Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday emerged as the fastest rider in practice at the second round of the 2023 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), entering the 1m28s bracket in Sydney to lead teammate Mike Jones as Sean Condon set the pace in Supersport.

Halliday fired a new all-time ASBK best-lap of a 1m29.496s in FP1 this morning and shattered that in this afternoon’s third practice session, posting a blistering 1m28.895s.

That lap saw him six-tenths clear of reigning champion Jones who also posted his fastest time in FP3, as points leader Josh Waters (McMatin Racing) Ducati completed the top-three with a 1m29.573s – just three-thousandths slower than the benchmark he set at the pre-season test.

A 1m30.195s saw MotoGo Yamaha’s Bryan Staring in P4 as the Western Australian continues to build onboard the R1, leading Penrite Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss who completed the top five.

Posting his best time in FP2, Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing) concluded practice in P6, ahead of Glenn Allerton who was the final rider in the 1m30s bracket with a 1m30.680s.

Also featuring inside the top 10 were former Supersport champion Ted Collins (Livson Racing), Max Stauffer (GTR MotoStars Yamaha) and Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati).

Image: Foremost Media.

In Supersport, Condon (Yamaha) lead the way in practice with a 1m32.958s, nearly half a second clear of second-placed Jack Passfield (Yamaha) as both riders improved in FP2.

Despite a fall at turn nine in the second session, St George Summer Night Series winner Jake Farnsworth was third-quickest, just over a second from Condon with a 1m34.056s.

Championship leader Ty Lynch (Yamaha) notched the fourth-fastest time, leading Olly Simpson (Yamaha), reigning champion John Lytras (Yamaha) and Dallas Skeer (Yamaha), each in the 1m34s bracket. Tom Bramich (Yamaha), Hayden Nelson (Yamaha) and Jonathan Nahlous completed the top 10.

Cameron Swain was a benchmark in Supersport 300 and the R3 Cup, a 1m44.003s banked in the first practice session seeing him two-tenths clear of round one winner Jai Russo – who was fastest in FP2 – as Brandon Demmery completed the top three.

Emerging as the clear practice pace-setter in the Oceania Junior Cup (OJC), Riley Nauta was fastest in both sessions to lead Bodie Paige and Hunter Corney ahead of qualifying.

Detailed results