Riders and teams are gearing up for the fourth round of the Australasian Superbike Championship this weekend, with the series heading north-west of Melbourne to Winton Motor Raceway.

Not too many would rate it a favourite circuit but it certainly requires a rider to wrangle everything out of their bike to put together a solid lap. Its narrow nature adds to the complexity and means there are only a handful of passing opportunities, of which all riders are aware.

With 25 Superbikes entered at last count it should be a good spectacle. The size of the field will also place a strong emphasis on qualifying, which is of course decided on the best lap time set during Saturday’s FX Superbike races.

You can bet there will be plenty of riders ensuring they have the space and clear track to bank a quick lap on Saturday, which often offers opportunity for new challengers in the top 10.

One point of concern ahead of the event is the fitness of series leader Jamie Stauffer. Stauffer is nursing a badly swollen ankle after a crash in qualifying for the Suzuka 8 Hour only a few days ago.

Image: Russell Colvin.

He’s a tough character and will undoubtedly be on the grid, but the injury is sure to make things uncomfortable. Fingers crossed he’s close to his competitive best and capable of defending his lead.

Stauffer’s teammates Wayne Maxwell and Troy Herfoss were also in action at the 8 Hour, with both riders delivering strong performances. The pair sit second and third on the series ladder and will be eager to build upon their recent momentum.

Look for BMW’s Glenn Allerton to strike this weekend. With two wins from three on Sunday at Queensland Raceway it looks like Allerton is back to his best and of course he’s had plenty of racing miles since round three after taking out the 2014 Australian Superbike title at Phillip Island.

Most teams took the opportunity to test at Winton so we should be set for a fairly evenly-contested event.

There’s just as much interest in the engaging Supersport battle and the series takes a new turn at Winton with the return of one high-profile rider and the controversial exit of another.

Callum Spriggs confirmed yesterday that he’ll be making the trip to Winton, still nursing the after effects of his serious injuries from round three.

The Queensland-based rider is aiming to factor in the top 10, with top five the goal, despite knowing the characteristics of the circuit will likely be tough on his shoulder.

One rider who will be missed from the front of the field will be Daniel Falzon, with the South Australian announcing his team’s withdrawal a couple of days after wrapping up back-to-back Australian Supersport titles.

He was five points shy of Aaron Morris after round three, with Aiden Wagner, who is a further 10 points in arrears, the mostly likely challenger to Morris moving forward, along with Michael Blair who makes a welcome return.

Weather for the event is looking to be fine, but at this time of the year that means temperatures verging on zero overnight and some very crisp conditions for the warm-ups!

Source: Honda Racing.

We touched on it above but it was great to see so many Aussies factoring in the top 10 at the Suzuka 8 Hour.

Josh Waters was again our top-performing Aussie in second place, capping off a sensational fortnight in which he also won his maiden British Superbike race. We caught up with Josh overnight and look forward to bring you an in-depth Race Recap tomorrow.

The experience of Broc Parkes and Josh Brookes combined for a solid fourth, though the Yamaha entry was plagued by shifter problems which robbed them of any chance of a win.

Another whose performance has to be highlighted is Josh Hook. Hook teamed with two Asian riders and spearheaded a strong seventh place finish as the only rider who had raced the event previously. It’s a result that would have made a lot of people sit up and take notice as he continues to shine on the 1000cc machine.

That’s it for this week. Follow us on social media to keep updated on news as it happens. Just search ‘CycleOnline’ on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.