Page 123 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)
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Main. Hayes splits the Aussies 1. Despite a 15-sec jump-start penalty in Race Two, Shawn Giles racked up a
valuable 121 points overall for Australia 2. Wally Campbell was reunited with his 1983 Bathurst-winning Honda
VRF Superbike. “It was a game-changer,” he said of the 860cc V-four 3. Aaron Morris (64) slices past American
Taylor Knapp (44) 4. Phillip Island first-timer, Canadian legend Jordan Szoke, was the meeting's big improver
achieve a maiden Challenge briefs
victory.
They nearly did both, but
Australia’s old dogs of war Killer effort from Keo
guided the young guns home. Keo Watson made a clean-
Martin and Giles finished 7th sweep of his classes to win the
and 10th to add crucial points Phil Irving trophy for overall
to one of the closest finishes in winner across all classes outside
the Challenge’s history. the International Challenge.
“It’s a real ‘wanted to get this
Team USA came agonisingly moment’,” said the son of Aussie
close, with Hayes winning, champ Ken Watson. Keo showed
Gilbert and Szoke fourth skill and consistency racing
and fifth. Knapp came home s and early ’s two-strokes
eighth but it could have been with just four years experience
3 4 very different. under his belt.
Tough guy Pegram had
survived the weekend as a Kiwi’s mammoth
front runner and was in the effort
running for a podium early. Jason Easton had big shoes to
Then his gearbox broke up and fill. The G McIntyre Matchless
he raced had previously
he could only change up to won an Australian Pre-
third. championship. He didn’t
“I kept going to bring home disappoint owner and tuner Ross
as many points as I could,” he Graham with some giant-killing
said, summing up a true team efforts in combined classes. Also
effort to finish 14th. racing an early-’s Yamaha
As the race started, the two-stroke, he ended up with
usual three suspects slugged three trophies at prizegiving.
it out for the lead. Hayes took
Let me race more
control on lap three. Using Beau Beaton, who returned
all his years of experience, he from a horror crash at last year's
stretched it out for a 1.4sec win Challenge to help Australia to
over Metcher. win, wants to race in ASBK. “We
Both Pegram and Giles running wide at Turn Four. Running a comfortable need to get a national Pro Twins
were hit with a 15-second The final run down into third, Phillis suddenly lost Class/Naked class going to
penalty for a jump start. A Turn 10 looked hairy with the momentum on lap five compliment the new focus on
US protest restored Pegram’s trio trying to out-smart each but regained pace to put Juniors,” he said. “This will add
position while Giles was other with different lines. As in the fastest race time another dimension to the series
relegated to 12th, promoting a drag race developed to the (1m36.665sec) on the last lap. and help with spectator interest.
I know of a lot of eligible twins
the Irving Vincent duo of line, Phillis ran dangerously Just as well, as fast finishing and nakedbikes lying around
Cam Donald and Beaton to close to the pitlane wall to American duo of Gilbert and ready to go.”
10th and 11th. avoid being slipstreamed. Szoke looked ready to strike.
He won by just 0.077secs, As the dust settled there
Race Three with Hayes a miniscule were many opinions being
It was time for Australia to 0.627sec behind Metcher. shared among the racers.
shut down the Hayes-Pegram Martin was fourth and Morris Szoke, the big improver of
show and Phillis did it in fifth. Pegram, Gilbert, Knapp the weekend, summed up the
style, clocking up his second and Szoke bagged a swag of mood of the meeting and the
win of the weekend. points for Team USA coming magnificence of the unique
“I find it easier to follow sixth, seventh, ninth and Phillip Island circuit.
than lead,” Phillis said after 10th. Beaton finished eighth. “It’s awesome to be nearly
Race One. “I can follow all day Australia now had a in the 36s after just a couple of
long so I need to use it to my 12-point buffer going into days here,” he said. “It’s some
advantage later in the race.” the final showdown. Was it of the most fun I’ve ever had on
He did exactly this, hunting enough? a motorcycle and Phillip Island
down Metcher while dragging might be replacing Suzuka as
Hayes along for another wild Race Four my Number One circuit.”
ride. In a bold move he closed Mathematically, Team USA Bring on 2021. And
right up on Metcher at the needed to fill the podium remember that Josh Hayes will
end of the main straight on or kick as many Aussies as return as the winner of Race
lap five, taking the lead then possible out of the top 10 to Four in 2020, just like 2019.
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