2019 ASBK – Round Two
Wakefield Park Saturday Wrap

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Australian Superbike qualifying has a new look for season 2019. A MotoGP style Saturday morning ‘Timed Practice’, ahead of a split qualifying session in the late afternoon. With 24 Superbike entries this weekend that meant that the fastest nine in the 35-minute Saturday morning session go straight through to ‘Q2’, while the slowest half of the grid fight it out first in Q1. With both of those sessions limited to only 15-minutes. Friday times have no bearing on today’s proceedings.

Troy Herfoss had been quickest on Friday with a 57.455 and the reigning champion did not join the circuit on Saturday until more than halfway through the 35-minute ‘Timed Practice’ session. His first flying lap at full pelt though was good enough to rocket past his competitors and top the timesheets, a 57.444. Herfoss then returned to the pits, his spot in Q2 almost certainly assured.

Cru Halliday also left it until late in the session to secure his spot in Q2, second quickest on 57.602 ahead of Mike Jones, who is standing in for Troy Bayliss this weekend on the DesmoSport Ducati, and put in a 57.647.

Daniel Falzon was fourth quickest ahead of Ecstar Suzuki duo Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters.

Aiden Wagner had a major tumble yesterday and is battling back up to full speed, a 58.320s his best after putting in an incredible 25-laps during the Saturday morning session. Wagner had been baulked by a number of riders that were let out of pit-lane in front of him on Friday, something that should not have happened, and was apologised for by M.A. officials. Wagner was left with one almost completely destroyed YZF-R1 as a result, a hefty blow to his privateer team finances. Wagner himself is also a bit battered and bruised but his injuries should hopefully not hold him back tomorrow as he sets out to defend his championship lead.

Bryan Staring was the fastest Kawasaki, and leading Dunlop runner, in P8, ahead of Glenn Allerton. The BMW man the final rider to automatically garner a spot in Q2. New Zealand’s Damon Rees rounded out the Saturday morning ‘Timed Practice’ top ten.

Those from P10 back, would start the Q1 session, from which the top three then have the option of also joining the Q2 session. However, no extra tyres are allocated for these riders. Thus unless they had found a lot of speed in that session, they might be unlikely to put wear on their tyres, at the risk of questionable gains when put in the Q2 mix with the fastest nine.

Saturday Superbike Timed Practice Results

1. Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.444
2. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.602
3. Mike Jones – Ducati 57.647
4. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.666
5. Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.812
6. Josh Waters – Suzuki 58.091
7. Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 58.320
8. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.386
9. Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.444
10. Damon Rees – Honda 58.665
11. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.716
12. Alex Phillis – Suzuki 58.729
13. Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.916
14. Mark Chiodo – Honda 59.013
15. Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 59.057
16. Ted Collins – BMW 59.301
17. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.346
18. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.415
19. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 60.004
20. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 60.728
21. Will Davidson – Yamaha 61.194
22. Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.740
23. Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 61.885
24. Paul Van Her Heiden – BMW 62.860

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Superbike Qualifying

The Q2 session for the slower half of the Superbike field got underway on schedule at 1445 as rain still threatened, but somehow managed to just keep slipping past Wakefield Park Raceway. The track temperature though had dropped a few degrees, down to 31-degrees celsius for the qualifying sessions. Many teams also had a wet-bike ready to roll, just in case the heavens did open at an inopportune time.

Mark Chiodo was keen to make progress, a 58.796 immediately lowering his own marker from this morning and the quickest time set by the group of 15-riders taking part in Q1. That was until the half-way point of the 15-minute session, when Glenn Scott dropped in a 58.744 to push Chiodo back to P2.

Alex Phillis then gazumped them both with a 58.658, only for a matter of seconds though before New Zealander Damon Rees shot to the top with a 58.443s. Phillis then bettered him on the next lap to go back on top with a 58.386.

Matt Walters went out with a new rear bag and shot to the top with a 58.279. That time stood to the flag to make it a Walters, Phillis, Rees top three. That trio earning the right, should they choose, to join the fastest nine riders from this morning in another 15-minute session, Q2, after a 15-minute break.

The rain somehow managed to stay just outside the circuit when the timers started on the final 15-minute Q2 session that would decide the grid for Sunday’s 2 x 20-lap races.

Mike Jones was the first rider out of pit-lane and set a 57.910 on his first flying lap, then backed it up with a 57.865, followed by a 57.638.

