With the current break in racing activity we thought it a good idea to start rolling out this series that I have dubbed ‘Twisted ASBK Interviews’.
This is a somewhat comedic departure from the norm that hopes to shed some light into the personalities of ASBK Superbike riders.
Some of these were conducted in person at the track earlier this year, while others were conducted more recently over the phone.
A few of them certainly got me laughing out loud and I hope you view them through the prism of good fun they were taken in. Today we talk with Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss.
MCNews.com.au: Who is the dirtiest rider you least trust when racing against?
Troy Herfoss: “You’re going to get my in a lot of trouble here Trev, Mike Jones, that guy’s outspoken and dirty as hell.”
Herfoss and Jones after the final battle for the 2019 Title at SMP – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Who would you most like to punch in the ASBK paddock?
TH: “Honestly, I’d punch the top five guys.”
MCNews.com.au: Who would you least like to be punched by in the ASBK paddock?
TH: “I’ve seen Wayne go and I know he can throw them, so I don’t want to be punched by him.”
Troy Herfoss’s Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on arrival in Australia. Herf’ is keen to race the new bike
MCNews.com.au: If you were stuck on a deserted island, which rider would you choose to be stuck with?
TH: “I’d say Aiden Wagner, just because he seems to be a practical sorta country bloke, probably has a few skills to keep us safe.”
MCNews.com.au: Who is the king of swiping right during ASBK race weekends?
TH: “Oh man, up until a few years ago it had to be Cru Halliday, right now I probably don’t know them young blokes enough, but all those 300 riders are always up to no good.”
MCNews.com.au: Which rider has the hottest sister?
TH: “I haven’t taken note for a little while, but I think at my age all the riders that I race with have learnt not to bring their sisters to the track.”
Troy Herfoss – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Who is the biggest princess in the ASBK paddock?
TH: “Cru Halliday.”
MCNews.com.au: Who has the most fitting nickname in the paddock?
TH: “Wild Man Waters, just joking, him or Mad Mike, I’m just jealous as I don’t have one that rhymes with Herfoss.”
Jeremy Burgess overseeing the Michelin rubber for Penrite Honda at the ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: What is the worst track ASBK visits?
TH: “I don’t want to say because I love it so much, but it has to be Morgan Park, it’s an old track, but I love that track so much.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner on the calendar is your favourite?
TH: “I would say my favourite corner is probably Turn 3 at Morgan Park, a blind turn around the wall and it opens up, and when you know the track really well, you’re on the limit smoking the tyre up, not knowing where you’re going.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner would you liked to see nuked from orbit?
TH: “Turn 12 of Phillip Island, but there’s probably safety corners I should say… Turn 12 has always been hard for me, and it’s hard to get right.”
Troy Herfoss – Wakefield Park ASBK Test – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: If you could overtake one rider, on one corner, who would it be, and where, and how?
TH: “Turn 12, Jamie Stauffer up the inside, just because we were on the same bike and he always used to pass me there.”
MCNews.com.au: Which animal would you most liken yourself to?
TH: “The greyhound.”
MCNews.com.au: You need to borrow tools. Who would you ask first? Who would you never ask?
TH: “Wayne’s a bit of a handy-man, I’d go to him. I would never go to Lachlan Epis, because he’s always got his Dad working on his bike.”
Maxwell leads Halliday, Herfoss and Waters at the season opener – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you weren’t racing, what would you be in jail for?
TH: “Too many speeding fines.”
MCNews.com.au: If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
TH: “I don’t know mate.”
MCNews.com.au: How would you describe yourself in three words?
TH: “Arrogant, impatient, selfish.”
Troy Herfoss – Image by Rob Mott Source: MCNews.com.au
With the current break in racing activity we thought it a good idea to start rolling out this series that I have dubbed ‘Twisted ASBK Interviews’.
This is a somewhat comedic departure from the norm that hopes to shed some light into the personalities of ASBK Superbike riders.
Some of these were conducted in person at the track earlier this year, while others were conducted more recently over the phone.
A few of them certainly got me laughing out loud and I hope you view them through the prism of good fun they were taken in. This time around we talk to Cru Halliday.
MCNews.com.au: Who is the dirtiest rider you least trust when racing against?
Cru Halliday: “I wouldn’t say dirty, but most aggressive is Troy Herfoss, dirtiest against me personally, probably Daniel Falzon.”
MCNews.com.au: Who would you most like to punch in the ASBK paddock?
Cru: “That’s a no brainer, Daniel Falzon.”
MCNews.com.au: Who would you least like to be punched by in the ASBK paddock?
Cru: “Probably Mat Mladin, he would pack some power out of those cannons.”
Cru Halliday at the Wakefield Park ASBK Test – Image TDJ
MCNews.com.au: If you were stuck on a deserted island, which rider would you choose to be stuck with?
Cru: “The best looking one.”
MCNews.com.au: Who is the king of swiping right during ASBK race weekends?
Cru: “Brodie Malouf, in the 600 class, he’s a grub.”
MCNews.com.au: Which rider has the hottest sister?
Cru: “I’m gonna get punched over this and he’s my team-mate, but I’d have to say Aiden Wagner.”
Cru Halliday – SMP 2019 – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Who is the biggest princess in the ASBK paddock?
Cru: “I’m going to have to go with Glenn Allerton.”
MCNews.com.au: Who has the most fitting nickname in the paddock?
Cru: “It’s not Mad Mike, there’s nothing mad about him. I’d have to say Wayne Train.”
Cru Halliday – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: What is the worst track ASBK visits?
Cru: “Barbagallo.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner on the calendar is your favourite?
Cru: “That’s a hard one… probably the stadium section at Tailem Bend.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner would you liked to see nuked from orbit?
Cru: “Every corner at Phillip Island.”
MCNews.com.au: If you could overtake one rider, on one corner, who would it be, and where, and how?
Cru: “That could be any of the top 10 riders, anyone… Mike Jones, Turn 1, Phillip Island, as I’d like to see the Yamaha go past that dude for once.”
Cru Halliday – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Which animal would you most liken yourself to?
Cru: “Cat, because I’m a pussy.”
MCNews.com.au: You need to borrow tools. Who would you ask first? Who would you never ask?
Cru: “Probably to be honest, the BMW team, I wouldn’t ask Maxwell.”
MCNews.com.au: If you weren’t racing, what would you be in jail for?
Cru: “More than likely speeding.”
Cru Halliday on the grid at the 2020 ASBK season opener – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Cru: “How To Not Grow Up”
MCNews.com.au: How would you describe yourself in three words?
Cru: “I can’t swear on this… humble, laid back and loving.”
MCNews.com.au: If you won a million dollars on Lotto what would be the first thing you would buy?
Cru: “Probably a house, have to be a house, or another lotto ticket.”
Cru Halliday – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you could keep one of your race bikes from throughout your career which one would it be? And why?
Cru: “Probably my 600 from 2018, because it was a championship I won in ASBK.”
MCNews.com.au: What is your plan for life after racing…?
Cru: “Grow old, put some money on the dogs in the TAB, sink some schooners and wear a wife-beater.”
Cru Halliday won the Australian Supersport Championship with Yamaha in 2018 – STBG Image Source: MCNews.com.au
With the current break in racing activity we thought it a good idea to start rolling out this series that I have dubbed ‘Twisted ASBK Interviews’.
This is a somewhat comedic departure from the norm that hopes to shed some light into the personalities of ASBK Superbike riders.
Some of these were conducted in person at the track earlier this year, while others were conducted more recently over the phone.
A few of them certainly got me laughing out loud and I hope you view them through the prism of good fun they were taken in.
Glenn Allerton is our third rider featured in the series and generally has a great dry sense of humour, but his game was particularly strong when I sat down for a chat with him to get his answers to this edition of Twisted ASBK Interviews. In fact, I wish I had it on video as we had a great laugh while completing the questions.
Glenn Allerton leading Ben Attard and Brent George in an Australian 250 Production race at Phillip Island back in 2001
MCNews.com.au: Who is the dirtiest rider you least trust when racing against?
Glenn Allerton: “Falzon, cause he’ll just dive bomb me out of nowhere.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: Who would you most like to punch in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “I’d probably like to punch Falzon for the same reason.”
Glenn Allerton with his dad George at SMP last year – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Who would you least like to be punched by in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “One of the backmarkers, on the Suzuki motorcycle, Brendan McIntyre. I wouldn’t fight him.”
Glenn Allerton – 2008 Australian Superbike Champion
MCNews.com.au: If you were stuck on a deserted island, which rider would you choose to be stuck with?
GA: “That’s a hard one, because most of the boys at the top are interested in the same stuff, cycling and motocross, it’d have to be Herfoss or Halliday for the entertainment value.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the king of swiping right during ASBK race weekends?
