After a fairly difficult couple of seasons Bryan Staring is hoping a sexy new Italian in his life might turn things around… Bryan will contest the 2022 Australian Superbike Championship with DesmoSport Ducati and is riding the machine for the first time this week at Phillip Island.
Bryan Staring
“Since returning from Europe a few years ago I’ve really enjoyed racing in the ASBK and I’m excited to get on the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R. I spent a long time living in Italy, so to be able to partner with such a passionate, and proudly Italian brand really brings back a lot of great memories for me. It’s no secret that the bike is incredible to begin with and I’m confident that I can race for wins and the 2022 ASBK Championship. I love riding motorcycles, I love racing and I’m motivated more than ever with Ben and Troy’s support.”
We believe Bryan and the Ducati could be a fearsome combination. Bryan and DesmoSport Ducati crew chief Ben Henry have actually lived together at various times during their lives as the two are close friends who both hail from Western Australia. We recently conducted an extensive interview with Ben that you can find here.
In the meantime check out these first images of Bryan getting to know the DesmoSport Ducati at Phillip Island this week.
After a fairly difficult couple of seasons with BCperformance Kawasaki, Bryan Staring will contest the 2022 Australian Superbike Championship with DesmoSport Ducati.
Team co-owner – Troy Bayliss
“I’m really looking forward to 2022. Although we’ve had some great results, it’s been two years since we’ve been able to race a full season, and I think we’re in a great position to race for the ASBK championship again. Mike has done a great job for us over the last 3 years, and it’s a shame the last two years have been so interrupted, but we will part on good terms at the end of the season and I wish him all the best in his racing future. It’s exciting to get to work with a new rider, introduce them to my Ducati family and the Panigale V4 R. I have a lot of respect for Bryan, I raced against him in 2018, he was a challenging rider on the track.”
Bryan Staring joins DesmoSport Ducati
The recently married 34-year-old Western Australian first made his mark with Australian Championship #1 plates across three different categories. Staring won the 125 cc Grand Prix Championship as a youngster in 2004 before then claiming the Supersport crown in 2009, followed by the Superbike Championship in 2010. The 125 and Superbike Titles were won on Honda machinery, while the Supersport crown was won with Yamaha.
Bryan Staring won the 2010 Australian Superbike Championship (Middle) – on the left is Troy Herfoss who won the 2010 Australian Supersport Championship while pictured right is Brendan Clarke who won the Superstock category that season.
Following a stint on the world stage in the European Superstock and also some time on the MotoGP grid aboard an uncompetitive CRT machine, Staring returned home to Australian racing in 2017 with Crankt Protein Honda where he finished seventh in the Australian Superbike Championship.
Bryan Staring on the grid at the 2013 MotoGP season opener in Qatar with long time supporter Russell Farrow – Bryan rode a CRT MotoGP machines that year – Image AJRN
When Bryan returned to Australia for that 2017 season he was coming back from extensive leg injuries that he had sustained in a motocross training accident in Italy. The injuries were so severe that he had been at risk of losing part of his lower leg, however he bounced back and eventually even returned to even winning bicycles races as he got back to full fitness.
Bryan Staring won the European Superstock 1000 race at Aragon in 2012
Staring then teamed up with BCperformance Kawasaki where Bryan won the opening round of that 2018 season before eventually finishing sixth in the championship, which he repeated in 2019 before improving to fourth in season 2020.
Bryan Staring won the opening round of the 2018 ASBK season at Phillip Island – TBG Image
Bryan Staring
“Since returning from Europe a few years ago I’ve really enjoyed racing in the ASBK and I’m excited to get on the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R. I spent a long time living in Italy, so to be able to partner with such a passionate, and proudly Italian brand really brings back a lot of great memories for me. It’s no secret that the bike is incredible to begin with and I’m confident that I can race for wins and the 2022 ASBK Championship. I love riding motorcycles, I love racing and I’m motivated more than ever with Ben and Troy’s support.”
Staring is currently equal fifth in the 2021 Australian Superbike Championship points standings with current DesmoSport Ducati rider Oli Bayliss.
Oli Bayliss is off to the new look World Supersport Championship while Mike Jones has been linked to a Yamaha ride in 2022 – Image by ImagesEverything
We believe Bryan and the Ducati could be a fearsome combination. Bryan and DesmoSport Ducati crew chief Ben Henry have actually lived together at various times during their lives as the two are close friends who both hail from Western Australia.
Team co-owner – Ben Henry
“I’ve followed Bryan’s entire career and I’m really excited to finally get to work with him. I actually have a set of his MotoGP leathers in the workshop! He has some big shoes to fill after the success we’ve had with Mike as well as the development of Oli, but I firmly believe that Bryan gives us the best opportunity to follow on from our championship win from the last full ASBK season in 2019. Of course, we still have the final round of 2021 at The Bend coming up, and I’m confident we’ll see strong results as we look to carry the momentum from Darwin, and the Southern Downs Series into 2022. It’s tough to part ways with Mike, he’s been with us since before DesmoSport Ducati existed and we’ve achieved a lot together in that time, including two championships here in the ASBK, as well as spring boarding Mike to race in Europe and even a race MotoGP. He’s an incredible rider, but our paths simply don’t align in 2022 and I expect we’ll be battling him on the track next year.”
Bryan recently married long term partner Jemmie The couple are pictured here with Bryan’s biggest supporters, dad John and mum Anthea Image Facebook
Bryan is expected to ride the DesmoSport Ducati for the first time on the Monday immediately following the 2021 Australian Superbike Championship finale at The Bend.
Bryan Staring to ride for DesmoSport Ducati in 2022 ASBK
Of the 100 riders competing at Suzuka this year in the Asia Road Racing Championship, 17 were wildcards, from young Japanese riders looking for international experience to tough veterans of the All Japan series intending to teach the regular stars a lesson or two.
Wet conditions added a further challenge -Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Broc Parkes of Yamaha Racing ASEAN arrived at Suzuka leading the ASB 1000 Championship after retaining his position with second and fourth place finishes at Chang International in Round 3. Behind the Australian, Azlan Shah Kamuruzaman of ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team was heading to Japan on a wave of momentum after his double win at Buriram.
Broc Parkes on the grid
Bryan Staring made his third appearance for Kawasaki Thailand, once again replacing the injured Thitipong Warakorn. Staring placed seventh in both ASB 1000 races in the previous round.
14-year-old Travis Hall was returning to Suzuka for his second year in the Underbone 150 class, riding a Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing Team machine.
The premier ASB 1000 class was making its first appearance at the legendary Japanese track, having been announced there just one year ago.
Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
The full motorcycle circuit is 5.8 kilometres long, with 18 bends for the riders to manoeuvre. Suzuka has one of the most notable elevation changes in motorsport, with the highest point being at the infamous Spoon Curve, and the lowest 40 metres under it at turn 2, following the 900 metre, downhill straight. Uneasy weather looked set to play a part over the weekend, with rain forecast for all three days of racing.
Asia Superbike 1000
Broc Parkes’s experience and endurance racing credentials made this the closest thing to a home race for him in the ARRC calendar. With the far less familiar Zuhai, Sepang and Chang International circuits coming up for the last three rounds, Yamaha Racing ASEAN were aiming for nothing less than a double to set up his title run for the second half of the season.
By contrast, ASBK championship leader, Bryan Staring, was making his racing debut at the Suzuka Circuit, and therefore leaning on the advantage of superbike experience he held over most of the field.
Bryan Staring – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Parkes’s main title rival, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, arrived at Suzuka with plenty of track time too in the 8 Hours and holding the Supersport qualifying lap record, which he set in 2018.
Despite forecasts of rain and an overnight typhoon on Thursday, threatening clouds made way for blue skies on Friday, leaving a dry track and a sense of relief with teams and riders.