Daniel Falzon had been in second place behind Jones for almost the entire first half of that session, before the South Australian ran off the circuit. He eventually rejoined the circuit and continued to circulate, without returning to pit-lane, getting straight back down to business.

With six-minutes remaining Troy Herfoss, Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell exited pit-lane for their final time attack. Provisional pole-sitter Mike Jones had also been in the pits, but re-joined the circuit with less than five-minutes to run.

It was on!

Cru Halliday dropped in a 57.138, followed by Maxwell on 57.190. That 57.138 by Halliday a new fastest ever motorcycle lap of the Wakefield Park Raceway. Herfoss dropped in a 57.429 to move up to P3, demoting Jones to P4. The reigning champion then improved further to 57.223, but remained P3.

Pole position to Cru Halliday!

Cru Halliday will start from pole position when the opening 20-lap Superbike race gets underway at 1140. Halliday also scores a championship point for that pole position which moves him onto 56-points, strengthening his second place in the championship standings behind series leader Aiden Wagner on 71-points.

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Superbike Qualifying Results / Grid

1. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.138
2. Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.190
3. Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.223
4. Mike Jones – Ducati 57.638
5. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.698
6. Josh Waters – Suzuki 57.805
7. Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 57.904
8. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.009
9. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.226
10. Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.260
11. Alex Phillis- Suzuki 58.386
12. Damon Rees – Honda 58.443
13. Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.564
14. Mark Chiodo – Honda 58.796
15. Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 58.864
16. Ted Collins – BMW 59.100
17. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.155
18. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.282
19. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 59.775
20. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 60.339
21. Will Davidson – Yamaha 60.780
22. Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.544
23. Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 62.263
24. Paul Van Der Heiden – BMW 62.385

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Supersport 600

Oli Bayliss wrecked one of his Cube Racing YZF-R6 machines in morning qualifying. Along with Reid Battye, and Broc Pearson, Oli had found some more speed this morning, and were all pressing hard to try and close the gap to Supersport benchmark setter Tom Toparis.  That trio still needed to find another half-a-second to get on terms with Toparis, but in Q1 they had managed to close the gap to half of what it was on Friday.

The second 25-minute qualifying session got underway just after 1330, as rain loomed on the horizon. Riders had complained of a dirty track after QP1, due to dirt washed across the circuit during the heavy rain of Friday afternoon. It should have cleaned up a little after the other sessions had been on track. With the threat of rain hanging over their heads, competitors were eager to see if conditions had improved.

Tom Toparis dropped in a 59.638 to lower his morning marker. That time still a lot slower than those has recorded during testing here in the lead up to this round, but as good as he could manage on a track that was not offering up all that much grip.

Broc Pearson then went second quickest with 15-minutes remaining in the session. A 60.049 displacing Reid Battye out of that second spot.

Toparis then went out again and dropped in 59.399, further stretching away from his competitors. Broc Pearson then became the only other rider to record a sub-minute lap, a 59.882 to the young Queenslander. Toparis though kept banging in lap after lap in the mid 59s, underlining his race pace advantage over his competitors.

Supersport Qualifying Results

1. Tom Toparis – Yamaha 59.399
2. Broc Pearson – Yamaha 59.882
3. Reid Battye – Suzuki 60.130
4. Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 60.188
5. Nic Liminton – Yamaha 60.477
6. Ty Lynch – Yamaha 60.824
7. Rhys Belling – Yamaha 61.070
8. Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 61.110
9. Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 61.212
10. Chris Quinn – Yamaha 61.443
11. Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 61.506
12. Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 61.684
13. Jack Passfield – Yamaha 61.717
14. John Quinn – Triumph 62.827

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Supersport 300

Qualifying was extra important for the YMI Supersport 300 category today. The short Wakefield Park circuit only has 34 grid spots allocated, yet there were 38 entries for the category, meaning that the slowest four would miss the cut and not get to race.

After recently turning 15, Max Stauffer is really starting to come of age. A race win late last season, followed by two race wins and the round win at the Phillip Island season opener last month, and today young Max set the fastest ever Supersport 300 lap of Wakefield Park to claim pole position.

Supersport 300 Qualifying Results

1. Max Stauffer – Yamaha 65.536
2. Ben Baker – Yamaha 66.114
3. Zac Levy – Yamaha 66.144
4. John Lytras – Yamaha 66.195
5. Locky Taylor – Yamaha 66.211
6. Hunter Ford – Yamaha 66.217
7. Travis Hall – Yamaha 66.285
8. Harry Khouri – Yamaha 66.405
9. Brandon Demmery – Yamaha 66.435
10. Yanni Shaw – 400 Kawasaki 66.475

Supersport 300 Race One

Underlining the popularity of the Supersport 300 category was the number of 600 Supersport competitors, and majority of the ASBK Superbike competitors, all lining the pit-wall to watch the start of the opening ten-lap race of the weekend.

