Following a great start to the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul season at Phillip Island for Round 1 alongside WorldSBK, riders then headed to Wakefield Park for test sessions prior to Round 2 which will be staged on the final weekend in March.
Wayne Maxwell swept the Superbike class at Phillip Island claiming three race wins and pole position for a perfect 76 championship points, with Cru Halliday and Josh Waters completing the top three. Meanwhile in the Supersport class it was Oli Bayliss taking home top honours with 71-points, ahead of Tom Toparis and Nic Liminton.
2019 ASBK – Round Two
Wakefield Park Sunday Part Two
Superbike Race Two
Wakefield Park staff were judging that it was likely a record crowd for a motorcycle race at the Goulburn based circuit despite the cloudy conditions that threatened rain here today.
The morning race had seen Troy Herfoss get the better of Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell in what was a farily close run affair. It was not until the very latter stages of the race that Herfoss managed to stamp his authority and pull away to take the race victory.
With Aiden Wagner out of the running due to an unfortunate incident on Friday (see separate story here), second place this morning saw Cru Halliday move into the Australian Superbike Championship points lead, with a ten-point buffer over Herfoss.
After race one Halliday was somewhat annoyed with himself over some mistakes he made during the opening stages of the race. The #65 YRT man was looking to go one better and make amends this afternoon.
Wayne Maxwell had been a strong third in that opener ahead of Daniel Falzon. The South Australian looked very strong early in race one, while Maxwell was only pipped out of second place late in the race by Halliday.
Mike Jones started poorly this morning and lost touch with the front runners. Some minor electronic tweaks for the DesmoSport Ducati 1299 Panigale R Final Edition ahead of the weekend’s final 20-lap bout.
Josh Waters would be looking for some answers after never really threatening this morning. Likewise leading Dunlop runner Bryan Staring did not have the package under him to challenge for a podium.
Adding a little more nervous anticipation was the looming threat of nearby rain as they readied for a race start…
We’re Away!
When the lights went out it was Cru Halliday that got away from the line first, but Herfoss had the inside line for turn one to take the early race lead as Halliday, Falzon, Maxwell and Jones gave chase.
Maxwell put a big move on Falzon early on lap two in order to promote himself up into third place. Maxwell then put in the fastest early lap of the race with a 57.8 as he set about challenging Halliday for second.
Mike Jones and Daniel Falzon then brushed shoulders heading towards turn one, the Ducati man pushing the #25 Yamaha back to fifth place. Jones then went on to set a 57.773 to start closing on Maxwell. Just a second covered that top five with 16 laps to run.
Further behind that leading five it was Josh Waters, the #21 with a few bike lengths over Kawasaki runners Matt Walters and Bryan Staring.
Things were tight at the top with Herfoss, Halliday, Maxwell, Jones and Falzon all circulating in the 57.6s and 57.7s. Nobody had a clear pace advantage and the rostrum looked likely to be decided by tyre longevity, and/or mistakes…
Lap after lap that top five maintained station as the race wore on. Herfoss looking tidy out front, but Halliday in second place perhaps looking even tidier.
As the race entered its second half Herfoss and Halliday started to steadily stretch away from Maxwell, Jones and Falzon.
Mike Jones made his move for third place on Maxwell with nine laps to run. Jones was now 1.6-seconds behind second placed Halliday, and 2.09-seconds behind race leader Herfoss.
Maxwell then started to come under attack from Falzon just as the red flag was produced to signal and end to proceedings with 13-laps completed. Lachlan Epis was down at turn eight and in a dangerous predicament, thus the decision to call time.
Double victory to Herfoss
A double to Penrite Honda man Troy Herfoss. The defending ASBK Champion putting himself firmly back into contention after a somewhat troublesome round one for the 32-year-old. Herfoss can often be very intense, but even with the pressure of being back here in front of his home crowd, he looked relaxed and comfortable all weekend.
Halliday the Superbike points leader
Cru Halliday looked tidy and fast all weekend. His second places today firms him up as the new Australian Superbike Championship points leader. The YRT man leading Herfoss by five-points.
Mike Jones acquitted himself very well on a ZX-10R at round one, and backed that up with an impressive weekend here at Wakefield Park on the DesmoSport Ducati to now lie third in the ASBK championship chase.
Josh Waters never threatened this weekend. A situation that will have the three-time Australian Superbike Champion searching for answers ahead of the next round at Tailem Bend. Still, he has kept it on the road instead of throwing it in the bushes, and bagged decent points from every outing thus far this season. That sees the Mildura based 32-year-old ranking fourth in the championship chase, five-points ahead of team-mate Wayne Maxwell.
While Waters could not run with that top five, fellow three-time Australian Superbike Champion Glenn Allerton struggled for even top-ten pace. He never figured in any session and seemingly did not have a competitive package under him this weekend.
ASBK next reconvenes at the Tailem Bend circuit in South Australia on the Anzac Day weekend.
