Image: Keith Muir.

South Australian privateer Daniel Falzon (JD Racing Yamaha) has made it back-to-back wins in race two of the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli at Phillip Island.

If yesterday’s opening affair was recognised as a race of attrition, this one was just as topical with Glenn Allerton (Yamaha Racing Team) going down in turn one on the first lap, followed by Bryan Staring (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) in turn 11 on lap four. Both were on the podium yesterday.

In contrast, after crashing yesterday Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) bounced back for second this afternoon, as did Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in fifth, after a holed radiator ruled him out on Saturday. Matt Walters (Swann Insurance/Repsol/Kawasaki Connection) also rebounded from the same issue as Waters for P8.

At the front, however, there was no denying Falzon another race win. Maxwell applied all the pressure he could in the mid-stages, albeit struggling for rear grip and squeezing every inch out of his Dunlop. Meanwhile, Pirelli-equipped Falzon powered ahead at the front, clocking away consistent laps in an intriguing battle of the tyre brands.

In the end Falzon inched away to a 2.145s victory over Maxwell as they crossed the line and Australasian champion Robbie Bugden (Kawasaki BCperformance) joined them on the box in third. He got the better of defending champion Troy Herfoss (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) for position – that scrap being one of the closer ones in the final laps.

An incident on the 12th and final lap actually resulted in a red flag, taking the final results back to the end of lap 11, when Falzon crossed the stripe 0.919s ahead of Maxwell. It didn’t affect any of the top 10’s finishing order.

Waters was a comfortable fifth, trailed by a consistent Cru Halliday (IPONE/YMF/YMI Yamaha), Michael Blair (YRT/Central Coast Car Museum Yamaha) who exited yesterday with a mechanical on the warm-up lap, Walters, Beau Beaton (Racer’s Edge Performance/McMartin Racing Ducati) and Mitch Levy (ATR/Landbridge Transport Yamaha).

Meanwhile, after crashing out of the lead on Saturday and finishing P9, Mark Chiodo (Repsol GAS Racing Triumph) bounced back with the second Supersport race victory this morning in a race that was declared due to a red flag following three laps.

Opening race winner Mason Coote (Yamaha) and Ted Collins (Suzuki) joined him on the podium, as Sam Condon (Yamaha) and Ryan Taylor completed the top five (Yamaha), marginally ahead of Ben Burke (Yamaha), Luke Mitchell (Yamaha) and Jordan Carlsson (Yamaha) when the stoppage happened.