GA: “That would be Lachlan Epis, he was on Tinder all night long swiping right, didn’t matter what it was, he was up for it.”
Glenn Allerton at the Phillip Island ASBK Test in January, 2020 – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which rider has the hottest sister?
GA: “It’d have to be Aiden Wagner, but I’m pretty sure she’s getting married. So that sucks.”
Glenn Allerton – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the biggest princess in the ASBK paddock?
GA: “Cru Halliday, wouldn’t be racing if he didn’t look good is one of his quotes, that’s a princess act.”
A younger Glenn Allerton pictured with his championship trophies in 2008
MCNews.com.au: What is the worst track ASBK visits?
GA: “Morgan Park, by far.”
Glenn Allerton on the grid – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: Which corner on the calendar is your favourite?
GA: “Stoner Corner, here at Phillip Island.”
Glenn Allerton at the Phillip Island ASBK Test in January, 2020 – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which corner would you liked to see nuked from orbit?
GA: “If it was a nuke, it would be the whole track, and the whole of Morgan Park would be great, if there was a crater there, it’s a shit hole, we shouldn’t be there.”
Allerton is no fan of Morgan Park – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: If you could overtake one rider, on one corner, who would it be, and where, and how?
GA: “Wayne Maxwell in the last corner for the win, on the last lap, but that’s already happened though hasn’t it… that caused some controversy.” *laughs*
Glenn Allerton on the grid at SMP last year – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Which animal would you most liken yourself to?
GA: “I would have to say I am like a Tiger, king of the jungle.” *laughs*
MCNews.com.au: You need to borrow tools. Who would you ask first? Who would you never ask?
GA: “I would ask my NextGen Racing Ream, I don’t reckon anyone else would lend me tools.”
NextGen Motorsports BMW S 1000 RR – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you weren’t racing, what would you be in jail for?
GA: “Driving too fast on the streets – like an idiot, which I’ve been in a lot of trouble for before.”
MCNews.com.au: If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
GA: “‘What The Fuck Went Wrong Here’, would be the title.”
Glenn Allerton testing at Morgan Park last year – TDJ Image
MCNews.com.au: How would you describe yourself in three words?
GA: “Disorganised, ‘body full of metal’, ‘living the dream’. That’s three descriptions.”
MCNews.com.au: If you won a million dollars on Lotto what would be the first thing you would buy?
GA: “A million is not enough, I need like ten. The first thing I would buy would be a house, pay my house off, that would make me comfortable.”
Glenn Allerton leads Jason O’Halloran in 2008
MCNews.com.au: If you could keep one of your race bikes from throughout your career which one would it be? And why?
GA: “It would be my 2008 CBR1000RR for no other reason than it was my first Superbike Championship, that one was pretty special, and I won that one in pretty tough circumstances and I’m proud of that achievement.”
Glenn Allerton won the 2008 Kings of Wanneroo and the Australian Superbike Championship
MCNews.com.au: What is your plan for life after racing…?
GA: “Enjoy life, and be fit and healthy, and just make sure my son has a good life ahead, and live with my family.”
Glenn Allerton with Dale Breede, Troy Herfoss, Mark Chiodo and Josh Waters – TDJ Image Source: MCNews.com.au
With the current break in racing activity we thought it a good idea to start rolling out this series that I have dubbed ‘Twisted ASBK Interviews’.
This is a somewhat comedic departure from the norm that hopes to shed some light into the personalities of ASBK Superbike riders.
Some of these were conducted in person at the track earlier this year, while others were conducted more recently over the phone.
A few of them certainly got me laughing out loud and I hope you view them through the prism of good fun they were taken in. We kicked the series off with Mike Jones and now we have a chat with current ASBK Championship points leader Wayne Maxwell.
Wayne Maxwell – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the dirtiest rider you least trust when racing against?
Wayne Maxwell: “Aiden Wagner.”
MCNews.com.au: Who would you most like to punch in the ASBK paddock?
WM: “I love them all. ” 🙂
MCNews.com.au: Who would you least like to be punched by in the ASBK paddock?
WM: “No one, I’m not really worried about anyone.”
Wayne Maxwell in action during testing at Wakefield Park last month – Image by TDJ
MCNews.com.au: If you were stuck on a deserted island, which rider would you choose to be stuck with?
WM: “Herfoss.”
MCNews.com.au: Who is the king of swiping right during ASBK race weekends?
WM: “Halliday.”
MCNews.com.au: Which rider has the hottest sister?
WM: “I don’t really know, I’m married with two kids. What about mums?” *laughs*
Wayne with his family – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: Who is the biggest princess in the ASBK paddock?
WM: “Cru Halliday.”
MCNews.com.au: Who has the most fitting nickname in the paddock?
WM: “Wild Man Waters.”
Wayne Maxwell on the grid with engineer Adrian Monti at the 2020 season opener – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: What is the worst track ASBK visits?
WM: “None, they are all good.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner on the calendar is your favourite?
WM: “Turn 3, Phillip Island.”
MCNews.com.au: Which corner would you liked to see nuked from orbit?
WM: “Winton, Turn 2.”
Josh Waters and Cru Halliday chasing Wayne Maxwell at the season opener – TBG Image
MCNews.com.au: If you could overtake one rider, on one corner, who would it be, and where, and how?
WM: “Herfoss, last corner, last lap at Wakefield.”
MCNews.com.au: Which animal would you most liken yourself to?
WM: “Something that’s soft and cuddly and nice. Teddy bear.”
MCNews.com.au: You need to borrow tools. Who would you ask first? Who would you never ask?
WM: “I would ask Kev Marshall first.”
Wayne Maxwell congratuled by his family after winning the opening race of season 2020 at Phillip Island – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you weren’t racing, what would you be in jail for?
WM: “Stolen goods.”
MCNews.com.au: If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
WM: “Punchy”.
MCNews.com.au: How would you describe yourself in three words?
WM: “Fun, serious, likeable.”
Wayne Maxwell, Cru Halliday and Josh Waters on the podium at 2020 ASBK Round One – Image by Rob Mott
MCNews.com.au: If you won a million dollars on Lotto what would be the first thing you would buy?
WM: “Ducati V4 R.”
MCNews.com.au: If you could keep one of your race bikes from throughout your career which one would it be? And why?
WM: “I’ll tell you at the end of the year.”
MCNews.com.au: What is your plan for life after racing…?
WM: “More motorbikes, try and make a difference to the sport that’s given me so much.”
Maxwell won the opening round of ASBK 2020 – Image by Rob Mott Source: MCNews.com.au
A new team will make its Australian racing debut in 2020, with the newly formed GTR MotoStars Team to be run by former FX Pro Twins Champion and ASBK stalwart Heath Griffin and MotoStars’ founder and former MotoGP racer Damian Cudlin.
The team has formed as a Yamaha backed racing program within the Supersport 300, R3 Cup and Supersport 600 classes in the 2020 Australian Superbike Championships, and will field 13-year-old Archie McDonald on a pair Yamaha R3s, who will be joined in the garage by 16-year-old Max Stauffer on the team’s newly developed Yamaha R6.
Coming from a successful 2019, notching up lap records and race wins in the Supersport 300 and R3 Cup classes, Max Stauffer will make the jump up to the Supersport 600 class aboard the Yamaha R6 under the watchful eye of his Dad, crew chief, and multiple ASBK Champ, Jamie Stauffer.
Max Stauffer
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to race with the GTR MotoStars Team and I want to learn as much as I can in 2020. Working with guys like Heath, Damo, and of course my Dad, Jamie, is a dream come true. I’m really excited to step up to the 600 class and I hope to mix it up at the pointy end as soon as I can.”
Max Stauffer (left) and Archie McDonald (right)
Archie McDonald is a current Australian Junior Dirt Track Champion and turned to road racing just over a year ago – learning the craft at MotoStars training and coaching days. He soon became a regular race winner at MotoStars Nationals and went on to compete in the inaugural Oceania Junior Cup in 2019 – a season that featured race wins and fourth overall in the series.
Archie McDonald
“I’m absolutely thrilled and immensely proud to represent the GTR MotoStars Team in 2020. I come from a humble dirt track background and am still relatively new to road racing. I raced in the OJC last year and always maintained a strong dedication to the MotoStars training and coaching days under the guidance of Damian Cudlin. Having the opportunity to work with him again, Heath Griffin and Jamie Stauffer, while being teamed up with Max Stauffer is every kids dream. I have to thank everyone who’s helped me reach this point and I can’t wait for Round 1.”
Archie McDonald
With two very talented young riders, the aim of the GTR MotoStars Team is to bring through and develop outstanding talent within Australia, forging a pathway starting from MotoStars, to the OJC, onto 300s and eventually into Supersport 600.
