Herfoss sets the pace in Wakefield Park ASBK Friday practice

Maxwell and Falzon lockout top three as Toparis lodges fastest Supersport time.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Reigning champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) has topped Friday practice at Wakefield Park’s second round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in New South Wales.

Afternoon rainfall prompted majority of FP3 sessions to be declared, with dry conditions earlier in proceedings offering up the fastest times on the opening day of riding.

Number one plated Herfoss clocked the quickest time in FP2 with a lap of 57.455s, edging former champion Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), who wound up with a 57.754s time.

Yamaha Racing Team duo Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday were third and fourth respectively with 57.757s and 57.916s times, while Mike Jones locked out the top five with a 58.116s lap in his DesmoSport Ducati homecoming.

Sixth through to 10th consisted of Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), Alex Phillis (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), Aiden Wagner (Yamaha) – who escaped injury in a heavy fall in FP1 – Bryan Staring (BCperformance Kawasaki) and Damon Rees (Honda).

Image: Russell Colvin.

Maxima BMW’s Ted Collins also suffered a major fall in FP2, his premier class machine overcoming the pit wall on the exit of the final turn. He too managed come away from incident unscathed.

In the Supersport category, it was points leader Tom Toparis (Landbridge Yamaha) who set the pace with a blistering time of 59.507s, finishing well ahead of second’s Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing), posting a best-lap of 1m0.471s.

Rounding out the top three was Broc Pearson (Yamaha) with a 1m00.565s lap, finishing the session narrowly quicker than Reid Battye (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia) and Ty Lynch (Yamaha).

Image: Russell Colvin.

The Supersport 300 class was topped by Max Stauffer (Yamaha), Harry Khouri (Yamaha) and Ben Baker (Yamaha), while the Yamaha R3 Cup was also blitzed by Stauffer ahead of John Lytras (Yamaha) and Baker. The inaugural round of the Oceania Junior Cup saw Cros Francis (Yamaha) lodge the fastest time over Carter Thompson (Yamaha) and Jacob Roulstone (Yamaha).

Bikes will be back on-track tomorrow for qualifying and the first races of the weekend.