Image: Russell Colvin.

Recently-crowned Australian Superbike champion Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) has taken a slender victory in race three of the Phillip Island Championship Superbike support class at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix today.

In drying conditions, Crankt Protein Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring led majority of the eight-lap affair, however came under attack from Waters, who pipped him at the line to win by a narrow 0.032s margin.

A further 23 seconds behind was Yamaha-backed privateer Cru Halliday, while the top three was completed by Michael Blair (Yamaha) and Jed Metcher (Yamaha).

Crankt Protein Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss positioned himself in sixth ahead of Mitch Levy (Yamaha), as the top 10 was concluded by Dean Oughtred (BMW), Corey Turner (DesmoSport Ducati) and Matt Barton (Honda).

In the Supersport 300 category, KTM’s Max Croker also took a narrow victory, defeating Yamaha-mounted Jack Mahaffy by just 0.063s.

Cube Racing Oli Bayliss was also right in the hunt, taking home third just a further 0.102s behind the leaders. Hunter Ford (Yamaha) and Seth Crump (KTM) duked it out for fourth and fifth respectively, finishing less than a hundredth of a second apart.

Zac Levy (Yamaha) wound up in sixth followed Tom Bramich (Yamaha), while Brock Pearson (Yamaha), Locky Taylor (Yamaha) and Scott Nicolson (Yamaha) completed the top 10.

Both support classes are back on-track tomorrow for the final races of the weekend, alongside the categories of the MotoGP World Championship.