Round One – Phillip Island
ASBK Superbike competitors started getting down to business this afternoon at Phillip Island with a 30-minute opening practice session ahead of this weekend’s season opener. Competitors will be out on track again Friday morning for a shorter 15-minute FP2 session before a 15-minute qualifying session at 1355.
The opening Kawasaki sponsored ASBK Superbike race of season 2019 is slated to get underway at 1130 on Saturday morning with the second 12-lap bout scheduled for 1615 Saturday afternoon, immediately after the opening 22-lap World Superbike race.
The third 12-lapper will get underway after the World Superbike and Supersport warm-up sessions on Sunday morning at 1030.
Aiden Wagner was the first man in to the 1m32s this afternoon with a 1m32.873 but Troy Bayliss then went and dropped in a 1m32.478 with only a few minutes remaining in the session.
A scorching time to the three-time World Superbike Champion who this weekend continues on the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition, as the DesmoSport Ducati squad have yet to find the time to adapt the new V4 R into a competitive package over a race distance, thus have instead elected to stick with what they know for the season opener.
The current ASBK Superbike pole record stands at 1m32.274 and was set by Wayne Maxwell on a Suzuki in 2013. The current race lap record also belongs to Maxwell, when he was on a Honda in 2009 he set a 1m32.316 to set the race lap benchmark around the circuit. Today Maxwell was third quickest on 1m33.098 and was closely followed by his Suzuki teammate Josh Waters on 1m33.131.
Cru Halliday was the quickest of the YRT duo on 1m33.360 ahead of Falzon on 1m33.587 while the quickest Kawasaki punter today was Mike Jones. The Queenslander just managed to pip Bryan Staring out of seventh by a whisker.
Glenn Allerton was ninth quickest today ahead of defending champion Troy Herfoss, the Honda man putting in the least amount of laps of any rider during the session.
ASBK Superbike FP1 Times
- Troy Bayliss – Ducati 1m32.478
- Aiden Wagner – Yamaha 1m32.783
- Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 1m33.098
- Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m33.131
- Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m33.360
- Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m33.587
- Mike Jones – Kawasaki 1m33.982
- Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m33.986
- Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m34.137
- Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m34.491
- Ted Collins – BMW 1m35.075
- Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m35.159
- Mark Chiodo – Honda 1m35.404
- Max Croker – Suzuki 1m35.519
- Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m35.712
ASBK Supersport FP1 Times
- Nic Liminton – Yamaha 1m37.411
- Callum Spriggs – Yamaha 1m37.844
- Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 1m37.921
- Reid Battye – Suzuki 1m38.362
- Ty Lynch – Yamaha 1m38.659
- Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 1m38.727
- Broc Pearson – Yamaha 1m38.945
- Sam Lambert – MV Agusta 1m39.262
- Jack Passfield – Yamaha 1m40.043
- Luke Mitchell – Yamaha 1m40.593
- Scott Nicholson – Suzuki 1m40.620
- Chris Quinn – Yamaha 1m40.789
- John Quinn – Triumph 1m40.795
- Dylan Whiteside – Yamaha 1m40.948
- Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 1m41.020
- Rhys Belling – Yamaha 1m41.091
- Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 1m43.042
- Dan Leonard – Yamaha 1m43.899
- Matt Cranmer – Honda 1m44.481
- Glenn Nankervis – Yamaha 1m48.062
ASBK Supersport 300 FP1 Times
- Max Stauffer – Yamaha 1m49.526
- Senna Agius – Kawasaki 400 1m50.659
- Locky Taylor – Yamaha 1m51.103
- Harry Khouri – Yamaha 1m51.129
- Seth Crump – KTM 1m51.217
- Dylan Whiteside – Kawasaki 300 1m51.337
- Yannis Shaw – Kawasaki 400 1m51.629
- John Lytras – Yamaha 1m51.705
- Ben Baker – Yamaha 1m52.046
- Peter Nerlich – Kawasaki 400 1m52.376
- Travis Hall – Yamaha 1m52.387
- Zac Levy – Yamaha 1m52.487
- Hunter Ford – Yamaha 1m52.748
- Stephany Kapilawi-James Kawasaki 1m52.800
- Tayla Relph – Kawasaki 400 1m53.102
- Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha 1m53.107
- Luke Johnston – Yamaha 1m53.161
- Laura Brown – Yamaha 1m53.287
- Zylas Bunting – Yamaha 1m53.882
- Jesse Woods – Yamaha 1m54.035
Source: MCNews.com.au