Tag Archives: ASBK Test

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Wayne Maxwell tops timesheets at Wakefield ASBK Test

Leave a comment

2019 ASBK Official Test
Wakefield Park – March 4-5, 2019

By Trevor Hedge – Images by TDJ Media

While Wayne Maxwell showed some stellar speed at the Phillip Island season opener, including surprising himself with victory in race one, when I spoke to him during the weekend he said the Suzuki still didn’t feel like ‘his’ bike, and that he was still far from fully comfortable.

ASBK Round TBG WSBKPI PI Wayne Maxwell TBG
Wayne Maxwell was clearly emotional after winning the opening race of ASBK season 2019 at Phillip Island – TBG Image

This week, alongside many of the ASBK regulars present for an official two-day test at Wakefield Park, Maxwell got to turn plenty of laps on the Team Suzuki machine to further familiarise himself with the GSX-R1000R. 

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Wayne Maxwell
Wayne Maxwell

Today Maxwell got familiar enough to top the two-day test with a best of 57.659. That was today’s official benchmark by a slender margin over Troy Herfoss’ 57.728. 

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Troy Herfoss
Troy Herfoss

More importantly the test gave Maxwell enough time to experiment with different settings on the machine, and to learn more about what affect those changes had on the bike. This will arm him with more knowledge to give better feedback to the team throughout each session from hereon in, as the season progresses.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Wayne Maxwell
Wayne Maxwell
Max Croker air-lifted to hospital

Unfortunately though another Suzuki rider was made very uncomfortable today. Young Max Croker crashed heavily and was air-lifted to hospital. There it was confirmed that he has broken the same collarbone that he broke last year, from which he only had the plate removed from about four months ago. The more worrysome injury is to his hand, where early indications suggest that multiple breaks have been sustained that will leave him on the sidelines for some time.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Max Croker
Max Croker

He is currently waiting to see a hand specialist before any treatment plan and prognosis can be made. Team owner Mat Mladin rang in to tell us that they will support Max the best they can on his road to recovery, and when he is ready to go again, his Mladin Racing Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and all the team support will be waiting for him. 

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Max Croker
Max Croker
ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Aiden Wagner
Aiden Wagner

Aiden Wagner put in a 58.067 to end the second day third quickest on the time-sheets ahead of Josh Waters.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Josh Waters
Josh Waters

Alex Phillis stopped the clocks at 58.896 ahead of Lachlan Epis who with a 59.964 was the final rider to lap under the minute mark.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Alex Phillis
Alex Phillis
Was Mike Jones actually quickest today….?

One rider missing the test, while recovering from surgery after being injured at round one, was none other than Troy Bayliss.  With TB laid up after surgery and wanting to rest up in order to have a fighting chance of some good results when ASBK returns to Wakefield Park to race in a few weeks time, DesmoSport Ducati recruited Mike Jones for testing duties aboard the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Mike Jones
Mike Jones

The recently turned 25-year-old turned up on a K&R Hydraulics backed ZX-10RR for the season opener at Phillip Island where he scored a best of second place, and a fourth overall for the round.  That’s a pretty good scorecard by anyone’s standards.

Jones of course is no stranger to Ducati machinery and took little time get back in the groove. The team elected to not run a transponder, thus no times were registered on the circuit timing system, but talk around the paddock suggested that Jones might have actually undercut Maxwell by two-tenths-of-a-second to end the day fastest, unofficially at least…

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Mike Jones
Mike Jones

DesmoSport Ducati were not originally planning to attend this test and actually have the track booked for next Wednesday. But after Troy’s injury they decided to attend anyway and put Mike on the bike. They will test again next week and have now opened up an opportunity for other interested parties to join them on track at that test.

Mike Jones will ride the bike again next week and unless Troy’s hand gets a hurry-on in its strength and dexterity, Jones might actually ride the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition at the race here at Wakefield Park later this month.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Mike Jones
Mike Jones
What is YRT’s form like heading to Wakefield Park…?