Superbike Race Two Results
Troy Herfoss – Honda
Cru Halliday – Yamaha +0.367
Mike Jones – Ducati +2.043
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki +2.892
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha +3.136
Josh Waters – Suzuki +8.307
Matt Walters – Kawasaki +11.599
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki +11.742
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki +16.593
Alex Phillis – Suzuki +17.087
Glenn Allerton – BMW +17.366
Damon Rees – Honda +19.403
Mark Chiodo – Honda +26.859
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki +26.986
Sloan Frost – Suzuki +27.332
Superbike Championship Points Standings
Cru Halliday 96
Troy Herfoss 91
Mike Jones 83
Josh Waters 80
Wayne Maxwell 75
Bryan Staring 75
Aiden Wagner 71
Daniel Falzon 65
Matt Walters 56
Glenn Allerton 56
Glenn Scott 51
Alex Phillius 43
Ted Collins 41
Mark Chiodo 40
Arthur Sissis 32
Supersport Race Two
Tom Toparis had taken a clear victory in the opening Supersport race but Broc Pearson stated after the race that if he got a better start he thought he might be able to run with the championship leader here this afternoon.
Reid Battye was strong early on in the opening stanza and was again this time around. Perhaps a little too fast as he banged fairings with Toparis on the run towards turn one as the second 16-lap race got underway at 1415 this afternnon.
Toparis got the better of Battye a few turns later as the Suzuki rider already looked to be struggling for grip. Broc Pearson then joined the party though and they both dusted up Toparis!
Reid Battye led them across the start-finish line to commence lap three with Toparis and Pearson in close consort. The Suzuki man maintained that lead for that entire lap, Toparis then getting him next time around at the final turn.
Oli Bayliss had suffered a poor start and was left battling with Ty Lynch over fourth position for the first few laps but the 15-year-old managed to break away from Lynch and then put his head down to try and close the 1.5-second gap to that leading trio.
Toparis led the race as it reached the halfway mark but had failed to shake Battye and Pearson. The race pace a little slower this afternoon, no doubt due to changed track conditions. It took until the second half of the race for the leading riders to dip under the one-minute mark, and it was Toparis that now had the hammer down to start pulling away from his pursuers.
With six laps to run Broc Pearson got the better of Reid Battye to move up to second place and immediately started to pull away from the young Suzuki man. Battye knew he had nothing left to challenge with, his tyres done, Battye started looking over his shoulder to see how far back Oli Bayliss was and just how much he could button off while keeping that third place safe to the flag.
Broc Pearson tried his best to chase down Toparis but the local teenager had his measure, taking victory by 1.2-seconds as he cruised to the flag.
Reid Battye on the podium. The Bermagui youngster very fast and spectacular in the early stages but looked to be struggling for grip late in the race once again.
Supersport Race Two Results
Tom Toparis – Yamaha
Broc Pearson – Yamaha +1.233
Reid Battye – Suzuki +6.751
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha +10.688
Nic Liminton – Yamaha +15.640
Ty Lynch – Yamaha +16.229
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha +16.812
Dallas Skeer – Suzuki +33.609
Supersport Championship Points
Tom Toparis 127
Nic Liminton 92
Broc Pearson 89
Oli Bayliss 87
Reid Battye 74
Aidan Hayes 73
Ty Lynch 58
Callum Spriggs 49
Rhys Belling 47
Jack Passfield 45
Supersport 300 Race Three
Max Stauffer, John Lytras and Ben Baker again quickly proved their credentials as Supersport 300 Championship challengers as they quickly broke away from the field yet again as the final 10-lap Supersport 300 race got underway on Sunday afternoon at Wakefield Park.
Zac Levy, Locky Taylor and Hunter Ford were left to chase that trio and fight their own heady battle for fourth.
Lapped traffic baulked the leaders at the final turn which made threw the tactical game out the window and made it somewhat a luck of the draw. It was John Lytras who had his numbers come up to take the victory by a nose ahead of Max Stauffer and Ben Baker.
Supersport 300 Race Three Results
John Lytras – Yamaha
Max Stauffer – Yamaha +0.066
Ben Baker – Yamaha +0.261
Hunter Ford – Yamaha +3.983
Locky Taylor – Yamaha +5.409
Senna Agius – 400 Kawasaki +8.315
Harry Khouri – Yamaha +9.930
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha +10.762
Travis Hall – Yamaha +11.898
Seth Crump – KTM +11.953
Zac Levy – Yamaha +12.880
Yanni Shaw – 400 Kawasaki +13.970
Kyle O’Connell – Yamaha +25.192
Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha +25.218
Luke Johnston – Yamaha +25.267
YMI Supersport 300 Championship Points
Max Stauffer 138
John Lytras 99
Senna Agius 95
Harry Khouri 91
Ben Baker 82
Seth Crump 77
Locky Taylor 76
Zac Levy 65
Travis Hall 64
Yanni Shaw 64
Luke Power 55
Hunter Ford 48
Callum O’Brien 45
Dylan Whiteside 39
Mitch Kuhne 37
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Three
The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup features a field of ambitious young riders looking to become the first to claim an Oceania Junior Cup round, and make an initial claim for one of the five positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event, and a potential place in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
All riders are on a control spec’ Yamaha YZF-R15, and are serviced and transported between the rounds by Yamaha Australia. Before each round all the bikes are run on the dyno to ensure parity, a proper controlled category.