Damian Cudlin
“Since the inception of MotoStars, I’ve worked with plenty of talent here in Australia that just need more opportunities to succeed. When Heath came to me with the idea of building a pathway for riders from MotoStars to ASBK, I was keen to be a part of it, and thankfully Yamaha and a host of our sponsors were too. Archie and Max have both been regulars at MotoStars events and have made an impact already within ASBK. I’m excited to see what they can achieve this year with a bit of help and support.”
The GTR MotoStars Team will compete in the R3, SS300 and Supersport classes
Heath Griffin
“I’m extremely excited to be able to offer this opportunity for two exceptionally talented young Australian riders in Max and Archie to progress their road racing careers through our GTR Motorstars Team program for 2020. I believe we have put together a great group of people to be able to support and progress our riders, and help them maximize their potential. In Damian Cudlin we have Australia’s premier junior road racing coach to assist in our rider’s development both on and off the track, as well as providing technical and strategic advice to the team as a whole. Jamie Stauffer is a crew chief that many of Australia’s top Superbike riders would love to have in their corner, and his company Doctor Mak Engines already supplies many ASBK front runners with engine building, dyno mapping and suspension tuning services. Damo and Jamie are also two of the most successful Superbike riders to come out of this country in the past 20 years, and provide a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. Highly experienced Brian Shields is also on board as our team mechanic. Brian has been a fixture in dirt track and road racing pit garages for several decades, firstly with his son Adam, then Jamie, and now Max and Archie benefitting from his skills, work ethic and strong attention to detail. I feel extremely privileged to be working with such a talented pair of riders, and our skillful and experienced crew in 2020, and I can’t wait to get the season underway at Round 1 of WSBK at Phillip Island”.
The GTR MotoStars Team is supported by Yamaha Australia, YRD, RS+C Precision CNC, Doctor Mak Engines, Bikebiz, Motul Oils, RK Chains, Pirelli Tyres, Racers Edge and Ricondi Leathers.
It was a Ducati 1-2 at the top of the charts after the two-day ASBK Test at Phillip Island last week. Wayne Maxwell led the way from DesmoSport Ducati’s defending champion Mike Jones. As the test sessions drew to a close we sat down with DesmoSport Ducati Team Owner Ben Henry for an in-depth discussion about ASBK, and his experience with the Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Originally from Western Australia, where he first started racing and preparing motorcycles, the 38-year-old is now a long-time Queensland resident and runs Cube Performance Centre out of the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh.
Ben hung up his competitive leathers a few years ago while still able to run a top ten pace in Australian Superbike, all the while managing and running his own team and riders. He then turned his focus to concentrating on his Cube Performance workshop along with expanding Cube Racing. He then went on to develop the DesmoSport Ducati Team in conjunction with Troy Bayliss and the team won the Australian Superbike Championship with Mike Jones in 2019.
Always forthcoming with insightful observations, that are for the most part refreshingly non-partisan, Ben was generous with his time and candid with his thoughts.
Ben Henry at work on the DesmoSport Ducati at the front, Troy Bayliss at the rear – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor Hedge: What were the most extreme of the challenges you faced in getting the V4 up to the speed of the 1299 V-Twin that Mike raced to great success last year?
Ben Henry: “The biggest challenge is the chassis, getting it to work as well as we had the twin dialled in, the motor – obviously they aren’t the same, but the power isn’t too far different, it’s just dialling in the chassis and probably electronics, that’s currently our patch.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: That’s a time consuming process isn’t it?
BH: “Yes it is, it is time consuming. The electronics aren’t that bad, we’re going pretty fast, and Wayne is going pretty quick on his, and that’s all on standard stuff, so it’s clearly not too bad.”
Trevor: Wayne said his team are waiting on an ECU and a few bits and pieces, are you waiting for anything before the start of the season as well?
BH: “In ASBK they’ve homologated the MoTeC ECU for our bike, so we need to get that and make it work. That’s definitely the road they (Wayne Maxwell and his team), are going to go down, and we probably will. We just need to see if it’s better than what we already run.
“I mean it’s hard to argue with what we’ve got when we are running low 32s on it, and Wayne’s just done a 31.7, I mean that’s the fastest lap ever on a domestic superbike around here.
“So it’s hard to say that putting something else on there will be markedly better. We will wait and see what happens.”
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Trevor: Do you get much help from Ducati Australia at all?
BH: “They are in a funny spot, NF Importers are theoretically finishing up, Ducati AU/NZ, which is essentially Ducati Italy coming into Australia to run the show, but yes they are helping us.
“It’s basically going to be a better situation once they get here, but while they are not here I’m dealing through Italy, everything has to come through Italy and it’s a little bit slower. But once they get here and have stock here, and a warehouse, it will be much better.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: How difficult is it to get the budget for the season and what’s the ballpark figure, without giving too much away, to run Mike in Superbikes and Oli in Supersport.
BH: “It’s really difficult, it’s a strange time, with winning the championship last year you would think things would be easier, but it just didn’t pan out that way. Our major sponsor QBE left straight away – the next day – and our support from within the industry isn’t as strong, because they just don’t have the money. They are not trying to bullshit me, it’s just a different time now for the importers, it’s definitely difficult.
“How much… for a cash figure on top of everything else… you wouldn’t get away with anything less than 350k in cash, that you can spend on whatever you need. But then on top of that the tyres, everything else that goes into it is probably another… bike and parts and all that… it must be another couple of hundred, and then with the stuff we are getting given. It would have to be half a million bucks, it really would.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: And that’s with you having your own premises, and not really adding up your time…
BH: “Yea, exactly, I mean I’m not making money out of it, obviously people come to my shop, but it’s a trade-off that’s for sure.”
Even winning the championship does not translate to less budgetary worries…. – Mike Jones – 2019 ASBK Superbike Champion – TBG Image
Trevor: You raced and worked on various models of ZX-10R Kawasaki when you yourself were racing, and the riders on your team through those years were Kawasaki riders, including Mike himself when he won the title in 2015, the year the series was at perhaps its lowest ebb. What’s the main difference working with the Italian bike, on the Ducati, compared to the then more street bike focused Kawasaki and other Japanese machines?
BH: “They are much more basic – the Kawasaki – in short I always said this, if you can see a bolt on a Japanese bike, you can undo it. It’s not like that on a Ducati. Just because you can see a bolt does not mean you’ll be able to undo it.
“But the good thing about Ducati is that they are very, very focused on racing, and if you understand the way they build things, they are quite fast to work on. You pull big sections of the bike off in one hit, and things like that once you understand and think a bit more laterally about how you approach them.
“They are probably faster to work on once you get the hang of them. And notice the little bits here and little bits there, and you basically pull the bike apart in sections.”
Mike Jones will defend his #1 plate with Ducati but has switched from V-Twin to V-Four power for season 2020
Trevor: I’ve heard it’s about a 12 hour operation to fit a full exhaust on the V4…?
BH: “If you didn’t know what you’re doing, then yes, and honestly my toolbox has quadrupled since I started working on Ducati motorcycles, and it’s the tricky little tools, and the odd little thing you’ll make to help you. It has got to the point now where through my shop I am putting exhausts on in about five hours, something like that.”
Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: So if a punter turned up at your shop in Queensland, they’d expect to pay five to six hours to get one fitted?
BH: “Yea they would, I always quote eight as that’s what Ducati quote, in case we get into trouble, but generally the punters go home a bit happier.”
Trevor: It’s good you bought up the nuts and bolts, the rear wheel on that Ducati….I see your boys swing off some pretty big bars putting that big wheel nut on, there’s 230 nm of torque or something put on that nut..?
BH: “That’s right, I don’t even tighten it up as much as you’re meant to, as we take it on and off all the time, and it gets too much.”
Ducati Panigale rear wheel nut – TBG Image
Trevor: It’s almost horrifying to watch, how much force gets put through the big bar, to put that nut on.
BH: “I can’t remember what it’s called, there’s a basic engineering thing, but if you have a threaded pipe and put a nut on the top of it, and torque that nut, it strengthens the pipe like ten-fold, and that’s why they do it. I can’t remember, it was so long ago that I learnt it.”
Trevor: So it effects the rigidity of the bike?
BH: “Absolutely, when you look at the axle, it’s so thin, the bit the wheel is hanging off is just so thin, and you would think not strong enough, it’s no special metal, there’s no magic there, but it’s the engineering that goes into it. When you do something like that and torque it that tight, the structural strength it gives the axle is incredible.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: What are the power and torque figures of the V4 in ASBK race trim, compared to the 1299?
BH: “The 1299 was a little bit stronger…”
Trevor: You’d expect that with a bit more torque..?
BH: “The 1299 was stronger up top, maybe five horsepower up top, just over 220-ish. The V4 is making peak power at 15,800rpm.”