The Yamaha Racing Team also tested at Wakefield Park recently but their pace is an unknown. Likewise, how will the Kawasaki and the Dunlop challenge via Bryan Staring fare around the tricky Wakefield Park layout? 

We will have to wait until the weekend of March 24 when the second round plays out around the 2.2-kilometre Wakefield Park circuit, situated on the outskirts of Goulburn between Sydney and Canberra. See you there!

ASBK Test Times – Wakefield Park – March 5th
Pos Rider Bike Time
1 Wayne Maxwell Suzuki GSX-R1000R 0:57.659
2 Troy Herfoss Honda Fireblade 0:57.728
3 Aiden Wagner Yamaha YZF-R1 0:58.067
4 Josh Waters Suzuki GSX-R1000R 0:58.563
5 Alex Phillis Suzuki GSX-R1000 0:58.896
6 Lachlan Epis Kawasaki ZX-10R 0:58.964
7 William Davidson Yamaha YZF-R1 1:01.151
8 Aidan Hayes Yamaha YZF-R6 1:01.426
9 Rhys Belling Yamaha YZF-F6 1:01.468
10 Reid Battye Suzuki GSX-R600 1:05.756
11 Mitch Kuhne Yamaha YZF-R3 1:05.995
12 Max Stauffer Yamaha YZF-R3 1:06.138
13 Seth Crump KTM RC390 1:06.957
14 Kyle O’Lonnell Yamaha YZF-R3 1:07.906
15 Tom Connors Yamaha YZF-R3 1:11.189
16 Ben Angelidis KTM RC390 1:11.384
17 Marianos Nikolis Yamaha YZF-R15 1:16.755
18 Jacob Hateh Yamaha YZF-R15 1:19.389
19 Lincoln Knight Yamaha YZF-R15 1:20.520

Wakefield Park Map

Lap Records
Wakefield Park Best Lap Wayne Maxwell – Yamaha – 2018 FP – 57.182s
Wakefield Park Race Lap Record Troy Herfoss – Honda – 2016 – 57.540s
2019 ASBK Championship Points Standings
Pos Name Machine PTS
1 Aiden WAGNER Yamaha 71
2 Cru HALLIDAY Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha 55
3 Josh WATERS Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki 50
4 Mike JONES K& R Hydraulics, Kawasaki 49
5 Bryan STARING BCperformance, Kawasaki 48
6 Troy HERFOSS Penrite Honda Racing, Honda 41
7 Wayne MAXWELL Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki 40
8 Glenn ALLERTON Next Gen Motorsports, BMW 40
9 Daniel FALZON Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha 32
10 Ted COLLINS Next Gen Motorsports 31
11 Matt WALTERS Kawasaki Australia, Kawasaki 30
12 Glenn SCOTT GSR, Kawasaki 28
13 Max CROKER Mladin Racing, Suzuki 27
14 Mark CHIODO Penrite Honda Racing, Honda 24
15 Alex PHILLIS Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki 19
16 Arthur SISSIS Suzuki 18
17 Sloan FROST FILTA NZ, Suzuki 12
18 Damon REES Tony Rees Motorcycles, Honda 11
19 Lachlan EPIS BCperformance, Kawasaki 10
20 Phillip CZAJ Eco Light Up, Aprilia 8
21 Ryan YANKO Force 8 Contracting, Ducati 3
22 David BARKER Kawasaki 1
23 Matt TOOLEY Phillip Island Ride Days, Yamaha 1

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Maxwell tops official ASBK test on day two | Wagner second

Leave a comment

Maxwell tops combined practice for the weekend

Aiden Wagner sets second fastest time in final session

By Mark Bracks

At the end of the two day official ASBK test it was Wayne Maxwell who could beat his chest as the fastest Superbike rider on the grid, after setting a 1:32.312 during the final day’s morning session.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Wayne Maxwell TBG
Wayne Maxwell – Image by TBG

Wagner put in a notable final session of the day, setting a late 1:32.451 to post the second fastest time of the test, while close behind was the man who finished third last year in Troy Bayliss, followed by Josh Waters and Daniel Falzon. All bar Falzon and Wagner set their fastest times in the opening session of day two, before the heat really set in.

