Robbie Bugden tops sweltering qualifying session at QLD Raceway ahead of Swann Superbikes Round Five getting underway tomorrow

Bugden tops sweltering qualifying session in QLD

Superbike QP

Robbie Bugden topped a sweltering 15-minute qualifying session at Queensland Raceway at 1600 this afternoon.

The local rider, who will have his Honey Badger cheer squad on hand this weekend finished 0.061 of a second over Yamaha mounted Michael Blair, with Ben Burke finishing the session third quickest.

Craig McMartin is sporting a glaring new colour scheme on his delectable Panigale R this weekend and finished the session fourth quickest ahead of his Racer’s Edge teammate Beau Beaton.

Matt Walters was certainly the most spectacular rider on track today, the Kawasaki Connection rider very entertaining with the ZX-10R set up slideways into turn three every lap. It didn’t translate to outright speed for the Cessnock youngster however, Walters over a second off the pace of Bugden, but with a clear gap over seventh placed Liam Wilkinson.

Racing starts tomorrow and Sunday by 10am both days with every class scheduled to run three races each day.

Warm temperatures are forecast for the entire weekend which will certainly make grip at a premium and tyre preservation vitally important to race results over the course of the weekend with all competitors on a Dunlop control tyre.

Bugden 1m10.452
Blair 1m10.513
Burke 1m10.794
McMartin 1m11.372
Beaton 1m11.375
Walters 1m11.563
Wilkinson 1m12.205
Baker 1m12.430
De Leon 1m12.434
McIntyre 1m12.566

Supersport QP

The hot weather conditions today at Queensland Raceway also saw many Supersport competitors struggling for grip, at one end or the other, or both.

BCperformance’s Kyle Buckley was riding in his usual aggressive and sideways manner on the SA Kawasaki ZX-6R to head off prime foe Mitch Levy for pole position.

Jordan Carlsson was third quickest ahead of Sam Muldoon and Chris Quinn while Callum Spriggs made an appearance aboard a YZF-R6. The Queenslander quickly got down to competitive times and will be one to watch as the weekend unfolds.

Buckley 1m13.086
Levy 1m13.443
Carlsson 1m13.593
Muldoon 1m13.801
Quinn 1m13.905
Spriggs 1m13.966
Barker 1m14.596
Spinks 1m15.647

Ninja 300 Qualifying

Young Broc Pearson topped the Ninja 300 qualifying with a time only two-tenths off the lap record he set in his first appearance in the class back here in July. Today’s 1m24.772 coming on the last of the ten laps he put in during the 15-minute session.

Second was Sam Condon ahead of Tom Toparis and Jack Dawes while Hunter Ford rounded out the top five.

Pearson 1m24.772
S Condon 1m25.588
Toparis 1m25.671
Dawes 1m26.333
Ford 1m26.653
Sellen 1m26.841
Shaw 1m26.928
Broadbent 1m26.998
P Condon 1m27.742
Wright 1m28.155

Formula OZ Qualifying

Simon Galloway looked very smooth on the Chris Watson Motorcycles YZF-R1 this afternoon and topped the Formula OZ qualifying session despite recording only six laps. Galloway is expected to wrap up the Formula OZ crown this weekend as he has a significant lead heading into the round.

Lucas Vitale was a strong second place today ahead of Brett Kitchin and Stuart Fripp while Evan Byles rounded out the top five.

Galloway 1m11.829
Vitale 1m11.884
Kitchin 1m12.856
Fripp 1m13.011
Byles 1m14.023

Pro Twins / Nakedbike Qualifying

The Pro Twins race this weekend sees the return of the delectable Irving Vincent at the hands of Beau Beaton but he will have his work cut out for in keeping Michael McMillan at bay this weekend as only one-hundredth of a second separate the two men today.