Tag Archives: Mike Jones

Mike Jones returns to Yamaha Racing Team for 2022


A two-pronged attack of Halliday and Jones will see the pair contest the Australian Superbike Championship on Yamaha’s championship winning YZF-R1 and headline a huge Yamaha presence at ASBK events.

Mike Jones, who won his last ASBK championship in 2019, is excited about his move to Yamaha, a brand and team he is familiar with after having an association earlier in his career. The 27-year-old Queensland based rider, is looking forward to getting stuck into testing and a solid pre-season hit-out with the team before lining up for round one of the championship in February.

Mike Jones

“Yamaha enjoyed plenty of success around the world in 2021 and the R1 has proven to be a very competitive package in every major championship contested this year,. Personally, I have raced Cru closely over the past few seasons and I can see the YRT bike is good and look forward to working with the team to fine-tune it to my needs and have a good run at the ASBK championship in 2022. Having the team based here in Brisbane and the experience of John and Kevin around will be to my advantage and I know from our meetings just how enthusiastic and determined they are this year to get YRT back on top. I’m pumped to be on board with them.”

Mike Jones
Mike Jones

Cru Halliday will mark nearly a decade with the bLU cRU as he lines up again for the 2022 season with Yamaha and YRT. Halliday has matured over the years, and he is now a legitimate contender in the ASBK championship and a potential race winner every time he grids up on his R1.

The former Supersport champion has finished the last three ASBK season inside the top five but is desperate to take the next step and turn those top five finishes into podiums and be right in the championship hunt at the end of the season.

Cru Halliday

“I have been with Yamaha and YRT for a long time and I’m due to reward them with another championship. The team and I have a great relationship and it continues to grow each year. Since returning to the superbike class in 2019, I have finished fourth, second, third and it’s time to make things happen and fight my way to the top. The team has made a few changes and given us more support and assistance during the week, so I feel I have all the tools I need and really look forward for what’s to come in 2022.”

Cru Halliday
Cru Halliday

Team owner, John Redding, also anticipates a successful and productive season as the team has done whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate success.

John Redding

“The pairing of Cru and Mike is exciting as we have two riders in the prime of their careers with plenty of experience but also the motivation to win. We have worked with Mike a long time ago but welcome him back to Yamaha and believe he will fit in perfectly with the team, while Cru is ready for a breakout year. Our determination to win this year is at an all-time high and we have stepped up the support to the riders in many ways. They will be given every opportunity to prove themselves with a strong team behind them and a great bike beneath them.”

Cru Halliday
Cru Halliday

Redding also over seas the massive YRD program at the ASBK events we he and his team of helpers offer support to Yamaha riders across all divisions. For 2022, YRD will again provide technical support to Yamaha riders as well as parts, garaging, merchandise, bonus programs and a range of other services that no other team or manufacturer can provide.

John Redding

“Yamaha has over 70 % of the pit paddock at ASBK rounds and that is a testament to not just the quality of the motorcycles we race, but also the support we provide at these events. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out in the OJC-R15 Cup or a rival to YRT in the Superbike class, YRD are happy to assist and offer a range of things to assist teams and riders. The YRD truck will again be at all ASBK events where Stewart and Janice will be happy to take care of your needs.”

The 2022 Australian Superbike Championship gets under in January with the first official test before round one kicks off in February.

Source: MCNews.com.au

YRT test on Pirelli and evaluating MoTeC for 2022

YRT commence testing for ASBK 2022

It is fair to say it has been difficult going for the Yamaha Racing Team this season in the Australian Superbike Championship.

Cru Halliday finished second in the 2020 ASBK Championship on Pirelli rubber, but it is fair to say it was a struggle for him to secure third place in 2021.

Cru Halliday and YRT tested on Pirelli rubber at The Bend on Monday

The 33-year old Yamaha stalwart managed two podium finishes during season 2022 and that third place in the championship was a somewhat surprising result considering their general lack of speed in 2021.

Cru Halliday and YRT tested on Pirelli rubber at The Bend on Monday

Cru stayed on the bike in every single race to bag points and raced to a position generally higher than he had manage to qualify.

Some have put their performance deficit down to their Dunlop rubber in 2021, others cite deficiencies with their electronics package in comparison to the latest Ducati and Honda kit, or a comparative lack of power compared to the competition. YRT are still entirely positive towards Dunlop as a brand, and mentiond to MCNews.com.au that as the season progressed they certainly got on their game and took all feedback on board, but the decision has been made to run Pirelli in 2022.