Trevor: Overall, I guess this goes for everyone in Aussie Superbike, that race winners seem to be decided by who can make their back tyre last a race distance. Just how exacting is the suspension set-up required to give your rider the tyre longevity to race for the win in ASBK?
BH: “One mm, a click, half a turn of preload, it’s so so close, but I sometimes think that’s half in the rider’s mind. Put half a turn of preload and is it any different? You’d be doing well to tell. Tyre life is a combination of so many things, if I could put a percentage on it, I think its 70 per cent suspension, 30 per cent electronics, or say 20 per cent electronics, and 10 per cent good tyre management by the rider.
“You could vary those figures sometimes, different riders, some guys just roast the tyre out of it, no matter what you do. Some make tyres last longer, they just have a different technique.”
Pirelli runners were fastest at P.I. – Image TH
Trevor: In what specific ways does the machine setup vary between Mike and TB. I would imagine it would be a big difference between the two?
BH: “Honestly, not really, like when Mike rode our bike for the first time – on Troy’s set up – he was immediately fast on it, and there was just little stuff to tweak. Even this one (V4 R), Troy rode this one first, and did his thing, and pretty much from what Troy had to say from all the notes, is very similar to what Mike had to say.
“They do a few little things differently, like gearing, Troy really lets the bike do a lot of work, letting the bike go down and lug from low, but Mike revs them a lot more. If I could pick one thing that’s markedly different, Jones likes it stiffer in the front. They are actually pretty similar, yet they ride nothing like each other.
“They ride different, Troy can use a tyre, Jones is really good at looking after a tyre, everything is so different, but I really believe if Troy rode Jonesy’s set up, he’d be happy. And Jonesy, even when he’s not completely happy has the same thing to say about the bike as Troy.”
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Trevor: What’s your expectations for Oli in Supersport this year?
BH: “I think he needs to knuckle down and he could win it. He certainly has the resources around him, and he’s a pretty talented fella when everything clicks for him, then he’s unreal. I’ve seen it happen for him a few times and it’s a bit special, which is nice for him. I reckon he could win it for sure, he has some really good people around him now this year, that should see him in the right direction more often, last year he was just learning, and there was nothing wrong with the team from last year, they were perfectly fine, but he is just trying to learn at 15, and have a crack at it.”
Oli Bayliss – TBG Image
Trevor: What ASBK rules would you change if you could?
BH: **Long pause**
“To be honest, I like it just how it is. It’s quite good, and the proof is in the pudding, as there’s a lot of good riders on all different brands going fast. Really any brand can potentially win here.
“What would I change, currently not much. What I can see happening moving forward in ASBK, I can see a change is coming and I think it will be bad for the sport.
“For instance, the way the electronics side of things is moving forward, if they don’t make an effort to reign that in, we are probably two seasons away from privateers not being able to afford to race to win anything. And currently as it stands, it’s already hard enough for them, like I’ve been there but if they (M.A.) are not careful – and they are not careful – because sometimes *pauses*…. they have the right people, just not quite *pauses*…. it’s hard to say without sounding rough, but they perhaps don’t have enough resources, and they maybe don’t have quite the experience on the latest machinery. People like this, someone like me can manipulate very simply, and they don’t understand what I’m doing to them. And I don’t do it, but I know I can for sure.”
Ducati V4 R instrumentation – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: So what would you suggest is the answer, going down the line of a control ECU like BSB use or something along those lines?
BH: “It’s nice for everyone to have a race, and you know you have a race in all aspects, I like the tyre war that maybe is going to happen. It’s going to happen, I don’t know who’s going to be best or what yet. I like all the different things that go down, and it is a race.
“It’s nice to race in all aspects of the term, but for sure if they are not careful, very soon I think they will find some of the manufacturers are not going to be that interested in racing in a race that then they can’t win. It just doesn’t make good sense. It’s not good for their brand, doesn’t make good economic sense and that’s why you see people ending up pissing off to do their own thing, that suits them, and that’s just business.
“So that’s a strange way to answer your question. But as it was last year it was much better but what I see happening rolling into this year will open a can of worms.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: What is different this year?
BH: *long pause*
“Sort of the progress the electronics are making, in short, and I would say there will be a change as new models roll out, if M.A. aren’t careful, then I think they’ll find people will struggle to continue to compete fairly. At least not throughout a whole year.
“A privateer is not going to be able to turn up and win. Looking at Jonesy at the beginning of last year, as a privateer busting their ass like usual, and he turned up and banged the thing on the box and did the fastest lap here. That’s good, it’s great to see that. We already knew what he was capable of, but that gave us another opportunity to see it again, and then for him to ride our bike. If things move forward the way they eventually will, then you won’t see that again. It’ll be more like a handful of guys, always the same…. that’s what I think.”
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
The 2020 Mi-Bike ASBK Championship season gets underway in conjunction with the WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island over the March 1 weekend.
Wayne Maxwell has kicked off the 2020 ASBK season on a strong note, dominating the official two-day test at Phillip Island on board the Craig McMartin prepared Ducati V4R, after moving to the Italian marque for 2020 from Yamaha.
Maxwell and the new Ducati V4 proved a force to be reckoned with.
The Boost Mobile backed team worked through options with the K-Tech suspension over the two days and obviously made plenty of progress as Maxwell topped the test by almost seven-tenths of a second.
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Having been the only rider to dip into the 1:32s on Day 1, Maxwell topped off the two-day test as the only rider in the 1:31s on Day 2, with a 1:31.776, well clear of fellow Ducati rider Jones, who was next fastest with a 1:32.434.
Trevor Hedge caught up with Maxwell to pick his brain on the move to the Ducati, and his thoughts on how the season is shaping up.
Trevor Hedge: So Wayne, you put a lot of fast laps in and really set the pace over the duration of this test, you must be very happy.
Wayne Maxwell: “I’m super stoked, the Boost Mobile Ducati was excellent, Craig, Adrian, Dale, Greg and the team worked really well. We were also lucky to have James here from K-Tech HQ inEngland, with some updated K-Tech components. He was here with us, helping install and finding settings that worked on the bike, so I was really happy with that. Obviously again, this week exceeded my expectations, and has put us in a really good position to be in, right in the mix for the first race.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by TBG
Trevor: How does testing here relate to the other circuits we go to during the year? We know this is ‘your’ circuit, we could probably put you on a moped and you’d still go okay, but the pace you have set here is really, really fast, do you think it will translate to the other circuits?
Maxwell: “I first tried the bike at Wakefield, spent the whole day there and it exceeded my expectations immediately and didn’t really change anything that day. We’ve got some updates and have changed a few things, and I feel really confident. Wakefield has been a circuit which has maybe eluded me, and Troy is so strong there, while I haven’t been strong enough to get it over the line there as many times as I maybe should have.
“But I’m confident and we’ve got a fast bike, so we’ll get Phillip Island out of the way and see how we shape up. We have some updates on the way with the electronics, now that’ we’ve had the ECU homologated, so it’s just step by step. We’ve got this bike and it’s good now, so we need to then start work on the new package as bits and pieces come through.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: So you’ve come from the other most evocative bike in the field, the cross-plane crank Yamaha, sounds great, feels great, and now you’re on the V4 – another bike the really stirs the senses – what’s the comparison between the two? Looking at your bike, the riding position looks so stretched out and flat, is that apparent when on the bike?
Maxwell: “I still don’t feel 100 per cent comfortable, we’ve just sent some foot pegs back to the guys from KH Engineering to make some different ones. I don’t know how all the other Ducati riders ride the bike like that elsewhere around the world, they must do yoga 30 times a week.
“I’ll just to try and get a bit more comfortable, this circuit isn’t so bad, but other places where you’ve got to climb over the top of it a bit more with faster changes of direction, the old body will tighten up and be no good at the end of the race unless we can get the riding position a little more comfortable. So we’ll get my feet out in front a bit and be nice and relaxed. It won’t make us any faster, but perhaps more comfortable and consistent over the duration of a race.”
Trevor: Get some foot forward controls so they aren’t slowing you down perhaps…
Maxwell: “That’s it mate.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: The Yamaha has always got out of the corner quite well, how does the V4 compare, and how does it compare to what you’ve ridden in recent years? Picking up the throttle on the way out of the turn etc?
Maxwell: “Picking up the drive it seems okay for sure, but that’s definitely not the strongest part of my riding, out of the stop-go corners, I’m more of a fast flowing sort of guy, that’s why Phillip Island is good for me. I managed to get out of the stop-go corners okay though here this week. It has really good grip with the K-Tech on the side of the tyre, and the V4 provides quite a flat and linear power. When I was a kid, my dad had a VFR750 and I always remember it taking off from home and having that V-Four sound, so it reminds me of being a kid and I’m loving it.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship
Winton – Round 5 – Sunday
Kawasaki Superbike Race One
Mike Jones put down the fastest ever lap around Winton by a motorcycle to secure pole position on Saturday afternoon to claim what could prove to be a vital championship point if this series goes down to the wire. After this fifth round at Winton the series moves to Phillip Island for the penultimate contest in early October, before the championship decider at Sydney Motorsports Park over the first weekend in November.
