The rising star of the Australian motorcycle racing scene has impressed many with his vast improvement and his domination of his respective class. As a reward for taking out the championship a round early, Collins will compete in his first YMI Superbike race, this weekend October 6-8.
Photo by Russell Colvin
Collins will be riding a BMW S1000RR at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit with his NextGen Motorsports Team and the 18-year-old Victorian recently completed a test at the famous track last week, in preparation for his YMI Superbike debut.
Collins sharing after the test; “The goal was to win the championship and we could see with each passing round that the gap was getting bigger and bigger. We quickly realised that the 2017 title was a possibility.
“We knew going into Round 1 at Phillip Island that it was not going to be my strongest, as the track didn’t really suit my riding style or the bike too well,” Collins continued. “Round 2 at Wakefield was a turning point, as I took the win for Race Two in trying conditions and it was a confidence booster. It wasn’t until Winton, which is a track I love, that it all really started to take shape. I was able to keep the points lead and set up the title challenge from there.
“The S1000RR is an incredible machine, I’ve been out on it a few times last week and it’s just a monster. The acceleration and top speeds are just insane compared to the Supersport bike I was on. At first, I had to adapt to the power of the bike and the way it handles, as it is much different to what I am used to. It’s a challenge for sure, however I’m really looking forward to it.
“Phillip Island is such a fast track that suits a Superbike and I will be focusing on gelling properly with the machine and circuit for Round 7 next week, so that I can carry it all forward for Round 1 in 2018.
by Andrew Gosling TBG Photogrraphy
NextGen Motorsports Team Manager, Wayne Hepburn also commented; “We’re very excited that Ted will be making his YMI Superbike debut for the final round of 2017 ASBK. Ted has had a phenomenal season in the Motul Supersport class and his development has been very impressive.
“There are no expectations, results wise, with Ted in the final round. This is simply an opportunity for him to adapt to a Superbike in preparation for next year. Nethertheless, we were impressed with his first outing on the S1000RR at Phillip Island last week.
Photo by Andrew Gosling TBG Photography
ASBK is live on SBS and Live Streaming
Fans will be treated to plenty of action on and off the track next weekend, however for the fans who can’t be at Phillip Island, the ASBK has provided them with the best opportunity to stay up to speed with everything happening on October 8.
From 9:30 am AEST the ASBK will be broadcast LIVE to everyone in the world via the ASBK website. Capturing the live racing moments, exclusive interviews with past and present champions and so much more, the Live Stream is not to be missed.
Starting from 1:00 pm, the ASBK will be shown on free to air television on channel SBS, with two hours of pulsating coverage.
