Image: Russell Colvin.

A new best lap of The Bend Motorsport Park has secured Wayne Maxwell the inaugural pole position after increasing the pace on Saturday morning.

Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) posted a flying 1m52.175s lap-time in Q2, leading Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) and Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati) off the front row of the grid.

While neither Herfoss or Bayliss managed to improve their lap-times this morning, number one plate-holder Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar) did for fourth, ahead of South Australia’s Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team). Another major improver was Jamie Stauffer (Craig McMartin Racing Ducati), climbing to sixth at the conclusion of qualifying.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday stayed atop the Kawasaki Supersport time-sheets with his fast lap from Friday, but was also quickest this morning with a 1m57.644s as conditions dried.

While the top five of Tom Toparis (Cube Racing Kawasaki) by 0.653s, Broc Pearson (Yamaha), John Hunt (Suzuki) and Damon Rees (Honda) remained unchanged from yesterday, first of the riders to improve their quickest was Max Croker (Suzuki) as he jumped to P6.

In Supersport 300 it was Tom Bramich (Yamaha) who retained his status on the pole position, electing to sit out the session held in drying track conditions. In fact, the top five – Zac Levy (Yamaha), Hunter Ford (Yamaha), Locky Taylor (Yamaha) and Olly Simpson (Yamaha) – all sat out the sessions, but their times from Q1 stuck.

Detailed results