In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out at round five of the 2023 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Morgan Park.

Superbike

Image: Foremost Media.

Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) – First:
It’s been a credit to the team, we all had to keep calm in a high-pressure situation today. We made some changes and they worked and some on Friday that didn’t, but we got to qualifying with a good bike and we came out this morning swinging in the warm-up, had a really solid pace and two race wins. It’s just amazing, I can’t believe the trajectory we’re on at the moment, the championship lead, a 14-point lead going into Phillip Island. I’m so excited to get down there, I’ve never been this excited to go to Phillip Island. We’ve made some big changes to the bike set-up since we were last there and it’s been a process and we are getting on top of it really well. We are starting to reach the Honda’s full potential which is really nice.

Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) – Second:
Another round and another great battle with Troy. I was frustrated after the first race because I knew what was coming but didn’t do anything to prevent it, so just a bit angry with myself knowing that I knew what Troy would do, I just didn’t do anything to stop it. Race two and that was on me. I defended the inside, but the back just got loose, and I couldn’t tip into the turn and that allowed Troy to come up the inside of me. But I will take that on the chin as I was trying to win the race, and just made an execution error and that’s racing. I would rather be beaten like that trying to win and race, rather than what happened in the first one. The speed was obviously on this weekend and the Yamaha Racing Team did a great job. Everyone was on pace early, but the boys found something in the bike Friday night, and we were fast every time we hit the track after that. Thanks to the team for their efforts, my bike was amazing around here this weekend.

Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) – Fifth:
Not my greatest weekend, I just needed to be faster here. Race one was ok, but I just couldn’t find a good place to attack Glenn as he is good under brakes. Race two was just me, I rode tight, my heart rate and breathing were up, and I just didn’t ride well. The positives were, I set my best times around here and got through the weekend without any falls or damage. The next round is Phillip Island and that has proven to be a good track for me recently, so I hope to bounce back strongly there and get back on the podium.

Glenn Allerton (GT Racing Team BMW) – Third:
To say I’m over the moon is an understatement this weekend. My expectations were to try to get as many points as possible as this has been a very difficult track for me in the past but to actually be in the battle and right there at the front with Troy and Mike was great. The racer in me took over and I wanted more. To come away from the weekend third overall is awesome for our GT racing team. The thing I’m most proud of is how the team reacted during qualifying when we had a small oil leak on the bike. Everybody did the job and got me back on track and able to qualify the bike as best I could and I thank everyone involved. I really can’t wait to get to Phillip, Island, and start testing for around six.

Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) – Fourth:
P5 and P4 for the weekend. It’s a little bit of a bummer, we were inside the top three all weekend and we weren’t able to put it into the races, but I really exceeded my expectations with a 1:12.4 lap time in qualifying and I was so happy with that. I made a few mistakes in the races, but I worked hard to regain track position, especially in race one, and I’m really proud to be the first Ducati home this weekend.

Ted Collins (Livson Racing BMW) – 10th:
Morgan Park is now complete and we’re leaving with a 10th in race one and 11th in race two. In the final race of the weekend, we definitely saw some progress made, as we struggled to get into a rhythm, in race one. So, I was happy I was able to turn it around and finish on a strong note. A massive thank you to Jake, Nathan, Tom, Betty, Tayla and Lachie for all their work this weekend. We’ll be putting in a lot of work over the break to make sure we come out swinging for the final two rounds of the season and really showcase the pace that Livson Racing and I have.

Max Stauffer (GTR MotoStars Yamaha) – 16th:
I won’t beat around the bush, that was a tough weekend. I struggled a lot throughout the whole weekend. I crashed out of the opening race on the second lap and finished 10th in race two, a long way off where I want to be. I’m now shifting the focus to Phillip Island in October. See you there!