and B graders because of its cost effectiveness and affordability to

race in competitively against the factory riders and the excellent TV coverage the class receives. As with the FX-Superbike class there are two fantastic brand new Yamaha YZ450F bike prizes to be won, this time by the series top C and the top D graders who win their respective series grade championships in 2012. Again the FX600 class competitors will have six races per weekend plus two qualifying sessions and five x fifteen minute practise sessions on the Friday. Track time is a very important if any rider wants to improve and the AFX-SBK Championship prides its self on providing competitors who race in the series with the largest amount of track time of any national series in Australia by far. Anyone wanting to know more about the FX600 class or a copy of the complete rules and or entry forms for the Australian FX600 Championship should contact us at the office on 02 48 235 711 in business hours or email me on admin@aus-superbikes.com.au TERRY O’NEILL Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

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Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

FORMULA OZ

The Formula Oz class has grown faster than any other class in the Australian FX-Superbike Championship and has recorded fields of up to 47 entries per round in 2011. We won’t be surprised if it grows even more in 2012 given the feedback we have received from many competitors. Formula Oz to put it simply is at the same time the hardest and simplest class to try and explain in words how it works because. Why? because it is having such excellent success in attracting all levels of competitors on such a wide 12

and varied field of race bikes and basically there are next to no rules, maybe that is its secret. So I’ll give it a go as to why is the Formula Oz class proving to be so popular. I guess one simple sentence sums it up the category, it is a ‘Race What Your Brung’ class. Effectively there are no technical rules other then no Carbon fibre wheels or Brakes. There is no upper capacity limit and the lower capacity limit is 400 cc. Fuel is restricted to 100 octane and there are no restrictions on tyres, but that is about it.

This simple formula has provided an excellent class to race in for all competitors whose current machinery doesn’t always fit into one of the more established production based ADR classes. It is not uncommon to get fully worked Superbikes and highly modded Supersport bikes competing in Formula Oz and the thing that surprises many is how close the modded 600’s are to the 1000’s. With time we bet there will be highly modified hot rod big bore bikes that are specifically built to Australian AustralianFX-Superbike FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

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compete in this class and in fact we encourage that. We believe our series should provide a broad church approach with as many as possible varied group of classes for the various competitors who race in this country. To restrict classes to be only strictly policed production based ADR classes is a folly as there are many competitors who want to race at a Australian Championship level in a class with few restrictions and the growth of Formula Oz is fast proving that. Tyres like the technical rules Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

are free to choose in dimension, compound and number and all tyre manufacturers are represented in any Formula Oz grid. Again the class is open to all grades of competitors from A graders to D graders and Formula Oz is often the class that many competitors use to get into racing at the AFX-SBK Championship before moving on to one of the other more specialized categoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Apart from having separate Outright Grade Series Championship winners there is also a separately scored Supersport

600 sub-class championship which is very popular as it allows Supersport racers to compete on slicks which many have always wanted to. So if you are interested in a class with few rules and plenty of races and track time then maybe the Formula Oz class is for you. If you think it is and you would like to find out more again just call me on 02 48 235 711 in business hours or email me on admin@aussuperbikes.com.au TERRY Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NEILL 13

PRO-TWINS &

Euro bike fans Pro-Twins is the racing class for you. Few classes of racing stir the heart more than a grid full of booming V-twins, Triples and screaming V-fours roaring away from the start line charging towards turn one. If you are close enough to the track you can almost feel the air in your lungs vibrate as the booming Pro-Twins bikes charge past you. While not quite as exciting as being there to watch live the Pro-Twins like every other class in the 2012 Australian FX-Superbike Championship series class will get excellent television coverage at each of the six rounds on both SBS Speedweek and Fox channels SPEED TV. The rules for this class are again quite simple, there are a few restrictions as most competitors who race Pro-Twins bikes love to build and tinker and improve their race bikes to get the best they can from them. Most Po-Twins fans are diehard Euro enthusiasts who would never dream of racing a non 14

European brand, most even paint their bikes in the brands recognisable colours, most Ducati’s are red, KTM’s either black or Orange etc. Back to the rules, well there aren’t many, no carbon fibre brakes or wheels and fuel is restricted to 100 octane. There is also a control dry weather slick that is limited to two sets per round. We introduced control tyres a couple of years ago and this move has greatly reduced the cost of going racing in the class and meant that no competitor has a advantage because they can afford to use more or different spec tyres. Pro-Twins is one of the few classes that has a number of capacity formula’s. F1 bikes are mainly now 1098/1198 Ducati’s, 1000 cc V4 or Twin Aprilia’s or 1200 cc KTM’s. Formula 2 is open to mainly 848 Ducati’s or older 1000 cc water cooled Ducati’s. In 2012 the Triumph 675 has been moved up from Formula 3 to Formula 2 as the little Triumph has proven itself to be one of the most potent weapons in the ProTwins class. When it comes to Formula 3

many eligible bikes are air cooled up to 1000 cc V-Twins or water cooled 650 cc Twins or older 750 cc Ducati V-Twins. In 2012 we have given the fast growing field of 650cc V-Twin bike riders a choice of classes to compete in, for the first time ever the 650’s will be able to race in the popular FX400 class as well as the F3 Pro-Twins class. While Pro-Twins is a very broad based church of many different sized mainly Euro bikes it is one of the classes in the AFX-SBK series that stirs plenty of interest in the race paddock, beyond a doubt it is one of the most popular classes in racing today. Again in 2012 the Pro-Twins class will be combined with the Nakedbike class, the two classes complement each other with both being mainly filled Euro sports bikes. For more information about the Pro-Twins class just contact us and we will provide a copy of the 2012 rules and entry forms for the upcoming Australian Pro-Twins championship. TERRY O’NEILL Australian AustralianFX-Superbike FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