Wayne Maxwell and Cru Halliday have showed good form all weekend and complete the front row. Daniel Falzon headed the second row alongside Mark Chiodo and Josh Waters.
Herfoss went down the road twice on Saturday. The second fall was due to a problem with a replaced brake master cylinder/lever that saw the defending ASBK Superbike Champion left with no front brake as he hurtled towards turn ten.
Troy Herfoss goes down at turn 10 as Q2 got underway – Image by Rob Mott
A scary incident for Herfoss and one that cost him dearly, leaving him way down the grid in 12th place. The Penrite Honda man had a successful morning warm-up that buoyed his spirits ahead of today’s 16-lap Superbike opener.
Mike Jones was on pole position – Image by Rob Mott
As the riders formed up on the grid they were on a track that for the first time all weekend actually had a ‘little’ bit of temperature in it.
Wayne Maxwell got a great run off the line but a wheelie cost him a little and allowed Mike Jones to take the lead into the esses for the first time. Arthur Sissis, as always, got a brilliant start to fire through to third place ahead of Falzon and a determined looking Bryan Staring.
Winton ASBK Race One gets underway – Image by Rob Mott
Cru Halliday had not started well but early on lap two he was on the back of Falzon and looking to challenge for fourth place. Herfoss was now up to eighth place.
Cru Halliday, Arthur Sissis and Troy Herfoss – Image by Rob Mott
Halliday took fourth place from Falzon early on lap three and set out after Sissis who had maintained that third place over the opening few laps.
Mike Jones leads Wayne Maxwell – Image by Rob Mott
Maxwell set a new race lap record on lap two, a 1m20.221s besting the 1m20.365s set by Jones on the same lap. The pace was not maintained on lap three and the gap between the pair was just under half-a-second with 13 laps to run.
Mike Jones leads Wayne Maxwell – Image by Rob Mott
Maxwell made his move into the esses over the back of the circuit early on lap four. Jones returned serve later on that lap to regain the lead.
Mark Chiodo had a tumble at turn nine.
Wayne Maxwell leads Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Wayne Maxwell again made a move at the back esses to take the lead once more. Jones has so much more drive onto the main straight but the Suzuki comes on strong in the top end and Maxwell squeezed Jones a little before they tipped into turn one with ten laps to run to maintain the race lead. Jones also seemed to display an advantage on the entry in to the final double right-hander every lap, a fact that he might try to keep hidden from Maxwell until that final run to the chequered flag….
Troy Herfoss had moved up to fourth place and with nine laps to run was now all over the back of Cru Halliday.
Mike Jones took the lead into turn one as the race broached the halfway mark. Maxwell tried to follow Jones into the final complex of turns and went in way too deep, again highlighting the advantage Jones has in that final sector of the circuit. Maxwell gathered it up but lost a couple of tenths in the process. The Suzuki man then clawed that ground back over the course of the following lap.
Maxwell took the lead yet again on the entry to the esses over the back of the circuit, forcing Jones to sit the Ducati up a little as Maxwell gets in up the inside before they drop the bikes on to the right-hand side of the tyre.
Wayne Maxwell leads Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Troy Herfoss moved up to third place with four laps to run but the Yamaha man was not going to give up easily.
Maxwell dropped in a 1m20.633s lap to eke away from Jones on that lap. With three laps to run Maxwell now had a full-second advantage over Jones. The Ducati man had run out of grip in the closing stages of the race.
Wayne Maxwell broke away in the later stages of the race – Image by Rob Mott
Maxwell’s advantage at the last lap board had gone out to 1.5-seconds and the Suzuki man had the clear advantage and Jones would have to settle for second place.
Mike Jones and Wayne Maxwell in Parc Ferme – Image by Rob Mott
Troy Herfoss managed to break away from Halliday to secure the final step on the rostrum in a great ride from 12th on the grid.
Kawasaki Superbike Race One Results 1 Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSXRR 21m41.745 2 Mike JONES (QLD) Ducati 1299 FE +1.861 3 Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR SP +5.852
Kawasaki Superbike Race One Results
Pos
Name
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC)
Suzuki GSXRR
21m41.745
2
Mike JONES (QLD)
Ducati 1299 FE
+1.861
3
Troy HERFOSS (QLD)
Honda CBR SP
+5.852
4
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R1
+8.777
5
Josh WATERS (VIC)
Suzuki GSXRR
+15.312
6
Daniel FALZON (SA)
Yamaha YZF-R1
+15.329
7
Bryan STARING (WA)
Kawasaki ZX10R
+19.667
8
Matt WALTERS (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX10RR
+20.243
9
Alex PHILLIS (VIC)
Suzuki GSXR
+23.665
10
Arthur SISSIS (SA)
Suzuki GSXRR
+24.370
11
Damon REES (NZ)
Honda CBR
+42.485
12
Kyle BUCKLEY (QLD
Kawasaki ZX10R
+44.643
13
Aaron MORRIS (NSW)
BMW S RR
+46.583
14
Lachlan EPIS (NSW) /
Kawasaki ZX10R
+51.887
15
Mark CHIODO (VIC)
Honda CBR SP
+1m11.145
DNF
Brendan McINTYRE (NSW)
Suzuki GSXR
5 Laps
Kawasaki Superbike Championship Points
Pos
Name
Total
1
Michael JONES
205
2
Cru HALLIDAY
200
3
Bryan STARING
190
4
Troy HERFOSS
187
5
Wayne MAXWELL
183
6
Josh WATERS
173
Motorsports TV Supersport Race One
Reid Battye led the field through the esses as the opening Supersport bout got underway but poleman Tom Toparis squeezed underneath him at the apex of the exit of the esses, that forced Battye a little wide off the racing line. The Suzuki man held the throttle on but his trajectory took him out to a dirtier part of the circuit where his rear tyre then slid luridly and catapulted Battye over the bars in an old-fashioned high-side, his GSX-R600 tumbling behind him. The stricken bike then caused a chain reaction which skittled yet more riders and bikes, leaving what used to be the old Winton start-finish line resembling a war zone that had just been smashed with incendiaries!
Amazingly all the riders were up and okay, a lucky escape from what could have been a truly nasty state of affairs. Nic Liminton copped the brunt of it and did not make the re-start, nor did Battye.
Tom Toparis leads – Image by Rob Mott
At the re-start it was Toparis that led the field away as Broc Pearson, Ty Lynch and Oli Bayliss gave chase.
Toparis leads Pearson – Image by Rob Mott
Toparis’ confidence on the cool track and cool tyres was clear from the off. Through the tight back section of the track his pursuers looked a little on tenterhooks but Toparis just pitched the bike on its side and the difference was telling.
Tom Toparis – Image by Rob Mott
Oli Bayliss looked to have more faith in his front tyre than Broc Pearson and squeezed through to take second place late on the second lap.
Bayliss streaked away from Pearson and over the course of the third lap pulled back more than half-a-second on Toparis. An awesome 1m23.602s more than a full-second quicker than his qualifying lap, and only a tenth off Toparis’ pole lap. Just when it looked as though he was going to really cause Toparis some problems the fire looked to go out on the Cube Racing YZF-R6. While negotiating the esses, and now almost within lunging distance of Toparis, Bayliss pulled off the racing line with machinery problems. The youngster understandably distraught at his fate but he is a resilient character and when it comes to racing the 16-year-old is already a very much focused racer and will be buoyed with his improved pace and hot to trot for the second Supersport race later in the day.
Oli Bayliss at least had a chair to watch on from, little consolation for a disappointed youngster – Image by Rob Mott
The early exit of Bayliss robbed us of what looked as though it would be a great battle and Toparis could then simply cruise to victory without having to take any risks.
An important race for Broc Pearson in his quest for second place in the Australian Supersport Championship – Image by Rob Mott
Broc Pearson a clear second place and benefitting greatly from the absence of Bayliss, Liminton and Battye as that quartet are battling for second place in the Supersport category. A 20-point score for Pearson while Bayliss, Liminton and Battye take no score enough to propel Pearson up to second place in the championship with an eight-point buffer over Liminton.
Ty Lynch took the final spot on the rostrum with a handy advantage over Dallas Skeer who took fourth place by a nose over Aidan Hayes. Avalon Biddle was a somewhat lonely sixth ahead of Chris Quinn and Jack Passfield.
