CycleOnline.com.au highlights three standout performances from the weekend’s opening round of the 2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli at Phillip Island. Radar isn’t intended to be strictly about the winners, it’s about the unsung racers that we spot performing above expectations on any given race weekend.

Image: Keith Muir.

Cru Halliday (IPONE/YMF/YMI Yamaha) – Superbike, fourth overall:
It wasn’t certain whether Cru Halliday would continue racing or not in 2017 after losing his factory Yamaha seat, but they’ve managed to put together a solid privateer team and fourth overall was better than expected at the Island. Registering 6-6-7 results in a weekend full of attrition, the points gained will be important and he will only gain strength once we get to some of his more favoured circuits.

Image: Keith Muir.

Mitch Levy (ATR/Landbridge Transport Yamaha) – Superbike, sixth overall:
There were a heap of rookies in the headlines leading up to Phillip Island, but Levy was consistently best of those newcomers at Phillip Island. He was consistently quick, race-craft was good in a series with lots of depth and can be proud of the results he put forward. Going into the weekend, you wouldn’t have predicted a sixth overall for Levy first time out in the Superbike class among the very best in the business.

Image: Keith Muir.

Tom Edwards (Kawasaki) – Supersport 300 (Up To 300), first overall:
While there were a heap of riders who performed across all classes, we couldn’t look past Tom Edwards’ showing in the Supersport 300 ranks, winning the overall. In an ultra-close 42-rider field where track position meant everything, Edwards rode to second, first and third in the trio of races. In class he was second in the opening encounter and went on to win both races, so be sure to watch him this season.