Honda Asia Dream Racing’s Zaqhwan Zaidi posted a strong 2:09.874 in free practice two to record the fastest time of the day, pipping Apiwath Wongthananon of Yamaha Thailand who stopped the clock at 2:09.893, and Yamaha ASEAN’s Yuki Ito who was less than a tenth further back.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Zaqhwan used track experience and skill to post the fastest time despite a heavy tumble in the third practice session, escaping unscathed. Similarly, Ito also crashed heavily in second practice but without injury.
Championship frontrunner Broc Parkes of Yamaha ASEAN placed fifth with a steady ride, under half a second off pacesetter Zaidi. Azlan Shah fared less well, placing seventh with a fastest lap time of 2:10.849 set in the third session of practice.
Kawasaki Thailand stand-in Bryan Staring ultimately finished twelfth, after wrecking his Kawasaki in FP1 and having to sit out FP2. Koji Teramoto of Teramoto@J-Trip was the best of the wildcards, recording the sixth fastest lap of the day in 2:10.84, under a second behind Zaidi.
Zaqwan Zaidi – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Suzuka, as ever, had her say in free practice, claiming 28 fallers, the worst of which belonged to Yuki Ito, who broke an ankle and skinned his left little finger. However, Yuki’s well-tested lionhearted nature ruled out any suggestion him going home early. While podiums seemed unlikely, he resolved to ride for as many points as possible.
Despite continuing rain forecasts, qualifying on Saturday also went ahead on a dry track.
Zaqhwan continued his imperious run through to securing pole, improving his practice time by a hundredth of a second, relegating Yamaha Thailand teammates Ratthapong Wilairot and Apiwath Wongthananon to second and third.
Broc Parkes grabbed fourth spot, having been unable to better his practice time after losing much of the session due to a nasty crash on the spoon curve. The incident also caused plenty of damage to his Yamaha, placing his spot on the starting grid in jeopardy. His rival Azlan placed fifth, three hundredths of a second down.
Asia Superbike Race 1
The Suzuka veteran Broc Parkes claimed victory in his first race of the weekend, but he had to dig deep and use every morsel of his track knowledge to earn it following some mechanical issues.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Broc Parkes was quick out the blocks, quickly overtaking Apiwath Wongthananon and Azlan Shah Kamarusaman and slotting in nicely to second place behind poleman Zaqhwan Zaidi, as Ratthapong Wilairot fell backwards through the field, uncomfortable on a new Dunlop medium compound rolled out for Suzuka.
As pressure on Parkes mounted on lap three, he seemed to find a false neutral under braking the Spoon corner, causing him to run wide and dropping back behind Apiwat and Azlan. Suzuka debutant Bryan Staring overcame a difficult start to the weekend to carve through to forth in the opening scramble. Staring slipped down into fifth shortly after, succumbing to a determined Broc Parkes.
Asia Superbikes – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Zaqhwan dropped back following a mistake of his own, yielding first place to Azlan and second and third to Apiwat and Parkes. Broc Parkes moved into second as Azlan’s BMW struggled with his soft compound tyre choice, and then into the lead with a blistering drive around the outside onto the start-finish straight.
Meanwhile, there was an ongoing battle behind the top three for fifth place between Kawasaki Thailand’s Bryan Staring and Yuki Ito.
After momentarily regaining the lead Azlan was swiftly passed by Broc, who rode two fast laps to create an impregnable three second lead.
Broc Parkes celebrates the win – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
In the meantime, Zaqhwan recovered from his losses to take second place from Azlan, and wrestle Apiwat off the podium. Bryan Staring claimed fifth place from a threatening Yuki Ito, whilst Ratthapong trailed a further eight seconds back in seventh place in front of the weekend’s best Superbike wildcard, Belgian Bastien Mackels.
Broc further entrenched his lead with this win to 130 points, 17 in front of his nearest rival Azlan, who held on to second place over Zaqhwan.
Broc Parkes topped the Race 1 podium – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Asia Superbike Race 2
Despite an eventful afternoon interrupted by torrential rain, wildcard Shinichi Nakatomi of HiTMAN RC-KOUSHIEN Yamaha took a brilliantly judged win on a wet track in the second ASB 1000 race of the weekend.
Broc Parkes – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
Sitting on pole position was Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia Dream Racing, who got off to a solid start, but was soon passed by Yamaha Thailand’s Ratthapong Wilairot, followed by Nakatomi, who astonishingly shot up the standing after starting ninth on the grid, championship leader Broc Parkes, and the injured, but not broken Yuki Ito. Azlan Shah slipped to eighth despite a fifth place start. Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat who also fell down the places after a weak start.
Ratthapong gripped on to the lead until lap three, when Nakatomi stormed through, spraying water from the damp track as he went. The courageous Yuki Ito claimed second place from Ratthapong, who slipped back to fourth.
Yuki Ito leads Shinichi Nakatomi and Ratthapong Wilairot – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
At mid distance Broc Parkes sat in fourth place, with a sizeable gap between himself and Ratthapong in third, but progressively wound him in and claimed the third spot. At the front of the race meanwhile, Nakatomi was fleetingly passed by Ito, before regaining his place and heading away through the spray to victory.
With two laps remaining, Broc began closing in on his teammate, the second placed Ito. On the last lap he got a good drive out of Spoon and carried past Ito.
Broc Parkes – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
While remaining close, Ito had to settle for second. Ratthapong ultimately finished fourth, five seconds behind the podium finishers, with a similar gap between himself and the fifth place Zaqhwan Zaidi. Azlan found his way past Apiwat and Victor Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira to claim sixth. Apiwat placed eighth, winning a battle for the place with Victor Racing’s Kazuma Tsuda and Chaiwichit Nisakul and Bryan Staring of Kawasaki Thailand.
Broc Parkes had played his home advantage well, gaining 45 points, and extending his points total to 150, 27 clear of his nearest rival, Azlan who came away with 26.
Broc Parkes took runner up in Race 2 behind Nakatomi, with Vito third – Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 – Round 4, Suzuka
It was hard to call ARRC’s new-for-2019 premier class in Thailand. It was the tenth time the series has made the trip to Buriram, but the first time any of Asia’s regular stars had raced a superbike there. On the other hand, Parkes and Staring had no track experience, but vastly more time aboard one-litre machinery. Adding to that, two rounds and four races had seen race wins from four different riders and four different manufacturers.
Broc Parkes – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
Daytime temperatures were in the early 30s, track temperatures in the early 40s and, while rain threatened on Friday and Saturday, there was nothing to disrupt proceedings.
The mercurial Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, lying second to Parkes in the championship after Round 2, got his green liveried ONEXOX TKKR SAG BMW hooked up nicely in Friday’s free practice to finish the day top on combined times with a best lap of 1:35.518 in FP3.
Chang International Circuit – ARRC Round 3
That was 0.756 faster than Honda Asia Dream Racing’s Zaqhwan Zaidi, who missed the last session when he somersaulted his CBR1000RR SP on the out lap.
Chang International Circuit – ARRC Round 3
Apiwat Wongthananon, who showed plenty of speed at Tailem Bend, applied his track knowledge to good effect to record 1:36.416, 0.15s better than Broc, who brought his times down progressively in each session. Ahmad Yudhistira, Yuki Ito and Ratthapong Wilairot also recorded times in the 1:36s, while Bryan managed a best time of 1:37.004 to end the day eighth.
Chang International Circuit – ARRC Round 3
Qualifying on Saturday morning went much the same way. Azlan was unable to quite match his best free practice time, crashing in the closing moments, but still took pole with a time of 1:35.790, which edged Yamaha Thailand’s hard charging Apiwat to the middle of the front row by seven thousandths of a second.
Chang International Circuit – ARRC Round 3
Zaqhwan was third on 1:36.062, Parkes improved on his best practice time, recording 1:36.385, which was two hundredths better than team-mate Ito and about the same again in front of Victor Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira.
