St. George Summer Nights series opener recap ̵...

MOTUL Summer season Evening Collection hosted by St. George MCC
Sydney Motorsport Park – Gardner GP Circuit
Spherical One – Pirelli Limitless F1 and F2

Phrases and pictures by Nick Edards / Half Mild

The fifth working of the St George MCC Summer season Nights Collection (aka SNS05), obtained underway at Sydney Motorsport Park on the night of seven^th December. The sequence has develop into an actual drawcard for worldwide/nationwide (ASBK) class riders in addition to clubbies, and it’s turning into more and more in style with spectators.

SNS05 ran to the established format of quickfire qualifying and racing for six lessons (two lessons on observe on the identical time in every session), kicking off at 1830 and ending round 2200. With sundown across the 2000 mark, the floodlights kick in round 1930, and by 2030 they’re the one supply of sunshine on the observe. Irrespective of what number of instances you see the observe beneath lights, there’s something ridiculously magical concerning the place, and we actually ought to be glad about the funding that’s gone into making the power what it’s.

Headline class in any respect rounds is Pirelli Limitless F1 (for Worldwide/Nationwide racers), and F2 (for fast clubbies) which share observe time with the large boys.

AGV 600 F1 and F2 additionally share observe time and have the identical worldwide/nationwide and clubbie distinction.

The third class varies from spherical to spherical however on the sequence opener it was for Airoh Limitless F3 (clubbies who aren’t anticipated to run sooner than 1:40sec laps), and 5 Gloves Retro. The retro bikes not properly represented at this spherical however hopefully a category that may develop as retro racing all the time places on a great present.

SNS05 ran the progressive grid format which implies that qualifying units grid positions for Race One and your inserting in Race One determines your grid place for Race Two. Inserting in Race Two units grid for Race Three.

The key problem for the membership in working a Summer season Nights spherical is time.  There’s barely sufficient of it to get by way of the entire schedule. Every class has a 10-minute qualifier and three seven-lap races, that’s if there aren’t any delays however as quickly as observe time is restricted, the schedule goes out the window. Such was the case at SNS05 Spherical One.

An extended delay on the finish of qualifying to permit for a rider to obtain medical consideration, adopted by shorter delays later because the climate performed its disruptive half in occasions, meant that many races had been shortened to five-laps and the Airoh Limitless F3 / 5 Gloves Retro racers misplaced their third race.

It’s to the credit score of the organisers that just one race bit the bullet as by 2000 the assembly was already properly not on time. A number of rabbits had been pulled out of hats to get so most of the races run earlier than the 2230 curfew.

Very substantial storms regarded grim on the rain radar and threatened to inundate the power in the event that they got here our means. The thunder and lightning (not so very very horrifying), was blasting the sky inside a couple of kilometres of the observe. We had been spared the worst of the storms, though what we obtained wasn’t what you’d name nice, which noticed a whole lot of racers pack issues away earlier than their second race. Those that did hold round and hit the moist, very moist in locations, observe, placed on a great present and loved the problem.

Lots of people had been simply glad to get to the top of the night time in a single piece because the circumstances had been fairly terrible. Humidity, obtained to like Western Sydney, was by way of the roof. Early night temperatures simply added to the tropical fug and the rain did little to chill issues down. Regardless, there have been a whole lot of drained smiling faces on the finish of the night and many discuss wanting ahead to Spherical Two, which will likely be run over two nights, January 10-11.

This report goes to concentrate on Pirelli Limitless F1 and F2, it is going to be adopted by a later report will concentrate on Limitless F3, Retro and the 2 AGV 600 (Supersport) lessons.

By Summer season Nights requirements, the occasion was fairly low key with fewer Limitless F1 grade riders within the subject than we’ve seen prior to now, however the pre-Christmas Rounds all the time are usually the quietest.

Josh Brookes was again from the UK, utilizing the occasion as observe for BSB 2025. Brookes is on Honda equipment this 12 months and with no native producer illustration in ASBK, Brookes partnered with native corporations to construct his Summer season Nights race bike in a matter of weeks.

