Yamaha Racing Team’s Wayne Maxwell has set the combined benchmark in Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) testing at The Bend Motorsport Park.

The 2013 champion fired a 1m54.020s lap-time in the final session on Wednesday to stamp his authority on the brand new, 4.95-kilometre International Circuit in South Australia.

The time of Maxwell saw him lead Tuesday pace-setter Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) by just 0.010s, as triple world champion Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati) was once again in contention, third overall with a 1m54.280s. Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Glenn Allerton (Next Gen Motorsports BMW) filled the top five.

Behind Allerton came local Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team), the last rider within the 54s, as both riders sat out the fifth outing today. Phillip Island winner Bryan Staring (Kawasaki BCperformance) managed to set the seventh-quickest time following a difficult couple of days, being first non-Pirelli rider on Dunlop tyres.

Another South Australian in Arthur Sissis (SA Demolitions Suzuki) impressed yet again by going P8 and top privateer on his GSX-R1000, trailed by Michael Blair (Gosford Classic Car Museum Yamaha) and a resurgent Kyle Buckley on the second of the Kawasaki BCperformance entries.

In the Kawasaki Supersport class it was an in-form Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) who was unstoppable in Tailem Bend, his 1m56.464s a full 1.785s faster than points leader Tom Toparis (Cube Racing Kawasaki), with Giuseppe Scarcella (Kawasaki BCperformance) third.

Behind them came the battle of the rookies as Broc Pearson (Yamaha) edged Max Croker (Mladin Racing Suzuki) for fifth position, with Zac Johnson (Yamaha) in sixth the final rider beneath the 2m00s marker. All will be eager to increase their pace in a bid to match Halliday come the race weekend.

Yamaha-mounted Hunter Ford rose to the top in Supersport 300 at the conclusion of two days with a 2m11.506s, just over a tenth ahead of Olly Simpson (Yamaha) and Tayla Relph (Yamaha), while leading Ninja was Cube Racing’s Oli Bayliss (Kawasaki) in fourth, ahead of Ben Baker (Kawasaki).

Round three of the 2018 ASBK series will return to The Bend Motorsport Park for the race weekend alongside the Asia Road Racing Championship between 19-22 April.

Detailed results