Image: Marc Jones (Foremost Media).

Home hero Troy Herfoss has snatched pole position at Wakefield Park’s second round of the 2018 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli.

Originally from Goulburn, Penrite Honda Racing’s Herfoss lodged a late 57.269s to deny practice pace-setter Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) first on the grid for tomorrow’s pair of 20-lap races.

Maxwell has been atop the time-sheets all weekend long in YMI Superbike on-board his YZF-R1M, however after going head-to-head in the fight for pole it was Herfoss who fired the final shot for the position – the first pole for his newly-established Penrite Honda Racing team.

A 57.360s left Maxwell marginally behind in P2, while defending champion Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will round out the front row after getting the better of Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) – the final rider to dip into the 57s – in the latter stages.

With track temperatures increasing today, Maxwell’s time from Friday will stand as the circuit best lap, as double champion Jamie Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing Ducati) impressed in his return to competition for fifth on the grid, just ahead of points leader Bryan Staring (Kawasaki BCperformance).

Triple world champion Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati) was next best in seventh, ahead of three-time national title-winner Glenn Allerton (Next Gen Motorsports BMW). Privateer duo Michael Blair (Yamaha) and Matt Walters (Swann Insurance Kawasaki) completed the top 10.

Image: Marc Jones (Foremost Media).

In the Kawasaki Supersport class it was Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday who captured his first pole position of the season on return to the YZF-R6, his 59.216s from Q1 topping World Supersport regular Lachlan Epis (Kawasaki) and Goulburn’s own Tom Toparis (Cube Racing Kawasaki).

Fourth was Broc Pearson (Yamaha), the last rider within the 59s bracket, as New Zealander Damon Rees rode his Honda to fifth on the grid. Neither Halliday or Epis improved on their times from the morning as the temperatures rose throughout the day.

In the first Supersport 300 affair it was Hunter Ford (Yamaha) from pole position who edged Zac Levy (Yamaha) by 0.854s, over 10 seconds clear of Harry Khouri (Yamaha). Levy turned the tables on Ford by 0.065s in the YMF R3 Cup, with Locky Taylor directly behind in third. Yamaha-mounted Max Stauffer won the GP Juniors Cup opener.

Detailed results