Max Stauffer capitalised on his pole position to get away to an early break over Baker, Levy, Taylor, Lytras and Khouri. Harry Khouri was in fact the first one to break last year’s race lap record for the category, a 66.562.  Only to bested on the next lap by Ben Baker who lowered the benchmark to 66.029 to catch and overhaul Max Stauffer.

Zac Levy then pulled a big out-braking move on Stauffer to push the championship leader back to third place. Stauffer got him back quickly, as a seven-rider freight train of junior two-wheel psychopaths commenced battle good and proper.

John Lytras then lowered the lap record to 65.974, pushing himself up to third place as Max Stauffer took the battle for the lead back up to Ben Baker. Lytras though had other ideas, pushing past Stauffer to take second place.

Two laps later Lytras then stole the lead from Baker as they approached the last lap board. Baker got him right back, Stauffer was still right in that mix too.

The Kurri Kurri youngster got the tactical advantage though on the run out of the final turns to put in his fastest lap on that final circuit. Stauffer taking victory by a nose over Baker, while Lytras rounded out the podium.

Supersport 300 Race One Results

1. Max Stauffer – Yamaha
2. Ben Baker – Yamaha +0.069
3. John Lytras – Yamaha +0.208
4. Zac Levy – Yamaha +1.090
5. Locky Taylor – Yamaha +1.594
6. Harry Khouri – Yamaha +1.940
7. Travis Hall – Yamaha +1.975
8. Brandon Demmery – Yamaha +10.012
9. Senna Agius – 400 Kawasaki +10.022
10. Tristan Adamson – Yamaha +14.975
11. Seth Crump – KTM +15.631

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YMF R3 Cup Qualifying Results

1. Max Stauffer 65.555
2. Ben Baker 65.664
3. John Lytras 65.791
4. Locky Taylor 66.089
5. Zac levy 66.168
6. Hunter Ford 66.230
7. Harry Khouri 66.583
8. Brandon Demmery 66.598
9. Travis Hall 66.633
10. Kyle O’Connell 67.255

YMF R3 Cup Race One

Max Stauffer had taken pole position in the YMF R3 Cup category and started with Ben Baker and John Lytras alongside him on the front row. That trio had also finished in that order in the opening Supersport 300 race earlier in the day.

In this bout though Ben Baker managed to loft the front off the line and clashed with Max Stauffer but the two youngsters stayed upright to lead the field through turn one for the first time as Lytras, Levy, Taylor and Ford gave chase.

After reviewing the start-line footage though the officials handed Ben Baker a 10-second jump-start time penalty. That 10-seconds to be added to his final race time, despite him tussling for the lead on track with Lytras and Stauffer.

Locky Taylor, Hunter Ford and Harry Khouri also still had their hat in the ring for a possible podium as the race broached the halfway stage of its eight-lap distance.

Max Stauffer though had the smarts on his competitors to do it once again and took victory by five-hundredths-of-a-second over Ben Baker with John Lytras rounding out the podium ahead of Hunter Ford. Once that ten-second penalty was applied though Hunter Ford moved forward place to take up a step on the rostrum, as Baker was demoted to ninth place.

YMF R3 Cup Race One Results

1. Max Stauffer
2. John Lytras +0.052
3. Hunter Ford +0.588
4. Locky Taylor +0.713
5. Harry Khouri +1.083
6. Zac Levy +1.0337
7. Travis Hall +1.494
8. Brandon Demmery +4.379
9. Ben Baker +10.050 (10-second penalty)
10. Luke Johnston +13.142
11. Mitch Kuhne +15.455
12. Zylas Bunting +15.506
13. Tristan Adamson +17.693
14. Jacob Roulstone +19.116
15. Reece Oughtred +29.815
16. Keegan Pickering +34.197
17. John Blenkin +38.096
18. Ryan Smith +39.582
19. Kyle O’Connell +39.617
20. Kristian Agostini +46.310

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bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup

The 2019 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup is bursting into life for the first time ever at Wakefield Park this weekend in what is the opening round for the new junior Road Race academy.

