Team Suzuki’s Wayne Maxwell inched one step closer to his first ASBK title today. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Words: Russell Colvin.

Team Suzuki’s Wayne Maxwell claimed his second pole position of the season at Phillip Island today, winning the Superpole in round seven of the 2013 Australian Superbike Championship.

Maxwell topped the session ahead of title rivals Glenn Allerton (Next Gen Motorsports/Dynotech/Maxima/BMW) and Team Volvo Group Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden.

Maxwell, who now has a 32-point lead going into tomorrow’s final two races, sealed pole with a stunning new circuit best lap time of 1m32.274, edging out Allerton by 0.722 in what was a difficult day with riders having to battle against strong winds.

“To end up with another pole position, our second one for the year with Team Suzuki, I couldn’t be more happier,” said a delighted Maxwell. “The Suzuki GSX-R worked great and Dunlop gave us a tyre that worked awesome on a circuit that is pretty hard on tyres.

“We haven’t done a lot of laps, we have just been trying to get a good setting for tomorrow. I would like to make it another round clean-sweep tomorrow, but obviously the priority is the championship so will see how that goes.”

Also pleased with his day’s work was Allerton, who trails Maxwell by 36 points in third place in the championship fight entering tomorrow’s final round.

“I wanted to be number one of course, that is what we were driving for,” Allerton commented. “But if you look at the lap times and the conditions I think anyone who did a low 33 did a fantastic job. The Next Gen Motorsports BMW team did a great job today, I can’t thank them enough.

“I think we’re in good shape for tomorrow, it’s going to be interesting to see how the tyres hang together. It’s going to be down to who can look after their tyres and get to the end – it’s wide open right now.

“You can see the Hondas are fast, Robbie is fast, everyone is fast. Any six or seven of us can win the race tomorrow, so it’s going to be down to who want’s it most.”

Rounding out the top five were the Honda dynamic duo of Josh Hook and Jamie Stauffer. The first privateer home in sixth place was Beau Beaton aboard his Racers Edge Performance Suzuki GSX-R-1000.

In the Supersport class, it was Aaron Morris (Ohlins/Arrow/Pirelli/PK Bell/Alpinestars/Five Gloves Yamaha) who claimed pole position in Motul Superpole with a time of 1m35.971, the only rider in the 35s ahead of Daniel Falzon (Caterpillar/EPSA/Yamaha).

Michael Blair (Blair Build/YRD/ Joe Groot Civil Yamaha) will round out the front row tomorrow after snaring third. The Supersport championship is also a three-horse race with 43 points between Falzon, Morris and Blair.

Meanwhile in the Prostock class, race one was taken out by Sean Condon (Bikebiz/Ipone/Insurance Racing Kawasaki), who beat Next Gen Motorsports BMW ace Ben Nicolson by a slender 0.075s. Third was BMW-mounted Kiwi Sloan Frost.

The opening 250 Production was won by Tim Boujos (CM Racing/JB Racing/Highway Yamaha). Making it a 1-2 for CM Racing was Brandon Demmery, with Luke Burgess (Power Supplements/Adrenalin Performance Bikes) rounding out the top three.

Lawson Walters (KTM Australia/Top Rider/LMWS/Inprotek) won the Moto 3 class by a massive 10.844 seconds, heading home Matt Barton (Morris Oils/NZI/C-B Racing/Hydeside Trading IMS Honda) and Lachlan Kavney (Bullet Racing/Crackman NDT/Motul/Aly-Tek/Kingaroy Motorcycles Honda).

2013 QBE Australian Superbike Championship
Round seven – Phillip Island, VIC

Superbike qualifying results:
1. Wayne Maxwell 1m32.274
2. Glenn Allerton 1m32.996
3. Robbie Bugden 1m33.194
4. Josh Hook 1m33.259
5. Jamie Stauffer 1m33.475
6. Beau Beaton 1m34.648
7. Chas Hern 1m34.830
8. Linden Magee 1m35.125
9. Ben Henry 1m36.487
10. Phil Lovett 1m36.475

Supersport qualifying results:
1. Aaron Morris 1m35.971
2. Daniel Falzon 1m36.514
3. Michael Blair 1m37.950
4. Hudson Pitt 1m38.217
5. Mitch Levy 1m38.291
6. Aaron Gobert 1m38464
7. Ryan Taylor 1m38.635
8. Mason Coote 1m38.762
9. Thomas Bryden 1m42.600
10. Cam Russell 1m41.775

Click here for detailed results