Cycle News Staff | January 26, 2019
2019 Island Classic Saturday Results—Team Australia’s Aaron Morris backed up his dominance in qualifying Friday to go from pole position to take victory in the first two International Challenge races at Australia’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and grab a narrow lead for the Australians against Team USA and New Zealand in the three-nation historic motorcycle battle.
2019 Island Classic Saturday Results
Team USA flexed their muscle with Josh Hayes breathing down the back of the Aussie front runners and being backed by reliable performances from his teammates.
While the Australians were solid, defending champion David Johnson was plagued by mechanical problems and 2016 champ Jed Metcher lost the front end to bow out of race two at the MG hairpin. Alex Phillis and John Reynolds were the best for the Kiwis.
Drama also marred the start, with the Team USA’s Jason Pridmore and Australia’s Beau Beaton both crashing at turn 11 and being transported to hospital for observation, Pridmore later diagnoses with a broken tibia and fibula and separated shoulder.
The headline event of the International Island Classic, presented by Visit Phillip Island, the International Challenge was run in far more pleasant mid-80° in comparison to Friday’s stifling 105° that sizzled machines and their riders
2019 Island Classic Saturday Results RACE ONE
Race one started with drama and a red-flag two laps in, when Team USA fastest qualifier Jason Pridmore high-sided at turn 11, falling heavily and taking other riders out in the crash. Australia’s Beau Beaton came unstuck, and both he and Pridmore were taken to the medical center with injuries. Conscious, both were transported to the hospital for observation and will not return to the grid this weekend.
For the race one re-start, pole-sitter Aaron Morris improved his start and stuck with the front-runners, but it was Australia’s Jed Metcher on the Honda Harris and Suzuki riders David Johnson and Alex Phillis who headed the field by Southern Loop.
While Metcher and Johnson led early, teammate Morris overhauled them aboard his Katana by lap three and held the lead through to the checkered flag. It was a solid victory, 1.2 seconds in front of Metcher. Team USA’s Josh Hayes came home in third, impressive for his first visit to the circuit and his third day on the bike.
David Johnson, last year’s Ken Wootton Trophy winner for best individual performance, took fourth, with Australia’s Shawn Giles in fifth and Suzuki rider Alex Phillis crossing the line for the New Zealanders in sixth, the best performer from the Kiwi squad.
2019 Island Classic Saturday Results RACE TWO
For the second International Challenge race mid-afternoon, it was American Josh Hayes—the four times AMA Superbike champion—who took the early lead after an impressive start. He was pursued by a host of riders including race one winner Aaron Morris, Melbourne’s Jed Metcher and for the USA, Larry Pegram.
Morris broke away early in lap two on the Katana and with him was Metcher on the Harris, leaving Hayes and Pegram in their wake. Metcher tumbled at Lukey Heights with a front end issue, and Morris was away with a clear track, building a four-second lead to take his second win in dominant fashion to complete a perfect day.
“The day went really well except my starts were pretty atrocious. I hadn’t done any clutch starts on the bike until this morning,” said 26-year-old Morris.
“To come out with both wins, I am very happy with that, and hopefully we can fix a few gremlins in the bike overnight and get out there and do it all again tomorrow. The competition is definitely keeping me honest. It’s been hard work out there. We are pretty lucky that we have a great bike.”
Completing the race two podium was former world endurance champion, Australia’s Steve Martin, in second, with Paul Byrne third for the locals; while Josh Hayes was fourth for the U.S. on the Yamaha FJ.
With today’s two wins, Australia’s Morris leads the individual leader board with a perfect scorecard on 80 points, but Hayes just trails him, with 75 points to his name.
“I am learning how to wrestle a dinosaur,” Hayes said. “These bikes are a bit before my time but I am lucky that the bike is extremely stable in the corners. I’ve had to change my riding style as I am a front-end rider but on these bikes, I don’t have much feel at the front to push really hard. I am really looking forward to getting a win tomorrow. I know we can do it.”
Hayes also has the backing of what is a far more formidable Team USA in 2019. Consistency amongst all riders is the name of the game for team honors, and the Americans had five finishers in the top 10 in race two with Hayes in fourth, followed by Michael Gilbert in sixth, Steve Rapp in seventh, Mark Miller in ninth and Barrett Long in 10th.
At the end of day one, Australia leads the table on 326 points, with Team USA trailing by only 15 points on 311 points, with New Zealand on 253 points.
INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE – RACE ONE
- Aaron Morris—1982 Suzuki Katana
- Jed Metcher—1982 Honda Harris F1
- Joshua Hayes—1983 Yamaha FJ1250
- David Johnson—1982 Suzuki XR691100
- Shawn Giles—1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
- Alex Phillis—1980 Suzuki XR69 1170
- Steve Martin—1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
- Larry Pegram—1983 Yamaha FJ 1250
- Jay Lawrence—1981 Suzuki Katana 1100
- John Reynolds—1985 Suzuki GSXR1100
INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE – RACE TWO
- Aaron Morris—1982 Suzuki Katana
- Steve Martin—1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
- Paul Byrne—1984 Suzuki McIntosh 1260
- Joshua Hayes—1983 Yamaha FJ1250
- Alex Phillis—1980 Suzuki XR69 1170
- Michael Gilbert—1983 Yamaha FJ1250
- Steve Rapp—Yamaha CMR FJ1100
- John Reynolds—1985 Suzuki GSXR1100
- Mark Miller—1984 Harris XR69 1200
- Barrett Long—1982 Kawasaki Harris 1250
INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE POINTS – Three Nations – after Race 1 and 2
- AUSTRALIA—326
- USA—311
- New Zealand—253
Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy – Individual Point Scores after Race 1 and 2
- Aaron Morris—80 points
- Josh Hayes—75 points
- Steve Martin—73 points
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