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NAKEDBIKES

One of the most important things required to make any road racing series a success is to have classes that cover the broadest range of current rider demographics and the Australian FXSuperbike Championship is in a unique position in this country because that is exactly what it does. The Nakedbike class is absolute proof of that with it attracting many older often experienced competitors compared to other classes like the FX600 which tends to attract younger hungrier riders starting out in road racing. Some classes by their very nature feed and grow off of each other and the Nakedbike and Pro-Twins class are two such categories of racing and because of that it is logical to have them race in a combined race that is separately point scored. Having watched just about every category of road racing there is I would have to say the combined Nakedbike ProTwins class is possibly the class that more often than not has its competitors come back after a race with the biggest smiles on their faces of any class out there. Again the Nakedbike class like the Pro-Twins is very popular with Europhiles Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

and for good reason as many of the fastest Nakedbikes are European. There are exceptions and both Yamaha and Honda make very capable Nakedbikes and the Yamaha FZ1 has won more Nakedbike titles than any other bike to date and is still more then capable. Still the majority choose to race European bikes and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. To be eligible to race in the Nakedbikes class the bike must come from the factory without a faring, so it’s not as easy as just taking a R1 or 1198R and taking the body work off and calling it a Nakedbike. In 2011 it was not uncommon for the Nakedbikes to finish in front of their more fancied cousins in the Pro-Twins class, especially on the tighter circuits where the bikes need to change direction quickly. The Nakedbike class has very similar rules to the Pro-Twins and the F1 bikes in 2012 will now for the first time even share the same control tyre as the F1 Pro-Twins bikes to make the racing on the track a more level playing field for all competitors in the combined grid. Like with the Pro-Twins in 2012 650 V-Twin

competitors can choose to race in the F3 Nakedbike class or compete head to head with the FX400 bikes in the combined Xtreme Ultra-Lites class. Many of the 650 racer have already shown great interest in moving to the FX400 class and both the 400’s and the 650’s are very even when it comes to laptimes and top speeds on most circuits so it will make the FX400 class even more competitive and exciting to watch. Again as I said elsewhere the Australian FX-Superbike Championship Series is a broad church and cater for all sizes and categories of modern Street bikes because not everyone can or wants to race a 180 hp FX-Superbikes against the highest profile riders in the country.. Of course the Nakedbike class also shares in the great series TV coverage that the combined class gets and because often the unfaired bikes are at or near the front they get more than their fare share of exposure. If you are interested in finding out more about the Nakedbike class and what it takes to enter it , please contact us in business hours on 02 48 235 711. TERRY O’NEILL 15

ELECTRIC BIKES There’s little doubt that Electric Motorsports worldwide is here to stay, but taking on the challenge to be the first to give it a go in Australia was a pretty bold move. While electric bike racing might be new to this country it is not to the northern hemisphere where there was already as such a world championship for the electric bikes. The TTXGP has been running for several years throughout Europe where alterative energy racing is has grown dramatically in a few short years. About TTXGP, the eGrandPrix is the planets first international race series providing a high profile platform for the development of electric motorcycles and these bikes are fast. So it was logical to affiliate and align Australia’s first electric bike racing series with their established international big cousins. Because of this close affiliation between eFX and TTXGP organisers the winner of the 2012 Australian eFXC championship will qualify to enter the world final which will be held in Oct/Nov 2012. Launched to the public with worldwide publicity as part of the annual Isle of Man TT races in 2009, TTXGP is officially the world’s first zero carbon sanctioned motorsport event and each year the bikes keep getting faster and faster. The partnership between eFXC and TTXGP was formed to ensure a high level of standards and knowledge sharing would be assured for the fledgling electric series. Riders, teams, scrutineers and marshals all benefited from the newly formed relationship, .ensuring all that it was done according to world standards. What was truly amazing was the amount of personal energy and determination the riders and teams put into the development of their machines and racing, even more astonishing was watching them spend many additional hours 16

and resources assisting their follow competitors get to the start line. As usual the Aussie spirit of “Give It Ago” came to the fore, with some very interesting leading edge technology being applied to each of the machines. The Catavolt team, headed by Jon Eggenhuizen was the first in the world to race a revolutionary hub motor with some great results (they won the series). Daniel Sailor (Rippeton Racing) totally reworked a Yamaha R1 into a very fast and well handling machine, being the first in the world to add water cooling to an electric racing motorcycle. Dr Chris Jones defied the odds and managed to get his twin Agni based Suzuki from WA to Sydney for the first round, showing just how much determination is required if you want to make it happen. Chris managed to win the second round at Winton Raceway outright with 2 wins after he and his team mastered the balancing of the twin Agni’s. One of the great benefits for the eFX competitors is being part of the Australian FX-Superbike Championship which provides on the job learning opportunities from the wealth of experience of all the petrol based racers and teams, while the eFXC guys may have lacked some racecraft at the beginning, it wasn’t long before a lot was being caught and taught and the racing standard improvement throughout 2011 was impressive. The launch of series was sponsored by B.A. Robinson & Associates, an accountancy firm based at Baulkham Hills in Sydney. The future is looking good with sustained growth for the eFXC series, we have continued our valued relationship with TTXGP into 2012 and we will see some additional teams hit the starting grid for the series start at Eastern Creek in March. TERRY O’NEILL Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

