ASBK Rnd3 at The Bend SBK & SS600 Weekend Wrap

Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda, CBR1000SP) has took two of the three races here at The Bend Motorsport Park for Round 3 of the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK), to take out the round win and build on his championship lead.

Superbikes Race Three

Herfoss has taken out a declared race three. The Honda rider managed to control the race out front and had a good battle with Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) before the race was declared after Bayliss crashed in the late stages of the race.

Falzon grabbed his first podium in season 2018 in front of his home crowd in race three, finishing in second behind Herfoss. Falzon’s second place finish pushed him up into third overall for the weekend on his new home track.

ASBK Superbikes start Race 3

Herfoss leaves The Bend with the points lead and back to back overall wins after Wakefield Park Raceway; “It is such a good feeling to get the win here as it was such a difficult race out there, I was trying to control the race as well as I could and then I looked back and saw Daniel and knew he would be hungry for a win so I put my head down and continued to push. The Penrite Honda team and the Pirelli tyres are all going well so now we look forward to Darwin,” said Herfoss.

Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) continued his good weekend at The Bend picking up a third place in race three to hand him second overall for the round.

Staring (BCPerformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R) backed up his third in race two, with a fourth place in race three to end the weekend on a high after a disastrous race one where he didn’t finish.

Allerton (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S RR) rounded out the top five and showed some really good speed today, whilst reigning champion Waters finished in sixth for a round that was filled with frustrations, after mechanical problems forced him out of race two.

Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R) continues to impress on his return to ASBK, sliding his Ducati into seventh position just ahead of Mark Chiodo (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, Suzuki GSRX-R) who grabbed a top ten finish in eighth.

The battle for ninth went right down to the final straight with Alex Phillis (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Kyle Buckley (Kawasaki BCPerformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R) duked it out, but it was Phillis who crossed the line in ninth whilst Buckley rounded out the top ten.

Herfoss wins The Bend Round 3 of ASBK

YMI Superbike Race Three Provisional Results

Troy HERFOSS (Penrite Honda Racing, Honda CBR1000SP)
Daniel FALZON (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1M)
Wayne MAXWELL (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1M)
Bryan STARING (Kawasaki BCperformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R)
Glenn ALLERTON (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S1000RR)
Josh WATERS (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, Suzuki GSX-R100R)
Jamie STAUFFER (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R)
Mark CHIODO (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, Suzuki GSX-R1000R)
Alex PHILLIS (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000)
Kyle BUCKLEY (BCPerformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R)

Superbikes Race Two

Herfoss has bounced back after his poor start in race one to claim victory in race two of YMI Superbike. Herfoss showed great pace throughout the 10-lap race, making his move for the lead on lap six and didn’t look back.

Herfoss was thrilled to grab his third race win of the season; “The target this year is to win races, we have to match race wins to take out this championship, Wayne and I now have three wins a piece. I was able to be patient and the bike is coming out of the corner so well that I didn’t have to take a dive on the inside, I could wait and make my move. A big thank you to the Penrite Honda team and Pirelli for all the support and we look forward to race three.”

Herfoss in the lead from Falzon, Maxwell and Bayliss

Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) got the jump off the line from pole position and controlled the early laps of the race, looking like he was going to make it two from two here at The Bend. Herfoss was patient and made the move on lap six, but once Herfoss made the move, Bryan Staring (BCPerformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R) was right onto the back wheel of Maxwell.

Staring made his move on Maxwell on lap eight and set his sights on trying to track down Herfoss who had pulled out to a one second lead. Staring managed to get up on the back wheel of Herfoss, but just couldn’t find a way past.

Glenn Allerton (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S1000RR) finished the race like a freight train, making moves a plenty and getting to the line in fourth position, whilst behind him Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) and Troy Bayliss (Desmosport Ducati, 1299 Panigale) had a sprint to the line and the pair were separated by a hair, with Falzon getting the better of Bayliss for fifth position.

Alex Phillis (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000R) and Jamie Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R) enjoyed a battle that went back and fourth throughout the race, but it would be Phillis who crossed the line in seventh and Stauffer settled for eighth.

The man who continues to get off the line well, Arthur Sissis (SA Demolition, Suzuki GSX-R1000R) continued his good starts here at The Bend and got into the first turn in third position but faded as the race went on and finished ninth.

Mitch Rees (Tony Rees Motorcycles, Honda CBR) put in a solid performance to round out the top ten in race two.

The biggest news out of race two was defending YMI Superbike Champion Josh Waters (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, GSX-R1000R), pulled out of the race with technical issues on lap two.

