Clean-sweep for YRT's Halliday in dominant weekend of Supersport.
Penrite Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss has taken an emphatic victory in round two of the 2018 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli at Wakefield Park, New South Wales.
It was a battle of the titans in race one of the YMI Superbikes as Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) edged Herfoss for the victory by just 0.031s at the conclusion of 20 nail-biting laps. Each led 10 laps apiece following a duel at the front, however it was Maxwell who managed to power out of the final turn and to the chequered flag first when it counted.
Behind them came reigning champion Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in third, running with the front two early on before gradually dropping off the rear, over six seconds back by race’s end. He was a second up on Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team), who eventually got the better of both Bryan Staring (Kawasaki BCperformance) and Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati).
A lonely seventh was Glenn Allerton (Next Gen Motorsports BMW), as Jamie Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing) kept Alex Phillis (Phillis Racing Suzuki) and Matt Walters (Swann Insurance Kawasaki) at bay, completing the top 10. Second of the factory Suzukis Mark Chiodo was an early casualty, going down in the first turn on lap one.
A commanding victory in race two was enough for home hero Herfoss to clinch a third-successive round victory in Goulburn, topping race two by 1.144s over race one winner Maxwell, with Waters third.
It was Maxwell who jumped out front early and led the first 11 laps from the front, however Herfoss homed in and made his move at that point. They went back and forth a number of times until the latter eventually made it stick, leading across the line from lap 12 onwards.
Waters was also ahead of Herfoss for much of the race’s first half, however had to settle for P3 once again from Falzon, while Bayliss climbed to fifth this time around. Positions six through 10 were filled by Stauffer, Allerton, Phillis, Michael Blair (Yamaha) and the resurgent Kyle Buckley (Kawasaki BCperformance). Buckley’s teammate Staring crashed out at the midway point in turn two.
The round win was all Herfoss, one point ahead of Maxwell due to his point for pole, with the ever-consistent Waters third. In the standings it’s now Herfoss atop the order, 10 points ahead of Waters, with Maxwell a further seven points in arrears. Former leader Staring has plummeted down the ranks to sixth following two rounds.
Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday has increased the pressure on Tom Toparis (Kawasaki) in the Kawasaki Supersport series, scoring pole and converting it to a pair of race wins today.
The opening Kawasaki Supersport race saw Halliday sprint away to victory in warm, windy conditions, dominating the opening 16-lap affair of the round. The Yamaha Racing Team rider led local favourite Tom Toparis by 4.003s across the line after posting a new lap record of 59.612s.
World Supersport regular Lachlan Epis (Kawasaki) completed the podium, as behind him came best of the rookies Broc Pearson (Yamaha), who in turn topped another impressive newcomer in Max Croker (Suzuki) – the latter undergoing surgery on a broken collarbone since Phillip Island.
Croker managed to edge BCperformance’s Giuseppe Scarcella (Kawasaki) to the line for an inspired result, as Jordan Carlsson (Yamaha) in his first race of the season, Nic Liminton (Yamaha), Damon Rees (Honda) and Dallas Skeer (Suzuki) rounded out the top 10.
Back-to-back wins in Goulburn sees Halliday clinch his first round win of the year in Supersport aboard the factory-prepared YZF-R6, a comfortable 3.739s ahead of determined early leader Toparis and Pearson – those three also standing on the podium overall for the round.
Halliday led from pole until Toparis dipped beneath him on lap one and set the pace across the opening five laps. Finally making his move, Halliday hit the front on lap six and that’s where he stayed. In fourth came Croker, as Scarcella got the better of Rees to take the final place in the top five.
Behind them in P7 was Next Gen’s Scott Nicholson (Suzuki), followed by Cambridge Olivier (Yamaha), Jack Passfield (Yamaha) and Liminton. Notable crashers were Epis and Carlsson, who was involved when the race was declared following 14 laps. In the points it’s still Toparis who is on top, four ahead of Halliday and Pearson’s now third.
In the Supersport 300 class it was in-form Queenslander Zac Levy (Yamaha) who took out the overall victory. He won both of today’s action-packed races for the round win, ahead of Cube Racing’s points leader Oli Bayliss (Kawasaki) and Tom Bramich (Yamaha).
Runaway points leader Levy also stood atop the YMF R3 Cup podium thanks to a clean-sweep, ahead of Hunter Ford and Locky Taylor. In the GP Juniors Cup it was Max Stauffer who won with 1-2-1 finishes, from race two winner John Lytras and Harrison Voight – all aboard Yamahas.
The 2018 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli will continue at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia on 19-22 April, marking the series inaugural visit to the world-class venue alongside the Asian Road Racing Championship.