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Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

ULTRA-LITES

The Xtreme Ultra-Lites class is AFXSBKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s combined small to medium sized capacity category that provides an opportunity for a number of often quite different spec machines to compete together in what has often turned out to be close and exciting racing action. Add together the FX125GP bikes the recently arrived 250 cc 4-stroke single GP based bikes and in the FX250M named class and the 400 cc modified road bikes in the FX400 class and you end up with a very diverse grid of bikes and race budgets that in general perfectly complement each other out on the track under racing conditions. Again like the other classes at the Australian FX-Superbike Championship the Xtreme Ultra-Lites 18

will get five x 15 minute practise sessions on the Friday of each round and two qualifying sessions and six races per weekend. Compare the amont of great track time and the exposure the combined Ultra-Lites class gets at every round and how well priced it is to enter this class as well as the great TV coverage it gets and all competitors in this combined class have quite a number of excellent reasons for competing in the Xtreme Ultra-Lites class in 2012. Apart from the reasons just stated, each class receives its own Australian Championship title that goes into the history books. At opposite ends of the scale regarding race categories at the Australian FX-Superbike Championship you have the 1000

cc plus FX-Superbikes often setting top speed records down the various long straights. At the other you have a combined class in the Xtreme Ultra-Lites class that is made up of the smallest to medium engine sized bikes in the series and they too often set top speed records but not in a straight line but often around the challenging corners you get on Australian race tracks. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right 125 GP bikes are often the fastest bike on any track around a corner and because of that many of the youngest rider come up through the 125 GP 2-stroke ranks to get their first experience in road racing. For many people starting out racing, one of these three combined classes will be the category they choose to start racing and few can Australian AustralianFX-Superbike FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

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(FX125GP/FX250M/FX400)

argue that racing GP based bikes flat out doesn’t improve rider skill levels. To make it fair and affordable we have two FX125GP classes, at the top end is the FX125GP Pro bikes that have few limitations and are often the highest spec GP race bikes in the land, at the other end of the spectrum is the FX125GP Sport class that allows few mods and is aimed at riders ans small teams on tight budgets. Between the two 125 classes every modern 2-stroke 125 GP in the country is covered with a suitable separately point scored class to compete in. What having two separately point scored 125 classes has done is allow those 125gp bike owners who don’t have a large budget or the latest and greatest spec race machines to compete against Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

machines of similar spec, this is good for riders who don’t have large budgets. The new FX250M class provides another opportunity for the latest spec 250 4-stroke single GP based bikes to compete in their own pointscored championship while pitting their skills against riders with different machines. Running the FX400 class opens the door to what not that long ago was the single largest class in Australian road racing to compete at the AFXSBK series where they also get their own championship. New in 2012 650 cc V-Twin machines like the Hyosung 650 and Suzuki SV650 can now race against the 400’s. While one might think a 650 twin would be far superior to a 400 cc 4 cylinder machine, in

reality the two different capacity machines do very similar laptimes. The Ultra-lites class like every other class at the AFX-SBK will share in Australian road racings largest and highest profile television coverage with the classes racing also being being shown on national free to air TV on SBS Speedweek but also on FOX’s SPEED TV as well. The three classes combined make up a excellent class that has provided some excellent racing in 2011 and will no doubt do so once again in 2012. If you would like to find out more about competing in this combined class in 2012 please contact us in business hours on 02 48 235 711 or email me on admin@aus-superbikes.com.au TERRY O’NEILL 19

SUPERMONO In the 80’s and early 90’s it was not uncommon to race against modified 2-stroke MX bikes at road race meetings around Australia, the bikes of choice were often CR500’s and YZ490’s, these beasts were truly scary to watch and many a road racer went home wondering how their latest and greatest 750 cc or even 1000 cc road racer just got smoked by some bloke on a modified ‘Chooky’ as they were more often than not affectionally called. Fast forward to 2011 and after several years of prompting from a number of people at Yamaha to bring back the Chookys I finally relented and said yes lets give it a go. Many people said it wouldn’t work and all modern 4-stroke MX bikes would end up as a smoking mess at the end of some of the countrys faster tracks, I to wondered about this I must admit. Well I was wrong and so were the other naysayers, the lightly modified 450 MXers didn’t expire in a cloud of smoke and once again there was these crazy guys out there beating the pants off of more fancied road racing bikes. Anyway there was a method to the ‘Bring back the Chookys’ madness, in that, several people with a better memory than I at Yamaha remembered that many people got into road racing by going down the Chooky path back in the 80’s and 90’s. So this brings me to the point of the new Supermono class,

Australian road racing has suffered since the demise of 250 2-stroke Proddy racing, unfortunately the day Suzuki brought into Australia the last RGV250 and Aprilia their last RS250 there has not been a affordable level playing field entry level class for competitors of all ages to go racing in. The Supermono class with its lightly modified 450 MX bikes when enough people in various organisations come to realise it is the perfect class to fill that massive void. No one can say that you can’t learn road racing skills on a Chooky because the proof is in the pudding, at one end of the scale you have young up an coming Angus Reekie who came from racing Motards bikes at road race meetings to the other end of the age scale with Phil Lovett also coming to road racing via racing Motard bikes at road race meetings. So wWhere did the Chookys get Reekie and Lovett in road racing? Reekie is the current Pro-Twins Australian champion and Lovett is the dual Nakedbike and Formula Oz Australian champions for 2011. Both these great racers have proven that racing a Chooky is a excellent starting place to going far in road racing. Anyway enough of the history of dirt bikes in road racing and lets find out more about the present Supermono class. There are no engine mods allowed, wheels and brakes can be changed to