Jamie Stauffer
Jamie Stauffer – Australian Superbike Champion – 2006 & 2007

Whatever the reason, it is now almost 15 years since Yamaha last won a #1 plate in Australian Superbike. Jamie Stauffer did the double across both the Superbike and Supersport categories in 2006, and then won the Superbike Championship again in 2007, but since then it has been relatively lean period for Yamaha in the Superbike category.

ASBK Winton Jamie Stauffer Dan
Jamie Stauffer leading brother Dan at Winton in 2007 – Both were present at The Bend on the weekend, Jamie with son Max racing Supersport 300, while Dan Stauffer was swinging a few spanners for DesmoSport Ducati

There is no doubt that the Ducati Panigale V4 R has dramatically moved the performance goal-posts, as has the latest SP Fireblade and ZX-10RR to some extent, however Yamaha has dominated elsehwere across the globe with the YZF-R1. The World Superbike, British Superbike and MotoAmerica Championships this year were all won by Yamaha riders.

In Australian Superbike our motorcycles are effectively more standard than most Superstock series around the world and it is fair to say that in standard trim the YZF-R1, while as evocative as ever, and despite some recent improvements, has not moved forward at the pace of the competition. The R1 has been nipped, tucked and tweaked, but essentially it is still a six-year-old platform.

Australian Superbike rules do open up to allow a MoTeC ECU in 2022, with some functionality restricted via a controlled firmware.

After Ducati runners have recently spent 25k per bike to kit each of their machines with the WorldSBK spec’ Marelli systems, and Penrite Honda also spent significant coin in obtaining the factory level electronics, it seems unlikely that either of them will switch to the MoTeC system in 2022, as they will be allowed to continue using their current package.

Likewise the BMW teams will most likely stick with their comparatively quite affordable factory electronics kit, as the MoTeC system does not have enough inputs to cater for the shift-cam system on the M 1000 RR.

The BCperformance Kawasaki squad had a nightmare trying to get their electronics package to offer any sort of consistency this season, and there is little doubt their poor showing off the back of those problems was a factor in Kawasaki withdrawing their support.

Cru Halliday getting a feel for the latest Pirelli rubber at The Bend on Monday – Image RbMotoLens

YRT have had nothing like that level of electronic problems, their bikes have been reliable, Halliday did finish every race after all, however it does seem as though their package is essentially outdated in comparison to what both the Ducati and Honda teams are currently running. Thus they are not only evaluating the switch from Dunlop back to Pirelli here at The Bend, but in the new year are also expected to test more with a MoTeC ECU, which they had already began doing some evaluation work with this season behind the scenes. When Superbike rules were more open in a previous era, the team did run MoTeC, so there is some knowledge about the system already within the team.

YRT boss John Redding told MCNews.com.au that they would continue to ride and develop motorcycles back to back between the current system and the MoTeC ECU, and that they would race which ever proved faster. He also remarked that whatever it took to give their riders the best equipment possible, it would be done.

Arthur Sissis was in fantastic form on his Unitech Racing YZF-R1 at The Bend – Image RbMotoLens

While local privateers Arthur Sissis and Daniel Falzon were almost 10 km/h down on top speed when not in the slipstream, compared to most of the field, they did show stunning qualifying pace on the weekend at The Bend and looked on course for potential podium results if not for both suffering misfortunes on Sunday. Both were on Pirelli rubber and both are expected to be on the grid in 2022. Although, Daniel did some significant injuries in a crash on the weekend that will likely put their preparations on hold for the foreseeable future.

Daniel Falzon (right) qualified on the front row at The Bend – Image RbMotoLens

Thus obviously the R1 can still be competitive, but it does seem as though there is just a little bit missing in order to complete the package and challenge for the Superbike title.

Cru Halliday getting a feel for the latest Pirelli rubber at The Bend on Monday – Image RbMotoLens

That said, Halliday did finish second in 2020 on Pirelli, and third in 2021 on Dunlop, so they can’t be that far off. However, I think Halliday has perhaps not received as much credit as he is due for those results.

Cru Halliday on the podium at Winton early this year – Image RbMotoLens

There will also be more Yamaha Superbikes on the grid next year. The Queensland based team Jed Metcher rode for this year is going next level in 2022. The team will be rebranded under a new 727 Moto banner and expand to two riders, as 2021 Australian Supersport Champion Broc Pearson makes the step up to Superbike with the team.

