ASBK Heading To Wakefield Park This Weekend
With the dust of the opening round just settled, the 2021 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), presented by Motul, will ascend to another level this weekend with the return to Wakefield Park Raceway.
Six categories will pack out the field, from champions in the main series to first time racers in the OJC.
The Alpinestars Superbike class at Winton was effectively the “Troy Herfoss and Wayne Maxwell Show” as the multiple champions chased, sliced and diced each other all weekend, as they both had a win each. Whilst there were some other standout results including Desmosport Ducati’s Oli Bayliss, and privateer Unitech Racing’s Arthur Sissis.
At Wakefield Park, Maxwell and Herfoss are both very strong, but the Goulburn-born Herfoss has the upper hand when it comes to race victories. He extended the tally with three wins at the same venue late last year at the Grand Finale of the ASBK Championship, on the Michelin-shod Penrite Honda, although a mechanical DNF thwarted his chances of another title.
Wakefield park is anyones round with a bunch of strong competitors ready to fight it out for the top spot.
However, this weekend Maxwell, aboard the Boost Mobile with K-Tech Ducati, doesn’t have to worry about riding steady to ensure the Championship. The “Wayne Train” will be huffing and puffing and on full steam on his Pirelli-shod machine this weekend.
Three-times ASBK Champion, Glenn Allerton, aboard the Maxima Racing Oils BMW will also be a real threat this weekend. After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, he has bounced back and is the current lap record holder at the track after a number of podium finishes at the final two rounds last year. Discount him at your peril.
“Three-times ASBK Champion, Glenn Allerton aboard the Maxima Racing Oils BMW will also be a real threat.”
Another with an impressive record at the track is Cru Halliday on the Yamaha Factory Racing machine. This year the team will be using Dunlop tyres and as proved by another ex-champion Bryan Staring on the BC Performance Kawasaki last year, the tyres work well there as Staring showed by claiming a third place.
With all these ingredients, it is a very potent potpourri of pace and determination waiting to be unleashed. The extra pinch of hot spice in the mix this weekend will be the return of Anthony West to ASBK, on the MotoGO Yamaha R1. He will be out to prove that he is a championship threat.
Anthony West will also be heading back to Aussie racing on-board his Yamaha YZF-R1 this weekend too.
Coincidentally, West’s last appearance at an ASBK round was in 2016 at this very track, riding a Honda, when he stood in for an injured Jamie Stauffer. He claimed a brace of second places. The fire hasn’t quelled for West and he will be out to dent a few egos and demonstrate that he isn’t coming along to make up the numbers.
The Alpinestars Superbike category is chock full of talent, enthusiasm, and determination with any one of the riders in the field capable of taking the top step on the podium. Who takes the laurels on Sunday could well go down to the final corner of race two on Sunday afternoon.
Jump on the ASBK website to secure your tickets for an exciting weekend at Wakefield Park.
Tickets are available through the ASBK wsbite. To keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, via their website and following ASBK on Facebook and Instagram.
