Falzon and Halliday to lead 2019 YRT ASBK charge

Australian 2018 Supersport 600cc champion, Cru Halliday, will join Daniel Falzon, on the Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) for 2019, contesting the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) across the seven round series.

Piloting Yamaha’s YZF- R1M, both riders have the experience, skill and talent to be championship contenders and the work has already began behind the scenes to have the team well placed before the riders hit the track at the opening round at Phillip Island in February.

Daniel Falzon

Halliday will return to the premier Superbike class after a successful year in the 600cc division with the Yamaha Racing Team in 2018 that saw him dominate the category and reignite his career in stunning form.

This marks the second full time crack in the 1000cc class for the New South Welshmen, as he was with the Yamaha Racing Team in seasons 2015 and 2016. Halliday believes he is now in the form of his career and comes back to the major leagues as a more mature and experienced competitor with a new approach and professionalism to his racing and training.

Cru Halliday

“Sometimes in life you have to take a step back to take two steps forward and that has certainly been the case over the last 18 months for me,” Halliday explains. “The last-minute call up to the 600cc class last year made me look at how I go about racing and then to put together the season we did as a team on a new bike leaves me more confident than ever that I can succeed in the Superbike class.

“To have this opportunity with John and YRT at the top level is something I thought would never happen again but it made me realise to not take anything for granted, work hard and create my own chances in life. I’m going to grab it with both hands and leave nothing on the table as racing is my passion and something I’m not ready to give up yet. It’s great to continue working everyone at YRT and although 2018 isn’t over yet, I know everyone is already working hard for next season and we all feel we have something to prove,” Halliday ends.

Back for his second season at the Yamaha Racing Team is Daniel Falzon. After working his way through the ranks as a privateer, Falzon picked up a ride with YRT in 2018 and secured fifth place in the championship in a consistent year in a new environment.

Daniel Falzon

Now he is familiar with the YRT style of operation and the factory prepared Yamaha R1M, Falzon is expected to continue his climb up the leader board in the ASBK in 2019 as he is entering the prime racing years of his life.

“Up until last year, I had pretty much done things myself so it was a big change for me to work in a team environment and learn how the team go about things. Now, I think we all have a better understanding of each other and learned how to get the best from ourselves and the bike.

“Last year my goal was to finish inside the top five every race and limit the big mistakes which I had made in the past. For 2019, it’s time to step it up again and target race and round podiums which I think is very achievable given the bike and the team.

“We get started with some testing in early February before we kick off round one at Phillip Island and I have already got stuck into my training program and am determined to make 2019 my best season yet,” Falzon states.

The Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) is ran over seven rounds, across four states before the final round at Sydney Motorsport Park in November and is the most prestigious road racing championship in Australia. Steering the team through another exciting season will be John Redding, who is enthusiastic about the year ahead.

“Every year gives riders and teams a chance to take stock, reset and hit the new season with some energy and vigour and I think YRT will be a vibrate environment in 2019. We have two riders who are determined for success and have been around long enough to know what it takes to win at this level.

Cru Halliday moves to superbikes in 2019

“We have also looked at the way we do things, fine-tuned some aspects of it and tried to improve the functioning of the team, as like the riders, we strive to be better each and every season. The opening round isn’t that far away but I feel we have our house in order and will be ready to go at Phillip Island,” Redding said.

2019 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) Calendar