make the bike handle and stop well for road racing tracks and there are a few other rules that mainly restrict mods and keep costs down more than anything else. The cost of modifying a current MX is very reasonable and to keep the class fair and as close to a level playing field as possible no factory built Supermotard bikes are allowed. Most people would not realise that the biggest selling class of bike owned and sold in Australia is a 450 cc dirt bike, so its logical to make a road racing class built around them. Yamaha have come back in 2012 with excellent sponsorship for the class with the top placed C/D grader outright in the series to win a YZ450F MX bikes as a prize. To get people interested in the class they have also subsidized the entry fees no matter what brand of bike you race to be the lowest by far of any class in the AFX-SBK. Add to that if you race a Yamaha 2010 – 2012 YZ450F they will sell you a kit that changes your dirt bike into a competitive Supermono bike for just $2495.00, add to that they will also pay for your entry fees for the whole 2012 AFX-SBK Supermono Championship and you have an amazing deal. To get started in the Supermono class and get a copy of the full rules just contact me at the office in business hours and I will go through all the info with you. TERRY O’NEILL

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

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Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

2012 CALENDAR

YMF LOAN YAMAHA AUSTRALIAN FX-SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Rnd Rnd Rnd Rnd Rnd Rnd

1 - Eastern Creek Raceway (NSW) March 16th-18th 2 - Wakefield Park Raceway (NSW) April 20th – 22nd 3 - Queensland Raceway (QLD) July 20th -22nd 4 - Wakefield Park Raceway (NSW) 31st August – 2nd September 5 - Winton Raceway (VIC) October 5th – 7th 6 - Eastern Creek Raceway (NSW) November 9th – 11th

3.12 km Turns 6

Circuit Address:

NEW

TRACK FOR

2012

Champions Way Willowbank QLD 4307

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

2.2 km Turns 10

Circuit Address:

4770 Braidwood Rd Goulburn NSW 2580

CLASS

DATE

RIDER

MACHINE

TIME

FX-Superbike

01/05/11

Brayden Carr (NSW)

BMW S1000RR

0:59.839

FX600

28/03/10

Kevin Curtain (NSW)

Yamaha R6

1:01.077

Formula Oz

28/03/10

Grant Hay (NSW)

Honda CBR1000

0:59.839

FX Pro-Twins

18/04/04

Craig McMatrin (NSW)

Ducati

1:01.300

NakedBike

18/04/04

John Allen (QLD)

Aprilia RSV

1:01.400

FX125GP Pro

01/05/11

Nicky Diles (NSW)

Aprillia RSW125

1:03.521

FX125GP Sports

01/05/11

Ryan Kuffer (VIC)

Yamaha TX125

1:06:971

FX250

01/05/11

Tony Sims (NSW)

Moriwaki MS250

1:08:645

FX400

26/08/07

Ben Burke (NSW)

Honda 400

1:04:188

Supermono

08/10/11

Sep Scarcella (NSW)

Yamaha YZ450

1:05.939

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

3.9 km Turns 12

Circuit Address:

Cnr Brabham Drive & Ferrers Rd Eastern Creek NSW 2766

CLASS

DATE

RIDER

MACHINE

TIME

FX-Superbike

03/07/11

Kevin Curtain (NSW)

Yamaha R1

1:33.618

FX600

04/07/10

Rick Olson (NSW)

Yamaha R6

1:35.286

Formula Oz

14/06/09

Shannon Johnson (NSW)

KTM RC8

1:32.312

FX Pro-Twins

14/06/09

Shannon Johnson (NSW)

KTM RC8

1:33.316

NakedBike

18/08/07

Scott Charlton (VIC)

Yamaha FZ1

1:34.517

FX125GP Pro

06/11/11

Nicky Diles (NSW)

Aprillia RSW125

1:41.584

FX125GP Sports

05/11/11

Ryan Kuffer (VIC)

Yamaha TX125

1:47.707

FX250

06/11/11

Zac Levy (QLD)

Moriwaki MD250

1:44.284

FX400

14/03/04

Keith Greentree (NSW)

Honda 400

1:42.452

Supermono

06/11/11

Sep Scarcella (NSW)

Yamaha YZ450

1:43.351

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

3.0 km Turns 12

Circuit Address:

Benalla Auto Club Inc. PO Box 249, Benalla VIC 3672

CLASS

DATE

RIDER

MACHINE

TIME

FX-Superbike

06/06/10

Kevin Curtain (NSW)

Yamaha R1

1:24.977

FX600

06/06/10

Kevin Curtain (NSW)

Yamaha R6

1:26.021

Formula Oz

17/05/09

Brayden Carr (NSW)

Suzuki GSXR

1:23.594

FX Pro-Twins

17/05/09

Shannon Johnson (NSW)

KTM RC8

1:24.981

NakedBike

01/06/08

Kevin Curtain (NSW)

MV Augusta Brutale

1:24.922

FX125GP Pro

03/09/11

Nicky Diles (NSW)

Aprillia RSW125

1:31.519

FX125GP Open

04/09/11

Ryan Kuffer (VIC)

Yamaha TX125

1:33.348

FX250

04/09/11

Zac Levy (QLD)

Moriwaki 250

1:33.197

FX400

04/05/03

Jai Curtis (NSW)

