Image: Foremost Media.

A dominant performance from Josh Waters saw the McMartin Racing Ducati rider extend his 2023 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) lead with victory in race one at Hidden Valley.

From pole, Waters launched to the early lead ahead of GT Racing’s Glenn Allerton who slotted into second. It didn’t take long for a lead group of four to form with the Waters, Allerton, Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) and Mike Jones edging away from the field.

On lap five Waters began to break clear on his own at the front, setting a new race lap record of a 1m05.307 to increase his advantage as Herfoss took Allerton the following lap into turn one for second. Soon after Jones made his way past the number 14 for third.

At the halfway point of the race Waters’ lead was 1.8s, with Herfoss still ahead of Jones and Allerton – all three riders in contention for P2.

Waters continued to manage his advantage in the laps that followed, while Herfoss had to take a wide line around a lapped rider at turn five with four laps to go, bunching the fight for second right up.

It was at the corner a lap later that Allerton moved past Jones for third, and from that point the top four remained unchanged, with Waters taking a commanding victory, conserving to the chequered flag to finish 1.273s ahead of the Fireblade rider, with Allerton completing the podium and Jones fourth.

MotoGo Yamaha rider Bryan Staring was fifth, ahead of Anthony West (Addicted to Track) and Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing) – the South Australian’s wrist still not 100 percent after that testing crash at Queensland Raceway.

Behind them was Cru Halliday, the Yamaha Racing Team rider not having a great opening lap but was able to work his way back to as high P5, before ultimately taking the chequered flag in P8. Max Stauffer (GTR MotoStars Yamaha) and Ted Collins (Livson Racing) completed the top 10.

Waters holds a 24-point advantage in the ASBK standings ahead of Herfoss ahead of the final two races for round four tomorrow.

Detailed results