Bryan Staring – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
Bryan got his times into the 1:36s and ended up sandwiched on the third row between Ratthapong and Access Plus Ducati’s TJ Alberto, who was promoted to ninth after Chaiwichit Nisakul crashed and broke his left wrist after recording 1:36.978 early in the session.
Asia Superbike Race 1
Rain clouds gathered overhead and spattered the grid for race one’s 13 laps on Saturday afternoon. The threat of rain faded on the warm-up lap and when the lights went out Apiwat got the best launch from the middle of the front row to lead poleman Azlan first time around, from Zaqhwan, who found himself holding off the three Yamahas of Ito, Yudhistira and Ratthapong and the Kawasaki of Bryan Staring. TJ Alberto, headed the rest of the field.
Azlan Shah – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
At mid distance Azlan and Apiwat had got around one second clear, only for Zaqhwan to close them back down, bringing Broc Parkes and Yuki Ito with him. There was little to choose between the Malaysian and the Thai at the front, until Apiwat ran wide at turn 12 at the end of lap nine, falling back to fifth, before mounting a recovery.
Zaqhwan made a bid to catch the green BMW, leaving Broc and Ito in a squabble with Apiwat, as the Thai rider fought his way back. At the end Azlan swept to his second win of the season six tenths clear of compatriot, Zaqhwan, while Apiwat got in front of Ito, then Broc, to take third.
Three-and-a-half seconds further back, Ratthapong came through to sixth, holding off Bryan and Yudhistira. TJ came through to ninth ahead of Farid Badrul on the second ONEXOX TKKR SAG BMW, Kazuma Tsuda and Jonathan Serrapica.
Bryan Staring – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
Asia Superbike Race 2
Lessons learned on Saturday produced a very different race on Sunday, which was run under clear skies and slightly hotter temperatures. Azlan got his BMW away well, from Broc Parkes, Zaqhwan Zaidi and Yuki Ito. Apiwat Wongthananon was slow off the line, but quickly fought his way through to third, as Zaqhwan dropped slightly off the pace.
Azlan Shah – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
Broc, then Apiwat got past Azlan. The Australian was unable to break clear, but his Thai and Malaysian challengers were also unable to get past as the race moved into its late stages. The game changed on the final lap as Azlan moved past Apiwat to take second and put Broc under pressure.
Azlan Shah – Asia Superbike – ARRC Round 3
Apiwat fought back and the three approached Chang’s notorious turn 12 together. Azlan moved to the inside of Parkes, lost the front under braking, picked his BMW back up and scrambled to the line to complete the double a wheel in front of Broc, who was just four thousandths clear of Apiwat.
Zaqhwan held steady to take fourth, a second clear of Ahmad Yudhistira, who did another brilliant job for Victor Racing Team as the top privateer. Yuki Ito, who went back after a promising start, finished sixth ahead of Bryan for Kawasaki Thailand.
Parkes stays at the top of the standings after another solid weekend’s work, moving up to 105 points, while Azlan’s double brings him to 97 ahead of Zaqhwan on 84.
The Asia Road Racing Championship had a new look for its second trip to Tailem Bend for the double header with ASBK. The visitors turned up with three classes again, however for 2019 the Underbone 150s were replaced in the schedule by the Asian Superbikes (ASB) which make its debut as ARRC’s premier class this season.
Asia Superbikes replaced the Underbone 150 class at Tailem Bend in 2019
The big bikes were joined by the Supersport 600s, which now has an upper age limit of 25, and the Asia Production 250 class. That meant that many of the senior riders who raced 600s last year have moved up to the litre class, including double champions, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Zaqwan Zaidi, 2019 champion Ratthapong Wilairot, and last year’s Supersport race winner Yuki Ito.
2019 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 – Tailem Bend
They are joined this year by Broc Parkes, who has added a full season in ARRC to his FIM Endurance World Championship duties. By design the rules for ASB 1000 are similar to ASBK’s, with a few key differences.
2019 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 – Tailem Bend
Exceptions are the larger radiators that are allowed in the Asian series, which runs in several hot countries, like Malaysia and Thailand, and the control tyres that have been specifically developed by Dunlop for ARRC. The similarities make it easy for riders to switch between series during the course of a season.
Thitipong Warokorn was injured in his wildcard WSBK appearance and had to sit out Round 2
This factor was pivotal for ARRC Round 2. The championship leader after round one, Kawasaki Thailand’s Thitipong Warakorn, was absent with back and chest injuries sustained during his WSBK wildcard appearance at Buriram, when he crashed and was run over by Leon Camier.
Bryan Staring joined Kawasaki Thailand to fill in for Warakorn, alongside competing ASBK
As the Thai rider goes through the long process of recovering and getting fit, Kawasaki Japan assigned his ride to Bryan Staring who is currently competing the ASBK championship with the BCPerformance Kawasaki team in Kawasaki Superbikes, thereby putting him on double duty for the four-day event.
2019 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 – Tailem Bend
Asia Superbike 1000
During practice and qualifying Staring got into a battle for supremacy with his compatriot Broc Parkes, with the two Aussies battling it out. It was won by the Yamaha rider, who took pole position with a stunning single lap of 1:52.581, more than six tenths clear of Staring.
Broc Parkes claimed top qualifying honours
Yamaha Thailand’s former AP 250 champion, Apiwat Wonthananon was third, ahead of Yuki Ito, Zaqwan Zaidi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, who completed row two.
Asia Superbike 1000 – Race 1
In warmer conditions than had prevailed for qualifying, it was Staring who got the best drive at the start to lead lap one from Parkes, Zawan and Apiwat. His bold attempt to get away was quickly closed down by Parkes who got past him one lap later and opened up a comfortable gap of this own, which had extended up to 1.5 seconds by the end of lap four. Staring kept a good distance between him and third-placed Zaqwan, who beat off a challenge from Apiwat, Azlan and Yuki Ito.
Broc Parkes and Bryan Staring in the lead from the ASB start
The soft rear Dunlop of the leading Yamaha began to lose grip shortly before half of the 12 laps were done, which allowed the Kawasaki stand-in to reel him him back in. Staring made his move on lap eight with a well-planned move that saw him pull out of Parkes’s slipstream as they got to the braking zone at the end of the one kilometer straight and go cleanly past and into the lead at turn one. The Yamaha rider had no answer and Staring opened up a gap that stretched out to more than two seconds at race end.
Bryan Staring in the lead
Behind the two Australians, Zaqwan forged himself a comfortable slot in third place ahead of Ito, who was coming through strongly after passing Azlan for fourth. Then it went wrong for the Honda Asia Dream pilot, as a mistake on the last lap allowed Ito to seize third, while Zaqwan recovered to claim fourth.
Azlan finished fifth from the Yamaha Thailand pairing of Apiwat and Ratthapong Wilairot, while Ahmad Yudhistira, Chaiwichit and Farid Hisham completed the top ten.
Parkes’s second place lifted him to the top of the standings with a total of 47 points. The absent Thitipong was relegated to second with 40, while Zaqwan was on 38, Azlan on 36 and Ito on 34.
Asia Superbike 1000 – Race 2
Cool, windy conditions returned on Sunday, dropping air temperatures to 15-19 degrees, with track temperatures just a few clicks higher. After losing grip at around half distance while in the lead the day before, Broc Parkes worked with his Yamaha ASEAN Racing team to recalibrate the bike and rider for race two.
Staring grabbed an early lead from Parkes in Race 2 but it didn’t last long
Bryan Staring, whose Kawasaki Thailand ZX10RR had performed flawlessly to take the race one win, realised his Australian rival was likely to be much closer in race two and that the regular Asian riders would also be building on what they had learned the day before at The Bend.
