Bryan Staring has secured third in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) while Broc Pearson took out Rookie of the Year at The Bend, in South Australia for the final outing for DesmoSport Ducati in 2022.

Team co-owner, Ben Henry: “I’m really proud of Bryan, Broc and the whole DesmoSport Ducati team. We had a number of challenges in 2022 and in particular, this final round was by far our most difficult and unsuccessful on track, yet everyone rallied together, continued to support each other and work together to find solutions. In the end, we actually had a strong plan for the two races but Bryan was taken out by one of the guest riders after gaining five positions in the opening lap, and after a red flag, was able to restart, but the bike was simply too damaged to race on. For race two, again being buried in the pack gaveBryan some additional dangers and in avoiding another incident, was pushed off the track and forced to race from the rear of the pack, making a huge number of passes to get back to 12th. While third in the ASBK is an achievement to be proud of, we know we are capable of more and we’ll use this weekend as motivation for our 2023 campaign.”

Bryan Staring: “We’ve left something on the table this year that’s for sure, but I’m incredible proud to walk away with third in the championship. This weekend clearly didn’t go to plan, and although we put ourselves ultimately in a more dangerous position on track being so far back on the grid, I’m disappointed to not get the chance to race for a better finish to the season. I can’t thank Ben, Troy, the entire DesmoSport Ducati team, our partners and supporters for getting behind us this year and allowing us to compete for the championship amongst some incredible riders. It really has been a privilege for me to join DesmoSport this year and not only race with a group of people that I already considered friends, but to join what can only be described as the Ducati family.”

Broc Pearson: “I’m happy to take Rookie of the Year in the ASBK this year, especially when you consider that I wasn’t able to race at all the rounds, but this weekend just wasn’t a great way to finish the season on track. I tested well at The Bend and with the improvements found at Phillip Island, we were set to have a strong weekend but it just wasn’t to be. The team worked hard to turn a corner, but trying to move forward through a fast field was difficult and I spent just as much time trying to avoid trouble as I did making good passes. I know I’m capable of more and I hope I have an opportunity to prove that in 2023.”

Team co-owner, Troy Bayliss: “Difficult weekends are when good teams really come together, and this weekend was as difficult as it gets at the track, but everyone worked together to get ourselves out of it. When you don’t qualify well you have a lot more to contend with, between getting a good jump, making smart passes, and also being aware of other riders around you. In the end, it wasn’t our weekend, we never showed the speed we had in testing and it’s definitely a rough way to finish the season, but we leave the 2022 Championship in third place and a lot of scope for improvement. We’re here to win, all of us in DesmoSport Ducati are, so Ben and I will take some time to assess 2022, to come out stronger in 2023.”

DesmoSport Ducati now heads back to home base at Cube Performance Centre on the Gold Coast to begin preparations for the 2023 Australian Superbike Championship, expected to fire back into life in late February.