In this new CycleOnline feature, we catch up with 2010 Australian Supersport Champion Troy Herfoss to find out about his international foray, chasing his goal of world championship racing and his prospects and plans for the future. 

A credentialed AMA Supermoto champion and X Games medalist, Troy Herfoss’ step into road racing was a natural one, and he excelled from the moment he hit the track. A couple of seasons of adjusting to the bike was all that was needed to lock him into a seat at Team Suzuki, where he would go on to win the Australian Supersport Championship in convincing fashion.

The result springboarded Herfoss into a factory Superbike seat with the team, and after a competitive year, he’d soon set his sights on a ride overseas in pursuit of a long-held goal to race in the world championships.

The sought-after racer soon locked down a ride with the RAC Racing outfit in the IDM Superbike Championship, and was competitive too. In a strange twist, Herfoss’ plans were turned on their head when he was unceremoniously sacked by the team at the Sachsenring.

Troy Herfoss and Team Suzuki celebrating the 2010 Australian Supersport Championship win. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

“I spent last year racing overseas,” said Herfoss. “It was going pretty good – I thought it was. I was having good results and I was always fast. We were improving our championship standings.

“But we got to three-quarter of the way through the season, and all of a sudden I’m sacked and on my own. At that point I was there with my girlfriend, and when that happened, at Sachsenring, I had to re-evaluate what we were doing.”

With his year in disarray, Herfoss set about seeking other opportunities, making a series of guest rides in the British Superbike Championship to substitute for fellow Aussie Mark Aitchison, before securing a prize ride with Wilbers Racing that would return him to the IDM ranks for 2013.

In a strange twist, a teammate and friend of Herfoss’ from the previous season, Ghisbert van Ginhoven, had also signed on to race for the same team, and when the Aussie indicated his interest, his friend was shown the door.

“He was one of the nicest guys I’d ever met, and would never do a bad thing by anyone,” said Herfoss. “He had a really good ride with RAC Racing, he left that because this (Wilbers Racing) was the factory team and he got to do a lot of testing with the new HP4. And then he got left on his own.”

When Herfoss returned to Australia to begin preparing for the 2013 championship, he began questioning the decision.

“I started to think about how much I loved it here, and started looking at the bigger picture, where exactly I was going with it all. As you know it’s pretty hard to find a ride, especially when you’re not bringing big financial backing.

“I thought about it and told my parents I wasn’t going back. They just laughed at me, at first.”

Herfoss had plenty of success in his international foray, but decided against a ride in the IDM Superbike Championship for 2013.

When time came to sign and return the contract, Herfoss couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I already had trust issues with some teams from before. They seemed like a good team but I just said to myself I was staying home,” he explains. “I rang them, and they didn’t answer. I sent them an email and I never heard from them again.”

“I had a bit of an opportunity to go back to Suzuki but I just left it too late. I thought it was something that could have happened but you can’t blame them for locking in someone like Wayne Maxwell. he’s a proven guy, he’s got a good chance of winning the championship for them,”

So what now for Herfoss? He’s currently working with his father, building a house and helping his girlfriend set up a new cafe. He still has the itch to race and said he would need to carefully consider any opportunity that came up.

“I’ve had a few indications of rides here and there but nothing concrete. I love racing in Australia, some of the best races I’ve ever had were here on the 600, and then on the Superbike.

“It’s very competitive, and a good place to race. Everyone is always looking at that overseas ride but racing at home is as good, if not better, than what’s available overseas.”