Image: Foremost Media.

Any injuries of a serious nature were escaped by Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday after he bailed from his R1M to avoid hitting the wall at the exit of turn one amidst contact with Arthur Sissis.

The fall occurred in race three after Halliday and the rear of Sissis Unitech Racing Yamaha clashed, the subsequent trajectory sending Halliday into the grass and towards the outside barrier.

What followed was reminiscent of Halliday’s incident in the opening race of the season at Phillip Island, where the number 65 had to jump off his machine to stop short of hitting a wall at speed.

“Yeah, I’m alright, just a bit of a crappy situation, just a racing incident,” Halliday explained. “I saw Arthur had gone a little bit wide and I thought I would duck under up the inside,” Halliday told CycleOnline. “When you watch the footage, I was pretty tight and our lines came together.

“I actually nudged him at first and sort of stayed on my line, but once my wheel sort of overlapped his, it sort of took me off the track and I veered towards the wall. I knew I had to bail, because of the angle and speed I was coming in I knew I couldn’t slow it up on the grass.

“I just threw a leg over it, and I literally thought straight away as I threw a leg over it that this is the exact same as how it happened at Phillip Island, the bike hit the wall.

“The rear wheel was spinning pretty fast and it brushed me on the ribs and pulled the wind out of me pretty quick. Just bruised my ribs, the Racesafe medical team were pretty adamant that I have a broken rib, but it doesn’t feel like broke my ribs, just a bruised ego and bruised ribs.

“I’m alright, just pretty disappointed with myself. It’s been a pretty dramatic weekend for me, I had a crash also on Friday in the afternoon, which was just a little low-side, but yeah it hasn’t been the greatest weekend.”

The incident was reviewed by ASBK race direction post-race, determining no further action. Halliday’s best result of the weekend was fourth in race two and it is the first venue this season where the Yamaha Racing Team rider has not finished on a race podium, with the focus now shifting to Morgan Park on 14-16 July.