Honda 400

1:31.243

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

2011 YMF LOAN YAMAHA AUSTRA

From Left to Right: FX400 Richard Marrocchini Kawasaki ZXR400; Supermono Shaun Geronim F2 Lachie Thomas Yamaha FZ6; Formula Oz Jim Masri Kawasaki ZX10; Nake 1098S; FX-Superbike Kevin Curtain Yamaha R1 FX600 Kevin Curtain Yamah Reekie KTM RC8; Pro-Thunder F1 Richard Liminton Ducati 1198S; Pro-Thun 675; FX125GP Pro-Open Nicky Diles Aprilia RSW125; FX250M Tony Sims Mo

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

ALIAN FX-SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONS

mi Honda CRF450; Nakedbike F3 Ron Sumskis Hyosung 650; Nakedbike edbike F1 & Outright Phil Lovett KTM 990 Formula Oz Phil Lovett Ducati ha R6; Supersport Nick Marsh Yamaha R6; Pro-Thunder Outright Angus nder F2 Mick Johnston Ducati 848; Pro-Thunder F3 Brad Glennan Triumph oriwaki 250; FX125GP Sports Ryan Kuffer Yamaha TZ125

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

“I don’t consider myself to be the best, but when there’s someone I’ve got to chase then, well, it keeps you on your toes and you don’t lay dormant. That’s why I’m still going and was able to have the success I did this year.”

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS

FX Superbike/ FX 600 KEVIN CURTAIN AT 42, KEVIN CURTAIN can be classified as sitting on the upper age limit of those still competitively racing motorcycles anywhere in the world. After all, Mick Doohan retired from full-time riding at 36 and Wayne Gardner was off the bike and in a V8 Supercar by the ripe old age of 33. The physicality of top-level Motorcycle racing and near-to middle aged blokes (they will hate me for writing that) just doesn’t work as well as it does in cars. Except that someone must have forgotten to tell that to this multiple Australian champion from Fishing Point in New South Wales, who continues to rack up championships like a rider 20 years his junior. And if you take the past year as a guide, he’s not likely to stop soon. Curtain achieved a rare feat in season 2011, sealing both the YMF Loan Australian FX Superbike and FX 600 titles in

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

the same calendar year and raced with such dominance that he had the series’ concluded before they even got to the final round. When I rang Curtain for this story soon after his title success the former twice No 2 in the World championship Supersport racer was in a chatty mood – clearly in a relaxed atmosphere and with the sound of kids playing in the background. Curtain carries all the relaxed yet focussed nature that most champions do – and yet began by talking about the uncertainty around his career. A strange way, then, to start an interview given this was a bloke who was still basking in the success of two championships, on different bikes and against different opposition, in the same year. But given the story, not totally inappropriate. “I have said to a few people this year,” he admits, “that others around were Continued to page 30

Continued from page 29

commenting that perhaps I was past my used-by date and shouldn’t be in the series any more. My comment back to them was that ‘If I wasn’t here, who would the younger guys chase?’ They wouldn’t have anyone to benchmark themselves on and wouldn’t get any better.” An ‘I told you so’ grin can almost be heard from the other side of the phone line. “I don’t consider myself to be the best, but when there’s someone I’ve got to chase then, well, it keeps you on

your toes and you don’t lay dormant. That’s why I’m still going and was able to have the success I did this year.” Certainly, Curtain’s season had all the hallmarks of someone right at the very peak of his powers, forming his championship challenge in almost textbook style; start strong, consolidate in the middle and then not have to worry when the rivals have caught up by the end of the year. “I guess the year started better than I thought and it got progressively more difficult from there

throughout the year,” he confirms. “These young guys learn a bit too fast sometimes and they just got better, and with the likes of the new BMW coming through as the season went on it gave us all a big shake up. I guess that makes me a bit more aggressive and makes me want to beat them even more.” “Take my team mate, Ricky Olson,” Curtain adds. “He learns WAY too fast! He’s always got me in his sights and is trying to beat me and it’s a credit to him that he

did at the end of the year. It’s great to have a competitive team mate, for sure. “The Cullen boys have also been really good, especially at Wakefield Park. They had it over us there but when we went to Eastern Creek I really didn’t see them, which was a good thing!” So the competition box gets a big check mark next to it but there was also a high degree of difficulty – the demanding pastime of challenging for two different titles in the same year. With Yamaha’s legendary R1 beneath him in the FX-Superbikes, the R6

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS would be his ride en route to his FX600 title. A challenge? Yes. But when you’re Kevin Curtain and have his level of experience on which to draw on the process becomes a little easier. “It is relatively easy to jump between the two, though saying that it normally takes me one or two laps to get accustomed to one or the other; for instance, you change gears in different places on the two bikes,” he explains. “When I get off one and onto the other it becomes

automatic and falls into place but its one or two laps before its perfect. “The R1 has just got bulk horsepower; it’s just got that much horsepower you can’t really use all of it in most places. For instance, at the main straight at Eastern Creek you’re looking at 285-290km/hr on the R1 while on the R6 you’re still getting to about 265km/hr or thereabouts.” So not hanging around then, in either case. And whilst the FX-Superbike retains the power, the lighter (by 40kg), more nimble and

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

less powerful FX600 bike retains some advantages. “The R6 is a lot easier to ride. You can throw it around a lot more and the R6 never really does much wrong – though it can still turn around and bite you at the end of the day. They don’t have as much horsepower and you can’t spin the wheels as much as you can on the R1. “The R1 is at the point where if you wanted to have a bit of fun you could smoke the rear tyre off the rim if you really wanted!” Our chat exposed just

how far away that one K. Curtain is from pulling the drapes across on his successful career.. And yet, the question must be asked to close our chat. So, where does it all end? “I really don’t know. I always say before the beginning of the next season ‘I reckon next year will be the last year I race,’” Curtain pauses, briefly. “But, you know, I’ve been saying that for 10 years now. I just can’t think of anything else to say!” RICHARD CRAILL