All riders are on a control spec’ Yamaha YZF-R15, and are serviced and transported between the rounds by Yamaha Australia. Before each round all the bikes are run on the dyno to ensure parity, a proper controlled category.

The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup features a field of ambitious young riders looking to become the first to claim an Oceania Junior Cup round, and make an initial claim for one of the five positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event, and a potential place in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.

Staking that first claim today was Cros Francis when he topped the opening qualifying session by over half-a-second from Carter Thompson and Glenn Nelson.

Rain was threatening on the horizon as the riders exited pit-lane for the final 15-minute qualifying session at 1405 on Saturday afternoon. Late in that Q2 session pacesetter Cros Francis went down at turn two but was up and okay.

Few riders managed to improve on their morning markers. The only riders in the top ten to impove their standings was Angus Grenfell who moved up to P5, and Max Gibbons who moved up to P7. Thus Cros Francis takes the inaugural bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup pole position.

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Qualifying Results

1. Cros Francis 75.747
2. Carter Thompson 76.378
3. Glenn Nelson 76.521
4. Jacob Roulstone 76.836
5. Angus Grenfell 77.037
6. Lucas Quinn 77.247
7. Max Gibbons 77.424
8. Marianos Nikolis 77.444
9. Tom Drane 77.739
10. Jacob Hatch 77.992
11. Reece Oughtred 78.095
12. Archie McDonald 78.244
13. Zak Pettendy 78.308
14. Cormac Buchanan 78.312
15. Jai Russo 78.715

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bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One

No sooner were they underway than we had a red flag situation with after Max Gibbons went down at turn two, and was in an unsafe position.

We were quickly underway again with Jacob Roulstone and Glenn Nelson the early pacesetters throughout the opening lap.

Carter Thompson then took the lead on lap three as Roulstone, Nelson, pole-sitter Cros Francis, and Angus Grenfell gave chase. Nelson the fastest youngster on lap three, a 66.542. Marianos Nikolis though bettered that benchmark on the penultimate lap with a 66.094 to move up to fifth place.

11-year-old Carter Thompson the first ever race winner in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One Results

1. Carter Thompson
2. Glenn Nelson +0.079
3. Cros Francis +0.159
4. Jacob Roulstone +0.226
5. Marianos Nikolis +0.453
6. Angus Grenfell +0.729
7. Tom Drane +4.927
8. Cormac Buchanan +11.541
9. Jai Russo +11.819
10. Zac Pettendy +12.102
11. Reece Oughtred +12.356
12. Archie McDonald +13.086
13. Lincoln Knight +24.885
14. Tom Connors +32.287
15. Hunter Diplock +36.152
16. Jamie Port +36.840
17. Varis Fleming +36.884
18. Alex Kenworthy-Jones +38.006
19. Patrick Bognar +38.061
20. Dominic Fletcher +38.144
21. Toby James +59.573

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Sidecars Race One

Three-wheelers make up part of the ASBK action this weekend in Goulburn with the Horsell Consulting backed sidecar category making their first appearance for the year.

The Suzuki powered LCR outfit of Howard Ford and Lee Menzies started the opening eight-lap bout from pole position but it was Western Australians Jero Joyce and Corey Blackman tussling it out up front with the Corey/Danyon Turner outfit when the opening race got underway just after midday.

As the race wore on the WA duo eventually managed to break clear from the pack and score a 1.5-second victory. The Turners just managed to stave off a late race attach from Steve Bayliss and Aaron Wilson to claim second.

Sidecars Race One Results

1. Joyce/Blackman
2. Turner/Turner +1.525
3. Bayliss/Wilson +1.853
4. Ford/Menzies +5.993
5. Brown/Sheldrick +18.564
6. Clancy/Dawson +19.702
7. Alton/Clancy +21.628
8. Edis/Schluter +21.905
9. Reynolds/Warne +38.532
10. Underwood/Ford +39.309

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Sidecars Race Two

Corey and Danyon Turner won the second Sidecar bout but Joyce and Blackman set a new lap record on their way to second place, a 65.336.

Sidecars Race Two Results

1. Turner/Turner
2. Joyce/Blackman +1.451
3. Bayliss/Wilson +7.429
4. Clancy/Bonney +13.732
5. Ford/Menzies +17.731
6. Alton/Clancy +26.219
7. Collins/De Angelis +32.635
8. Brown/Sheldrick +34.042
9. Reynolds/Warne +46.840
10. Underwood/Ford

Source: MCNews.com.au