Image: Foremost Media.

An unprecedented move to Ducati machinery for Cru Halliday and Stop and Seal Racing saw the Superbike mainstay having to adapt his racecraft on debut aboard the McMartin Racing-prepared V4 R at Phillip Island.

The 37-year-old made the transition from a Yamaha YZF-R1M to the V4 R platform, qualifying fifth at the scenic Phillip Island venue which would feature a range of weather conditions throughout the weekend.

A fall in race one impacted the overall finish, however, a solid ride in the second encounter saw him earn a strong fourth-place result after leading laps at the front, as he continues to adjust to the new bike.

“After being where I’ve been all year, at the back of the pack and mid-pack and that, you don’t really battle with five guys going for a win,” Halliday told CycleOnline. “You sort of just relate to racing one or two guys through a race as you’re fading backwards.

“But now we’re moving forward – we led the race there for a few laps. And yeah, it’s getting the racecraft… I’m not going to lie, it’s even getting your racecraft back, just understanding where to pass people on that new bike. Yeah, [race two] was a sick race.”

The new connection to the McMartin Racing team and reigning champion Josh Waters is something that Halliday has found of value, as they lean on each other to find progress and development which is the case in the unique merger between teams.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Josh – he’s got titles – he’s an unbelievable rider, and yeah, not only just looking up at him – I’ve [also] got a heap of respect for him. You know, just to be a mate as well, we ring each other to talk about the bike and just talk about anything.

“My bike wasn’t all that bad [after the race one fall], but obviously it’s a new bike to the team. We’re very low on parts, but Craig McMartin walked next door and asked what the plan was for the next race – and we looked at each other – and he helped us out. That’s good, having two professional teams like this.”