Formula OZ / Nakedbikes PHIL LOVETT

Writing about Phil Lovett is tough. Firstly he doesn’t understand why anyone would want to document what he’s done. To him, it’s only living life exactly as he wants to live it. The greater problem, however is that the only time he’s available to talk is on a mobile as he drives to and from yet another motor cycle meeting. This for a 54 year old guy who has just tied up titles in two road race series yet, “apart from some endurance races” is only 16 months into his road racing career. And 32

that race was no doddle: an 8 Hour race at Phillip Island for some veterans from around Cessnock. Impressively, they qualified

that on the return journey, he’d been able to indulge one of his two passions, getting into the Holbrook Bakery for some pies. His

“I’ve done best at enduros but I got into road racing because you don’t have to be fit. And you meet different people. They’re nice.” a Super Stock Kawasaki ZX10R third in a field of 25 and then, after two mishaps, came from last to sixth outright, second in class. Better still, he avers, was

other indulgence apart from motor cycle racing - having a quiet ale - had to wait. But that’s just a small part of the life of this dry, unassuming but gregarious

guy from Cessnock, who “spent six or seven years underground, in the mines”, who now has his own earth moving business “so I can afford to go motor cycle racing”, and who loves “drinking beer and eating pies”. His brightly coloured Mambo shirts suggest he’s a character and he is. Anybody who started his competition career at 70kgs and who now ranges from 96 to more than a hundred but is still winning races and championships, who’s encased in the most ‘orrible

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS

bright orange leathers is, without question, his own man. And having a pile of fun, along with his lovely racing daughter Sophie. “She hurt her shoulder at a recent St George Club meeting but she rides well and I love to see her race. Her mum isn’t so sure about it now, though.” He got into enduros “because I only made B grade in motocross but I had a run in an enduro at Cessnock on an IT175 Yamaha and came second, so I thought I’d keep at it. His achievements in more

than 25 years of enduro competition are mighty impressive. Hot on the heels of getting married, he headed

and one silver. Well after all that but still competitive, there was a Six Day in his home town Cessnock, in 1992. He was going

“I just love riding bikes and yeah, I go out to win – I love kicking young blokes arses.” to Europe, where he spent the next year riding enduros. He’d already done four 6 day enduros there from 1978 to 1981, in Germany, Italy and France. He won three gold medals

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

well, on course for a Gold medal, when his bike had mechanical trouble in a test on the final day. Road race people will not understand that, on the dirt, the ruts, bumps, jumps and

whoopsies of the 229 high speed kilometres each way of the Finke Desert race, where the track changes with each bike that goes by, Phil Lovett is a legend. You have to go to Alice Springs on the Queen’s Birthday weekend to understand just how tough it is. The track is tough and those who win it are tough. It’s become so iconic that, in 2011, more than 500 riders entered. ‘Doing the Finke’ is one of those legendary motor sport things, like going to the Isle of Man, Le Mans or the Indy 500. Continued to page 34 33

“When I was 17 I broke my jaw. I did my ankle once at Alice Springs and a little finger in Italy. Apparently the rumours are untrue: that did involve bike riding. And I did some ribs and collapsed a lung at Motard. It was actually the demise of that that got me into road racing. I went and did some track days and racing followed on from that.”

Continued from page 33

It’s been held for 36 years and Phil has done 22 of them. Altogether he’s been on the podium there seven times. Of the thousands who have tried to ride it, only 18 have managed a win. Like four other great riders, he’s won three, including the second he ever did in 1981. The previous year was won by another Finke legend, Geoff Curtis. In a race where bikes break and riders do too, Phil won the next year and was third the following. He missed the podium at 34

the next, in ’84, but there he was again, atop the podium, in 1985 with Curtis second and Glen Bell third. The next year, he was there again, Bell behind the boy from Cessnock but with another great, motocross rider Stephen Gall in front of him. It was more motocrossers, David Armstrong, Craig Dack and Gall owning the podium in ’87 but there was Lovett again in ’88, second, with Gall third. New blood was joining the old hard hands. Phil was 23 when he first tackled

Finke but by 1992 he was now 35 – and there was new talent aplenty, two more guys who would be multiple Finke winners. In 1990 Randall Gregory was third. He won it in ’91 and again in ’92, with Phil third. Between them was another emerging Finke talent, Darren Griffiths. Highlighting what Phil was up against, Gregory won it for the next three years as well. Five wins – CONSECUTIVELY – highlighted just how good he was. “Do you do any training?