Broc Pearson was testing on Pirelli rubber at The Bend on Monday – Image RbMotoLens

The new 727 Moto Team have also recruited some top flight technical staff to the team for 2022 as Paul Free, Stewart Winton and Brent Stephens will all be working hard behind the scenes to try and ensure that both Jed and Broc have the most competitive mounts possible. Jed is a proven hard charger and will step his preparations up with the team in the new year. It is going to be a big budget effort the likes of which we probably haven’t seen from a privateer squad since the Trinder brothers shook things up with their Bio-Magnetic Therapy Team almost 20 years ago.

Supersport Champ Broc Pearson moves up to Superbike in 2022 and was testing a YZF-R1 with his new team on Monday at The Bend

Young Max Stauffer will also be on a YZF-R1 in 2022. After finishing third in the Australian Supersport Championship this season, Max will step up to Superbike in 2022 on a YZF-R1 prepared by his dad Jamie with the aid of Heath Griffin and Damian Cudlin.

Veteran Anthony West may also go around again on a better prepared YZF-R1 than he had this year and youngster Luke Jhonston will hopefully also continue to make progress.

And then of course we get to the question of who will be the second rider in the official Yamaha Racing Team alongside Cru Halliday in 2022?

Mike Jones was widely tipped to take that seat at YRT after the departure of Aiden Wagner, but Mike’s choice not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination saw him not able to compete at the Bend on the weekend with DesmoSport Ducati, and thus the two-time champ was also unable to test this week alongside Cru at The Bend.

Scuttlebutt in the pits across the weekend suggested that Mike has now perhaps reconsidered that decision in the light that it would essentially make him unemployable as a racer in 2022. At the moment it seems to be a case of ‘watch this space’, but Mike is expected to test with YRT at Morgan Park this weekend and at this stage is expected to join Cru Halliday at YRT for season 2022.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Injuries force Mike Jones to withdraw from Darwin event

Mike Jones to miss all Hidden Valley races

At first it looked like a quite innocuous front end lose during final qualifying as Mike Jones pushed to try and further his place up the grid but later investigations found injuries that would ultimately rule Mike Jones out of the remainder of proceedings at Hidden Valley.  Jones had qualified third but missed Saturday’s race as he was examined in hospital where he remains today ahead of hand surgery.

What led to Jones’ crash that damaged his hand was an earlier kerb-strike earlier that broke and dislocated toes in his foot.  Mike Jones is not the only rider to have copped a significant whack to the foot on the kerbs here this weekend, we know that Troy Herfoss, Yanni Shaw and Lachlan Epis are all smarting from similar impacts that resulted in varying degrees of injury after Saturday.  (At the start of race two on Sunday Herfoss then crashed heavily and was taken to hospital)

DesmoSpot Ducati Team co-owner – Ben Henry

Mike is still in hospital, and will be operated on early today to repair some of the damage done, mainly to his little finger now. We sent him out to put in a fast lap time midway through the qualifying two session and as he was finding some great pace, he clipped his left foot on the kerb, breaking and dislocating his toe. Mike pushed on to set a fast lap but ultimately crashed due to the injury to his foot where he then damaged his finger. He was having a great weekend, the team is working really well together and I really think that we were in for a strong result, but these things happen in racing. We’ll know more about Mike’s recovery as the day goes on, so while he is being taken care of in hospital, we’ll concentrate on supporting Oli for the final two races today as he continues his own strong weekend.”

Mike Jones on his way to qualifying third at Hidden Valley – Image RbMotoLens
Mike Jones

I’m really disappointed to miss this weekend’s three races. I was feeling great on the bike and came into the round really confident that I would be racing for the win in all three races, and right up until I eventually came off I still believed that. After I hit the kerb with my foot, I knew I’d done some serious damage, but I managed to push on, setting my fastest lap of the weekend, beating Troy’s (Bayliss) 2018 lap record (1:05.601) before I crashed. The doctors reset my toe yesterday, dislocated with two breaks, and today they’re working on repairing my finger. I’ll know a lot more later in the day about my expected recovery, so for now I’ll have to settle for watching the racing from the sidelines after they finish fixing me up.”