YMI Superbike Race Two Provisional Results

Troy HERFOSS (Penrite Honda Racing, Honda CBR1000SP )
Bryan STARING (Kawasaki BCperformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R)
Wayne MAXWELL (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1M)
Glenn ALLERTON (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S1000RR)
Daniel FALZON (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1M)
Troy BAYLISS (Desmosport Ducati, Ducati Panigale FE)
Alex PHILLIS (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000)
Jamie STAUFFER (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R)
Arthur SISSIS (SA Demolition, Suzuki GSX-R000)
Mitch REES (Tony Rees M-cycles,Honda CBR1000)

Superbikes Race 1 (Saturday)

Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) made the most of his pole position, taking out race one of YMI Superbike at The Bend Motorsport Park. The victory sending a huge statement to the field at the brand new circuit within the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK). The Yamaha rider finished ahead of Troy Bayliss (Desmosport Ducati, 1299 Panigale) and Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda, CBR1000SP).

The ASBK Superbike field in the Race 1 start

There was a red flag that brought a delayed start to proceedings, this only heightened the tension and excitement on the grid for what lay ahead. Maxwell didn’t get the perfect start, as it was local South Australian Arthur Sissis (SA Demolition, Suzuki GSX-R1000R), who came from the third row to lead the pack into the first turn, with Maxwell and Bayliss hot on his heels. Herfoss had a nightmare on the start line when his bike didn’t engage into gear properly and he dropped down several places.

Sissis couldn’t hold of the fast charging Bayliss and Maxwell, who both went past the South Australian on lap one and started to pull away from the field. Josh Waters (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, GSX-R1000R) pushed his way into that top battle and looked to mix it with the front pair.

The front pack started to pull away from the field, but deeper in the pack there was a fast charging Herfoss pushing his way back towards the front, claiming the new lap record at The Bend with a time of 1:52.972.

Maxwell leading Bayliss and Herfoss

Herfoss raced to fifth position before battling it out with Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) and Waters. The trio went back and forth, but Falzon and Herfoss made their move on the defending champion and set off to try track down Maxwell and Bayliss.

Maxwell enjoyed a comfortable buffer of just over a second when he crossed the finish line to claim his third race win of the season, whilst Bayliss who has shown a liking to The Bend circuit, settled for second.

Yamaha’s Maxwell sharing; “I got a pretty good start and Bayliss also got a good start, but Arthur Sisis was amazing off the line, but once I got past Bayliss I just tried to be consistent and drop him off, but I saw Herfoss recorded some good laps so there will be some more hard work this weekend. We have to keep chipping away after dropping points in the first race of the year, we are playing catch up, but we are really happy.”

Herfoss got the better of the battle with Falzon who is desperately looking for his first podium of the season on his new Factory Yamaha. Waters rounded out the top five, but it was an impressive ride from Sissis who put on a show for the locals, finishing in sixth ahead of Alex Phillis (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSXR-R1000R) in seventh.

Glenn Allerton (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S1000RR) battled throughout the nine laps and settled for eighth. Jamie Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R) continues to impress in his return to ASBK took out ninth and Matt Walters (Swann Insurance Superbike, Kawasaki ZX-10R) completed the top ten.

Round one overall winner Bryan Staring (BCPerformance, Kawasaki ZX-10R) had to pull out of the race on lap eight after a mechanical issue saw him return to the pits.

ASBK Superbikes Round 3 – Race 1 podium – Herfoss, Maxwell, Bayliss

YMI Superbike Race 1 Provisional Results

Wayne MAXWELL (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M)
Troy BAYLISS (Desmosport Ducati, Ducati Panigale FE)
Troy HERFOSS (Penrite Honda Racing, Honda CBR1000 SP)
Daniel FALZON (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M)
Josh WATERS (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, GSXR-R1000R)
Arthur SISSIS (SA Demolition, Suzuki GSX-R1000R)
Alex PHILLIS (Phillis Racing, Suzuki GSXR-R1000R)
Glenn ALLERTON (NextGen Motorsports, BMW S1000RR)
Jamie STAUFFER (Craig McMartin Racing, Ducati Panigale R)
Matt WALTERS (Swann Insurance Superbike, Kawasaki ZX-10R)

Kawasaki Supersport

There was no stopping Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R6) who pulverised the competition at Round 3 of the ASBK in the Supersport class at The Bend. As a result, Halliday now enjoys a healthy championship lead.

Halliday took the round win from Toparis and Croker at Round 3

Supersport 600 Race Three

Race three was once again won by Halliday, however the battle for the podium positions were very exciting. Taking the lead into the first corner was Croker ahead of Hunt, Toparis and Halliday.

Within no time Toparis and Halliday clawed their way through the field and it looked as if the race would be a repeat of the previous two. Halliday had upped his game however and built a massive gap to his rival. The race then turned in to who could get second, with Johnson and Croker challenging Toparis for second.

Supersport 600 Race 3 start

Taking the victory was Halliday, 3.306 ahead of Toparis with Johnson joining them on the podium. Croker would just miss out on a second consecutive podium in fourth. Scarcella finished in fifth.

Round winner Halliday sharing; “It’s a great result here at The Bend and I’m really looking forward to the next round at Darwin. Tommy has been riding unreal, you have to remember there is still a big age difference between us. I have to build as much as a gap to him as possible as I know he’s just going to grow as a rider throughout the season. Hats off to the team and my sponsors, the bike is flawless. Let’s keep it up for Darwin!

