Team Honda Racing press release:
It was a gut-wrenching end to the 2017 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) for Crankt Protein Honda Racing at Phillip Island, in what marked the final ASBK appearance for the outfit in operation with Troy Herfoss and Bryan Staring.
Former champion Herfoss was destined for success, carrying a slender six-point lead into the weekend, although it wasn’t to be when the Queensland-based rider was forced to return to pit lane in race one with just a matter of laps still on the board.
The opening outing saw Staring put in spirited fight, navigating the challenging conditions with class to position himself just outside of the top five in sixth place, narrowly edging out a number of rivals despite a rare flat front tyre.
In much better weather conditions for race two, Herfoss charged to second in a last-ditch attempt to revive his championship hopes and, despite the heroic effort, he wasn’t able to pull it off after he was credited 10th overall with a DNF-2 scorecard.
To round out the year on a positive note, Western Australian ace Staring put in an impressive display, finishing just behind teammate Herfoss in third to be rewarded fourth overall, just two points shy of the overall podium to cap-off the season.
In the final championship standings, it was Herfoss who collected third in the championship despite a difficult final round, as Staring was credited seventh overall in what was his return to the ASBK series this season.
Crankt Protein Honda Racing will now turn its attention to the national Superbike support races at Phillip Island on 20-22 October alongside the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
To stay up to date with the Crankt Protein Honda Racing team, visit the team’s official website at www.teamhondaracing.com.au or follow @teamhondaracing on social media.