Staking that first claim on Saturday afternoon was 11-year-old Carter Thompson, the first ever race winner in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup when the inaugural six-lap bout was contested on Saturday afternoon. He then backed it up on Sunday morning with another victory over Cros Francis.
Come Sunday afternoon’s race three it was again this pair that quickly started to pull away from their pursuers. As the race progressed though Jacob Roulstone put himself into contention for the win but it was Carter Thompson that completed the trifecta. Roulstone second and Francis third.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Three Results
Carter Thompson
Jacob Roulstone +0.383
Cros Francis +0.458
Angus Grenfell +2.376
Tom Drane +11.052
Marianos Nikolis +11.071
Max Gibbons +11.330
Cormac Buchanan +11.547
Jacob Hatch +11.889
Jai Russo +11.982
Lucas Quinn +13.273
Reece Oughtred +13.329
Archie McDonald +14.654
Zak Pettendy +19.570
Hunter Diplock 24.683
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Championship Points
Carter Thompson 75
Cros Francis 56
Angus Grenfell 50
Jacob Roulstone 48
Marianos Nikolis 48
Tom Drane 46
Reece Oughtred 34
Cormac Buchana 33
Zak Pettendy 31
Jai Russo 29
YMF R3 Cup Race Three
Max Stauffer was on fire all weekend and that form contined when the final eight-lap YMF R3 Cup bout got underway at 1545 this afternoon at Wakefield Park. His chief fellow combatants John Lytras and Ben Baker keeping him close company once again.
That trio fought it all the way to the line and this time around it was Lytras who took the victory this time around ahead of Stauffer and Baker.
Locky Taylot in fourth place did not quite have the speed to challenge that trio.
2019 ASBK – Round Two
Wakefield Park Saturday Wrap
Australian Superbike qualifying has a new look for season 2019. A MotoGP style Saturday morning ‘Timed Practice’, ahead of a split qualifying session in the late afternoon. With 24 Superbike entries this weekend that meant that the fastest nine in the 35-minute Saturday morning session go straight through to ‘Q2’, while the slowest half of the grid fight it out first in Q1. With both of those sessions limited to only 15-minutes. Friday times have no bearing on today’s proceedings.
Mike Jones and the ASBK Superbike field head out of pit-lane – Image by Rob Mott
Troy Herfoss had been quickest on Friday with a 57.455 and the reigning champion did not join the circuit on Saturday until more than halfway through the 35-minute ‘Timed Practice’ session. His first flying lap at full pelt though was good enough to rocket past his competitors and top the timesheets, a 57.444. Herfoss then returned to the pits, his spot in Q2 almost certainly assured.
Troy Herfoss – Image by Rob Mott
Cru Halliday also left it until late in the session to secure his spot in Q2, second quickest on 57.602 ahead of Mike Jones, who is standing in for Troy Bayliss this weekend on the DesmoSport Ducati, and put in a 57.647.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Daniel Falzon was fourth quickest ahead of Ecstar Suzuki duo Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters.
Daniel Falzon – TBG Image
Aiden Wagner had a major tumble yesterday and is battling back up to full speed, a 58.320s his best after putting in an incredible 25-laps during the Saturday morning session. Wagner had been baulked by a number of riders that were let out of pit-lane in front of him on Friday, something that should not have happened, and was apologised for by M.A. officials. Wagner was left with one almost completely destroyed YZF-R1 as a result, a hefty blow to his privateer team finances. Wagner himself is also a bit battered and bruised but his injuries should hopefully not hold him back tomorrow as he sets out to defend his championship lead.
Aiden Wagner – TBG Image
Bryan Staring was the fastest Kawasaki, and leading Dunlop runner, in P8, ahead of Glenn Allerton. The BMW man the final rider to automatically garner a spot in Q2. New Zealand’s Damon Rees rounded out the Saturday morning ‘Timed Practice’ top ten.
Matt Walters – Image by Rob Mott
Those from P10 back, would start the Q1 session, from which the top three then have the option of also joining the Q2 session. However, no extra tyres are allocated for these riders. Thus unless they had found a lot of speed in that session, they might be unlikely to put wear on their tyres, at the risk of questionable gains when put in the Q2 mix with the fastest nine.
