Image: Foremost Media.

Penrite Honda Racing counter-protests against the McMartin Racing Ducati of Josh Waters were also dismissed following races two and three of the 2023 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) round at Hidden Valley.

Tension between the two teams escalated in Darwin and following race one on Saturday, McMartin Racing protested against the linkage used on the bike of second-place finisher Troy Herfoss.

That protest was soon thrown out, but following race two on Sunday, Penrite Honda owner ER Motorsports protested in relation to the steering head/triple clamp region of the McMartin Racing-built V4 R. Additionally, following the final encounter, another protest was made by the factory-backed Honda squad against the valves in Waters’ bike. Ultimately, both protests were also dismissed.

“After race two, the ASBK race director received a technical protest from the entrant of bike number 17 (Honda Racing) and referred the matter to the MA steward,” a statement from MA detailed. “The MA steward conducted a hearing into an alleged unauthorised component on bike number 21 (Waters). Upon reviewing the case and after completing a formal hearing of all parties, the MA steward dismissed the technical protest, finding there was no case to answer. The protest fee was forfeited, with no further action to come.

“After race three, the ASBK race director received a technical protest from the entrant of bike number 17 (Honda Racing) and referred the matter to the MA steward. The MA steward conducted a hearing into an alleged non-compliant engine on bike number 21 (Waters).

“Upon reviewing the case and after receiving the technical report by the ASBK series chief technical officer, and completing a formal hearing of all parties, the MA Steward dismissed the technical protest, finding there was no case to answer. The protest fee was forfeited. The $500 examination bond paid by Honda Racing was awarded to McMartin Racing (bike 21) in accordance with ASBK sporting regulation 6.7.3. No further action to come.”

Herfoss was the winner of both races two and three, securing him the overall victory, while Waters made a costly mistake running off the track while leading race two and recovered to finish fifth. A P3 result in race three saw the number 21 second for the weekend, and he leads Herfoss by eight points entering round five at Morgan Park on 14-16 July.