Defending champion Troy Herfoss meanwhile was sixth fastest, with Bryan Staring, Cru Halliday, Glenn Allerton and Mike Jones rounding out the top ten on the combined timesheets.

See below for individual sessions and the full combined testing times for the weekend.

Superbikes – Sunday Session 1

By 10am Sunday morning, the air temp was over 24 degrees at Phillip Island, with the track temperature already nudging 36 degrees. That meant that with the forecast saying it would only get hotter, it was vital to get the times in early as most expected the track and tyre performance to drop off as the temperatures rose and the day wore on.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Wayne Maxwell TBG
Wayne Maxwell – Image by TBG

The first session saw Maxwell kick the day off well and continue his form, topping the sheets again with a blistering 1:32.312, which was only fractionally outside Troy Bayliss’s lap record of 1:32.224.

There were four other riders under the 1:33 mark for the first session of the day, with Bayliss, Waters, Wagner and Herfoss all claiming that honour.  There was then a further one second gap back to Halliday in sixth.

Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 5 (Sun Session 1)
  1. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR 1:32.312
  2. Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +0.319
  3. Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.364
  4. Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.532
  5. Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +0.672
  6. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1.587
  7. Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1.635
  8. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +1.642
  9. Arthur SISSIS (SA) Suzuki GSXR RL7 +1.706
  10. Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.842

Superbikes – Sunday Session 2

The second session was held just before the lunch break and saw Bayliss return to the top of the timesheets, while a multitude of consistent laps from Falzon propelled him into second for the session. Wagner and Maxwell completed the top four and these were the only other riders to also descend into the 1:32s for the session.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Troy Bayliss TBG
Troy Bayliss – Image by TBG

The consensus of those that were asked is that they were all still trying to find a setup to suit the new Pirelli tyres. All bar Bayliss, who basically just adapted to the new tyres well.

To me, that gives an indication of the man’s adaptability, a skill that would have been honed on those many laps in the Superbike World Championships where a new compound or new profile change from either Michelin or Pirelli was more common than many changing underwear!

Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 6 (Sun Session 2)
  1. Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE 1:32.676
  2. Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.108
  3. Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.281
  4. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.281
  5. Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.628
  6. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.636
  7. Bryan STARING (WA) Kawasaki ZX10RR +0.793
  8. Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +0.882
  9. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +1.338
  10. Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.408

Superbikes – Sunday Session 3

By the time the third session of the day commenced the track temp was over 55 deg with lap times dropping by over a second across the board.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Daniel Falzon TBG
Daniel Falzon – Image by TBG

Daniel Falzon topped the time sheets for the first time, as he set the benchmark of 1:33.208 for the session. Closest was Bayliss, who went within 0.038 second of equaling the time on his last flying lap, with Waters third and Wagner fourth.

Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 7 (Sun Session 3)
  1. Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:33.208
  2. Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +0.036
  3. Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.215
  4. Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.217
  5. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.256
  6. Bryan STARING (WA) Kawasaki ZX10RR +0.317
  7. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.317
  8. Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +.403
  9. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +0.411
  10. Mark CHIODO (VIC) Honda CBR RR SP +0.792

Superbikes – Sunday Session 4

With the final session of the two days approaching, a massive blackout hit the Island after a tree came down on a power line, shutting off power to the track and thus power to tyre warmers and other equipment in the pit sheds. As such over half the field of Superbikes decided to pack up for the day, including Daniel Falzon and Glenn Allerton.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Cru Halliday TBG
Cru Halliday was third fastest in the final session – Image by TBG

After the final 25 minute session with the remaining riders – and a red flag delay after Mark Chiodo crashed at Lukey Heights for the second time of the weekend – it was Aiden Wagner who was the fastest from Maxwell, Halliday, Waters, Mike Jones and Bayliss.

Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 8 (Sun Session 4)
  1. Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:32.451
  2. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.492
  3. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.760
  4. Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R EL R +0.853
  5. Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.335
  6. Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +1.487
  7. Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +1.524
  8. Max CROKER (NSW) Suzuki GSX-R +2.287
  9. Alex PHILLIS (VIC) Suzuki GSXR +2.429
  10. Arthur SISSIS (SA) Suzuki GSXR RL7 +2.504

Sunday Superbike Wrap

While there are no prizes for being fastest at a test there is certainly a form guide we can take away, especially with the first round of the Australian Superbike Championship at the same venue in a little under three weeks time.

There may be the usual bunch of street fighters that have battled out the championship over the last couple of years at the front of the field, but Aiden Wagner has certainly made a few sit up and take notice.

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Aiden Wagner TBG
Aiden Wagner – Image by TBG

The 25-year-old Queenslander was never out of the top five during the two days and his consistency in lap times was impressive. Also when you peek into the pit box of the Landbridge Transport/Wagner Soil Testing Team and see what isn’t there, it makes his effort even more outstanding.

It is very much a true privateer team with good personnel around him and while the focus will be on the manufacturer teams, just keep an eye on the #28 Yamaha R1 of Wagner. He will be ready to pounce, and he is certainly ready to win.

The first round of the Australian Superbike Championship will be held alongside the opening round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island 22-24 February.

Kawasaki Superbike – Phillip Island Test – Merged classification

  1. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R EL R 1:32.312
  2. Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:32.451
  3. Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE 1:32.631
  4. Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R EL R 1:32.676
  5. Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:32.784
  6. Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP 1:32.984
  7. Bryan STARING (WA) Kawasaki ZX10RR 1:33.181
  8. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:33.211
  9. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR 1:33.614
  10. Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR 1:33.786
  11. Mark CHIODO (VIC) Honda CBR RR SP 1:33.934
  12. Arthur SISSIS (SA) Suzuki GSXR RL7 1:34.018
  13. Max CROKER (NSW) Suzuki GSX-R 1:34.171
  14. Sloan FROST (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R 1:34.427
  15. Ted COLLINS (VIC) BMW S RR 1:34.494
  16. Alex PHILLIS (VIC) Suzuki GSXR 1:34.536
  17. Lachlan EPIS (NSW) Kawasaki ZX10RR 1:34.735
  18. Glenn SCOTT (NSW) Kawasaki ZX10RR 1:35.128
  19. Ryan YANKO (QLD) Ducati 1299 1:36.468
  20. Phil CZAJ (VIC) Aprilia RSV4 RFW 1:36.617
  21. Patrick LI (VIC) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:37.891
  22. Heath GRIFFIN (NSW) Suzuki GSX-R 1:39.054
  23. Murray CLARK (QLD) BMW S RR 1:39.123
  24. Scott TUDDENHAM (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R 1:39.467
  25. Will DAVIDSON (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:39.819

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Wayne Maxwell tops day one at official ASBK Test

Leave a comment

Phillip Island – Day One

Troy Bayliss had been setting the pace for most of the opening day of the two-day 2019 ASBK Test session staged by Motorcycling Australia at Phillip Island, but late in the final session Wayne Maxwell knocked TB out of top spot by just under a tenth-of-a-second to finish day one on top of the charts.

Maxwell recently broke his collarbone in a bicycle crash and underwent shoulder surgery only nine days ago, but that didn’t stop the freshly signed Ecstar Suzuki putting in 40 laps on the GSX-R1000R and being the only rider to dip in to the 1m32s on the opening day of testing.

Bryan Staring is looking very competitive on the new ZX-10RR and finished the day third fastest ahead of Josh Waters.

Privateer Aiden Wagner upstaged the Factory Yamaha squad to finish as top Yamaha in fifth, fractionally ahead of defending champion Troy Herfoss.

