Image: Keith Muir.

Team Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss will start from pole position in tomorrow’s opening round of the 2014 Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship following a record-breaking performance this afternoon.

The Goulburn local has made steady progress in his return to professional Superbike competition after a full season out of the sport, making his comeback aboard a Honda CBR1000RR SP in the new-look Swann Series.

A stunning 58.793s lap in the third and final FX-Superbike series race this afternoon has boosted the 27-year-old onto the top position ahead of Sunday’s championship races.

“What an amazing day after 18 months off,” Herfoss said. “The team has been terrific and I’m really happy to finish today with the lap record and Pole position. The new SP is an amazing package that continues to impress me. I’m looking forward to racing again tomorrow.”

The fastest laps recorded during Saturday’s AFX-SBK race decide the grid for Sunday’s trio of ASC races.

Herfoss is making a one-off appearance with the factory Honda operation this weekend, standing in for injured regular Josh Hook alongside Wayne Maxwell and Jamie Stauffer this weekend.