Team USA’s Josh Hayes went to bed last night convinced he could get an International Challenge win, but after finishing 15th in the morning’s race three his dream looked dashed. But the American did not give up, and this afternoon he showed why he is a four-time AMA superbike champion with a resounding win in the fourth and final six-lapper at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

The outstanding Hayes on his first visit to the Australian high-speed circuit, led race four from the get-go and finished more than 4 seconds in front of Australia’s Steve Martin in 2nd , ahead of New Zealand’s Alex Phillis – with the final International Challenge podium representing all three nations competing.

With three race wins to the Australians over the four six lap battles, the defending champions walk away with the title once again finishing on 676 points, ahead of America on 634 points and NZ on 460 points.   The International Challenge is the headline event if the Island Classic, presented by Visit Phillip Island, and one of the leading historic bike events in the world today.

In individual standings, it was experience over youth in the end, when Melbourne‘s Steve Martin – a former world endurance champion back in 2008 – took out the Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy.

The race three winner took the title on 152 points, just two ahead of  26-year-old Novocastrian Aaron Morris who had his day on Saturday with a perfect score from two wins. Today was difficult for Morris with gear box problems pushing him back to 3rd in race three, and then for the final race, he rode with just three gears and only managed a 9th place.

“It is unbelievable, I’ve won this (Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy) before, but that’s a long long time ago now, so to win it today with guys like Josh Hayes, Jason Pridmore and all of the young chargers that we have got from Australia, it means a lot to me.”

Said Martin.

“This game is all about a bit of luck, and I’ve had my bad luck in years gone by. Aaron was definitely very very fast all weekend. He should have won it if his bike had of stayed together, he had a little problem and it allowed me to sneak through.”

Said Martin.

Hayes came in equal third with Australia’s Shawn Giles on 141 points; the USA’s Larry Pegram next on 130 points; followed by Michael Gilbert (USA) and the top finishing New Zealander, former BSB champ John Reynolds on 128 points.

Hayes was elated after his race four win, but his excitement was tempered with concern for his team-mate Jason Pridmore, who had invited him to join the US squad -  but spent the last 36 hours in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital with a broken leg after a nasty high-side in race one.

“I don’t necessarily feel like the first, I feel like Jason (Pridmore) was going to beat me to it, but with him being gone I am glad we were able to pull that off,”

Said Hayes after his race four win.

“I’m glad he (Jason) invited me and I hope he’s proud of what we were able to accomplish. We had our snafu’s in the second two races and stole some hearts and actually that’s the first time the right bike had run proper all weekend. We’re a lot more pleased with where the bikes at and it gives us a lot of hope that we can make this thing a bit better in the future and that was just our first shot at it. Everyone has been real nice to me, I’m hoping I’ve done enough that Dave and the boys ask me to come back,”

Said a modest Hayes of his achievements in the Dave Crussell captained Team USA.

Carl Cox spoke for Team NZ, with the international DJ bringing his Taupo based team to the Kiwi outfit and with a star roster of riders.  

“Unbelievable! We got to see some really good battles, Phillip Island is always so emotional by the end of the day; the wins and losses, and things that do break down. It’s been an historic day with the Americans winning for the first time which is amazing, they’ve flown all the way over here and with all their efforts and passion to get to the top, they finally did it!”

Said Cox post race.

“We’ll have to step up, the Americans are here now, their laying their flag down, it’s happening.”

Said Cox.

RACE THREE REPORT

Australian riders finished at the pointy end in this morning’s International Challenge six-lapper, with experience coming to the fore in the shape of elder ‘statesmen’ Steve Martin and Shawn Giles, who finished first and second ahead of day one hero and fellow Suzuki Katana rider Aaron Morris.

The local domination allowed Australia to build its buffer ahead of Team USA and New Zealand heading into the fourth and final race.

Martin, the former world endurance champion and soon-to-be 51-year-old, showed he still has what it takes in race three, finishing a whisker in front of three-time Aussie superbike champion, 46-year-old Giles, also on the Katana. Giles also set the fastest time of the race, a 1m37.425 flyer on lap four.

Twenty-six-year-old Morris, who hails from Newcastle, looked set for another victory before he erred on his final run to the line, allowing Martin and Giles the opportunity to fly past. Morris struggled with his machine today, with the Katana jumping out of fourth gear.

Melbourne’s Jed Metcher on the T-Rex Honda came in fourth to complete a quadrella for the Aussies.

It was a good effort from the Australians, with the only real disappointment the DNF of last year’s individual winner, David Johnson. He has struggled with his No. 3 Suzuki all weekend, plagued by mechanical problems.

Team USA took the next three spots on a fleet of Yamahas, with fast-starter Larry Pegram fifth across the line – before a jump start penalty pushed him back to seventh. Teammates Michael Gilbert and Steve Rapp then moved up the tally to take fifth and sixth.

Craig Ditchburn and Dean Oughtred took eighth and ninth, with first across the line for the Kiwis, John Reynolds in the 1985 Suzuki Katana. Alex Phillis, who was the best performer for the Team NZ on Saturday, sat out race three due to a problems with the cam chain.

For Team USA’s Josh Hayes, race three did not go as well as Saturday’s outings where he scored 3-4 results. He made an error that saw him drop back from the race leaders early and ended the bout in 15th place.

AND FROM THE MEDICAL WARD

Team USA’s Jason Pridmore and Australia’s Beau Beaton didn’t have the world’s greatest weekend after being injured in yesterday’s big crash at turn 11, early in race one.