Saturday Superbike Timed Practice Results
Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.444
Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.602
Mike Jones – Ducati 57.647
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.666
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.812
Josh Waters – Suzuki 58.091
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 58.320
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.386
Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.444
Damon Rees – Honda 58.665
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.716
Alex Phillis – Suzuki 58.729
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.916
Mark Chiodo – Honda 59.013
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 59.057
Ted Collins – BMW 59.301
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.346
Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.415
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 60.004
Phil Czaj – Aprilia 60.728
Will Davidson – Yamaha 61.194
Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.740
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 61.885
Paul Van Her Heiden – BMW 62.860
Superbike Qualifying
The Q2 session for the slower half of the Superbike field got underway on schedule at 1445 as rain still threatened, but somehow managed to just keep slipping past Wakefield Park Raceway. The track temperature though had dropped a few degrees, down to 31-degrees celsius for the qualifying sessions. Many teams also had a wet-bike ready to roll, just in case the heavens did open at an inopportune time.
Mark Chiodo – TBG Image
Mark Chiodo was keen to make progress, a 58.796 immediately lowering his own marker from this morning and the quickest time set by the group of 15-riders taking part in Q1. That was until the half-way point of the 15-minute session, when Glenn Scott dropped in a 58.744 to push Chiodo back to P2.
Alex Phillis – Image by Rob Mott
Alex Phillis then gazumped them both with a 58.658, only for a matter of seconds though before New Zealander Damon Rees shot to the top with a 58.443s. Phillis then bettered him on the next lap to go back on top with a 58.386.
Matt Walters went out with a new rear bag and shot to the top with a 58.279. That time stood to the flag to make it a Walters, Phillis, Rees top three. That trio earning the right, should they choose, to join the fastest nine riders from this morning in another 15-minute session, Q2, after a 15-minute break.
The rain somehow managed to stay just outside the circuit when the timers started on the final 15-minute Q2 session that would decide the grid for Sunday’s 2 x 20-lap races.
Mike Jones was the first rider out of pit-lane and set a 57.910 on his first flying lap, then backed it up with a 57.865, followed by a 57.638.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Daniel Falzon had been in second place behind Jones for almost the entire first half of that session, before the South Australian ran off the circuit. He eventually rejoined the circuit and continued to circulate, without returning to pit-lane, getting straight back down to business.
Daniel Falzon – Image by Rob Mott
With six-minutes remaining Troy Herfoss, Cru Halliday and Wayne Maxwell exited pit-lane for their final time attack. Provisional pole-sitter Mike Jones had also been in the pits, but re-joined the circuit with less than five-minutes to run.
Wayne Maxwell – Image by Rob Mott
It was on!
Cru Halliday dropped in a 57.138, followed by Maxwell on 57.190. That 57.138 by Halliday a new fastest ever motorcycle lap of the Wakefield Park Raceway. Herfoss dropped in a 57.429 to move up to P3, demoting Jones to P4. The reigning champion then improved further to 57.223, but remained P3.
Pole position to Cru Halliday!
Cru Halliday will start from pole position when the opening 20-lap Superbike race gets underway at 1140. Halliday also scores a championship point for that pole position which moves him onto 56-points, strengthening his second place in the championship standings behind series leader Aiden Wagner on 71-points.
Superbike Qualifying Results / Grid
Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.138
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.190
Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.223
Mike Jones – Ducati 57.638
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.698
Josh Waters – Suzuki 57.805
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 57.904
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.009
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.226
Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.260
Alex Phillis- Suzuki 58.386
Damon Rees – Honda 58.443
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.564
Mark Chiodo – Honda 58.796
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 58.864
Ted Collins – BMW 59.100
Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.155
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.282
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 59.775
Phil Czaj – Aprilia 60.339
Will Davidson – Yamaha 60.780
Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.544
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 62.263
Paul Van Der Heiden – BMW 62.385
Supersport 600
Oli Bayliss wrecked one of his Cube Racing YZF-R6 machines in morning qualifying. Along with Reid Battye, and Broc Pearson, Oli had found some more speed this morning, and were all pressing hard to try and close the gap to Supersport benchmark setter Tom Toparis. That trio still needed to find another half-a-second to get on terms with Toparis, but in Q1 they had managed to close the gap to half of what it was on Friday.
The Cube Racing crew were left with some work to do after Oli lost the front at turn nine in Q1.
The second 25-minute qualifying session got underway just after 1330, as rain loomed on the horizon. Riders had complained of a dirty track after QP1, due to dirt washed across the circuit during the heavy rain of Friday afternoon. It should have cleaned up a little after the other sessions had been on track. With the threat of rain hanging over their heads, competitors were eager to see if conditions had improved.
Tom Toparis – Image by Rob Mott
Tom Toparis dropped in a 59.638 to lower his morning marker. That time still a lot slower than those has recorded during testing here in the lead up to this round, but as good as he could manage on a track that was not offering up all that much grip.
