Image: Rob Mott/ERMotorsport.

The first major piece of the 2023 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) silly season puzzle has fallen into place after Troy Herfoss and Penrite Honda confirmed today that they will continue together for another year.

At 35, Herfoss will enter his 10th term with Honda Australia, firmly targeting a third-career ASBK crown after clinching it in 2016 and 2018.

“I’m so excited and I feel relieved,” Herfoss explained. “Obviously last year was the toughest year of my career and the team stuck by me the whole way and helped me out of the hole we started in this year that flowed on from 2021.

“We managed to finish out the year with a race win and I’m so happy to get the deal done and go into 2023 back to normal, rolling out as a championship contender. This will be my 10th season with Honda, which is quite an accomplishment.

“Growing up I looked up to guys in Australian Superbike, like Shawn Giles, who was my first teammate, and I respected his loyalty to a brand and that’s something that I’ve kept with me along the way. I’ve enjoyed my time with Honda, I’ve been able to win some championships and have been competitive the whole way and I look to carry on for the years to come.

“I also wanted to congratulate my mechanic Glenn Granger for this milestone as well, he has been with me that whole time, I want to thank him for putting up with me for all those years – he’s my most loyal lieutenant.”

Herfoss was seriously injured in Darwin last year, but despite a tough 2022 – by his standards – that saw him finish fourth in the final Superbike standings, he managed to end the season on a high note with the opening race victory at The Bend finals.

Deon Coote, Penrite Honda Racing team owner added: “What a rollercoaster the last 18 months have been! Since the beginning of ERMotorsport, we were all at our best and fighting for wins at every round. It became normal for us to win, we didn’t know any different, something we were very lucky for.

“So after we were rocked by that horrible incident last year, it was a reality check for our team. Being a single-rider team, we are all in betting on him for our results. Troy’s rehabilitation has been emotional, challenging and so much hard work. His comeback trail has been motivating and inspiring to be around.

“I am proud to have him as our rider and proud of the team who are determined and have a never give up attitude. To finish the year with a race win was the icing on the cake and it certainly paid us all back for the effort we give to supplying Troy with the best motorcycle on the grid. We can’t wait to start 2023 fresh and ready to fight for the championship.”

The re-signing of Herfoss comes after a mixture of riders had been linked to the single-bike operation, including Josh Waters testing the CBR1000RR-R following the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. It’s understood that newly-crowned triple champion Mike Jones – yet to renew his Yamaha Racing Team deal – had also been on the radar.