Pridmore high-sided in his pursuit of Morris and Metcher, and Beaton crashed hard into the American’s Yamaha as it lay on the track. Transported to Melbourne, they are both in the hands of medics at the Alfred Hospital with Pridmore nursing a broken leg and Beaton with a fractured L5 vertebrae and small fractures to his pelvis and sacrum.

Both took to social media overnight to post updates, thanking the Racesafe medical staff at the circuit and the Alfred Hospital and wishing their teams good luck today.

“We wish both Jason and Beau a speedy recovery. I’m thankful for our medical staff here and at the Alfred and it’s good to know they are in such good hands. We look forward to welcoming them back to the Island next year bigger, better and less painful for both of them! ”

Said Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit General Manager, David Bennett.


INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE QUALIFYING – RACE THREE

1.Steve Martin – 1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
2.Shawn Giles – 1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
3.Aaron Morris  - 1982 Suzuki Katana
4.Jed Metcher – 1982 Honda Harris F1
5.Michael Gilbert – 1983 Yamaha FJ1250
6.Steve Rapp – Yamaha CMR FJ1100
7.Larry Pegram – 1983 Yamaha FJ 1250
8.Craig Ditchburn – 1978 Yamaha TZ 750
9.Dean Oughtred – 1981 Suzuki Katana 1100
10.John Reynolds – 1985 Suzuki GSXR1100  


INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE QUALIFYING – RACE FOUR

1. Josh Hayes  - 1983 Yamahas FJ 1250
2.Steve Martin – 1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
3.Alex Phillis – 1980 Suzuki XR69 1170  
4.Jed Metcher – 1982 Honda Harris F1 1100
5.Shawn Giles – 1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
6.Larry Pegram  - 1983 Yamaha FJ 1250
7.Michael Gilbert – 1983 Yamaha FJ 1250
8.John Reynolds – 1985 Suzuki GSXR 1100
9.Aaron Morris – 1982 Suzuki Katana 1294
10.Mark Miller – 1984 Harris XR691200


INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE POINTS - THREE NATIONS

1.Australia – 676 points
2.USA – 634 points
3.New Zealand – 460 points


KEN WOOTTON PERPETUAL TROPHY - INDIVIDUAL POINT SCORES

1.Steve Martin  AUS152 points
2.Aaron Morris   AUS 150 points
3.Josh Hayes USA141 points
4.=Shawn Giles AUS 141 points
5.Larry Pegram USA 130 points
6.Michael Gilbert   USA128 points
7.=John Reynolds NZ128 points
8.Mark Miller   USA121 points
9.Craig Ditchburn120 points
10.Barrett Long 114 points


Visit Computime for all results

Race Day 1

Newcastle’s Aaron Morris backed up his dominance in qualifying Friday, to go from pole position today to take victory in the two International Challenge races at Australia’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and grab the lead for the Australians against Team USA and New Zealand in the three nation historic motorcycle battle.

And while Morris was unstoppable, 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 team mates.  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.

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.

The main event of the International Island Classic, presented by Visit Phillip Island, the International Challenge was run today in far more pleasant mid 20 temperatures in comparison to yesterday’s stifling 40+ temps that sizzled machines and their riders.

Race one started with drama and a red-flag two laps in, when Team USA scalp, 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 centre 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, polesitter Aaron Morris improved his start and stuck with the front runners, but it was Jed Metcher on the Honda Harris, and Suzuki riders David Johnson and Alex Phillis who headed the field by Southern Loop.

While the Australians Metcher and Johnson led early, team-mate Morris overhauled them aboard his Katana by lap three and held the lead through to the chequered flag. It was a solid victory, 1.2 seconds in front of Metcher. Team USA’s hot shot Josh Hayes came 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 5th; and Suzuki rider Alex Phillis crossing the line for the New Zealanders in 6th , the best performer from the Kiwi squad.

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 fiercely pursued though 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 though tumbled at Lukey Heights with a front end issue, and Morris was away with clear track, building a four-second lead to take his second chequered flag in dominant fashion to complete a perfect day.

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 US on the Yamaha FJ.  

Hayes is the dark horse and should not be underestimated.   As he learns the track, he’s starting to play hard ball and is likely to terrorise the leading riders even further tomorrow.  

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.

Hayes also has the backing of what seems a far more formidable Team USA in 2019.   Consistency amongst all riders is the name of the game for team honours, and the Americans had five finishers in the top ten in race two today, with Hayes 4th, followed by Michael Gilbert in 6th, Steve Rapp in 7th, Mark Miller in 9th 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.  

Phillis was the best performer for the Kiwis today with a 6th and a 5th place to sit 4th on the Ken Wootton table for individual glory; while three times British superbike champion, John Reynolds, is finding his pace and took a 10th and 8th spot today and is in 6th place overall.

Defending Ken Wootton trophy holder, Adelaide’s Dave Johnson had gear box problems in race one, and did not compete in race two due to electrical problems.  He plans to be back on track in the morning, after his mechanics work some magic overnight.

The 26th International Island Classic, presented by Visit Phillip Island, is one of the worlds’ great historic bike meets, attracting over 450 bikes and riders from across the globe, competing in 56 races over the weekend.    Celebrating a century of motorbikes, features old Indians, Nortons and Vincents through to vintage Triumphs, Harleys and Ducatis. There’s six historic categories from pre-WW1 bikes through Vintage (1920-1945), Classic and Post Classic (from 1946 to 1972) and the more recent Forgotten Era and New Era classes fighting for class honours and the Phil Irving Perpetual Trophy.