MotoGP magic returns to the Island

By Peter Cleeland

PHILLIP Island will be the hottest ticket on the planet for Australian motorcycling fans come the weekend of October 14-16, when MotoGP returns to the famous seaside circuit after an enforced three-year absence. 

Have no doubt this event will be huge, with thousands of visitors flocking to the Island to support Aussie riders Jack Miller and Remy Gardner in the premier class.

The 2022 MotoGP championship stoush after 18 rounds of competition looks likely to go down to the wire with Frenchman, Fabio Quatararo and Italian Pecko Bagnia desperately in search of valuable points at the Island round. 

Having established a commanding points lead early on in the championship, Quatararo has had to deal with a rampaging Bagnia closing down his lead after the Italian posting six grand prix wins this season.

For Pecco Bagnia the challenge of winning the 2022 MotoGP championship for team Ducati is surrounded by high expectations as Ducati has only won a single senior class championship in 2007. 

The exceptionally talented Aussie rider, Casey Stoner, remains the only competitor to ever pilot the Italian machine to the ultimate glory of a championship win.

The fast-flowing Island circuit will definitely favour the Ducatis whose top end speed of 350km/h has left the Yamahas struggling to get in the mix at the chequered flag. 

Having recently sewn up the Constructor’s championship in Aragon in Spain in round 16 team Lenovo Ducati will be confident of their chances with Bagnia and Aussie rider Jack Miller displaying some good form.

Add into the mix Aussie Jack “Thriller” Miller’s convincing win in Japan, where he crossed the finish line 3.5 seconds clear after opening up a 5.5 second lead at one stage and the prospect Phillip Island round will have Aussie fans flocking to the world’s best circuit. 

Miller, who has been racing for most of the year on a hard compound rear tyre and soft compound front tyre selected hard compound’s all round for the Japanese Grand Prix simply blew the opposing riders off in his wake. 

Tyre choice is absolutely vital in this sport.

Round 18 was a wet race in Thailand where Jack Miller led the race for 10 laps before being overtaken by Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveria with Miller’s teammate Pecco Bagnia placing third. 

Frenchman Fabio Quatararo had a disastrous race finishing in 17th spot missing out on any points. 

Bagnia has closed to within two points of Quatararo with three races to go for the season.

With a first and second in his last two outings, Aussie Jack Miller has closed to within 35 points of the lead in the championship and it is conceivable that he too could win the MotoGP title for 2022 if he can maintain his rich vein of form over the next three rounds. 

An Aussie gunning for the title on his home track will get the hackles up on the necks of the Australian faithful who will be there in thousands to cheer Jack across the line.

Miller, who earnt third place in the 2019 GP at the Island has whetted his appetite to go to the top step on the podium at this year’s event. 

Miller will be going for broke to put his name on the honour board alongside previous Australian greats who have won the event in Gardner, Doohan and of course the great Casey Stoner. 

Jack has an added incentive too. 

His contract with team Ducati ends at the end of the 2022 season, as he has signed a new deal with KTM for the following season so the Aussie star will be leaving nothing in the tank in his quest for victory at his home GP.

The 2021 Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner will be having his first senior GP outing at the Island, where his father Wayne claimed a sensational victory for Honda in the 1989 and 1990 rounds. 

Remy too will have a point to prove as the hometown crowd gets behind the KTM rider, who has undeservedly been dropped from the team for 2023. 

Remy will line up in the very competitive World Super Bike Championship in 2023 for GRT Yamaha on an R1. 

The prospect of supporting races including Moto2, Moto3, a round of the Australian Super Bike championship and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup will further invigorate the throng of spectators.

In Moto2 just one single point separates Kalex riders Augusto Fernandez and Ai Ogura for the respective championship after the last round’s results in Thailand. 
So anything is possible in this category. 

The 765cc machines are no slouches when it comes to top end speed as a new record of 301.8km/h was recently achieved so the Island crowd will have thrilling entertainment in this class as well.

Moto3 class will see more close tussling as the bikes are powered by 249cc DOHC liquid cooled single cylinder engines designed for lightweight machines to maximise rider skills. 

A feature of this class is the riders exciting use of slipstreaming, daring cornering and constant overtaking manoeuvres. 

Currently Izan Guevara (265 points) leads Dennis Foggia (216 points) in this championship after the preceding round in Thailand. 

Spectators will be cheering on Australian Joel Kelso who rides for KTM in this class.

Mike Jones, Wayne Maxwell, Bryan Staring and Troy Herfoss are locked in a huge struggle for the Australian Super Bike Championship with Jones leading Maxwell by 29 points. 

While “Mad” Mike Jones won’t be doing any favours for the pursuing pack, “The Wayne Train” Maxwell will be hard to beat on his favourite Island circuit.

It is not everyday one gets the chance to attend such a fantastic spectacle as the Australian round of the MotoGP and 2022 will be no exception. 

With off track events such as “The Barry Sheene Ride”, GP Expo, Trackside Entertainment Zone as well as the Riders Walk there will be many opportunities for spectators to get amongst the action.