Image: Keith Muir.

Hometown hero Troy Herfoss will carry the Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship (FX-ASC) lead into Wakefield Park’s fifth round of the season later this month on 25-27 September.

The Team Honda Racing rider won Sydney’s opening round of the season back in March and has managed to maintain the FX-ASC points lead through the first four rounds, setting him up for a strong run home at circuits most suitable to his CBR1000RR SP package.

Wakefield Park and Winton – the next two rounds on the schedule – will play into the hands of Herfoss and the defending champion factory Honda outfit, which could further form the foundation of a title win come Sydney’s closing round in December.

“The 2015 season has gone exactly to plan so far,” Herfoss explained in an interview with the official FX-ASC website. “We started the year off really strong, like we knew we needed to. We got ourselves a small points buffer to get through some difficult tracks; obviously Queensland Raceway was difficult for us.

“However I can come away from Queensland Raceway saying it has been a successful year so far, because we still have the championship lead with two really good tracks ahead – Wakefield Park being one of them and Winton the other, then back to Sydney Motorsport Park where we know I have been strong at the first two times.

“I think as a team we can be confident that we have the right package to win the championship; it’s just a matter of getting the job done and getting some more race wins at these tracks that we are strong at.”

While Honda dominated last year’s series by sweeping all six rounds and claiming the championship with Wayne Maxwell, an increased Yamaha challenge utilising the brand new YZF-R1M – led by former teammate Maxwell – this year has made for a more hard-fought campaign to date.

“The Hondas are going to suit those [upcoming] tracks,” Herfoss said. “Horsepower is not an issue, especially at Wakefield, and our bike turns well. To be fair, our bike has good mid-range power, the Honda CBR1000RR SP gets off the corners with the best of the bikes.

“That’s what’s it’s all about at Wakefield and Winton, so that’s why we can be confident at these two tracks. If I don’t manage to win races at Wakefield and Winton, then I’m 100 percent to blame.”

Following Queensland Raceway, in which Herfoss maintained his perfect 2015 podium run, he carries a slim three-point advantage on number one plate holder Maxwell, who in turn is a further 17 ahead of round four winner Glenn Allerton.