Your upper body strength must be impressive from all that enduro riding.” “Yeah - mainly lifting schooners.” “I’ve done best at enduros but I got into road racing because you don’t have to be fit. And you meet different people. They’re nice. “Jamie Stauffer lights up the rear tyre when he passes me in turns 11 and 12 at Eastern Creek. And Robbie Phillis tries to take out my front wheel. He says he doesn’t but he does.” Just imagine this sort

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS

of schedule, just trying to finance and organise yourself to do this amount of travel in a year. Add to that actually competing. “This year I’ve done the six FX Superbikes meetings, a couple at Phillip Island – Superbikes and MotoGP, as well as the 8 hour race. I’ve been to Tassie and Queensland. There always seems to be something on. “How many competition bikes do you have?” I ask innocently. I should have known better. “I have three or four but about 20 bikes in the shed

altogether. There are seven Ducatis, a Motard bike, KTM dirt and road bikes. But they’re all in pieces as I grab bits, as needed, for whatever needs them. Typical of Phil Lovett is the reason he competes in Formula Oz, the anybodycan-have-a-run-on-prettymuch-anything-with-twowheels category. “I don’t like sitting around all day waiting for the next ride. I find it best to get on the bike, keep my mind occupied and sharp. So he enters that and wins the series for B graders, as well

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

as winning the Naked bike F1 series and Naked Bikes overall. “I just love riding bikes and yeah, I go out to win – I love kicking young blokes arses. But I try to ride 90 per cent now, not 110. Sometimes I must get it wrong because I’ve had a few falls recently. I had a big one at Winton on the 990, crashed in the wet at Phillip Island and high-sided at Eastern Creek but I haven’t had much injury. “When I was 17 I broke my jaw. I did my ankle once at Alice Springs and a little

finger in Italy. Apparently the rumours are untrue: that did involve bike riding. And I did some ribs and collapsed a lung at Motard. It was actually the demise of that that got me into road racing. I went and did some track days and racing followed on from that. But for now it’s a break from racing. “Back to work I suppose, so I can make some money to go racing again.” Long may he keep hard charging. WILL HAGON 35

Pro Thunder ANGUS REEKIE Twenty four year old Angus Reekie was always destined to race motorcycles, after all he gripped his first set of handlebars aged two. He has literally all his life been surrounded with motorcycles. “I guess it was the fact that I have always loved being on two wheels – and loved having my sense of freedom,” Angus explained in relation to his affection with motorcycling. The intensity of competition is what makes Angus tick and through it all he has achieved plenty of successes which makes very impressive reading on his CV. He is a six time Australian Super Moto Champion, highlighted in 2007 when he won both the S1 (over 36

450cc) and S2 (450cc only) classes in the same season – that, a very meritorious achievement in its own right. Equally significant, his six national titles were won at interstate venues. “That was with all the really fast guys, they were the first Australian

for me,” Angus explained reflecting on his 2007 season. Before entering the KTM FX-Superbike Championship

“We won three Junior State Motocross Championships of NSW. We also won a few AMCROS Championships, which is like a thumper-nats style track, and then we decided to do a bit of Super-Moto at Oran Park and Eastern Creek riding a KTM 560 SMR.” Championships that I won so they are very special

Pro Thunder class he spent many years in Motocross.

It is a long way removed from the days as a two yearold straddling a Pee Wee 50. “I rode around the house until I was 13 and then I started racing Motocross,” he explained. “We won three Junior State Motocross Championships of NSW. We also won a few AMCROS Championships, which is like a thumper-nats style track, and then we decided to do a bit of Super-Moto at Oran Park and Eastern Creek riding a KTM 560 SMR. “This year we competed in the Pro Thunder Australian Championship over six rounds.

Australian AustralianFX-Superbike FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

CHAMPIONS “We went really well and we won the championship. Despite the Australian title victory, it was not all smooth sailing. “We won the majority of the rounds, but at the third-last round I broke my collarbone at Winton Raceway and we didn’t score any points for that round so that put me back to second in the championship. “We had to claw our points back to win the championship in the last race at Eastern Creek.” For Angus the comeback after injury was one of the most rewarding aspects of his title success. “It felt great especially to comeback from a broken collarbone,” he said

“It took six weeks to recover and we had surgery between that time when we got it plated. It was also

In addition to competing in the KTM sponsored FX Pro-Thunder Class, which caters for European-

“We won the majority of the rounds, but at the third-last round I broke my collarbone at Winton Raceway and we didn’t score any points for that round so that put me back to second in the championship. We had to claw our points back to win the championship in the last race at Eastern Creek.” really satisfying especially for KTM as we won the last round at Wakefield Park,” he enthused.

Australian FX-Superbike Australian FX-SuperbikeChampionship Championship 2012 2012

style bike and V-twins, his national title success in the Australian Super Moto Championship

is complemented with three Queensland Championships. His actual rides for 2011 were a KTM 450 in the Super-Moto class and a KTM RC8R in the Pro Thunder class. His career stats read: Motocross – five years; six years in Super-Moto; this year in Pro Thunder road racing. Angus, who hails from Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands, is a motor vehicle technician away from the track. After his national title successes in Australia, he has not dismissed the possibility of one day racing overseas. DENNIS NEWLYN

FX125GP Open NICKY DILES Teenager Nicky Diles, who rides in the Puma RVs ProOpen class, always dreamed of racing cars and bikes never really figured in his motor sport aspirations. Formula One was his focus where he hoped to set the target for his future career but the call of two wheel competition ultimately won out and today the 19 year-old speedster stands proud as the Australian FX-Superbike Championship FX125GP Pro class national champion. “Nothing really attracted me in the past to motorcycle racing,” Nicky explained. “I have always been a car 38

person, I always dreamed of racing in Formula One but when I got a taste of motorcycling in “Pocket” bikes I was then hooked,” he added. His parents, who own and operate Viperformance – LHD to RHD car conversion company – import the 49cc two-stroke air cooled “Pocket” bikes. That’s where Nicky’s own conversion from four wheels to two wheels started. Right from the time he gripped a set of handlebars he had instilled inside him an extreme competitive nature. “I Started riding pocket bikes from the age of 12

and my goal was never to finish last. “When I commenced riding them I got more competitive, I trained harder and lost a lot of weight. At the age of 12 I went from 67kgs to 44kgs. “I raced for two years – the first year was more just a learning year and having a bit of fun – and then I got fit and took it more seriously. I raced at Warrnambool, Port Melbourne and South Morang in Victoria.” (Nicky and his family formerly resided in Victoria). After he completed his learning curve in the “Pocket” bikes, the next

progression was into the 80cc Metrakit category. “The year after the Australian Mid-Bike Championship, I started racing Australian Metrakit Championship at age 14. Metrakits are another motorcycle my parents import and still are. My parents run the Metrakit Road Racing Championship throughout Australia and I raced in the 80cc category, which in 2007 I was Victorian Junior Road Racing Champion.” His progress in this category was notable and he started making a name for himself at national level, especially when he finished