Staring had another perfect launch from the middle of the front row to take the lead. Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon got away well to the right of the Kawasaki and slotted in behind him.
Broc Parkes claims the Race 2 win from Race 1 winner Bryan Staring
As the front of the pack shuffled itself into shape Broc Parkes moved into third and these three began to put daylight between themselves and Zaqwan Zaidi, who led a chasing group that also included the ONEXOX TKKR SAG BMW of Azlan Shah and the Yamahas of Yuki Ito and Ratthapong Wilairot. TJ Alberto and Kazuma Tsuda crashed at turn two and took no further part.
As the first half of the 12 lap race approached, Apiwat was passed by Parkes and began to slip back towards Zaqwan, who was himself under pressure from Azlan Shah and Yuki Ito. After watching the back of the black Kawasaki for a few laps, Parkes made his move and slipped into lead on lap 10. Staring stayed close, taking his turn for follow and watch. Apiwat was passed by Zaqwan, Ito and Azlan, which left the two Yamaha Thailand riders in sixth and seventh. Ito got himself through to third, leaving Azlan and Zaqwan to dispute fifth.
Stephanie Redman claimed 12th in Race 2
The game of cat and mouse at the front came to an end as Parkes and Staring began lap 11, with both riders pushing hard. Parkes lost the front twice in his efforts, as Staring kept the pressure on. The Yamaha rider pulled just enough of a gap on the last lap to put the win out of reach and crossed the line with a winning margin of almost half a second.
Ito took his second third place of the weekend, 1.4 seconds further back and eight seconds clear of Zaqwan, whose Asia Dream Racing Honda overcame the BMW of Azlan. Apiwat and Ratthapong held on for sixth and seventh. Yudhistira, Chaiwichit and Farid completed the top ten.
Broc Parkes
The 45 points collected by Broc Parkes over the two races put him on 72 points, 11 clear of Zaqwan, who now has 61. Azlan, Staring and Apiwat are on 47,46 and 44 respectively, while the injured Thitipong has slipped from first to seventh with 40 points.
Broc Parkes claimed the Race 2 win from Bryan Staring and Yuki Ito
2019 ASBK Round Three – The Bend Race Three Reports
ASBK Superbike Race Three Report
Bryan Staring and his Dunlop shod BCperformance Kawasaki ZX-10R had blitzed the field in both of the 10-lap Australian Superbike races held before the final encounter got underway at 1520 on Sunday afternoon. It seemed that due to the greater durability of his Dunlop rubber around The Bend, compared to the generally more fancied Pirelli runners, that this third race was also Staring’s to lose.
Bryan Staring’s Dunlop on the left, the Pirelli on Mike Jones’ DesmoSport Ducati on the right as pictured after race two – Image by TH
He had to come from behind then chase down his combatants in the opening bouts, the winning margin in race one on Saturday was just under five-seconds, on Sunday morning it was eight-seconds. The major battles it would seem would come in the important battles over second place.
Bryan Staring – Image by Rob Mott
Glenn Allerton had fell in the opening bout and was ruled out of the rest of the weekend while his young team-mate Ted Collins was also out of proceedings.
Wayne Maxwell had taken no points from race one after clashing with Daniel Falzon, but bounced back to the podium this morning.
Wayne Maxwell – Image by Rob Mott
Mike Jones had seemingly been the best tyre manager amongst the Pirelli runners, racing to a pair of hard fought second places in the opening two races.
Cru Halliday had again been keeping his nose clean and racking up the points, a third in race one and fourth in race two saw the YRT man still in the lead of the Australian Superbike Championship heading into Sunday’s final ten-lap bout.
Cru Halliday – Image by Rob Mott
Defending Champion Troy Herfoss suffered a clutch failure in the opening bout that left him to limp home for a couple of points and improved to sixth this morning. That is certainly way behind what Penrite Honda would have been aiming for this weekend and they would be hoping to get on the box in this final stanza to head into the mid-season break on a brighter note.
Daniel Falzon had looked very fast over the course of the whole race weekend but tyre degradation is something that they had yet to get on top of. He had fought hard to card fifth and sixth place finishes.
Daniel Falzon – Image by Rob Mott
Josh Waters had not shown any glimpses of race winning speed but he had been keeping his head down and making sure he bagged good points from every appearance.
The wildcard in the pack was young Mark Chiodo who stunned us all here yesterday by leading the majority of the opening Superbike bout. He was eventually chased down by Staring, Jones and Halliday but still kept his cool as his grip disappeared and stayed on the bike to take a great fourth place finish.
Wayne Maxwell & Mark Chiodo – image by Rob Mott
Behind Staring and Dunlop’s success story thus far this weekend, I would gauge that Chiodo was the next best good news story to come from our trek to The Bend. Would the young Victorian be able to back it up in this final bout of the weekend?
We’re away!
Wayne Maxwell again got away well ahead of Mike Jones and Arthur Sissis. Two corners later though Falzon tried to put a move on Sissis and it was the YRT man that came off second best, his YZF-R1M tumbling through the sand on the outfield while Sissis rejoined in 22nd place.
Superbike Race 3 Start – Image by Rob Mott
Mike Jones was looking aggressive on the first lap and he put a move on Wayne Maxwell halfway through the first lap which sent Maxwell quite wide. The Suzuki man was able to gather it up as Alex Phillis and Mark Chiodo gave chase. Josh Waters was in fifth place head of championship leader Cru Halliday, race one and two victor Bryan Staring, and defending champion Troy Herfoss. Matt Walters was also still on the back of that group as they started lap three.
Mike Jones in the lead from Wayne Maxwell and Alex Phillis – Image by TBG Sport
Mark Chiodo was again doing a great job early on in this race, in third place and keeping Josh Waters at bay while Alex Phillis somehow survived a massive moment but lost a number of positions while recovering.
Up front it was Jones from Maxwell but that order reversed as they started the following lap, a smooth move by Maxwell into turn one. Mark Chiodo was still in second place ahead of Waters and Halliday, while that man Bryan Staring was holding station in sixth place, biding his time…
With 6.5 laps to go Chiodo ramped it up even higher to close on Jones and Maxwell. Chiodo attempted a move on Jones but lost the rear on entry and had to stand it up, and somehow Mike Jones avoided the bucking Honda to survive. The DesmoSport Ducati man though had lost a little time from the incident and Josh Waters saw his gap and threaded his #21 Suzuki straight through it with apparent ease.
Wayne Maxwell – Image by TBG Sport
Those shenanigans had helped Wayne Maxwell, the Suzuki man had clear air while his pursuers battled amongst themselves, perhaps doing more comparative damage to their tyres in the process. Troy Herfoss was in sixth place and perhaps staying out of trouble and saving his best for last.
Half-race distance and we see Bryan Staring smooth his way past Cru Halliday. Next target Mike Jones… He did it easy…. Next target Josh Waters, again he could choose his occasion and then make a no-fuss pass. And then that green BCperformance Kawasaki machines was up to second place.
As soon as Staring clawed that 1.3-seconds back to Wayne Maxwell, he simply hooked up the rear Dunlop and blew the doors off the Suzuki, helped by Maxwell getting a little too sideways onto the main straight.
Bryan Staring – Image by Rob Mott
Staring started walking away to another relatively easy victory while Wayne Maxwell had to try and keep smooth and retain his one-second advantage over the hectic battle for third place. Those combatants Mike Jones, Cru Halliday, Josh Waters and Troy Herfoss.
With three laps to go Herfoss started his march forward. He picked off Josh Waters as he watched Halliday take third position from Mike Jones unfold in front of him. Herfoss then took fourth place from Jones with less than two laps to run. The Penrite Honda pulled away from the Ducati and set his sights on Cru Halliday, the YRT man looking around and seeing his foe behind him as they headed towards the last lap board.