The YRT duo of Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday were seventh and eighth respectively ahead of Glenn Allerton while Mark Chiodo rounded out the top ten in front of Mike Jones and Ted Collins. Only a second covers a fairly close top ten.

Tom Toparis dominated the Supersport rankings on his new Yamaha while Tom Bramich debuted the Kawasaki Ninja 400 on top spot in the Supersport 300 results.

Lucas Quinn looks like the early one to beat in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

Kawasaki Superbike Times
  1. Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 1m32.913
  2. Troy Bayliss – Ducati 1299 1m33.011
  3. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m33.181
  4. Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m33.334
  5. Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 1m33.452
  6. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m33.500
  7. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m33.541
  8. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m33.565
  9. Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m33.614
  10. Mark Chiodo – Honda 1m33.934
  11. Mike Jones – Honda 1m34.356
  12. Ted Collins – BMW 1m34.494
  13. Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m34.863
  14. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m35.067
  15. Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 1m35.128
  16. Max Croker – Suzuki 1m35.188
  17. Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 1m35.272
  18. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 1m35.339
  19. Ryan Yanko – Ducati 1m36.468
  20. Patrick Li – Yamaha 1m37.891
  21. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 1m38.134
  22. Heath Griffin – Suzuki 1m39.166
  23. Scott Tuddenham – Suzuki 1m39.467
  24. Will Davidson – Yamaha 1m40.123
  25. Murray Clark – BMW 1m40.598
Supersport 600 Times
  1. Tom Toparis – Yamaha 1m36.149
  2. Nic Liminton – Yamaha 1m37.329
  3. Broc Pearson – Yamaha 1m37.588
  4. Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 1m37.840
  5. Reid Battye – Suzuki 1m38.264
  6. Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 1m38.807
  7. Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 1m39.030
  8. Ty Lynch – Yamaha 1m39.426
  9. Jack Passfield – Yamaha 1m39.657
  10. Chris Quinn – Yamaha 1m39.872
  11. Luke Mitchell – Yamaha 1m40.020
  12. Scott Nicholson – Suzuki 1m40.592
  13. Luke Sanders – Yamaha 1m40.723
  14. Rhys Belling – Yamaha 1m40.969
  15. Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 1m41.012
YMI Supersport 300 / YMF R3 Cup Times
  1. Tom Bramich – Kawasaki 1m48.804
  2. Locky Taylor – Yamaha 1m49.429
  3. Seth Crump – KTM 1m49.768
  4. Callum O’Brien – Kawasaki 1m49.939
  5. Zac Levy – Yamaha 1m50.109
  6. Luke Power – Yamaha 1m50.423
  7. Max Stauffer – Yamaha 1m50.537
  8. Ben Baker – Kawasaki 1m50.823
  9. Senna Agius – Kawasaki 1m50.875
  10. Harry Khouri – Yamaha 1m51.306
  11. Zylas Bunting – Yamaha 1m52.439
  12. Peter Nerlich – Kawasaki 1m51.441
  13. Bronson Pickett – Yamaha 1m53.167
  14. Kyle O’Connell – Yamaha 1m53.378
  15. Tayla Relph – Kawasaki 1m53.409
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Times
  1. Lucas Quinn 2m15.669
  2. Angus Grenfell 2m16.253
  3. Carter Thompson 2m16.303
  4. Cormac Buchanan 2m16.493
  5. Reece Oughtred 2m16.560
  6. Tom Drane 2m16.654
  7. Jamie Port 2m16.802
  8. Jacob Hatch 2m17.116
  9. Glenn Nelson 2m17.382
  10. Hunter Diplock 2m17.680
  11. Max Gibbons 2m17.720
  12. Cros Francis 2m17.726
  13. Marianos Nikolis 2m17.751
  14. Zak Pettendy 2m18.255
  15. Jai Russo 2m18.414

Source: MCNews.com.au