Streetwise Rider Training

Race Report – Southern Downs Rd3 | Queensland Raceway

A big weekend at Queensland Raceway for Round 3 of the Southern Downs series, competing in both Sporties Superbike and Production 500.

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Sporties Superbike
Streetwise Rider Training R1

Qualified 14th, which didn’t reflect our true pace, but we knew we had more in the tank heading into the races.

Saturday – Race 1:
A strong start and consistent pace saw us charge through the field to finish on the podium in 3rd place. Our best lap of the weekend, a 1:16.9, came in this race and showed what the R1 is capable of when everything is working.

Sunday – Races 2, 3 & 4:
Sunday proved to be a real challenge, with electronic gremlins all day. We lost traction control, wheelie control, and slide control — and the R1 with no rider aids is absolutely brutal.

The rear tyre took a hammering, spinning up everywhere, with the bike lifting and stepping sideways out of corners. It made for a wild ride — fun in its own way — but incredibly demanding over a 10-lap race distance.

Despite the issues, we pushed through for three 4th place finishes. Considering the circumstances, it was a solid effort just to keep the bike upright and competitive.

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Production 500
Bike Race DNA Ninja 400

Qualified 15th with a best time of 1:25.7.

• Race 1: 10th
• Race 2: 12th
• Race 3: 8th (best result)
• Race 4: DNS

After the physical toll of the Superbike races, I had to sit out the final Production 500 race. The last Superbike race absolutely drained me — severe cramping and fatigue, like riding a bucking bull at over 200km/h.

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Wrap Up

While qualifying didn’t go our way in either class, the races told a different story. We made plenty of passes, had some great battles, and showed strong race pace across the weekend.

A podium in Sporties Superbike and pushing through tough conditions on Sunday is something to be proud of. We learned a lot managing the bike without electronics, and we’ll come back stronger next round.

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Thanks

A huge thank you to Glen from Track Tune Australia for all the work behind the scenes getting both bikes sorted and running.

Also, thanks to Jason and Leigh for believing in what we’re doing and supplying one of their race-prepped machines. The bike was fast and ran faultlessly. With more seat time and some suspension fine-tuning, we’ll be right there with the front pack.

And finally, my partner Kim, who is always there supporting me through every round, every challenge, and every high and low — sharing in our love of racing together.

Onwards and upwards.

Very excited for round 4 at Morgan Park. September 24th-27th

Free entry for spectators!!!

We are racing this weekend at Queensland Raceway on our R1 and Sat /Sun from 830am

A very special thank you to Race DNA and all the crew for suppling us with full race prepared Ninja 400 in production 500 class.

Very excited to be racing in new class.

Track day Training full house today at QR

NEW EVENT – Friday 7 August at Queensland Raceway❗️

Queensland Raceway has teamed up with QR Moto Ride Days and Motorcycle Sportsmen to bring you a full-day Ride Day on the National Circuit!

Whether you're an experienced rider or just starting out, we've got a group for you:

Fast
Intermediate
Novice
Beginner

Our goal is to give every rider a minimum of 6 sessions across the day, with extra track time available if the schedule allows.

Available on the day:
• Hire gear
• Professional photo packages
• Tyre service and fitting
• Riding accessories for sale
• Café open all day

Spectators are welcome and entry is FREE!

As a bonus, all Motorcycle Sportsmen riders will have access to a dedicated 30-minute race start practice session at the end of the day.

Entries are selling fast, so secure your spot today by booking through the Queensland Raceway website.

We'll see you at Queensland Raceway on Friday 7 August!

A big Thank you to Jason and the crew at RACE DNA, supplying us one of their race bikes, for our first small wheel night ride what a well setup awesome bike to ride, the circuit is heaps of fun with a lot of track time.

We have some exciting news coming up about small wheel nights at QR, stay tuned.