Bryan Staring celebrates the win – Image by Rob Mott
Staring started that final lap with a six-second buffer over Maxwell, who in turn had a full-second over the battle for third place being waged by Halliday and Herfoss. Troy Herfoss though made a mistake in his desperation to get the better of Halliday, he somehow gathered it up and managed to stay ahead of Jones, but his podium challenge was done.
Staring completes The Bend trifecta!
Bryan Staring the victor by five-seconds despite slowing down to pull a mono down the main straight as he took the chequered flag.
Bryan Staring and the BCperformance Kawasaki team – Image by TBG Sport
Wayne Maxwell a well measured second place and similarly a great performance by Halliday to keep his nose relatively clean and take the podium after seeing off concerted charges from Josh Waters, Mike Jones and then Troy Herfoss on the final lap of the race.
The Championship!
Bryan Staring leaves South Australia with a swag of 75-points and with that result added to his points earned across the Phillip Island season opener and round two at Wakefield Park, it promotes the Western Australian into the lead of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship by a single point over Cru Halliday.
Mike Jones would have hoped for more in that final bout but he still bagged enough points to maintain his third place in the championship standings.
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Troy Herfoss never starred here at all this weekend but still managed to card good enough scores to stay firmly in the championship hunt. His tally 132-points, only 18-points adrift of championship leader Bryan Staring.
Josh Waters is steadily building his points and despite his start to the season seeming perhaps a little sullen, the Mildura star has still quietly amassed 126 championship points. That’s within a winning score of the series lead as we heading into the championship winter break.
Wayne Maxwell has two no-scores after impacts with other riders so far this season. The infamous clash with Wagner at the Phillip Island season opener, and yesterday with Daniel Falzon, but on 113-points still remains in the championship hunt.
Where to next…?
Morgan Park hosts round four in Queensland over the first weekend in July. We then head to Winton on the September 6-8 weekend before the penultimate round at Phillip Island, October 4-6. This year the championship finale will be staged at Sydney Motorsports Park over the first weekend in November.
Bryan Staring topped the Round podium from Mike Jones and Cru Halliday – Image by TBG Sport
ASBK Superbike Race Three Results
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki +4.559
Cru Halliday – Yamaha +5.903
Troy Herfoss – Honda +6.913
Mike Jones – Ducati +7.830
Josh Waters – Suzuki +8.456
Alex Phillis – Suzuki +18.926
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki +19.630
Mark Chiodo – Honda +20.351
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki +20.384
Damon Rees – Honda +22.225
Matt Walters – Kawasaki +26.323
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki +30.553
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki +41.765
David Barker – Kawasaki +55.673
Evan Byles – Kawasaki +55.889
Matthew Tooley – Yamaha +61.883
Adam Senior – Yamaha +64.168
Paul Van Der Heiden – BMW +83.771
Sash Savin – BMW +1 lap
ASBK Superbike Championship Standings
Bryan Staring 150
Cru Halliday 149
Mike Jones 140
Troy Herfoss 132
Josh Waters 126
Wayne Maxwell 113
Daniel Falzon 95
Glenn Scott 90
Matt Walters 87
Mark Chiodo 79
Aiden Wagner 71
Alex Phillis 68
Arthur Sissis 63
Damon Rees 59
Glenn Allerton 56
Australian Supersport Race Three
Tom Toparis had dominated the weekend thus far in the ranks of Australian Supersport despite the best efforts of Nic Liminton, the South Australian had not been able to sustain his pace to take the battle up to Toparis all the way to the flag. Reid Battye, Broc Pearson and Dallas Skeer had all ridden very hard too and Luke Mitchell seemed on the cusp of finding podium pace.
Nic Liminton leads Tom Toparis – Image by TBG Sport
Reid Battye took the holeshot ahead of Nic Liminton, Broc Pearson and Oli Bayliss while the championship leader kept his nose clean in fifth place. Young Kiwi starlet was also hot to trot and was right behind that leading five as they completed the opening lap.
Battye led them onto the main straight with a sizable buffer over Nic Liminton, far enough for the South Australian to have no slipstream over the first half of the straight, but the power of the new YZF-R6 showed down the kilometre long straight as Liminton easily powered past Battye before turn one to take the race lead as they started lap two.
Reid Battye – Image by TBG Sport
Next time around Battye was tucked right in the slipstream of Liminton all the way down the straight but did not have the speed to then pull out and attempt a move. Battye then made a small mistake early on that lap and lost positions to both Toparis and Pearson.
Avalon Biddle got the better of Oli Bayliss and pulled away from the 15-year-old Queenslander to join the leading group of five. Biddle immediately started to show a wheel to Pearson.
Reid Battye and Broc Pearson battle it out – Image by TBG Sport
Up front Liminton and Toparis has started their march away from the rest of the field. Both young men running in the 1m56.9s, a pace their pursuers could not match.
Broc Pearson powered past Battye down the main straight as the race broached the halfway marker and adding further insult Biddle then pushed Battye back to fifth after the Bermagui youngster out-braked himself into turn one.
Tom Toparis had taken the lead just after the halfway mark but Liminton was determined to not let him get away this time around. The young South Australian riding so hard to stay with Toparis, setting a new fastest lap of the race, a 1m56.736, but would we have any tyre left for the final lap?
Nic Liminton leads Tom Toparis – Image by Rob Mott
Battye had found his way back past Biddle and put in a determined effort to close right back on to the tail of Pearson as they started the final lap, the Suzuki man desperate to get on the podium.
Liminton was so close to putting a move on Toparis, pulling alongside through one of the faster curves but having to think better of it. Another lunge up the inside into turn 17, he kept it together, Toparis tried to switch back up the inside on exit but his rear tyre broke away violently which ruined all his drive, Toparis actually launched out of the seat and lucky to stay on the bike. Liminton the winner, and a brave and determined winner at that.
Reid Battye got the better of Pearson on that final lap to take a hard fought second podium of the weekend for Suzuki.
Tom Toparis topped the Supersport podium for the weekend, over Nic Liminton and Reid Battye – Image by TBG Sport
Australian Supersport Race Three Results
Nic Liminton – Yamaha
Tom Toparis – Yamaha +0.649
Reid Battye – Suzuki +4.658
Broc Pearson – Yamaha +5.014
Avalon Biddle – Yamaha +10.586
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha +15.304
Dallas Skeer – Suzuki +17.834
Luke Mitchell – Yamaha +18.078
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha +23.607
Zac Johnson – Yamaha +26.199
Chris Quinn – Yamaha +27.812
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki +28.111
Jack Passfield – Yamaha +34.609
Rhys Belling – Yamaha +38.010
Timothy Donnon – Suzuki +47.314
Australian Supersport Championship Standings
Tom Toparis 198
Nic Liminton 157
Broc Pearson 141
Oli Bayliss 128
Reid Battye 127
Aidan Hayes 102
Dallas Skeer 87
Rhys Belling 70
Luke Mitchell 65
Jack Passfield 61
Australian Supersport 300 Race Three
The YMI Supersport 300 category on Sunday morning had thrilled spectators with a fierce seven-lap race with a non-stop series of heart-stopping moments. The rivalry in the heat of battle was burning intensely with a thrilling battle to the wire that again saw South Australia’s Olly Simpson emerge victorious.
Hunter Ford leads Seth Crump and Olly Simpson – Image by Rob Mott
Senna Agius though has set fastest laps of the race and a new lap record while the likes of Seth Crump, Hunter Ford, Harry Khouri and Ben Baker had all shown they had race winning potential so it was far from a lay down misere for Simpson as the field had stepped up to meet him this morning.
The final fight got underway at 1437 on an overcast and cool Sunday afternoon at The Bend and it was Olly Simpson that got the best launch to lead the field down towards turn one. The field wound their way back and forward across the track as they headed to turn one and that was always going to end in tears. It did, a four-bike crash triggered by one rider going down and the others getting caught up in the melee.