Broc Pearson – TBG Image
Broc Pearson then went second quickest with 15-minutes remaining in the session. A 60.049 displacing Reid Battye out of that second spot.
Toparis then went out again and dropped in 59.399, further stretching away from his competitors. Broc Pearson then became the only other rider to record a sub-minute lap, a 59.882 to the young Queenslander. Toparis though kept banging in lap after lap in the mid 59s, underlining his race pace advantage over his competitors.
Tom Toparis – Image by Rob Mott
Supersport Qualifying Results
Tom Toparis – Yamaha 59.399
Broc Pearson – Yamaha 59.882
Reid Battye – Suzuki 60.130
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 60.188
Nic Liminton – Yamaha 60.477
Ty Lynch – Yamaha 60.824
Rhys Belling – Yamaha 61.070
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 61.110
Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 61.212
Chris Quinn – Yamaha 61.443
Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 61.506
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 61.684
Jack Passfield – Yamaha 61.717
John Quinn – Triumph 62.827
Supersport 300
Qualifying was extra important for the YMI Supersport 300 category today. The short Wakefield Park circuit only has 34 grid spots allocated, yet there were 38 entries for the category, meaning that the slowest four would miss the cut and not get to race.
After recently turning 15, Max Stauffer is really starting to come of age. A race win late last season, followed by two race wins and the round win at the Phillip Island season opener last month, and today young Max set the fastest ever Supersport 300 lap of Wakefield Park to claim pole position.
Max Stauffer with dad Jamie, one of Australia’s most successful domestic road racers with two Australian Superbike Championships to his name, along with an Australian Supersport Championship – TDJ Image
Supersport 300 Qualifying Results
Max Stauffer – Yamaha 65.536
Ben Baker – Yamaha 66.114
Zac Levy – Yamaha 66.144
John Lytras – Yamaha 66.195
Locky Taylor – Yamaha 66.211
Hunter Ford – Yamaha 66.217
Travis Hall – Yamaha 66.285
Harry Khouri – Yamaha 66.405
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha 66.435
Yanni Shaw – 400 Kawasaki 66.475
Supersport 300 Race One
Underlining the popularity of the Supersport 300 category was the number of 600 Supersport competitors, and majority of the ASBK Superbike competitors, all lining the pit-wall to watch the start of the opening ten-lap race of the weekend.
Max Stauffer capitalised on his pole position to get away to an early break over Baker, Levy, Taylor, Lytras and Khouri. Harry Khouri was in fact the first one to break last year’s race lap record for the category, a 66.562. Only to bested on the next lap by Ben Baker who lowered the benchmark to 66.029 to catch and overhaul Max Stauffer.
Zac Levy then pulled a big out-braking move on Stauffer to push the championship leader back to third place. Stauffer got him back quickly, as a seven-rider freight train of junior two-wheel psychopaths commenced battle good and proper.
John Lytras then lowered the lap record to 65.974, pushing himself up to third place as Max Stauffer took the battle for the lead back up to Ben Baker. Lytras though had other ideas, pushing past Stauffer to take second place.
Two laps later Lytras then stole the lead from Baker as they approached the last lap board. Baker got him right back, Stauffer was still right in that mix too.
Max Stauffer wins the Supersport 300 opener by a nose – TBG Image
The Kurri Kurri youngster got the tactical advantage though on the run out of the final turns to put in his fastest lap on that final circuit. Stauffer taking victory by a nose over Baker, while Lytras rounded out the podium.
Supersport 300 Race One Results
Max Stauffer – Yamaha
Ben Baker – Yamaha +0.069
John Lytras – Yamaha +0.208 – TBG Image
Supersport 300 Race One Results
Max Stauffer – Yamaha
Ben Baker – Yamaha +0.069
John Lytras – Yamaha +0.208
Zac Levy – Yamaha +1.090
Locky Taylor – Yamaha +1.594
Harry Khouri – Yamaha +1.940
Travis Hall – Yamaha +1.975
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha +10.012
Senna Agius – 400 Kawasaki +10.022
Tristan Adamson – Yamaha +14.975
Seth Crump – KTM +15.631
Supersport 300 Race One Results
Max Stauffer – Yamaha
Ben Baker – Yamaha +0.069
John Lytras – Yamaha +0.208 – – TBG Image
YMF R3 Cup Qualifying Results
Max Stauffer 65.555
Ben Baker 65.664
John Lytras 65.791
Locky Taylor 66.089
Zac levy 66.168
Hunter Ford 66.230
Harry Khouri 66.583
Brandon Demmery 66.598
Travis Hall 66.633
Kyle O’Connell 67.255
YMF R3 Cup Race One
Max Stauffer had taken pole position in the YMF R3 Cup category and started with Ben Baker and John Lytras alongside him on the front row. That trio had also finished in that order in the opening Supersport 300 race earlier in the day.