As a result of his three wins, Halliday now leads the championship with 187 points. Toparis drops to second with 175 points and Damon Rees (Tony Rees M-cycles, Honda CBR600RR) elevates himself to the top three with 109 points.

Kawasaki Supersport Race Three Provisional Results

Cru HALLIDAY (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Tom TOPARIS (Cube Racing, Kawasaki ZX-6R)
Zac JOHNSON (Yamaha YZF-R6)
Max CROKER (Mat Mladin Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600)
Giuseppe SCARCELLA (Kawasaki BCperformance, Kawasaki ZX-6R)
John HUNT (Suzuki GSX-R600)
Damon REES (Tony Rees M-cycles, Honda CBR600RR)
Ty LYNCH (Adelaide M-cycle Recovery, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Luke MITCHELL (YRD, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Dallas SKEER (Ron Angel Classic RacingSuzuki GSX-R600)

Supersport 600 Race Two

It was a much more comfortable win for Halliday in race two as he flew across the finish line to a 4.671 second victory over Tom Toprais (Cube Racing, Kawasaki). The Bend Motorsport Park clearly suiting the excellent cornering capabilities of the brand-new Yamaha YZF-R6.

Cru Halliday leads Tom Toparis

At the start, local rider John Hunt (Suzuki GSX-R600) led into the first corner followed by Max Croker (Mat Mladin Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600), Toparis and Halliday. It wouldn’t take long for Toparis to take the lead followed by Halliday and Hunt.

Halliday was much stronger under braking and Toparis looked like he was throwing everything he had to maintain the lead. The Yamaha rider eventually pulled off the race winning overtake with five laps to go.

Meanwhile, Croker of the Mat Mladin backed squad was flying on his Suzuki. The race being a massive confidence booster for himself and the newly formed team.

Another interesting battle was developing between Hunt, Giuseppe Scarcella (Kawasaki BCperformance, Kawasaki ZX-6R) and Zac Johnson (Rebuilder, Yamaha YZF-R6) for fourth. Hunt managed to get the better of the trio in that respective fight.

Taking victory was Halliday followed by his rival Toparis and Croker on the podium as well. Hunt finished in a very impressive fourth followed by Johnson and Scarcella.

Halliday commenting; “That race was a bit different. Tommy led the first stage of the race as I botched my start up. We managed to make a good race of it and I was trying to identify where he was slow. The guys at Yamaha have this bike absolutely dialed in at the moment.”

Kawasaki Supersport Race Two Provisional Results

Cru HALLIDAY (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Tom TOPARIS (Cube Racing, Kawasaki ZX-6R)
Max CROKER (Mat Mladin Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600)
John HUNT (Suzuki GSX-R600)
Zac JOHNSON (Rebuilder, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Giuseppe SCARCELLA (Kawasaki BCperformance, Kawasaki ZX-6R)
Ty LYNCH (Adelaide M-cycle Recovery, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Rhys BELLING (LXI Racing, Yamaha YZF-R6)
Dallas SKEER (Ron Angel Classic Racing, Barry Francis Suzuki GSX-R600)
Thomas BRYDEN (YRD Yamaha, Yamaha YZF-R6)

Supersport 600 Race 1 (Saturday)

Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R6) has taken a convincing victory in the Kawasaki Supersport class but it wasn’t without a challenge from Tom Toparis (Cube Racing, Kawasaki ZX-6R). The two battled it out for the fair majority of the race but the race pace of Halliday was simply unmatchable. The Yamaha took the race victory by close to three seconds. The action will continue tomorrow for the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK) with races two and three.

Supersport 600 Race 1 Start at The Bend

At the start of the race it was actually Max Croker (Mat Mladin Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600) who took the lead into turn one but he was soon overtaken by Halliday and Toparis. Surprisingly, Toparis was right on Halliday’s tail and was able to identify the lines Halliday was taking throughout the track.

Toparis used the sheer grunt of his ZX-6R to full effect to pass Halliday down the start finish straight and take the fight to him. Halliday had superior corner speed however, and it was only a matter of time before he would pass. After taking the lead again, Halliday made a mistake into turn five and lost the lead.

Eventually Halliday reclaimed the ascendency to cruise to victory by almost three seconds in front of Toparis. Broc Pearson (1800 Approved Cairns, Yamaha YZF-R6)
had a very successful but lonely third place finish on the podium.

Croker and Damon Rees (Tony Rees M-cycles, Honda CBR600RR) had a great battle for fourth, with Croker coming out on top and Rees having to settle for fifth.

Winner Halliday stating after the race; “I went into turn five and I think I clicked into a false neutral. I was trying to get away from Tommy but the more aggressive I rode the more mistakes I made. I managed to regather myself and I knew I could get myself over the line. Its proven that we have better race longevity. I just have to relax at the start.”

Supersport 600 Race 1 Podium – Toparis, Halliday, Pearson

As a result of the win, Halliday now enjoys a two-point lead in the championship ahead of Toparis. With two more races tomorrow, it will be fascinating to see if he can maintain his form tomorrow.