Round 5: WA State Road Racing Championships 2016

Hughes Limousines Race Report for Round 5 - The Season Finale saw close racing as many Championships came down to the final races. Words and Images by John Innes

The weather played its part in the day’s proceedings but not to the extent of the previous rounds. With all of the Championships, with the exception of the Supersport, up for grabs all of the contenders were set to battle it out for the final prize.

HUGHES LIMOUSINES SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP:

In the Hughes Limousines State Superbike Championship there were only three contenders for the 2016 title and each of them gave it their very best over the three races. Each of them won a race on the day but early season leader Ben Stronach finally prevailed.

In the first race Ben Stronach (Swift Windscreens Kawasaki ZX-10) did all the hard work at the front only to be beaten in the final 300m by the fast finishing Adam Chambers (AARK Suspension Kawasaki ZX-10) who won the race by just 0.235 seconds from Adam Senior (Consent 2 Go Yamaha YZF-R1). Fourth was Scott Pettit (Pro-Twin Yamaha YZF-R1) with Tony Keogh (Chain Reaction Motorcycles Kawasaki ZX-10) rounding out the top five.

The second race saw the same four riders at the front of the race but come the chequered flag it was Senior who was first across the line in another nail biter just 0.260s ahead of Chambers with Stronach in third place, Pettit was once again fourth and Joel Beard (Kawasaki ZX-10) in fifth place.

By the time the final race came around everyone in contention for the title knew exactly what they had to do, when the lights went out for the final eight laps it was Stronach who peeled off a succession of low 57s and high 56s laps to take the 2016 title to go with the one he won in 2006. Chambers was second with Senior third, Pettit was fourth with Beard rounding out the top five.

Chambers won the day with 65 points, Stronach was second with 63 and Senior was third on 61 points.

In respect to the Championship Stronach won with 305 points from Chambers on 294, Senior on 285, Pettit on 235 and the Superbike ‘C’ Grade Series winner Keith Harrison was fifth overall with 217 points.

HYDROQUIP SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP:

The Hydroquip Supersport Championships were run without Sam Clarke (Banhams WA Kawasaki ZX-6), who having wrapped up the championship after round four, decided to sit out the final round with his bikes still over on the east coast awaiting the final round of the ASBK to be held at Winton. The field was somewhat depleted with only 11 starters on the grid.

The first race got underway and it was immediately obvious that Tim Boujos (JB Racing Kawasaki ZX-6) who pushed Sam Clarke all the way was struggling, I found out later that he was trying to race with some broken bones in his foot as a result of his crash in the Supermoto Championships in Newcastle.

All the attention was on the minor championship placings. Jake Pruiti-Ciarello (Flashpoint Motosport Triumph Daytona 675) took a hard fought win from Tommy King (Yamaha YZF R6) with Leigh Boujos (JB Racing Yamaha YZF R6) in third place.

At the start of the second race the sight of Tim Boujos pulling into the pits at the end of the warm-up lap ended any hope he had of a top three placing in the 2016 championship. Once again it was Pruiti-Ciarello who showed the field the way to the chequered flag, this time with Leigh Boujos second and Rhys Clay (CGS Tyres Kawasaki ZX-6) in third place. Tommy King crashed out of the race on the fifth lap.

Race three and Tommy King came back from his crash in the second race to win the race from Rhys Clay and Joshua Mathers (JS Mathers Construction Suzuki GSX-R 600) in third place. Leigh Boujos was fourth.

Pruiti-Ciarello won the round with 62 points from Leigh Boujos on 55, and Rhys Clay on 54 points.

As far as the championship was concerned as previously mentioned Sam Clarke won the championship with 284 points. Second was Leigh Boujos on 262 and third was Jake Pruiti-Ciarello on 235 points.

Pruiti-Ciarello also won the ‘C’ Grade Supersport Series with 310 points, second was Aaron Linham on 258 and third was Matt Price on 211 points.

FASTLINE GP RACING 125GP CHAMPIONSHIP:

The Fastline GP Racing 125 GP Championship was just about settled going into this final round. Scott Pettit (Fastline GP Racing Honda RS125GP) had established a substantial lead after four rounds but there was still work to be done before he could claim the 2016 title.