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS “I have always been a car person, I always dreamed of racing in Formula One but when I got a taste of motorcycling in “Pocket” bikes I was then hooked.”

third in the 2007 Australian Metrakit Championship and in 2008 was placed second in the title. At 16 Nicky was now right into the motorcycle racing scene and was looking for more challenges. That challenge came in the form of the Aprilia RSW 125 GP and the 125GP category. He honed his skills in Ride Days. He spent half a year participating in Ride Days where the entire purpose of the exercise was to become more familiar with the bike – always with an eye to the future. “I entered one race in the Australian Superbike

Championship 125 cc category,” Nicky said. He was more than impressive – especially after he finished third overall from 31 entries at Sydney’s Eastern Creek circuit. His performance was eyecatching and it caught the attention of people in the right places. “That was enough to show some interest from Motorcycling Australia who granted me a wild card ride for the MotoGP at Phillip Island 125cc category in 2009,” he enthused. Aged 17, he did one round in 2009 of theFX125GP Pro-Open riding an RSW 125 Aprilia.

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

“I won that round at Eastern Creek. I felt pretty good about that because you’re expectations initially are not to exactly win the first round you enter and it came as more of a surprise than anything else. At the ride days I felt comfortable with the bike, but I still didn’t expect to win,” Nicky admitted. In 2010 he figured in an exciting battle for championship honours in the FX-Nationals in the FX125GP Pro category with five time Australian Champ Peter Galvin. “They have two different rounds on a Saturday and Sunday respectively. In

Saturday’s Championship I took out the Championship. In Sunday’s Championship I finished second overall for the season.” That effort beckoned for an even more successful 2011 . . . and it became reality after he took national title honours in the FX125GP Pro class. For 19 year-old Nicky Diles the world is his oyster and one day he would like to race on the world motorcycle stage. He might just get there and on a weekend off even get a chance to watch a Formula One event. DENNIS NEWLYN 39

FX125GP Sports | RYAN KAUFFER

FX400 | RICHARD MARROCCHINI

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

CHAMPIONS

Supermono SHAUN GERONIMI

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

Winners are It’s a pretty good gig being involved in competitive Motor Sport. There’s the racing, of course, and the competition; that’s what drives people to do it in the first place. Then there’s the travel, the people, the atmosphere, the fans and, yes, even the girls. (In fact, many will swap that order around to put the latter first, but I digress). And then – in some rare situations - you get a sponsor who makes it just that bit better again by offering up a massive stack of prizes to those throughout the grid. Talk about the cherry on the top of a very big cake. Five riders in this year’s YMF Loan Yamaha Australian FX Superbike Championship have walked away from their year with a brand new Yamaha YZ450 as a ‘well done’ for their respective seasons; Jesse Mueller (FX Superbikes C Grade), Matthew Medcalf (FX Superbikes D Grade), Sean Condon and Colin Lewis in FX 600 C and D grades, respectively, and Shaun Geronimi in Supermono. As such, more than $60,000 worth of prizes were handed out at the end of the season and the bounty looks set to continue into the new season, Yamaha having recently confirmed the continuation of the package as part of their ongoing support of the championship. The YZ450 prize awards the top privateer runners throughout the YMF Loan Yamaha Australian FX Superbike championship to encourage those competitors who truly are the backbone of the sport. Muller (FX Superbikes C Grade) dominated his season, winning three of the six rounds contested and accumulating strong points 44

in the remaining events when the competition was at its toughest. His best overall result came at Wakefield Park’s round five where he finished inside the top twelve overall. Grade D FX Superbike winner Matthew Medcalf finished three places higher than Muller on the overall standings, his 15th overall a strong result after a season of inter-grade competition with, in particular, Corey Snowsill. The two New South Welshman pushed each other all season and had Snowsill failed to score in the opening round, the result could have been very different. Sean Condon got the privateers’ prize in the FX600 (C Grade) competition but the new bike was merely a nice bonus after his sensational season that saw him finish second overall behind champion Kevin Curtain. Condon’s season was something of a constant battle with Josh Hook, who finished directly behind in both the grade and overall standings. D-Grade Yamaha YZ450 winner Colin Lewis only barely edged out Adelaidian Liam Wilkinson and Michael Lockhart in his inter-grade battle to snare the new bike prize. Shaun Geronimi won the Supermono class in season 2011, edging out Grant Hay and round one winner Sep Scarcella in a tight title battle across the three rounds staged. The YZ450 bike-giving will continue into 2012, with some minor revisions to the structure of how they are awarded to competitors – though the focus remains on rewarding privateer riders. RICHARD CRAILL

Five AFX-SBK riders took home a new YZ450F bike prize in 2011. Same goes with 2012! Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

Grinners!!! At the AFX-SBK

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012

On Any Sunday At any round of the AFX-SBK, there is lots to see...

Australian FX-Superbike Championship 2012