GP Juniors Cup stars shine at Morgan Park

Round 5 at Morgan Park Raceway was treated to wheel to wheel racing from the GP Juniors Cup, part of the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK), as the incredibly eager Junior racers took to the track in fine form.

GP Juniors Cup

Boasting the largest number of entries so far in 2017, with 12 riders entered for the fledgling class at the Warwick track. The GP Juniors Cup allows a level playing field with all competitors riding the Yamaha YZF R-15, providing a perfect training tool for juniors to improve their skills of road racing, without relying on outright speed or power of larger capacity machinery for a favourable result.

Race One

John Lytras (Caboolture Yamaha, YZF-R15), Joel Kelso (JDS Moto Yamaha YZF-R15), Tommy Edwards (Enemies Everywhere, Yamaha YZF-R15) Max Stauffer (Dyno27, Yamaha YZF-R15) were dicing and slip-streaming each other all race long.

Lytras took the lead early on and built a gap behind him. Within a few laps it became clear that this battle was going to last for the duration of the race at the front. Edwards eventually took the lead from Lytras and put his case forward to win the race.

Kelso established himself as the favourite for the win but it wasn’t as smooth sailing as he would have hoped from there. Edwards managed to hold on to his advantage to win the race. Quite incredibly, only .070 of a second split the top three over the line.

Tom Edwards

GP Juniors Cup Provisional Top Ten Race 1 Results

Tommy Edwards (Enemies Everywhere, Yamaha YZF-R15)
John LYTRAS (Caboolture Yamaha, YZF-R15)
Joel KELSO (Deborah Motorsports, YZF-R15)
Ned FAULKHEAD (BROO, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Max STAUFFER (Dyno27, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Harry KHOURI (Excite Motorsports Penrith, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Tristan ADAMSON (Top Rider M-cycles, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Zylas BUNTING (Shark Motorcycle, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Hunter PENHALLURICK (Western Sydney Motorcycles, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Rhys WILLIAMS (Yamaha YZF-R15)

Race Two

The riders of the GP Juniors Cup had a great battle for the victories on Sunday. New South Welshman, Tommy Edwards (Enemies Everywhere, Yamaha YZF-R15) would take out the overall Round for the class.

Edwards took the lead in front of poleman Joel Kelso (Deborah Motorsports, YZF-R15), closely followed by Ned Faulkhead (BROO, Yamaha YZF-R15) and Harry Khouri (Excite Motorsports Penrith, Yamaha YZF-R15) for the duration of the five lap race.

It later became apparent that Khouri could not keep pace with the four riders in front of him, which led to an incredible battle at the front for the win.

In the end it would be Edwards to take the win as he finished in front of Lytras and Kelso. Faulkhead just missing out on a podium finish.

GP Juniors Cup Provisional Race Two Results

Tommy EDWARDS (Enemies Everywhere, Yamaha YZF-R15)
John LYTRAS (Caboolture Yamaha, YZF-R15)
Joel KELSO (Deborah Motorsports, YZF-R15)
Ned FAULKHEAD (BROO, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Harry KHOURI (Excite Motorsports Penrith, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Tristan ADAMSON (Top Rider M-cycles, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Max STAUFFER (Dyno27, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Zylas BUNTING (Shark Motorcycle, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Hunter PENHALLURICK (Western Sydney Motorcycles, Yamaha YZF-R15)
Rhys WILLIAMS (Yamaha YZF-R15)

Race Three

It was tight scrap into turn one as the riders from the front row had an even start, but Kelso got the hole shot into turn one.

Once again it would be a battle between Kelso, Edwards, Lytras and Faulkhead in the top four. The overtakes at the front were again frequent.

That allowed Kelso clean air out front he needed to take the win in front of Lytras and Edwards for the top three finishing positions.

Joel Kelso, “I went out with a positive mind and thought to myself that if I got away early, then they can’t lip stream me to the line very easily. I just kept pulling a gap and eventually it grew so that I could just run in clear air and keep calm. Its really close racing at the front between the top few guys. The 150’s mean that we are all on the same bike and we all have a lot of fun out there on the track.”

GP Juniors Cup Provisional Race Three Results