The first race got underway with Pettit, defending champion David Doughty (Fastline GP Racing Honda RS 125GP) and David Manson (Fastline GP Racing Honda RS 125GP) going straight to the front of the pack. Tom Hatton (Hatton Racing Honda RS 125GP) crashed out of the race and as it turned out – the round, at the left-hander on the second lap and Manson and Scott Topping both crashed at T7 on the sixth lap. Pettit went on to win the race from Doughty, with Graham Jeanes (Colonial Freightlines Yamaha TZ 125GP) third.

The second race saw Doughty take the win from Pettit with Manson who started from the rear of the grid riding though the field to take third place.

The final race saw the defending champion bow out of the championship on the third lap and Pettit made no mistake in winning the final race and taking the championship. Colin Boujos (JB Racing Aprilia RS 125 GP) stormed home to finish the race in second place and Manson was again third.

Pettit won the round with 70 points, Jeanes was second with 50 and Adam Haines was third on 49 points.

Pettit secured the championship with 350 points, Doughty was second with 283 and Manson third with 265 points.

THE HELMET HOUSE PRODUCTION SERIES:

The Helmet House Production Series saw two different winners on the day. Jonah Sita (Chain Reaction Motorcycles Kawasaki 300) took the overall win in the first race from Krystal Biffen (Race Shield Industries Kawasaki 300) with Jake Hancock (MDH Tuning Kawasaki 300) third. First of the over 300cc riders came home in eleventh place and that was James Smith (ECUWEST KTM RC390).

In the second race on a damp but drying track Ray Tschorn (KTM WEST KTM RC 390) took the win from Krystal Biffen and Jonah Sita.

In the final race again on a damp but drying track Sita took his second win of the day from Biffen and Tschorn. That win secured Sita the round win in the up to 300cc class with 70 points, Biffen was second with 65 and third was Jake Hancock on 53 points.

Ray Tschorn with 70 points secured the round win in the over 300cc division ahead of James Smith on 65 and Lauren Boyd (Cully’s Yamaha YZF-R3) with 54 points in third place. As far as the Series points Sita won with 242 points a solitary point ahead of Biffen on 241 and Lachlan Keogh (Trakdayz Kawasaki 300) was in third place with 233 points.

Ray Tschorn with 320 points took out the over 300cc division ahead of James Smith on 261 and Lauren Boyd on 210 points

CHAIN REACTION CLUBMAN 1000:

The Chain Reaction Clubman 1000 provided some exciting racing and produced three different winners.

In the first race James Smith (ECUWEST Honda CBR 1000RR) took the honours by just under three-seconds from John Quinn (Flashpoint Motosport Suzuki GSX-R1000) with Kristo Raam (Outkast Racing Honda CBR 1000RR) in third place.

The second race saw John Quin take the win from Kristo Raam by 1.4s with Jason Lockyer (Sassy Creative Design BMW S 1000RR) coming home in third place.

The final race saw Raam take the win by 0.3s from Smith with Quinn in third place.

Kristo Raam won the day with 63 points on a count back from Quinn who was also on 63 points, with Smith third on 61 points.

THE CULLY’S YAMAHA CLUBMAN 600:

The Cully’s Clubman 600 saw just 12 riders front the starter for the three races with at least two of them having their maiden ride in the category.

Rod Shepheard and Louise Cave both moved up from the Production Series. The same three riders figured at the front of the field in all three races it was just the order that differed.

In the first race Nick Favazzo (Velocity Race Team Yamaha YZF-R6) took the win ahead of Melanie Crockford (Kawasaki ZX-6) and Jakob Kelsall (Suzuki GSX-R600) with just under two-seconds separating the top three.

In the second race it was Kelsall who greeted the chequered flag ahead of Crockford with Favazzo in third place.

In the final race it was again Kelsall who took the chequered flag with Favazzo in second place with Crockford coming home in third place.

Kelsall won the day with 68 points, second was Favazzo on 63 and third was Crockford on 58 points.

The last race meeting of the year will be “The Kings of Wanneroo” which will be held on the weekend of the 5^th – 6^th November. It will also feature the final round of the Australian Sidecar Championships as well as the final round of the State Sidecar Championships.