In this bout though Ben Baker managed to loft the front off the line and clashed with Max Stauffer but the two youngsters stayed upright to lead the field through turn one for the first time as Lytras, Levy, Taylor and Ford gave chase.
After reviewing the start-line footage though the officials handed Ben Baker a 10-second jump-start time penalty. That 10-seconds to be added to his final race time, despite him tussling for the lead on track with Lytras and Stauffer.
Locky Taylor, Hunter Ford and Harry Khouri also still had their hat in the ring for a possible podium as the race broached the halfway stage of its eight-lap distance.
Max Stauffer though had the smarts on his competitors to do it once again and took victory by five-hundredths-of-a-second over Ben Baker with John Lytras rounding out the podium ahead of Hunter Ford. Once that ten-second penalty was applied though Hunter Ford moved forward place to take up a step on the rostrum, as Baker was demoted to ninth place.
YMF R3 Cup Race One Results
Max Stauffer
John Lytras +0.052
Hunter Ford +0.588
Locky Taylor +0.713
Harry Khouri +1.083
Zac Levy +1.0337
Travis Hall +1.494
Brandon Demmery +4.379
Ben Baker +10.050 (10-second penalty)
Luke Johnston +13.142
Mitch Kuhne +15.455
Zylas Bunting +15.506
Tristan Adamson +17.693
Jacob Roulstone +19.116
Reece Oughtred +29.815
Keegan Pickering +34.197
John Blenkin +38.096
Ryan Smith +39.582
Kyle O’Connell +39.617
Kristian Agostini +46.310
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
The 2019 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup is bursting into life for the first time ever at Wakefield Park this weekend in what is the opening round for the new junior Road Race academy.
All riders are on a control spec’ Yamaha YZF-R15, and are serviced and transported between the rounds by Yamaha Australia. Before each round all the bikes are run on the dyno to ensure parity, a proper controlled category.
The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup features a field of ambitious young riders looking to become the first to claim an Oceania Junior Cup round, and make an initial claim for one of the five positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event, and a potential place in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
Staking that first claim today was Cros Francis when he topped the opening qualifying session by over half-a-second from Carter Thompson and Glenn Nelson.
Rain was threatening on the horizon as the riders exited pit-lane for the final 15-minute qualifying session at 1405 on Saturday afternoon. Late in that Q2 session pacesetter Cros Francis went down at turn two but was up and okay.
Few riders managed to improve on their morning markers. The only riders in the top ten to impove their standings was Angus Grenfell who moved up to P5, and Max Gibbons who moved up to P7. Thus Cros Francis takes the inaugural bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup pole position.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Qualifying Results
Cros Francis 75.747
Carter Thompson 76.378
Glenn Nelson 76.521
Jacob Roulstone 76.836
Angus Grenfell 77.037
Lucas Quinn 77.247
Max Gibbons 77.424
Marianos Nikolis 77.444
Tom Drane 77.739
Jacob Hatch 77.992
Reece Oughtred 78.095
Archie McDonald 78.244
Zak Pettendy 78.308
Cormac Buchanan 78.312
Jai Russo 78.715
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One
No sooner were they underway than we had a red flag situation with after Max Gibbons went down at turn two, and was in an unsafe position.
We were quickly underway again with Jacob Roulstone and Glenn Nelson the early pacesetters throughout the opening lap.
Carter Thompson then took the lead on lap three as Roulstone, Nelson, pole-sitter Cros Francis, and Angus Grenfell gave chase. Nelson the fastest youngster on lap three, a 66.542. Marianos Nikolis though bettered that benchmark on the penultimate lap with a 66.094 to move up to fifth place.
11-year-old Carter Thompson the first ever race winner in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race One Results
Carter Thompson
Glenn Nelson +0.079
Cros Francis +0.159
Jacob Roulstone +0.226
Marianos Nikolis +0.453
Angus Grenfell +0.729
Tom Drane +4.927
Cormac Buchanan +11.541
Jai Russo +11.819
Zac Pettendy +12.102
Reece Oughtred +12.356
Archie McDonald +13.086
Lincoln Knight +24.885
Tom Connors +32.287
Hunter Diplock +36.152
Jamie Port +36.840
Varis Fleming +36.884
Alex Kenworthy-Jones +38.006
Patrick Bognar +38.061
Dominic Fletcher +38.144
Toby James +59.573
Sidecars Race One
Three-wheelers make up part of the ASBK action this weekend in Goulburn with the Horsell Consulting backed sidecar category making their first appearance for the year.
The Suzuki powered LCR outfit of Howard Ford and Lee Menzies started the opening eight-lap bout from pole position but it was Western Australians Jero Joyce and Corey Blackman tussling it out up front with the Corey/Danyon Turner outfit when the opening race got underway just after midday.
As the race wore on the WA duo eventually managed to break clear from the pack and score a 1.5-second victory. The Turners just managed to stave off a late race attach from Steve Bayliss and Aaron Wilson to claim second.