Supersport Race 3 Restart – Image by Rob Mott
Tayle Relph, Senna Agius, Locky Taylor and Keegan Pickering all going off the circuit. The worst outcome looked to have been for Locky Taylor as he got caught up in the machine of Agius, being dragged along with his leg caught between the shock and the rear tyre, with his hand also seeming to get caught up somewhere in the bowels of the Yamaha YZF-R3 also. A major blow to his championship chances.
There was a delay as officials cleared the carnage and announced that the race distance would be reduced by a lap, the race distance would now be six-laps.
At the re-start Olly Simpson blitzed them off the line but it was Seth Crump that was the last of the late brakers and had the inside line to sweep into turn one first but not for long as Simpson took the lead once again. A few corners later though Crump put a brave move in under brakes to take the lead once again from Simpson, the two traded positions again a couple of turns later and then Hunter Ford gazumped them both to take the race lead late on the opening lap.
Supersport Race 3 Restart with Seth Crump in the lead – Image by Rob Mott
Early on race two though Simpson showed his racecraft once again to thread the needle up to the lead. Crump though came back at him and Harry Khouri joined the party by showing both of them a wheel as they negotiated lap two. These tussles were preventing Simpson from being able to gap the field like he did in the opening bout, it was also helping Zac Levy, Brandon Demmery and Ben Baker to stay in their tow. How their parents watch this stuff I will never know!
Hunter Ford led most of lap three before being again being passed by Simpson but Ford got the lead back as they tipped into turn one to start lap four. That duo then started to break away a little from third placed Harry Khouri and his band of demonic followers, Crump, Levy and Lytras.
Hunter Ford leads Seth Crump and Olly Simpson – Image by Rob Mott
Ford and Simpson were going gangbusters together with Ford setting a new lap record on his way to that pair pulling away from their pursuers to the tune of almost two-seconds. The fire then went out in Simpson’s machine though, seemingly some sort of engine or electrical problem leaving a visibly distraught Simpson thumping the tank of his machine as the rolled to a stop.
That left Hunter Ford alone up front to continue unfettered to the chequered flag.
The last lap though witnessed a titanic battle for the remaining steps on the rostrum. Yanni Shaw, Harry Khouri, Seth Crump, and Brandon Demmery the chief protagonists. It was Demmery though that had the edge to take second place with a new lap record on the final lap.
Harry Khouri rounded out the podium and with that the 15-year-old also took the round win.
A strong ride for Yanni Shaw to take fourth place ahead of Seth Crump, Max Stauffer, John Lytras, Ben Baker and Zac Levy that rounded out that closely packed tribe of riders in ninth place.
In the Supersport 300 class, it was Harry Khouri who took top honours from Oli Simpson and Brandon Demmery – Image by TBG Sport
The first enthralling round of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship is but a memory – a vivid one at that – and now the second round at Wakefield Park is nigh. Bracksy looks back and peers into the future of what is shaping up as a momentous weekend at the Wakefield Park circuit near Goulburn in NSW, March 22-24.
If Alvaro Bautista was akin to a cyclone engulfing the WSBK paddock at the opening round of that Championship, in the ASBK class, Aiden Wagner was an air-to-ground, below radar low level attack dropping a couple of 500lb HE incendiaries on the ASBK field at Phillip Island.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
A few weeks previously, the 25-year-old Queenslander, on his privateer Landsbridge Transport Yamaha R1 used the official ASBK test to strafe the field with armour piercing shells to let everyone know, he is back, fully fit, ravenous for success, and he doesn’t give a rat’s arse about reputations.
He certainly ruffled a few feathers at the test. By the end of race two of the ASBK Superbike season on Saturday Feb 23 they were singed beyond recognition with his scorched earth, take no prisoners policy.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
With his round one victory with Pole, two wins and a second, the snatching strap of tension has been ratcheted up a notch. Or, five.
The quality and intensity of the on-track competition easily eclipsed the demonstration put on by the lads of the World Superbike field and showed the parity between the different motorcycles in our domestic championship is very even.
The ASBK season was shaping up as a landmark year, even before Wagner bounced back in the paddock. Now he is here, look out. The anticipation going into round two is even more palpable than the season opener.
Mike Jones will stand in for Troy Bayliss at Wakefield Park – TBG Image
2019 is shaping up as the most competitive in many a year, as each season seems to increase in intensity and level of competition.
Round 1 Recap
So let’s have a recap of the opening round then a peer into the looking glass to see what this weekend has in store.
There was plenty of anticipation as the meeting got under way and Bayliss led the first session to continue his testing form, but his weekend was to soon unravel. In the afternoon qualifying session he had a monumental get off heading into turn four when he was distracted by a rider stricken on the edge of the track. The bike was basically obliterated in the cartwheeling that was reminiscent of his crash on a Ducati during the Australian Grand Prix of 2003.
Thankfully, this time he walked away to be able to relate soon after that he had cracked a finger on his left hand and the bike “was sent to heaven”.
In qualifying the prodigal son, Wagner grabbed the number one slot, one-thousandth of a second under Bayliss’s lap record, set at the final round last year. More importantly, he scored an extra championship point that goes with it to lead a Yamaha block out of the front row.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
This year the extra championship point for Pole Position at each round could be more critical than ever in deciding the champion. Remember when since Shawn Giles was pipped in a countback with Josh Brookes in 2005…
The privateer gave a bloody nose to the Yamaha Racing Team duo of Superbike returnee, Cru Halliday, and his team mate in the official Yamaha team Daniel Falzon who made up the front row.
Wagner has some very astute people in his corner with Sam Costanzo, the principal of Landbrige Transport and Landbridge Racing. Sam has a fine reputation for preparing race machines while Adrian Monti is a very astute and analytical operator who knows how to set up a race bike, and probably more importantly, the understanding to translate what a rider is talking about to bike set-up.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
Before the opening race of the year, many people were asking the annual question of how far into the opening race we’d get before some carnage would erupt. In the past couple of years the season has only reached Turn Four on the opening lap before the cauldron has boiled over. Last year it was Glenn Allerton who hightailed it out of the race as he launched himself high over the bars, nearly bringing rain and almost dragging Wayne Maxwell off his bike as he flew past him.
It is understandable as it’s over four months since the last race of 2018 and we all know the eagerness riders display and the red mist visor is also a deeper tinge than normal for the opening laps of the year. In recent years there has been a bit of drama at Turn Four.
Race 1 – Phillip Island
This year we had to wait a few laps for the first real jaw dropping moment but the opening laps of race one were absolutely manic. What we had been anticipating had been confirmed. This year will be a seven-round, street brawl.
Falzon jumped to the front off the line to lead for the opening corners but Bayliss took over heading into turn 10 and led the frantic first lap across the line from Maxwell and Falzon. After a very mediocre start, Wagner was back in seventh, just shading Waters, the octuplet separated by less than a second. It was on as they all spread across the track careering to the apex on their 200+hp machines like the charge of the Light Horse, fighting for track position.
Wagner was excellent in testing. Now we were witnessing what he could do in a race mixed up with the pack of gangsters in front of him as Wagner commenced his carving exhibition. He showed from the outset that he is not here for a free lunch and it wasn’t even lunchtime Sunday!
Wayne Maxwell leads Aiden Wagner – TBG Image
He was up to second by the end of the third lap managing to pop out in front while everyone else was having a dip at the passing game, particularly Bryan Staring on the Kawasaki BC Performance ZX-10RR as he scythed his way through on the Dunlop shod machine to be among the leading pack climbing from 10th on the grid.