Motorsports TV Supersport Race One Results 1 Tom TOPARIS (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R6 17m01.838 2 Broc PEARSON (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R6 +5.765 3 Ty LYNCH (SA) Yamaha YZF-R6 +7.887
Motorsports TV Supersport Race One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Tom TOPARIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
17m01.838
2
Broc PEARSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+5.765
3
Ty LYNCH (SA)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+7.887
4
Dallas SKEER (SA)
Suzuki GSXR
+12.127
5
Aidan HAYES (NSW
Yamaha YZF-R6
+12.328
6
Avalon BIDDLE (NZ)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+17.243
7
Chris QUINN (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+23.189
8
Jack PASSFIELD (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+23.273
9
Rhys BELLING (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+28.794
10
Jack HYDE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+36.900
11
Chandler COOPER (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R6
+48.617
DNF
Oli BAYLISS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R6
9 Laps
DNF
Ryan SELLEN (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX6R
9 Laps
Motorsports TV Supersport Championship Points
Pos
Name
Total
1
Tom TOPARIS
274
2
Broc PEARSON
196
3
Nic LIMINTON
188
4
Oliver BAYLISS
161
5
Reid BATTYE
142
6
Aidan HAYES
140
7
Dallas SKEER
130
8
Chris QUINN
100
9
Ty LYNCH
97
10
Jack PASSFIELD
94
YMF R3 Cup Race Two
Hunter Ford capitalised on his pole position to lead the field away but Max Stauffer quickly moved into the lead but early on lap to Hunter Ford and Luke Johnston pushed Stauffer back to third place. In that early leading group was also Brandon Demmery, Locky Taylor and Zac Levy.
The tussle between those six riders continued through the race and it was Hunter Ford that took the victory by a nose over Max Stauffer with Brandon Demmery completing the podium a few bike lengths behind that duo.
YMF R3 Cup Race Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Hunter FORD (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
12m26.724
2
Max STAUFFER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+0.052
3
Brandon DEMMERY
Yamaha YZF-R3
+0.483
4
Luke JHONSTON
Yamaha YZF-R3
+0.615
5
Zac LEVY (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1.082
6
Locky TAYLOR (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1.720
7
Tristan ADAMSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+16.958
8
Ryan SMITH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+18.184
9
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+18.190
10
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+24.687
11
John LYTRAS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+24.948
12
Zylas BUNTING (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+25.873
13
Archie McDONALD (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+34.368
14
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+38.812
15
Jacob HATCH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+38.937
16
Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+43.457
17
Josh NODEN (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+58.144
18
Jeremy CZMOK (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m06.941
19
Matt RINDEL (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m12.737
20
Patrick BOGNAR (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m29.148
21
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m31.345
22
Hunter DIPLOCK (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m40.821
DNF
Harry PARKER (NZ)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1 Lap
YMF R3 Cup Points
Pos
Name
Total
1
Hunter FORD
151
2
John LYTRAS
149
3
Zac LEVY
141
4
Max STAUFFER
133
5
Brandon DEMMERY
128
6
Locky TAYLOR
121
YMI Supersport 300 Race Two
Yannis Shaw was the early race leader ahead of Max Stauffer and Seth Crump. Crump gazumped Stauffer to move up to second place and on the second lap pushed past Shaw to take the race lead on the KTM.
Shaw took the race lead back with six laps to run and Hunter Ford then pushed Crump further back to third. Ford then took the race lead with five laps to run. Brandon Demmery had been marching his way through the field and by half-race distance had tagged on to the back of that leading group.
It was a great tussle all the way to the line but it was the Bridgestone shod 400 Kawasaki ridden by Yannis Shaw that got to the chequered flag first while Hunter Ford pipped Brandom Demmery out of second place by a nose at the line.
YMI Supersport 300 Race Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Yannis SHAW (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
13m58.289
2
Hunter FORD (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+0.273
3
Brandon DEMMERY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+0.291
4
Max STAUFFER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+1.561
5
Luke POWER (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
+1.579
6
Luke JHONSTON (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+5.105
7
Zac LEVY (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+5.212
8
Locky TAYLOR (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+5.456
9
Peter NERLICH (VIC) / TCN Racing
Kawasaki EX 300
+5.580
10
Seth CRUMP (QLD)
KTM RC390 390
+7.980
11
Senna AGIUS (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+11.306
12
John LYTRAS (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+17.922
13
John QUINN (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
+18.189
14
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+18.420
15
Ben BURKE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+18.558
16
Matt RINDEL (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+18.664
17
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+19.806
18
Ryan SMITH (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+31.322
19
Zylas BUNTING (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+31.478
20
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+48.813
21
Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+48.883
22
Noel MAHON (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
+53.056
23
Josh NODEN (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m00.743
24
Jeremy CZMOK (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+1m00.769
25
Craig WHITE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+1m29.883
26
Greg FARRELL (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 300
+1m30.069
DNF
Tristan ADAMSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
2 Laps
DNF
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
2 Laps
DNF
Harry PARKER (NZ) / Race Center
Yamaha R3 321
5 Laps
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Two
Angus Grenfell was off like a scalded cat and quickly streaked away to a handy lead over Archie McDonald. Left to tussle over the remaining step on the rostrum was Tom Drane, Glenn Nelson, Carter Thompson and Marianos Nikolis.
With three laps to go McDonald looked to have thought his second position was a little too safe and was closed down by the pursuing pack. Drane was through to second place with a lap and a half to run and adding further insult were Glenn Nelson and Jacob Roulstone who also pushed past McDonald on the final lap.
Grenfell a clear and undisputed victory by four-seconds while Tom Drane was the best of the rest in second while Glenn Nelson rounded out the podium.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Two Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Angus GRENFELL (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
10m37.515
2
Tom DRANE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+3.730
3
Glenn NELSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+3.902
4
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.243
5
Archie McDONALD (VIC
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.393
6
Max GIBBONS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.463
7
Carter THOMPSON (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.474
8
Marianos NIKOLIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.616
9
Jacob HATCH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+4.686
10
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha YZR-R15
+5.394
11
Cros FRANCIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+5.437
12
Patrick BOGNAR (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+21.039
13
Jamie PORT (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+21.561
14
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+31.510
15
Lucas QUINN (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+34.748
16
Varis FLEMING (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+35.270
17
Jai RUSSO (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+36.168
18
Cormac BUCHANAN (NZ
Yamaha YZF-R15
+41.316
19
Tom CONNORS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+41.368
20
Hunter DIPLOCK (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+43.576
21
Lincoln KNIGHT (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+46.069
22
Toby JAMES (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+46.243
23
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
+59.361
Sidecar Race Three Results
Pos
Riders
Class
Time/Gap
1
Corey TURNER / Danyon TURNER (QLD)
F1
12m25.755
2
Howard FORD / Lee MENZIES (NSW)
F1
+28.438
3
Patrick CLANCY / Stephen BONNEY (VIC)
F2
+40.382
4
Bruce COLLINS / Peter DEANGELIS (VIC)
F2
+49.797
5
Jero JOYCE / Corey BLACKMAN (WA)
F1
+53.265
6
Mick ALTON / Chrissy CLANCY (NSW)
F2
+55.285
7
Damien EDIS / Melanie SCHLUTER (VIC)
F2
+1:04.218
8
John CLANCY / Warren GRUBB (VIC)
F2
+1:08.754
9
Declan BEARE / Noel BEARE (VIC)
F1
+1:12.651
10
Simon REYNOLDS / Kathryn WARNE (NSW)
F2
+1:13.200
11
Matthew BROWN / Nathan ASTILL (NSW) / Brown Dog Racing
2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship
Winton – Round 5 – Saturday Report
Dark menacing clouds loomed large on the horizon above Winton Motor Raceway as competitors readied for final qualifying in the Kawasaki sponsored Superbike class.
Suzuki’s Wayne Maxwell had topped proceedings on Friday (Link), where riders only got one dry session all day, but it was Cru Halliday (Yamaha) that topped the Saturday morning ‘Timed Practice’ session (Link). Troy Herfoss suffered a hefty tumble during the morning session but escaped injury in the fall.
Troy Herfoss crashed on Saturday morning – Image by Rob Mott
The new look Saturday format for 2019 sees Superbike competitors out for a 35-minute ‘Timed Practice’ session. The times from that session decided the nine riders that automatically qualified for the Q2 session. The riders from tenth back in the Timed Practice session then had to fight it out in a Q1 session, with the top three in that session then being promoted into Q2, making for a final 12-rider tussle over the first four rows of the grid.
While the ambient temperature had only notched up another two-degrees, to 13-degrees, the track temperature had come up a little more, from 18-degrees this morning to a still cool, but much more amenable 23-degrees when Superbike riders hit the track for the final qualifying sessions. A brief shower 60-minutes earlier during the closing stages of the Supersport qualifying session had dampened the track, but the surface had cleaned up nicely when riders filed out of pit-lane at 1500 for the 15-minute Q1 session.
