After two 16-lap races around the three-kilometre-long Morgan Park Raceway, it was Bryan Staring securing third overall ahead of team rookie Broc Pearson in fourth aboard two DesmoSport Ducati prepared Panigale V4 R’s for the fifth round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

Team co-owner, Ben Henry: “The weather didn’t do us any favours with Friday basically rained out, but Bryan and Broc were both fast in testing, so we expected them to be able to pick up from where we left off, and that’s pretty much what played out. For Broc, the lack of track time, as well as a last-minute issue with his lever in Qualifying slowed his progression, but it was quite clear that had great pace and was continuing to gain momentum. Bryan gained lap speed through the day but in the end, it just wasn’t enough to move further up the grid in qualifying. In the races, both riders managed to move forward and race towards the front with Bryan’s experience helping him get a better jump than Broc. From there, I think it’s fair to say Broc exceeded our expectations this weekend with two fourths, and Bryan continues to push, gaining points and his sixth podium of the season. We have more work ahead of us in the break, but I’m looking forward to finishing the year strong, starting with some non-championship races alongside MotoGP at Phillip Island.”

Bryan Staring: “You know, I keep finding myself leaving the track on Sunday night somewhat torn. This is the best season I’ve had since I returned from Europe. I was on the podium this weekend with great race speed, but I’m not satisfied with that. I believe I have the team, equipment, and ability to be winning races, so when that doesn’t happen, I’m disappointed, despite putting the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R on the podium again and retaining third in the championship. I struggled a little with rear grip in the final stages of race one, so we made some small adjustments to the bike, and I felt stronger in race two, which showed in my results. I have to admit, I was really impressed with Broc this weekend too. He’s clearly a talented rider and our series needs more younger riders joining the superbike field, so I’m actually really proud to work with a team that continues to give young riders a go.”

Broc Pearson: “I was confident heading into the weekend that I could do a good job and I guess really, I wanted to prove to myself first that I could race with the best riders the country and that’s exactly what I did. With the rain on Friday, I didn’t get a lot more track time, so we worked on a few small things to make me more comfortable on the bike and I just concentrated on riding the bike from that point. I’ve only done a few practice starts on the Panigale V4 R, but I got off the line ok in both races and I felt pretty good with the pace early on, so in both races I just concentrated on moving forward and making smart passes over the 16 laps.”

Team co-owner, Troy Bayliss: “I flew back from Europe a few days ago, so it was good to be back at the track with the team again on Sunday and see some familiar faces. It was great to see Bryan pushing forward in both races after qualifying, especially in race two, taking third. Ben and I knew Broc was capable, but he’s come to terms with the Panigale V4 R really quickly and I was impressed with how he managed both races. He wanted to prove that he could be a contender on a superbike, and I think he’s done that.”

The ASBK takes a long break before resuming on November 17 at Phillip Island alongside the World Superbike Championship. DesmoSport Ducati will race alongside MotoGP at Phillip Island on October 14-16 although these are non-championship races.