Wagner took the lead on the fourth lap and held it until the final few corners as he and Bayliss, Maxwell, Halliday, Waters, and Staring keeping well in touch
The first jaw dropping moment of the year came at the start of the sixth lap. Wagner led the charge from Maxwell and Bayliss, the others not far adrift as they tipped into Doohan Corner at a head shaking, meteoric rate. Wagner had a couple of bike lengths over Maxwell with Bayliss taking a deeper, more outer line into turn one but his entry speed was a little quicker, or maybe Maxwell slowed a tad but it was j-u-s-t enough for the brake lever of TB#32 machine to touch the rear of Maxwell’s machine.
The front wheel locked, a puff of blue smoke and in a nano second, Bayliss was sliding on his arse at over 200 kays and another steed of the Desmo Sport Ducati stable went looking for directions to the Pearly Gates to join its sibling.
The crash looked innocuous enough considering the speed of his trajectory into the kitty litter. Coming to a tumbling halt after a less than elegant face plant, he sat there, legs spread and punched the ground in exasperation, jumped to his feet and wandered back to the pits.
Bayliss may have exited stage left but that didn’t halt the swashbuckling as Staring joined the fray in fifth behind Wagner, Maxwell, Halliday and Waters. Half race distance and it was on.
The sword clashing continued at every corner and while Wagner led across the line there was plenty of pushing and shoving scything, slicing and magnificent dicing many times a lap.
Less than a second separated the quintet as they commenced the final lap but back markers were looming. The snarling pack negotiated the first couple ok but Wagner was baulked by one over Lukey Heights into T10. Maxwell was his typical blue heeler self as he nipped the heels of the Queenslander.
Out of T11 Wagner jumped on the gas, the pack broke away slightly losing drive which allowed Maxwell the opportunity to storm past into the lead and take the win from Wagner, with Staring filling the last step on the podium after another determined ride from the 2010 ASBK champion to prove that he will be in the mix all year.
Wayne Maxwell was clearly emotional after winning the opening race of ASBK season 2019 at Phillip Island, a win he had not expected as he was yet to feel as though the GSX-R was ‘his bike, and was not fully comfortable after a few years on Yamaha machinery – TBG Image
Wagner demonstrated in the opening stanza he has the goods to push for not only the privateer championship but the outright. He also has his own definitive style in riding a 1000cc machine at Phillip Island, riding more Supersport lines to carry corner speed. This was most evident at Turn 4 as he hung out very wide and swept across the track for a very late apex.
High corner approach had the others seemingly second guessing as if they tried to take an inside line there was a good chance that a collision may occur. In fact, it did happen with Halliday and Wagner touching with feet off the pegs, both lucky to stay aboard such was the hit.
Wagner and Halliday tussle – Rob Mott Image
His antics reminded us in the commentary booth of a philosophy of racing that 2002 Australian Supersport Champion, Shannon Johnson, uttered to explain some of his determined moves, “A front wheel has a three-and-a-half inch rim. If there is three and a half inches of track then there is enough room for me.”
What a scene setter for the year. The first World Superbike race soon after the opening leg was somewhat of an anti-climax compared to the cut and thrust of ASBK.
ASBK Superbike Race One Results
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha +0.147
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki +0.320
Maxwell had taken first blood, and was somewhat emotional in parc ferme as the 36-year-old had not expected to take the win. After recent years on Yamaha machinery, he was still not feeling fully comfortable on the GSX-R, saying the bike did not yet feel like his. Be interesting to see just how fast he goes when he does get back to that stage with familiarity on the Suzuki!
Wayne Maxwell celebrates victory – Image Rob Mott
Bayliss injuries surface
We didn’t have to wait long for part two later the same afternoon. If the opening race was a scene setter, race two will be in the background for the rest of the season as well. The action was a carbon copy of the opening leg with a few more exclamation marks for good measure – albeit with one disappointing turn of events.
After his whoopsie of the first race Bayliss seemed fine and in his usual laconic way was circumspect with the turn of events of his two massive crashes in less than 24 hours, but ready to come out swinging.
Bayliss headed out on a hastily prepared machine, but on the sighting lap as he applied the front brake for the first time he realised that he could close the ring finger of his right hand, but couldn’t extend it. A torn tendon forced his exit from the rest of proceedings and the loss of plenty of potential points.
Race 2 – Phillip Island
Race two soon turned into a Maxwell vs Wagner vs Waters vs Halliday vs Falzon affair, with the others not far off. Falzon crashed at turn 10 losing the front which baulked those following, allowing the top four a gap over the likes of Staring, Mike Jones (K&R Hydraulics ZX-10R) and Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda who was struggling to stay in touch.
Daniel Falzon slides out of contention – TBG Image
Wagner had complete faith in his front end in his desire to poke a wheel up the inside of the opposition and managed to hold his line. After a few laps the rear was starting to walk on him but he didn’t give a toss about what the rear was doing. He was right in the mix.
It all came down to the final lap dogfight. Again.
Hundredths of a second covered the top four and so typical of Phillip Island it all came down to the final four corners: setting up over Lukey Heights, a possible dive up the inside into MG Corner, then the drag through 11 and 12 to the line.
The last five hundred metres of the second Superbike race is now etched in history, but its repercussions may reverberate throughout the year. Maxwell had managed to get in front in the final set of corners and led Wagner, Waters and Halliday as they tipped into Turn 12.
Maxwell hung it up a little higher than usual leaving a bit of vacant bitumen. Wagner saw that lonely bit of bitumen as an invitation and reacted accordingly driving through – hugging the ripple strip, with Halliday and Waters line astern.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
Kaa-boom! A clash as Wagner and Maxwell collided in the rush with Maxwell falling off the inside of the bike, cartwheeling into the track-side beach, spraying the gravel high.
Wagner kept it pinned as the carnage unfolded to take the flag from Halliday second and Waters third and a crater of destruction and controversy hot on their heels. Thankfully, Maxwell was soon on his feet and taking the long walk back to the pits from the outside of the track. Fuming.
Wayne Maxwell dusts himself off… – Image Rob Mott
Controversy
At race’s end, I descended down the stairs from the three-storey eyrie that is the commentary box in the control tower to head to park ferme to conduct the usual post race interviews. I had just emerged from the tower to pass a rapidly advancing and extremely arced-up, Phil Tainton from Team Ecstar Suzuki, who was charging up to race control to explain his point of view.
I hadn’t seen Phil like that in a long time. Hoo-ee, this has just taken the championship to another level.
There were plenty of words said from both sides and also the view of onlookers. Wagner claimed there was a gap. Maxwell claimed there wasn’t any room. Wagner was contrite and apologised to Maxwell for the incident but at the time it fell on deaf ears. Everyone else had their own opinion. Was there a gap or not?
Officials deemed it as a racing incident and no action was taken, much to the chagrin of some. Riders had different opinions with one telling me, “Tell them to stop sooking. It’s a racing incident. I’d rather be fighting for the lead and crashing than being back here where we are.” Touche!
Personally, I think it is fantastic for the intrigue and interest. It brought more international attention to the ASBK and many in the WSBK paddock were talking about it, including Jamie Whitham who thought it was fantastic. It made the opening WSBK race seem like a procession!
Whoever was right, or wrong, it brought back a statement that the great Ayton Senna said at the 1990 Australian F1 Grand Prix, “By being a racing driver you are under risk all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win. And the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory, it’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it’s possible. Sometimes you get it wrong. Sure, it’s impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I’m doing it right.”
But that philosophy didn’t work out all that well for the Brazilian legend in the end did it…
Race 3 – Phillip Island
With the third and final race of the opening round held on Sunday morning, at least we could get our collective breath back over night. Lucky because race three left us all breathless. It was the race of the weekend.
Maxwell was battered and bruised after his 200 km/h+ get off the day before but his determination wasn’t lessened by any stretch. The anticipation was palpable.
