Jack Miller to race at ASBK finale
Jack Miller will again join Australia’s fastest domestic riders on home soil as they battle it out at the final round of ASBK season 2022. The showdown will take place at the fast and challenging 4.9-kilometere International Circuit at The Bend, over the last weekend of November, 25-27.
Jack will ride a V4 R at the ASBK finale, no doubt in CAT livery once again but perhaps with the ‘Ducati’ part of the equation played down a little more, as by then he will have already ridden the Red Bull KTM and be part of the KTM MotoGP Team. But with no comparable sportsbike eligible for competition in Australian Superbike, he can’t exactly compete on a KTM!
Miller was extremely gracious with the fans and injected a hefty dose of extra appeal into the 2021 ASBK Championship finale.
Jack said he threw everything at it but couldn’t quite get there for the win when he raced last year. The effort was clearly visible on track, his bike getting in all sorts of spectacular shapes as he struggled for grip. In 2021 he raced on Michelin rubber, but Pirelli continues to be the tyre to be on in ASBK. Our mail suggests that Jack will most likely race on Pirelli this time around.
Like last year, Jack will likely not get a single chance to ride the bike before the race weekend. It will be a case of turn up, twist that throttle and have a red hot crack.
I can’t imagine any other MotoGP rider fronting up to race at a national level competition without having ridden the bike before, and without having time to get a feel for the bike. He will also be on very different and unfamiliar tyres, compared to what he uses in MotoGP.
Due to MotoGP rules he will also once again have to ride with the standard ECU, which is pretty high-spec itself, but due to rules around data etc. he is not permitted by MotoGP to run the homologated Magenti Marelli Superbike spec’ ECU that other Ducati competitors use in ASBK.
Like last year, we believe that Josh Hook will also join his good mate and contest the ASBK finale on a Fireblade, while Harrison Voight is expected to return with them from Europe to race in Supersport.
Voight competed last year on an older borrowed bike, but this year we believe he will be on much more competitive machinery.
Jack and his band of brothers will not be the only ‘out of the ordinary’ attraction that is part of this year’s ASBK championship finale as, for the first time ever, the Superbike Masters (historic bikes from the 70s, 80s and 90s), and the Australian Sidecar Championship will also leave their mark on The Bend’s 4.95km International circuit.
Only a few days prior to ASBK hitting South Australia for the final, the penultimate round of the Australian Superbike Championship would have played out the weekend prior, as a supporting act to the Phillip Island season ending round of the FIM Superbike World Championship over the weekend of November 20. The Bend ASBK finale will then be held over the weekend of November 27.
Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones currently enjoys a handy 29-point buffer over defending champion Wayne Maxwell (Boost Mobile Ducati). If Jones wins the championship it will be Yamaha’s first Australian Superbike Title in 15 years.
mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points Standings
| Pos | Name | Total |
| 1 | Mike JONES | 242 |
| 2 | Wayne MAXWELL | 213 |
| 3 | Bryan STARING | 189 |
| 4 | Troy HERFOSS | 170 |
| 5 | Cru HALLIDAY | 161 |
| 6 | Glenn ALLERTON | 160 |
| 7 | Arthur SISSIS | 156 |
| 8 | Josh WATERS | 136 |
| 9 | Anthony WEST | 117 |
| 10 | Daniel FALZON | 111 |
| 11 | Max STAUFFER | 76 |
| 12 | Lachlan EPIS | 66 |
| 13 | Broc PEARSON | 65 |
| 14 | Jed METCHER | 62 |
| 15 | Michael EDWARDS | 59 |
| 16 | Mark CHIODO | 58 |
| 17 | Aiden WAGNER | 47 |
| 18 | Matt WALTERS | 32 |
| 19 | Beau BEATON | 27 |
| 20 | Ben STRONACH | 25 |
| 21 | Nathan SPITERI | 22 |
| 22 | Chandler COOPER | 21 |
| 23 | Paul LALLY | 20 |
| 24 | Sloan FROST | 17 |
| 25 | Benjamin LOWE | 11 |
| 26 | Luke MACDONALD | 10 |
| 27 | Luke JHONSTON | 7 |
| 28 | Corey FORDE | 3 |
mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
2022 ASBK Calendar
| Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC 25 – 27 February |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, SBK Masters |
| Round 2 Queensland Raceway, Ipswich QLD 18 – 20 March |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, Sidecars |
| Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW 22 – 24 April |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, Aussie Racing Cars |
| Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin NT 17 – 19 June |
| * With Supercars – SBK Only |
| Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick QLD 5 – 7 August |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC |
| Round 6 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes VIC 18 – 20 November |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300 |
| Round 7 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend SA 25 – 27 November |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC |
| ASBK Night of Champions Dinner – The Bend 27 November |
Tickets are on sale now via Outix.com.au and thebend.com.au or asbk.com.au