Sidecars Race One Results
Joyce/Blackman
Turner/Turner +1.525
Bayliss/Wilson +1.853
Ford/Menzies +5.993
Brown/Sheldrick +18.564
Clancy/Dawson +19.702
Alton/Clancy +21.628
Edis/Schluter +21.905
Reynolds/Warne +38.532
Underwood/Ford +39.309
Sidecars Race Two
Corey and Danyon Turner won the second Sidecar bout but Joyce and Blackman set a new lap record on their way to second place, a 65.336.
The YRT pairing of Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday topped FP1 at Wakefield Park in dry and warming conditions under a cloudy sky. A gnat’s whisker separated the pair at the top, a 58.075 to Falzon and 58.093 for Halliday. Next best in the opening session was Mike Jones on the DesmoSport Ducati, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss. Maxwell and Herfoss were P4 and P5 respectively.
YRT had tested here privately in the lead up to this round, electing not to join the rest of the field during the official ASBK Test here earlier this month. At that test it was Wayne Maxwell atop the timesheets with a 57.659, heading Herfoss’ 57.728. But talk was that Mike Jones had actually gone a couple of tenths quicker again, but did not have a transponder fitted to net an official time.
Aiden Wagner suffered a hefty tumble in FP1 here this morning, knocking himself and his machine around quite heavily. Wagner was P6 in the opening session ahead of Bryan Staring, Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters while Matt Walters rounded out the FP1 Top Ten.
Aiden Wagner – TBG Image
FP2 got underway at 1340 this afternoon and just as riders were really start to get down to business, a red flag put a temporary halt to proceedings. Sash Savin had gone down at turn two on his BMW and needed to be moved to safer ground.
Sash Savin – Image Rob Mott
Cru Halliday was the first rider to dip into the 57s when the action got underway again just before 1400. A 57.916 to Halliday, who this year makes his return to Superbike after dominating the 600 Supersport category last year for YRT. Shortly after his team-mate joined him in that bracket, a 57.919 to Falzon, making it a YRT 1-2 at the top with 14-minutes remaining in the 30-minute Superbike FP2 session.
Falzon then upped the game further, the young South Australian dropping in a 57.757 to top the charts.
Herfoss then put in a 57.846 to go P2, splitting the YRT men. A couple of minutes later Herfoss then shot to the top with a 57.455. Maxwell then went P2 with a 57.754, pushing the YRT duo back to P3 and P4.
A red flag then came out just as the session was coming to a close. Ted Collins crashed coming out of the last turn and pitched his BMW over the pit wall! The young Queenslander walked away fine, but it was one very spectacular and unprecedented accident…
Wayne Hepburn – NextGen BMW
“Ted was on a really good lap. We had our own sector splits, which he was about to drop a second and a half off his previous lap time. He simply asked too much of the bike on the exit of the last turn, which he admitted to. This resulted in Ted having a big highside. The Maxima BMW S 1000RR went over the fence, which was pretty spectacular. Thankfully, Ted was able to walk away from it uninjured which is the main thing. Unfortunately, this is motorcycle racing and these things happen. As I said, Ted is fine. The team has a bit of work to do to get him going again. I don’t believe we will get him going for the final session this afternoon, but we’ll have him right for tomorrow. Ted was doing everything which he was asked to do. However, he just got a little bit enthusiastic.”
Ted Collins machine ended up over the wall and in pit-lane! – Image Russ Colvin
The fastest recorded motorcycle lap time around Wakefield Park was a 57.182 set by Maxwell last year, will we see that beaten later this afternoon…? We thought that might be eclipsed later this afternoon in FP3 but then came the thunder and lightning! A massive downpour soaked the circuit shortly after 1500, and we would see no further quick times set today.
Teams scrambled to get the gear away from the cavalcade of water, and their power cables etc. to dry ground as the drains at the circuit failed to cope with the downpour
ASBK Superbike Friday Combined Times
Troy Herfoss – Honda 57.455
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 57.754
Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 57.757
Cru Halliday – Yamaha 57.916
Mike Jones – Ducati 58.116
Josh Waters – Suzuki 58.193
Alex Phillis – Suzuki 58.676
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 58.677 (FP1)
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 58.699
Damon Rees – Honda 58.760
Matt Walters – Kawasaki 58.839
Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 58.889
Glenn Allerton – BMW 58.916
Ted Collins – BMW 59.417
Sloan Frost – Suzuki 59.425
Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 59.432
Mark Chiodo – Honda 59.435
Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 59.807
Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 60.455
Phil Czaj – Aprilia 61.079
Will Davidson – Yamaha 61.509
Michael Edwards – Yamaha 61.734
Hamish McMurray – Kawasaki 62.640
Paul Van der Heiden – BMW 63.360
Sash Savin – BMW 63.752
Supersport 600
Local Goulburn lad Tom Toparis dominated the season opener at Phillip Island, and was obviously be out to do the same this weekend in front of his home crowd.