Wayne Maxwell kits up – Image Rob Mott
Arthur Sissis stormed from 15th on the grid to grab the holeshot but was soon swamped as Waters led the first lap from Wagner and Falzon – the trio covered by 0.624 sec. Jones joined the fray on the next lap and created history by not only breaking the lap record but being the first rider to dip into a sub 1:32 with a corker of a lap to record 1:31.881!
ASBK Superbike 2019 – Race Three Start – Rob Mott Image
The leading freight train was adding extra carriages as the laps went by. It became a quintet the next lap when Haliday chimed in, 0.753 sec adrift.
Josh Waters leads into turn one – Rob Mott Image
The passing moves had been stepped up especially at the frighteningly fast Hayshed where Jones was making it his corner, just like Jamie Stauffer did in the past, to dive up the inside accelerating through the apex.
Mike Jones leads Cru Halliday – Rob Mott Image
Another couple of laps and there were seven carriages but none of them remained in the same place. It was mental the amount of positional changes and at two thirds race distance, seven bikes were covered by less than a second with Wagner and Jones taking turns to lead the end of consecutive laps.
Wagner made it two victories after getting the best of Jones by 0.317 sec (the largest gap over the three races), with Halliday in third, the trio separated by just 0.394 sec. A blink of the eye behind was Falzon, Waters and a very gallant Maxwell 0.933 away in sixth.
Over the three races you wouldn’t see as much carving in a dozen pubs for a Sunday roast! Enthralling. The total winning margin for the three races was an astronomical: 0.765!
What lies ahead this weekend? There are no similarities between Phillip Island and this weekend’s round at the tight twisty bumpy and extremely demanding Wakefield Park, except they are racetracks.
This weekend extreme tension is a given. How far before the tension is too much and something snaps is anyone’s guess but I reckon something will happen in qualifying in the fist fight for the extra championship point.
Troy Herfoss testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Herfoss will no doubt start as a favourite such is his affinity with the track and he will have an added incentive of making up for what was, in his and the team’s eyes, an extremely disappointing weekend at Phillip Island – a place that has never been too kind to him.
Maxwell has done well at the the track in recent years and the pair have split wins pretty evenly. Then there is Cru Halliday. He has had some memorable moments at the track and now he is back on a Superbike after his domination of last year’s Supersport title.
Wayne Maxwell testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Don’t be surprised if he takes a victory as he is a true dark horse for this year’s title, as is his team mate, Falzon. The South Australian, who now works as a fully qualified paramedic, has a hunger for race wins and he may well bring a take-no-prisoners approach into the meeting as well
Unfortunately, Bayliss will be a non starter but that allows Mike Jones to be reunited with the Desmo Sport Ducati team as he has been drafted in to fly the flag in the absence of Troy.
Mike Jones testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Staring showed that he and the Kawasaki BC Perfomance ZX10 is not too far off the pace. The big question mark for him is whether the Dunlop tyres are up to the rigours of the 2.2km track? Could they even have a weather dependent advantage this weekend..? Saturday and Sunday are looking warm.
Bryan Staring – TBG Image
Then there are the riders with three Australian Superbike Championships in Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters. Allerton and the Next Gen Motosrports BMW team have had a challenging start to the year. Still awaiting delivery of the new HP4, they had a setback with going to Dunlops then returning to Pirelli. At the Island they were well off the mark but anyone who discounts Allerton does so at their peril.
Glenn Allerton – TBG Image
The same must be said for Waters. After the disappointment of last year, the Gixxer and Waters look to be back to their rampaging best. Plus he now has a team mate that is out to claim another title, and we all know what they say about team mates.
Josh Waters testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image
Then there is Wagner. What he brings to the table has given the championship that bit of extra mongrel and disregard for reputations that the series has been aching for.
Mike Jones and Aiden Wagner – These two will figure hghly this weekend – Rob Mott Image
After his first round blitzkrieg the opposition will be more prepared to deal with what ever firepower Wagner throws their way. The arsenal of the opposition will be well stocked to defend the attacks.
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott
Wakefield history
An interesting bit of trivia. In the past three years good mates, Maxwell and Herfoss have been the best performers at Wakefield, sharing the wins at three apiece. Herfoss has two second places to Maxwell’s one, with Herfoss’ worst result a fourth, while Maxwell has not fared quite as well overall, with an eighth and a DNF. Herfoss has also taken the last three pole positions. Herfoss’ points haul is 135 points compared to Maxwell on 108.
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Superbike Race Two
Wayne Maxwell narrowly got the better of Aiden Wagner at the final juncture of race one after the privateer had virtually led from start to finish. Troy Bayliss had been in that mix before tipping off at turn one, while Bryan Staring had got the better of Falzon, Halliday and Waters to claim the final step on the rostrum.
The riders and the teams would have all learned some lessons in that opening 12-lap bout, and then set about applying some tweaks to their machines. While the riders tweaked their own brain spaces ahead of the second of three 12-lap races that make up the opening round of ASBK 2019.
On the warm-up lap Troy Bayliss felt that the discomfort in his hand was going to make racing this bout dangerous for himself and the other riders, so he elected to park the DesmoSport Ducati for this one and watch from the sidelines. He broke a finger on his left hand on Friday, and suffered injuries to the middle finger on his right during this morning’s crash. He is booked in for surgery on Tuesday. TB and DesmoSport Ducati have put so much work in during the pre-season and will be gutted to walk away from here with no points.
Daniel Falzon again got a great launch off the line but it was Josh Waters that led the field through turn one from Troy Herfoss as they negotiated Southern Loop for the first time. At turn four Herfoss got in a little deep and lost a number of positions as Aiden Wagner moved up to second place behind Waters. Through turn 12 for the first time it was Waters, Wagner, Falzon, Maxwell, Herfoss, Jones and Halliday.
Aiden Wagner moved past Waters to take the lead as they entered turn two early on the second lap and immediately put the hammer down to try and get away from the pursuing pack. A big moment coming on to the main straight next time around though allowed Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters to slip past Wagner and make it a Suzuki 1-2 up front. Daniel Falzon was right on the tail of that trio as Cru Halliday also then joined the party to make that top five fight a very close affair.
Wagner was back in the lead on the next lap but then got in way too hot at turn four, the two Suzuki riders somewhat baulked each other mid-turn also which robbed them of their chance to take advantage of Wagner’s mistake.
Wagner made almost exactly the same mistake on the next lap, and actually came together with Cru Halliday and nearly fell off his machine, but somehow gripped it haed enough to recover. Halliday had fared worse in the clash, losing a couple of positions and valuable track position.
Daniel Falzon had been in the hunt but fell unhurt at turn ten at half race distance. At the halfway mark of the race it was Maxwell from Wagner and Waters, that trio in close company, while Halliday tried to regain the ground he lost in that brush with Wagner. Halliday had actually set the fastest lap of the race in that first half, a 1m32.669, and had been the only man to dip into the 32s, but he had work to do in order to get back in touch with the leading trio in the closing laps.
Halliday did that work though and with 2.5 laps to go got the better of Waters on the run through MG Hairpin to move up to third place and maintained that position through 11 and 12 and right through to turn one to start the penultimate lap. Nothing separated the top four, they were all in with a chance of stealing victory. Lapped traffic though, and a lot of it, baulked them late on that lap, they negotiated it safely to start the final lap with Wagner leading from Maxwell, Halliday and Waters.
Wagner had the rear of his privateer Yamaha break away though which allowed Maxwell through as they negotiated the back of the circuit.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
Wagner then went up the inside of Maxwell as they neogotiated turn 12, the pair touched, sending Maxwell tumbling through the kitty litter, and was then seen tearing off his glove and looking at his hand as he ran to the pit wall and to safety.
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott
Thus a somewhat controversial win and early championship lead goes to Aiden Wagner from Cru Halliday and Josh Waters.
