Yamaha teams and riders completed a stunning year at the 2022 Mi-Bike Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, winning all five classes contested in the series and capping off a remarkable year for Yamaha Racing.
Mike Jones (1000cc), John Lytras (600cc), Cameron Dunker (300cc and R3 Cup) and Harrison Watts (OJC) are the new 2022 Australian road racing champions, all mounted on Yamaha and proved to be a cut above their competitors.To see the bLU cRU riders do their thing at round seven of the championship: https://youtu.be/BJkhYU1EPuQ
Mike Jones ended a 15 year Yamaha draught in the premier 1000cc division after capturing the 2022 crown. Jones shifted across to Yamaha at the beginning of the season and has made every post a winner since landing on the R1, taking four round wins and another two podiums from the seven rounds to complete 52-point victory. This is Jones’ third ASBK championship, but arguably his sweetest as he wrapped it up with a race to spare, then went on to win a thrilling last race of the season to place an exclamation point on his success.
John Lytras won the 600cc Supersport category after a smart and consistent performance at the final round. Lyra’s entered the final round with a handy 18point margin and was able to position himself well in each of the two races contested over the weekend to ensure the trophy remained firmly in his grasp.
He finished the day 7-9 results to win the championship by 15 points over fellow Yamaha mounted riders, Ty Lynch and Tom Bramich.
Cameron Dunker was in the frame for two championships on the weekend has he held a comfortable lead in the 300cc Supersport division but was in a fight for the R3 Cup with points tied at the top. Dunker was able to put the 300cc Supersport championship to bed early in the weekend as he built an unassailable lead before the final race.
But he had to remained focused if he wanted the double championship. But Dunker showed his true championship qualities by not just winning the final round on his Yamaha R3, he won every race contested in the class and ended up taking the class victory by 32 points over Glenn Nelson in second and Taiyo Aksu in third.
The OJC R15 Cup has proven to be a real winner for the ASBK championship as it is an entry level class that is super popular with the riders and a great platform to not only introduce riders to the sport, but keep them there. Harrison Watts was the man with a target on his back at the final round, but the young gun was able to deal with the pressure across all three races and claimed the 2022 championship with three mature and well-constructed races.
“I would like to congratulate all the Yamaha riders and teams for their effort and passion in this years ASBK Championship. Its had been a sensational year for us in the series and a true refection of Yamaha’s passion for racing.
“Mike, John, Cameron and Harrison are all worthy winners and have been the standouts in their respective classes throughout the year.
“I also want to pass on my thanks to Janice and Stewart Winton who assist Yamaha and YRD in coordinating these riders. The YRD program covers allot of areas but both Janice and Stewart are invaluable to us and do an amazing job at each and every ASBK round.
“I’m not sure how we top our 2022 season, but we will again support Yamaha riders in the championship and give them the best opportunities we can for them to achieve their best results in 2023,” ends YRD’s John Redding.
ASBK Results
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ASBK Results
ASBK Championship Standings
1000cc Superbike
1st Mike Jones – 328 ( Yamaha Racing Team)
2nd Wayne Maxwell – 276
3rd Bryan Staring – 258
600cc Supersport
1st John Lytras – 224 (Yamaha)
2nd Ty Lynch – 209 (Yamaha)
3rd Tom Bramich – 201 (Yamaha)
300cc Supersport
1st Cameron Dunker – 360 (Yamaha)
2nd Glenn Nelson – 279 (Yamaha)
3rd Taiyo Aksu – 270 (Yamaha)
R3 Cup
1st Cameron Dunker – 314 (Yamaha)
2nd Glenn Nelson – 272 (Yamaha)
3rd Taiyo Aksu – 241 (Yamaha)
QJC- R15 Cup
1st Harrison Watts – 315 (Yamaha)
2nd Hudson Thompson – 296 (Yamaha)
3rd Ryan Larkin – 276 (Yamaha)