There were a few young fellas out to try and stop that happening though. Oli Bayliss and Nic Liminton both on the early pace, a 61.238 to Toparis versus a 61.529 to Bayliss. Those times were expected to tumble in FP2 though, and that they did. Only a few minutes into FP2 though Nic Liminton stopped on track with a mechanical failure and the session was red flagged to check for any oil on the track. Oil was duly found and we had quite a delay while the track was cleaned. Liminton took no further part in FP2.
When action recommenced it was Oli Bayliss setting the pace. At 15-years-old, Oli is making fast progress and the team have been working very hard in the lead-up to this first year in Supersport to give him the opportunity to shine, and it is a chance he is grabbing with both hands. His level of commitment, as can be seen in this great shot by Rob Mott, can certainly never be questioned.
Oli Bayliss using all the track this morning at Wakefield Park – Image by Rob Mott
Times quickly started to drop further, Toparis the first man to dip under the magic minute mark, a 59.507 with ten minutes to go, a clear declaration of his intentions to dominate on home turf. And, it must be said, he does look in almost untouchable form. For the best of the rest to challenge him, they either need to make a significant step up, or Toparis needs to put a foot wrong.
The Supersport lap record was set here last year by Cru Halliday at 59.050s, will Toparis best it this weekend…?
Supersport 600 Friday Combined Times
Tom Toparis – Yamaha 59.507
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 60.471
Broc Pearson – Yamaha 60.565
Reid Battye – Suzuyki 60.635
Ty Lynch – Yamaha 61.060
Nic Liminton – Yamaha 61.666 (FP1)
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 61.675
Rhys Belling – Yamaha 61.736
Chris Quinn – Yamaha 62.039 (FP1)
Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 62.157
Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 62.184
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 62.756
Jack Passfield – Yamaha 62.848
John Quinn – Triumph 64.501
Supersport 300
In the Supersport 300 ranks it was Max Stauffer setting the pace from Harry Khouri, both riders under the existing lap record.
Brandon Demmery returns to racing this weekend after that horrifying crash in the MotoGP support events at Phillip Island in 2017. Those injuries included a double compound fracture of the Tibia and Fibia, a compound fracture of the Femur, numerous break in his Pelvis, a broken right wrist, a torn bladder and an incredible amount of bruising. He was ninth in FP2 this morning at Wakefield Park and ended the day 11th on combined times.
Supersport 300 – Friday Combined Times
Max Stauffer – Yamaha 66.306
Harry Khouri – Yamaha 66.478
Ben Baker – Yamaha 66.572
Zac Levy – Yamaha 66.677
Travis Hall – Yamaha 66.828
Hunter Ford – Yamaha 66.834
Locky Taylor – Yamaha 66.844
John Lytras – Yamaha 66.916
Laura Brown – Yamaha 67.021
Senna Agius – Kawasaki 400 67.110
Brandon Demmery – Yamaha 67.313
Yanni Shaw – Kawasaki 400 67.460
Seth Crump – KTM 67.602
Kyle O’Connell – Yamaha 67.626
Luke Johnston – Yamaha 67.684
Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha 67.746
Zylas Bunting – Yamaha 67.887
Tristan Adamson – Yamaha 68.090
Callum O’Brien – Kawasaki 68.345
Bronson Pickett – Yamaha 68.927
Sidecars
Three-wheelers join the ASBK action this weekend in Goulburn with the Horsell Consulting backed sidecar category making their first appearance for the year.
The LCR outfit of Steven Bayliss and Aaron Wilson were the pacesetters today with a 67.243. The lap record for the category here at Wakefield Park is 65.309, and is expected to fall this weekend.
Sidecar Friday Combined Times
Bayliss/Wilson 67.243
Ford/Menzies 68.211
Joyce/Blackman 68.431
Collins/DeAngelis 68.831
Alton/Clancy 69.346
Clancy/Bonney 69.655
Edis/Schluter 71.766
Clancy/Dawson 72.035
Underwood/Ford 72.313
Turner/Turner 73.920
Judd/Spanknebel 74.932
YMF R3 Cup Friday Combined Practice Times
Stauffer 66.208
Lytras 66.368
Baker 66.762
Hall 66.829
Taylor 66.932
Brown 67.212
Khouri 67.263
O’Connell 67.338
Ford 67.339
Johnston 67.832
Demmery 67.849
Kuhne 68.042
Levy 68.098
Bunting 68.111
Adamson 68.305
Pickett 68.723
Oughtred 68.754
Roulstone 69.726
Smith 69.996
Agostini 70.217
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
The 2019 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup roared into life for the first time ever at Wakefield Park today for the opening round of the new junior Road Race academy.
The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup features a field of ambitious young riders looking to become the first to claim an Oceania Junior Cup round, and make an initial claim for one of the five positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event, and a potential place in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
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.
