News 25 Aug 2010

ASBK: Halliday set for Superbike debut at Symmons Plains

New Superstock 1000 C and D Champion Cru Halliday will step up to Superbike for Symmons Plains in November.

New Superstock 1000 C and D Champion Cru Halliday will step up to Superbike for Symmons Plains in November.

Newly crowned Australian Superstock 1000 C and D Champion Cru Halliday will step up to the premier Superbike category for Tasmania’s final round of the 2010 Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship season, the 22-year-old set to campaign his privateer Yamaha YZF-R1 against the country’s best.

Halliday has impressed during the season with a clean-sweep of overall round victories in the Superstock category, however he’s aware of the giant step ahead in transferring directly to the main game of Australian road racing.

“It’s jumping into a different ballgame because the Superbike guys are the best in Australia,” Halliday told MotoOnline.com.au on Sunday afternoon. “It’s going to be interesting coming from C- and D-grade Superstock straight into Superbike, but when we compare my lap times to the Superbikes I just need some slick tyres and also to set my bike up for it.”

Halliday is in just his second full season of road racing after a decorated career in Supermoto that included winning an S3 title, looking forward to the challenge of competing against Australia’s leading talent in the Superbike ranks.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but I just want to stay confident,” he explained. “Going from winning the Superstock championship into Superbike I’m definitely confident, and Symmons Plains is a track that I like a lot. I don’t want to get too big headed, I’m just going to stay at the level where I’m at – try not to overdo it.”

As for 2011, Halliday says he’s interested in a fulltime Superbike campaign after adapting well to the YZF-R1 this year, however a factory ride would also be a dream come true if a seat becomes available.

“We’ll see if we can get some money for next year since Yamaha has been so good to us this year,” the New South Welshman said. “Hopefully there is a factory ride out there at some point in the future. It will be so good to race Josh Waters, Wayne Maxwell and all of those guys – it’ll definitely be overwhelming at first, but I’m sure I can adjust just fine.”

Just last month, Halliday scored pole position and three race wins on against factory Yamaha Racing Team veteran Kevin Curtain on Saturday at the Eastern Creek round of the Formula Xtreme FX1000 Nationals.

The Tasmanian round of the ASBK series will take place alongside the V8 Supercars Championship Series on 12-14 November.

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