Alex Phillis topped the session early on and was never headed. Aaron Morris then mounted a late charge to push himself inside the crucial top three and managed to displace not only Kyle Buckley but also Matt Walters. Thus Phillis, Morris and Walters progressed through to the Q2 session in their quest for a top-ten grid position.
Superbike QP1 Results
Alex Phillis – Suzuki – 1m22.209s Q1
Aaron Morris – BMW 1m22.410s Q1
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m22.518s Q1
Kyle Buckley – Kawasaki 1m23.034s Q1
Damon Rees – Honda 1m23.243s Q1
Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m23.276s Q1
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 1m23.624s Q1
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m25.726s Q1
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 1m31.459s Q1
Superbike QP2
Daniel Falzon was the first man out on track in Q2 closely followed by Troy Herfoss. But the Penrite Honda man went down once again! Herfoss went down at turn 10, losing the front and sliding all the way into the tyre wall without even completing a lap. The defending champion was quickly up and made his way across the main straight with a slight limp in order to get back to the pits and his spare bike. I am not sure if any penalty will be levied on him for crossing the hot track during the session…
Wayne Maxwell was the early leader in Q2 with a 1m20.828s and that time stood until their was five minutes left in the session, when Daniel Falzon came from being nowhere all weekend to catapult his #25 into provisional pole!
Maxwell responded though, dropping in a 1m20.422s to move back up in to the #1 spot. Halliday then put in a 1m20.501s to push Falzon back to third.
Herfoss exited pit-lane on the spare bike with less than three-minutes remaining in the session. He would get only one or perhaps two flying laps to try and propel himself up from 12th in the order… He couldn’t manage it and will start tomorrow’s 16-lap races from 12th on the grid. It will be take no prisoners into turn one tomorrow with an angry Herf’ out to make amends when the lights go out!
Jones cranks out a 1m19s!
Jones goes to the top of the charts with a stunning 1m19.994s on the 1299 Panigale Final Edition, the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle around this Winton Motor Raceway circuit.
Maxwell will start alongside him in P2 with Cru Halliday rounding out the front row.
Daniel Falzon heads the second row ahead of Mark Chiodo and Josh Waters.
Arthur Sissis front the third row alongside Bryan Staring and Alex Phillis.
The key to a fast lap here seemingly coming in the final sector of the circuit. So many times today riders have put in storming first and second sectors, but fast final sectors were few and far between.
That single point earned for pole position today by Jones could prove crucial if this series goes down to the wire. After this fifth round at Winton the series moves to Phillip Island for the penultimate contest in early October, before the championship decider at Sydney Motorsports Park over the first weekend in November.
The opening 16-lap bout for this Winton round is scheduled to get underway at 1125 on Sunday morning, followed by the second and final bout at 1410 Sunday afternoon.
Superbike Qualifying Results
Pos
Name
Bike
Time
1
Mike JONES (QLD)
Ducati 1299 FE
1m19.994
2
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC)
Suzuki GSXRR
1m20.353
3
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m20.501
4
Daniel FALZON (SA)
Yamaha YZF-R1
1m20.785
5
Mark CHIODO (VIC)
Honda CBR SP
1m20.920
6
Josh WATERS (VIC)
Suzuki GSXRR
1m20.929
7
Arthur SISSIS (SA)
Suzuki GSXRR
1m21.481
8
Bryan STARING (WA)
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m21.487
9
Alex PHILLIS (VIC)
Suzuki GSXR
1m21.742
10
Matt WALTERS (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX10RR
1m21.973
11
Aaron MORRIS (NSW)
BMW S RR
1m22.109
12
Troy HERFOSS (QLD)
Honda CBR SP
1m22.520
13
Kyle BUCKLEY (QLD)
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m23.034
14
Damon REES (NZ)
Honda CBR
1m23.243
15
Glenn ALLERTON (NSW)
BMW S RR
1m23.276
16
Lachlan EPIS (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX10R
1m23.624
17
Brendan McINTYRE (NSW)
Suzuki GSXR
1m25.726
18
Hamish McMURRAY (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX10RR
1m31.459
Supersport
Tom Toparis did not need to turn a wheel in Saturday’s afternoon’s QP2 session, his 1m23.503s from QP1 was looking very safe but the Goulburn teenager headed out of pit-lane as the 25-minute final qualifying session entered its second half. Toparis then reeled off another couple of 1m23.5s to underline his pace.
Reid Battye improved his time markedly in the second session to move up to P2, demoting Nic Liminton to third place on the grid. The South Australian though reclaimed that P2 late in the session just before rain started falling, putting paid to the chance of any further improvements. Chandler Cooper a victim of the rain, putting his YZF-R6 into the fence late in the session.
Supersport Qualifying Results
Pos
Name
Bike
Time
1
Tom TOPARIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m23.503
2
Nic LIMINTON (SA)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m24.093
3
Reid BATTYE (NSW)
Suzuki GSXR
1m24.257
4
Broc PEARSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m24.510
5
Oli BAYLISS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m24.741
6
Ty LYNCH (SA)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m25.323
7
Chris QUINN (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m25.681
8
Jack HYDE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m25.702
9
Dallas SKEER (SA)
Suzuki GSXR
1m25.749
10
Richie DIBBEN (NZ)
Suzuki GSXR
1m25.799
11
Aidan HAYES (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m25.862
12
Avalon BIDDLE (NZ)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m26.093
13
Chandler COOPER (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m26.679
14
Jack PASSFIELD (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m26.758
15
Rhys BELLING (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R6
1m27.007
16
Ryan SELLEN (NSW)
Kawasaki ZX6R
1m28.625
YMI Supersport 300 Race One
Max Stauffer capitalised on his pole position to lead the 30-rider field through the challenging Winton esses for the first time in the opening nine-lap bout for the YMI Supersport 300 category.
Stauffer built a small gap early on and stretched that out to a full-second over the first couple of laps. As the race progressed though the chasing horde slowly reduced that gap and with five laps to go Yannis Shaw and Seth Crump had closed right onto the tail of Stauffer’s YZF-R3.
Shaw hit the lead for the first time as they started the fourth-from-last lap. Crump then pushed Stauffer back to third later on that same lap and the three-way tussle was on in earnest. In previous battles Stauffer had proven to have some wily racecraft that belies his tender years, would he come out on top once again and extend his championship lead?
At the last lap board it was Shaw leading from Crump and Stauffer with only three-tenths covering that triumvirate. Hunter Ford then joined the party early on the final lap and Zac Levy came along for the ride! Lapped traffic was also becoming a factor in what was turning into a very exciting final lap.
Shaw with the advantage into the final double right-hander and it is Shaw on the 400 Kawasaki that gets to the chequered flag first, Seth Crump second and Max Stauffer rounded out the podium by a bike length over a late charging Hunter Ford.
