Image: Russell Colvin.

Former national title-winners Troy Herfoss and Wayne Maxwell have both been ruled out of today’s second Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) race at Phillip Island.

Herfoss ran as high as position 16 on Saturday, but a late undisclosed issue on his WorldSBK CBR1000RR SP2 forced him to withdraw in the closing laps.

The Penrite Honda Racing team has opted to focus on the second pair of Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) races in Victoria for Sunday, with the 2016 champion capturing a debut victory with Honda’s new factory program in race one.

A battered Maxwell meanwhile will also sit out the second 22-lap WorldSBK affair after crashing out of race one yesterday and then also going down in spectacular fashion during the first ASBK race.

That leaves Yamaha Racing Team newcomer Daniel Falzon as the lone wildcard in the premier class this afternoon, set to make his second-career WorldSBK start. He also was a non-finisher in Saturday’s opening race.