The second 2018 Australian Superbike Championship round at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park Raceway over the weekend didn’t quite deliver Mitch Levy with the results he was hoping for; however, he gained some valuable knowledge which he will carry into the remainder of the season.
Heading into the round, the 22-year-old racer was confident of being able to achieve a top-10 finish, with his bike having previously displayed good pace, but the increasingly hot conditions made it difficult for the team to find grip throughout each of their races, making their goal significantly harder.
Following Friday’s practice sessions, Levy recorded the 17th fastest lap (59.870 seconds) in his opening qualifying race on Saturday, proving his consistency in his second qualifying race by recording the 18th fastest lap (59.893 seconds).
Returning to the circuit on Sunday after having made significant changes to his bike’s setup, Levy began to improve in the morning’s warm up session, coming away 15th fastest, before placing 16th and 15th in races one and two respectively.
“While we definitely didn’t accomplish everything that we’d set out to and we struggled slightly with setup, we’ll take a lot of added knowledge into round three which takes place next month,” said the Dural, NSW-based rider.
“We made some significant changes to the bike throughout the weekend, many of which we think will definitely pay off in the next round, so we’re looking forward to putting them into practice and seeing what we can achieve. Qualifying will be our main focus, because a strong qualifying result will put us in a positive position for the rest of the weekend.”
In a positive development for the team, both of Levy’s top-20 race results saw him bank some valuable championship points, where he is currently sitting 18th with 22 points to his name.
Travelling to the brand-new complex – The Bend Motorsport Park – in Tailem Bend, South Australia for round three of the Australian Superbike Championship on April 19-22, Levy believes the track will be more suited to his riding style and looks forward to seeing what he can achieve.
Levy would like to thank his 2018 season sponsors: ATR, Greg & Nadene Seisun, Manshed Auctions, Adam Gorrell Automotive, Advanced Group, Held Australia, YRD, Wales Truck & Bus Repairs, Central Air Conditioning, Diacore, A1 Rubber, Airoh Helmets, Cut & Core, Beta Tools, and Motul.
To find out more about Levy and his team, LIKE them on Facebook by searching Mitch Levy #68.
2018 Australian Superbike Championship Schedule:
April 19-22
Round 3 – The Bend Motorsport Park (SA)
June 28-July 1
Round 4 – Hidden Valley Raceway (NT)
August 17-19
Round 5 – Morgan Park Raceway (Qld)
September 7-9
Round 6 – Winton Motor Raceway (Vic)
October 12-14
Round 7 (Final) – Phillip Island Circuit (Vic)