Provided that qualifying was the primary time Brookes had hit the observe on the bike, it’s honest to say it’s nonetheless very early days when it comes to set-up and preparation however, as normal, he was fast proper from the beginning.

Nationwide grade riders in F1 had been Superbike regulars Josh Soderland, Paris Hardwick and Scott Allars. Stepping as much as a full season on Superbikes had been kids Jonathan ‘JJ’ Nahlous, Jack Favelle, John Lytras.

Limitless F2 was packed out with the standard suspects from the clubbie ranks with some very fast riders of their ranks together with Dominic De Leon, Chris Dunne and Hayden Rouse.

Pirelli Limitless F1 and F2 Qualifying

Qualifying passed off on a principally dry observe however the remnants of the daytime warmth nonetheless hanging round made the place really feel like a sauna. These riders who had the foresight to arrange followers of their garages had been the good ones.

Josh Brookes took F1 pole, and keep in mind that is the primary time he’d been on observe with this bike, with a 1m32.248 forward of a powerful 1m32.761 from Superbike debutante Jonathan Nahlous.

John Lytras took third spot on the grid from Favelle and Soderland.

In F2 Chris Dunne had finest lap at school which put him sixth on the grid, with Tim Griffith and Dom De Leon inserting eighth and ninth general, for second and third at school.

Qualifying Outcomes

Race One

Race One was staged in a lot the identical circumstances as qualifying and up entrance Brookes and Nahlous placed on a superb show of shut fight.

Brookes taking out the hard-fought win with Nahlous simply two-tenths of a second off his tail and looking out completely confident on the Superbike. Lytras took third spot, 20-seconds behind.

In F2 Chirs Dunne, on a fantastically ready YZF-R1, took seventh general and first at school with a close to four-second lead over De Leon, Hayden Rouse an extra five-seconds again.

Finest lap in F1 was a 1m31.872 from Brookes. Dunne recorded the very best F2 lap at 1:35.756.

Race One Outcomes

Race Two

The rain, which regarded like an absolute rain bomb on the climate radar, however mercifully spared the observe from its absolute worst, hit proper earlier than Pirelli Limitless Race Two. In consequence, the sector was a lot depleted with round half of the riders electing to take a seat it out, together with Brookes.

Adjusting to the misplaced time earlier within the night, the organisers shortened the race to 5 laps and it was Jack Favelle who overcame the circumstances finest, pumping out constant laps and taking the win by almost five-seconds from JJ Nahlous.  Soderland in third.

De Leon was first dwelling in F2 and fourth general, some 14-seconds behind Soderland.

Chris Dunne was simply six-tenths behind De Leon with Nick Marsh third at school.

Race Two Outcomes

Race Three

Race Three, which simply managed to squeak in earlier than the 2230 curfew, was one other five-lap affair. The rain had backed off to a wonderful mist however the observe was nonetheless very damp and, once more, many riders elected to take a seat it out.

Favelle led from the beginning however a mistake put him on the bottom on Lap 4 which noticed him give up the win to Nahlous, who had been battling with Soderland proper on his tail for a lot of the race.

Nahlous settled into a great tempo and pulled out a two-second lead on the flag with a finest lap of 1m45.849, a second and a half faster than Soderland’s who was additionally laying down fast laps in comparison with the remainder of the sector.

De Leon took third general and first in F2 class, with Dunne and Mohamad Aizuddin taking second and third in F2. Scott Allars, fourth on observe, was third in F1 class.

After which all of us retired to the paddock the place copious quantities of chilly drinks had been consumed. It actually was fairly a brutal occasion for everybody.

Jonathan Nhalous’ win and two-second place finishes gave him 65-points and high spot on the rostrum for the occasion in Limitless F1 class.

Josh Soderland took second with 55-points and Scott Allars’ strong 49-points gave him third place in class.

