Features 9 Mar 2017

The Point: Revamped ASBK qualifying format

Saturday races and progressive grids not the answer according to most.

A topical new qualifying format has been introduced ahead of round two of the 2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli at Wakefield Park, which will see a race introduced on Saturdays to determine grid positions, while awarding half-points in the process. From there, progressive grids will decide who starts where in Sunday’s primary championship races. CycleOnline.com.au tracked down a number of high-profile people within the sport to get their take on the matter.

Image: Keith Muir.

Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team – 2013 ASBK Superbike champion):
I’ve discussed the new qualifying procedure with every competitor in the ASBK field and nobody could come up with a positive for it. It’s all fairly negative, not only in terms of safety, but also there are a lot of people spending a huge amount of money. For me, obviously Yamaha covers most of the bills, but for some of the privateers it could ruin their whole weekend and probably their whole year. They probably wouldn’t be able to see a point in why they’d want to finish the year after having a round of working their butts off and only having received five points. Back to what it was, Superpole is a great thing, but I understand guys who don’t make it get 10 minutes less track time, so whether that puts them at any disadvantage, I’m not sure. It needs to be somewhere back to that, a traditional thing, and I don’t know why there has been a change. I don’t know what they are trying to achieve with it and if it is trying to achieve a better spectacle, I don’t think that’s the case. People want to see the best guys go head-to-head and if one of them has made a small mistake, coming from the back of the grid is not going to happen. The most likely, commonsense thing is to leave it alone and don’t fix what ain’t broken.

Ben Henry (DesmoSport Ducati – Team co-owner):
They spoke to me about it when they were going to do it and I said that I’m not really that big on it, for the reason that effectively there’s only one qualifier, and that’s the race. The first qualifier only grids you for the qualifying race, which isn’t really a big deal. If that one qualifier goes bad then you’re in trouble and I don’t really like progressive grids in racing – if you’re good enough to get pole, you deserve it for the weekend. The qualifying race, in a funny way, won’t be an all-out race anyway, because there is so much to lose. I don’t believe it will be raced like a proper race and I guarantee their pay structures won’t be paying for the races on Saturday – they will be paying for the races on Sunday and that’s what matters. Half-points, all the same, no I disagree and I don’t like it. We’ve got a formula in racing where you qualify, go racing and whoever wins, wins. That works. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – just do the basics right and we will all move forward.

Image: Keith Muir.

Daniel Falzon (Caterpillar JD Racing Yamaha – Superbike points leader):
I’m of the opinion that nothing was broken, so why try to fix it!? I’m not pleased to see a new format, we are racing at the pinnacle of the sport in Australia and I believe there is no room for handicaps. Spectators want to see the best racers race each other, not a progressive grid, which mixes all levels of skill, also posing a huge safety hazard. The back of grid penalty is simply too severe. Teams at this level have invested too much time, effort and money to be robbed of their qualifying place. There’s another series that runs this format – take your choice.

Glenn Allerton (Yamaha Racing Team – 2008/2011/2014 ASBK Superbike champion):
It’s good to have some change, to make it interesting, but the idea I don’t like is the progressive grid. I think it can hurt you more and there are more negatives than positives. Say, you’re having a good weekend and you’re fastest, but if you have a problem then you get sent all the way to the back. It can be potentially dangerous, having the grids that we have, with so many riders on the grids now. I would like to see the Sunday grids set, but I really don’t know what procedure to use to set that grid. There’s been a few ideas thrown out there, but I don’t have the answer… maybe we should have two qualifying sessions on Saturday and have that short race in the afternoon, which would be good for fans, but the grid should be set from those two qualifying sessions. At least in the second race you’re still going to be where you belong, the speed is true and the qualifying session showed that. You’ll still get a legitimate shot.

Simon Maas (Motorcycling Australia – ASBK operations manager):
We are aware from feedback from some riders and teams that they’re looking for an improved qualifying and racing format in the ASBK and a review is underway to determine what changes, if any, will be made before Wakefield Park. The ASBK takes rider feedback and rider safety as a high priority. As a result, we’re currently reviewing what race structures are in play for Wakefield Park.

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