Wayne Maxwell set the benchmark in today’s practice sessions.

Team Suzuki’s Wayne Maxwell has set a new lap record on the way to topping today’s two Australian Superbike Championship practice sessions at Hidden Valley.

The points leader slotted his Suzuki into the top spot at the conclusion of the first 30-minute session this morning, setting his quickest effort on the 14th of 15 laps.

He carried the momentum into the afternoon session, shaving around six-tenths off his own time to register a 1m07.196 lap, eclipsing Josh Waters’ 2011 benchmark, a 1m07.385.

“Today was an unbelievable result for Team Suzuki – 1-2 – and to to under the lap record in the second practice shows how good the new Dunlop tyre is,” said Maxwell.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he added.

Teammate Robbie Bugden shook off a crash in the early session, which cost him considerable track time, to come home second this afternoon.

“It was an up and down day for me here at Hidden Valley,” said Bugden, whose best effort came on his penultimate lap, a 1m07.422, 0.226 behind his teammate.

“I crashed out of that first practice session quite early and missed the whole session but we bounced back pretty strong in the second one to go second quickest to make it a Suzuki 1-2.”

Team Honda’s Jamie Stauffer was an encouraging third-fastest, just 0.474 off Maxwell’s pace, with Next Gen Motorsport’s Glenn Allerton running fourth, and the second factory Honda of Josh Hook running fifth.

InsureMyRide Racing’s Glenn Scott was sixth, and fastest privateer.

Mike Jones led the way at the conclusion of today’s two 30-minute Supersport sessions, holding out current points leader Daniel Falzon by less than a tenth of a second.

Aaron Morris recorded the third-quickest effort, with Yamahas filling positions one through to seven before Aaron Gobert slotted his Kawasaki into eighth.

Kawasaki rider Matt Walters was a convincing 0.589 seconds quicker than Ben Burke to top the first Prostock qualifying session, with Ben Nicolson third.

Lachlan Kavney led the way in the opening qualifying session for the Moto3 class, with local Gordon Macdonald topping the 125 category within the same field. Just six bikes were entered across both classes.

Australian Superbike Championship
Round six – Hidden Valley

Superbike practice top 10:
1. Wayne MAXWELL 1m07.196
2. Robert BUGDEN 1m07.422
3. Jamie STAUFFER 1m07.496
4. Glenn ALLERTON 1m07.670
5. Josh HOOK 1m08.040
6. Glenn SCOTT 1m08.260
7. Beau BEATON 1m08.509
8. Linden MAGEE 1m08.843
9. Ben HENRY 1m09.418
10. Phil LOVETT 1m09.818

Supersport practice top 10:
1. Mike JONES 1m09.723
2. Daniel FALZON 1m09.804
3. Aaron MORRIS 1m10.011
4. Callum SPRIGGS 1m10.310
5. Aiden WAGNER 1m10.766
6. Chris QUINN 1m11.068
7. Michael BLAIR 1m11.137
8. Aaron GOBERT 1m11.223
9. Ryan TAYLOR 1m11.279
10. Mason COOTE 1m11.405

Click here for detailed results