CycleOnline.com.au pulls out the microscope and takes a closer look at some of the giant-killers and disappointments from the seventh round of the 2015 Australasian Superbikes at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Hit

Image: Russell Colvin.

Troy Herfoss: After a nail-biting final round, Team Honda Racing’s Herfoss claimed both the Australasian Superbike Championship and Australian FX-Superbike Championship on board the CBR1000RR SP. He withstood all the pressure you can think of from reigning champ and former teammate Wayne Maxwell, delivering the Motologic-operated factory effort back-to-back double FX-ASC title wins.

Mike Jones: While all eyes were on the championship contenders, Australian Outdoor Living – Cube Racing Kawasaki rider Mike Jones starred with the final round win. He won races two and three on Sunday straight up against the best in the business and clearly belongs in the top ranks of Australian road racing. From here he joins Troy Bayliss’ DesmoSport Ducati team for 2016 and we’re tipping many more wins to come over the next 12 months.

Callum Spriggs: Like Herfoss in the Superbikes, Spriggs did the double by winning both the Saturday and Sunday (Friday and Saturday at the final round) series in Supersport. Spriggs has long been a rising talent in the class, so to see him come of age and put a full season together amongst some very stiff competition shows just how capable he is. And the fact that he fended off Suzukis and Kawasakis for a Yamaha title made the result even more important for his future.

Miss

Image: Russell Colvin.

Wayne Maxwell: It was always a big ask for Maxwell to make it three championships in three years on a different brand of bike/team each time, but he only just fell agonisingly short in Sydney. A crash in Friday’s single race meant he had to start from eighth for the ASC decider, but he managed to claw his way up the order to the point where he only missed out on another title by one point. The R1M will be even better come next season and he will be on a mission to reclaim his crowns.

Cru Halliday: Sydney was a good one for Halliday for the most part, but the fact that both Mike Jones and Jamie Stauffer won races for 1-2 overall, Halliday was bumped from fourth in the standings down to sixth. What that means is that if he stays in FX-ASC next year he will retain the same number, which isn’t a bad thing, but you can bet he’d have liked to be closer to teammates Maxwell and Glenn Allerton in the final order.

Brayden Elliott: Sure, it may be a touch harsh to put Elliott in the ‘Miss’ sector, however it must have been difficult to lose the Supersport title on countback. And then when you consider that for this year the support categories had to drop their worst rounds, which helped Spriggs to the title, Elliott missed out on the elusive ASBK and ASC double. Still, he did all he could with the Sydney win and we can’t wait to see him keep progressing into 2016 – potentially in the premier class!