In F2, Dominic De Leon with two wins and a second-place took out the honours on 70-points. Chris Dunne on 65-points was second and Hayden Rouse saved Nick Marsh, on 46-points, at bay to attain third place for the spherical.

Riders will carry these factors ahead to Spherical Two, the primary of the 2 double-headers, on the identical venue over two nights, tenth/eleventh January. The ultimate spherical, one other double header at SMP, will likely be seventh/eighth February.  Josh Waters, Harrison Voight and Glenn Allerton are wanting wish to contest the remaining rounds.

Regardless of the challenges Spherical One confronted with delays and dodgy climate, it’s nonetheless an occasion that individuals, whether or not they’re there to race or not, clearly take pleasure in and we will count on larger, higher and extra of the identical at Spherical Two. Nicely, perhaps hopefully much less climate…

Race Three Outcomes

Total Spherical

Pirelli Limitless F1 Factors after Spherical One
Pirelli Limitless F2 Factors after Spherical One

Quotes

Jonathan Nahlous – Pirelli Limitless F1

“Saturday night time was a very enjoyable night time for me with qualifying and race one being dry and having a battle with Josh Brookes. Then Races Two and Three had been fairly moist and it took me some time to get going, however as soon as I obtained going, it was a lot enjoyable passing and battling again up the pack. Within the final race I used to be way more ready and was in a position to get a greater begin and have a little bit of a battle with Jack Favelle earlier than he gave me the lead and crashed out. Total the spherical was actually scorching and actually enjoyable and I can’t wait to get again there for the following rounds.”

Josh Brookes – Pirelli Limitless F1

“My plan for this BSB offs-eason was to participate within the St. George Summer season Evening sequence, which I’ve raced in for the final two years right here in Australia. Beforehand I’ve partnered with an current ASBK group however as there isn’t a Honda illustration this 12 months it meant I needed to construct a motorcycle myself if I wished to race. So with the assistance of some Aussie corporations; VanDemon Exhausts, Billetta Imports, Hel efficiency, Honda Australia and my DAO racing BSB group, that’s what I’ve been doing for the final two weeks forward of Spherical One.

“This weekend was the primary spherical and the primary time I’ve been again on a Honda since 2010. I’d booked right into a journey day for Saturday day-time hoping to do a shake down however because it was torrential rain all day and I didn’t journey the bike in any respect. Luckily, it dried out for the night’s occasions to start out however my very first journey on the bike was qualifying. I’m happy to say the bike ran faultlessly, I certified on pole and received the race.

“For a wide range of causes, there have been fairly a couple of names lacking from this occasion who would usually be there, however they’ll be again for spherical 2 so now I’ve obtained some laps in, I’ll work on tuning the bike and refining it for after they return.”

Paris Hardwick – Pirelli Limitless F1

“Summer season Evening Collection conferences are all the time a great night time. One dry race and two moist races made it enjoyable and saved it fascinating. Race One wasn’t my finest, ending sixth then it began raining and my head mechanic (dad) forgot to swap transponders to the moist bike the place I completed fourth however with no transponder needed to begin race Three from final. On the second lap of the final race had a motorcycle malfunction which concluded with a DNF. It was nonetheless was an superior night time and thanks St George MCC.”

Dominic De Leon – Pirelli Limitless F2

“With not being on the Kawasaki ZX-10R for nearly a 12 months, there have been completely no expectations however when the night time began to evolve the sensation that it’s potential to be considerably aggressive began to come back to mild “Underneath the lights”. Coming away from spherical One main the championship definitely proves that self-belief and self-confidence is are on the high of the listing on this bike racing recreation. I nonetheless am considerably in denial that Saturday night time did actually prove the best way it did, however I’m not complaining…Simply ensuring to journey this wave of pleasure of main a fairly aggressive championship this far. Now the strain is on the attempt keep the lead and see if we may actually make this dream come by way of on successful 2025 Summer season Evening Collection. I can’t specific how superior this sequence is certainly. Thanks St George MCC for placing on this wonderful Championship.”

MOTUL Summer season Evening Collection hosted by St George MCC