YMI Supersport 300 Race One Results
Pos
Name
Machine
Time/Gap
1
Yannis SHAW (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
14m00.505
2
Seth CRUMP (QLD)
KTM RC390 390
+0.060
3
Max STAUFFER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+0.252
4
Hunter FORD (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+0.366
5
Zac LEVY (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+1.308
6
Luke JHONSTON (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+2.016
7
Ben BAKER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+2.112
8
Luke POWER (VIC) / Proworx Racing
Kawasaki EX 400
+5.287
9
Brandon DEMMERY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+5.299
10
Locky TAYLOR (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+6.660
11
Senna AGIUS (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+19.899
12
John LYTRAS (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+20.166
13
Peter NERLICH (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 300
+23.355
14
Ben BURKE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+30.439
15
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+30.496
16
Tristan ADAMSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+30.654
17
Matt RINDEL (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+31.178
18
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+36.500
19
Ryan SMITH (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+36.678
20
John QUINN (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
+37.244
21
Zylas BUNTING (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+38.292
22
Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
+1m03.912
23
Josh NODEN (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
+1m12.290
24
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+1m16.480
25
Noel MAHON (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
+1m17.133
26
Jeremy CZMOK (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
+1m17.432
27
Craig WHITE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
+1m36.263
28
Greg FARRELL (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 300
+1 Lap
29
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
+1 Lap
DNF
Harry PARKER (NZ)
Yamaha R3 321
+6 Laps
YMI Supersport 300 Qualifying Results
Pos
Name
Bike
Time
1
Max STAUFFER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m33.530
2
Yannis SHAW (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m33.554
3
Luke JHONSTON (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m34.197
4
Seth CRUMP (QLD)
KTM RC390 390
1m34.242
5
Ben BAKER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m34.279
6
Hunter FORD (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m34.408
7
Luke POWER (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m34.474
8
Senna AGIUS (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m34.683
9
Brandon DEMMERY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m34.900
10
Peter NERLICH (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 300
1m34.935
11
Locky TAYLOR (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
1m35.101
12
John LYTRAS (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
1m35.240
13
Zac LEVY (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
1m35.643
14
Ben BURKE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m35.995
15
John QUINN (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m36.774
16
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
1m36.777
17
Tristan ADAMSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.834
18
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m37.462
19
Harry PARKER (NZ)
Yamaha R3 321
1m37.862
20
Matt RINDEL (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
1m38.053
21
Ryan SMITH (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m38.306
22
Zylas BUNTING (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m39.351
23
Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES (QLD)
Yamaha R3 321
1m40.025
24
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m42.277
25
Craig WHITE (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m42.441
26
Jeremy CZMOK (VIC)
Yamaha R3 321
1m42.713
27
Josh NODEN (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m43.118
28
Greg FARRELL (NSW)
Kawasaki EX 300
1m43.126
29
Noel MAHON (VIC)
Kawasaki EX 400
1m43.221
30
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha R3 321
1m45.350
YMF R3 Cup Qualifying
Pos
Name
Bike
Time
1
Max STAUFFER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m32.699
2
Ben BAKER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m32.936
3
Hunter FORD (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m33.312
4
Brandon DEMMERY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m33.499
5
Locky TAYLOR (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m33.747
6
Luke JHONSTON (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m34.046
7
Zac LEVY (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m34.108
8
John LYTRAS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m34.364
9
Tristan ADAMSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m35.508
10
Matt RINDEL (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m35.617
11
Harry PARKER (NZ)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.038
12
Ryan SMITH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.039
13
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.200
14
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.283
15
Zylas BUNTING (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m36.524
16
Archie McDONALD (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m38.286
17
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m38.641
18
Jacob HATCH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m39.565
19
Stephany KAPILAWI-JAMES (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m39.647
20
Josh NODEN (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m40.868
21
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m41.681
22
Jeremy CZMOK (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m42.447
23
Patrick BOGNAR (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m45.867
24
Jamie PORT (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R3
1m46.377
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One
Angus Grenfell ran away with the opening bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup bout on Saturday afternoon. Sprinting away from the field right from the off and then pulling away every lap on his way to a clear five-second victory.
Left to contest the minor spoils were Archie McDonald, Tom Drane and Carter Thompson. Jacob Roulstone joined that party late in the race but it was McDonald and Drane that scored the final two steps on the rostrum in what was a photo finish across the line.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One Results
Angus Grenfell
Archie McDonald +4.519s
Tom Drane +4.523s
Carter Thompson +4.603s
Jacob Roulstone +4.722s
Glenn Nelson +7.433s
Max Gibbons +7.458s
Cros Francis +
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Qualifying
Pos
Name
Bike
Time
1
Angus GRENFELL (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m46.350
2
Carter THOMPSON (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m46.395
3
Jacob ROULSTONE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m46.504
4
Glenn NELSON (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m46.794
5
Archie McDONALD (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m46.976
6
Tom DRANE (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.011
7
Max GIBBONS (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.110
8
Marianos NIKOLIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.123
9
Reece OUGHTRED (VIC)
Yamaha YZR-R15
1m47.252
10
Jacob HATCH (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.510
11
Cros FRANCIS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.875
12
Zak PETTENDY (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m47.961
13
Patrick BOGNAR (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m48.498
14
Jamie PORT (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m49.258
15
Varis FLEMING (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m51.183
16
Jai RUSSO (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m51.329
17
Hunter DIPLOCK (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m51.332
18
Lucas QUINN (QLD)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m52.098
19
Dominic FLETCHER (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m52.447
20
Lincoln KNIGHT (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m52.719
21
Tom CONNORS (NSW)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m52.949
22
Cormac BUCHANAN (NZ)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m54.097
23
Toby JAMES (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
1m54.808
24
Natalie BARBATI (VIC)
Yamaha YZF-R15
2m30.081
2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championships Calendar
Round 5: Winton Motor Raceway, VIC – 6-8 September 2019
Round 6: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC – 4-6 October 2019
Round 7: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW – 1-3 November 2019
Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship Standings
2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship
Winton – Round Five – Friday Practice
Things are tight at the top ahead of this weekend’s fifth round of the Australian Superbike Championship. Less than 30-points currently separate the top six in the championship with Mike Jones leading Cru Halliday by a single point.
After the conclusion of this weekend there will be only two rounds remaining and this fifth round will make or break the championship aspirations of a few of the prime contenders.
Bryan Staring – Image by Rob Mott
First practice this morning saw the heavens open just prior to the 1040 start time. As a result most of the field kept themselves and their powder dry for the remaining 2 x 30-minute sessions this afternoon. Only Bryan Staring and Lachlan Epis bothered to head out to get wet in the deluge, and both ended up crashing in the sketchy conditions.
Lachlan Epis found the limits of grip in the wet morning conditions
Things were dry early in the afternoon for the second session and this time around the Superbike field got down to business proper/ They knew that there was chance that this could be the only dry track time they would get before Sunday’s 2 x 16-lap races.
Troy Herfoss was quickly on the pace when FP2 got underway
Troy Herfoss was quick out of the blocks as was Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell.
Cru Halliday – Image by Rob Mott
Ultimately it was the #47 that ended the session on top with a 1m21.499s today’s benchmark.
Wayne Maxwell
Halliday’s quickest time of 1m21.724s came on the final of his 17 laps during the session to displace Herfoss from that second spot on the leader-board.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Mike Jones was the only other rider in the 21s and had more than half-a-second on fifth placed Josh Waters.
Josh Waters – Image by Rob Mott
Alex Phillis pretty much destroyed a GSX-R1000R today, he is fine but his wallet took a hefty impact…
An expensive afternoon for Alex Phillis…
A heavy shower then completely soaked the entire Winton venue ahead of the third and final practice session of the day. Even if riders get back on track late this afternoon none of them are going to better the times set in FP2.
Superbike Friday Times
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 1m21.499s
Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m21.724s
Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m21.851s
Mike Jones – Ducati 1m21.995s
Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m22.649s
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m23.060s
Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m23.888s
Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m24.505s
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m24.908s
Aaron Morris – BMW 1m24.985s
Mark Chiodo – Honda 1m25.059s
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m25.114s
Kyle Buckley – Kawasaki 1m25.124s
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m26.724s
Damon Rees – Honda 1m27.165s
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 1m27.244s
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m30.101s
Ted Collins – BMW 1m31.399s
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 1m32.677s
Supersport Friday Times
Tom TOPARIS (NSW) Yamaha 1:27.677
Ty LYNCH (SA) Yamaha 1:33.425
Aidan HAYES (NSW) Yamaha 1:33.910
Rhys BELLING (VIC) Yamaha 1:35.129
Chris QUINN (NSW) Yamaha 1:37.650
Ryan SELLEN (NSW) Kawasaki 1:42.926
Andrew EDSER (NSW) Kawasaki 1:44.296
Avalon BIDDLE (NZ) Yamaha 1:44.638
Chandler COOPER (VIC) Yamaha 1:55.043
Supersport 300 Friday Times
Yannis Shaw – Kawasaki 400 1m35.481s
Luke Johnston – Kawasaki 400 1m38.383s
Luke Power – Kawasaki 400 1m39.118s
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha 1m39.612s
Senna Agius – Kawasaki 400 1m39.640s
Reece Oughtred – Yamaha 1m39.941s
Peter Nerlich – Kawasaki 300 1m39.989s
Harry Parker – Yamaha 1m40.605s
Ben Burke – Kawasaki 400 1m41.280s
Hunter Ford – Yamaha 1m41.396s
John Lytras – Yamaha 1m41.627s
Stephany Kapilawi-James Yamaha 1m43.324s
John Quinn – Kawasaki 400 1m43.382s
Seth Crump – KTM 1m44.078s
Ryan Smith – Yamaha 1m44.168s
YMF R3 Cup Friday Times
Max Stauffer 1m36.486s
Luke Johnston 1m36.624s
Ben Baker 1m37.107s
Locky Taylor 1m37.857s
Hunter Ford 1m38.715s
Brandon Demmery 1m39.482s
John Lytras 1m39.542s
Harry Parker 1m40.442s
Jacob Roulstone 1m41.604s
Tristan Adamson 1m41.855s
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Friday Times
Angus Grenfell 1m50.592s
Lucas Quinn 1m51.060s
Archie McDonald 1m51.327s
Tom Drane 1m51.568s
Cros Francis 1m51.746s
Jacob Roulstone 1m51.914s
Reece Oughtred 1m52.046s
Jamie Port 1m52.124s
Zak Pettendy 1m52.674s
Carter Thompson 1m54.392s
2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championships Calendar
Round 5: Winton Motor Raceway, VIC – 6-8 September 2019
Round 6: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC – 4-6 October 2019
Round 7: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW – 1-3 November 2019
Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship Standings