The loss of three significant points scoring opportunities is a cruel blow for both Jones and the DesmoSport Ducati squad with this effectively ruining any chances that Jones might have had to fight for the championship. It is also a blow to the series as in the rounds staged so far this year it has only been Jones that looked even close to getting on terms with the dominance of Wayne Maxwell and Troy Herfoss. Jones’s team-mate Oli Bayliss had already stepped up a gear this weekend and will now be the sole focus of the team for the remainder of their time in Darwin.


ASBK Championship Points

Pos Name Points Total
1 Wayne MAXWELL 20 112
2 Troy HERFOSS 25 106
3 Glenn ALLERTON 18 82
4 Cru HALLIDAY 11 76
5 Mike JONES 74
6 Bryan STARING 16 70
7 Oli BAYLISS 17 62
8 Arthur SISSIS 15 61
9 Jed METCHER 12 59
10 Matt WALTERS 10 52
11 Lachlan EPIS 9 45
12 Josh WATERS 13 40
13 Anthony WEST 14 38
14 Yannis SHAW 5 26
15 Luke JHONSTON 8 25
16 Michael EDWARDS 3 25
17 Aiden WAGNER 7 22
18 Mark CHIODO / 22
19 Nathan SPITERI / 20
20 Aaron MORRIS / 14
21 Philip CZAJ / 10
22 Daniel FALZON 6 6
23 Jack DAVIS 4 4
24 Hamish McMURRAY / 4
25 Sash SAVIN / 3

  Manufacturers Points

Pos Name Points Total
1 Yamaha 76 361
2 Ducati 37 248
3 Kawasaki 39 166
4 BMW 31 131
5 Honda 25 105
6 Suzuki 5 46

ASBK Hidden Valley Schedule

Sunday, 20 June
10:50am – Race 2 (16 laps) FOX Sports
2:05pm – Race 3 (16 laps) FOX Sports/Channel 7


2021 ASBK Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 18-21 Cancelled
  • Round 2 Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC March 12-14
  • Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW April 16-18
  • Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, NT – Supercars 2+4 (Superbikes only) June 18-20
  • Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, QLD August 20-22
  • Round 6 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA September 23-26
  • Round 7 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW October 15 – 17 *
  • Round 8 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC November 5-7 *

Source: MCNews.com.au

Defending ASBK Champions eager to get back on track

Panigale V2 being prepped for two-up rides with TB

DesmoSport Ducati welcomes the release earlier this month of the final Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) calendar, with racing set to get underway at Winton Motor Raceway on September 19 & 20.

In a year like no other, DesmoSport Ducati is primed and ready to get back on track and finish the 2020 season across the five remaining rounds in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

Team Co-Owner, Troy Bayliss

Phillip Island feels like a lifetime ago really, but Mike has continued to put in the work off the bike when we were unable to ride, and both he and Ben have found something more from the V4R, so it will be great to go racing again and put it to the test.

“As for me, I actually got to put some laps in on the new Panigale V2, and it was so much fun! I actually had such a good time, that Ducati have agreed to let us build one into a two-up bike for the rest of the year, so should things settle down, keep your eye’s peeled for an opportunity to jump on the back with me, although be warned, I might be a little rusty.”

Ducati Panigale V
Troy Bayliss and DesmoSport Ducati are preparing a Panigale V2 as a two-up ride bike for ASBK rounds

While subject to constantly changing government rules and regulations, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has been working hard to ensure our championship moves forward. With the dates now cemented in place, DesmoSport Ducati has continued to test and develop the V4R with Mike Jones aboard the bike and is prepared to resume racing to defend the 2019 ASBK title.

Team Co-Owner, Ben Henry

It’s been a year that no one could predict, that’s for sure, but the break from racing has allowed me to spend some more time with my family and working on my business, Cube Performance Centre, which has been fantastic. If anything, the break has just highlighted how much I love our sport and has me motivated more than ever to perform at the racetrack. Mike has been able to ride the bike, and we’re confident that we’ll be ready come September.

ASBK Wakefield Park Test TDJ Mike Jones main straight Cover
Mike Jones – Image by TDJ

Cube Racing Set to Return to the Track

And of course over in the other half of the DesmoSport Ducati Team at an ASBK event is the Cube Racing Supersport effort where TB’s teenage son Oli Bayliss has been honing his craft and despite the lull in racing young Oli has been training hard and also testing the Cube Racing YZF-R6 regularly at Morgan Park.

Oli Bayliss

I don’t think anyone can tell what will happen next with everything that’s going on, but I’m happy that MA have set a calendar for a little later in the year. There’s a good chance that we might be able to race the last five rounds and finish the season. Even though there hasn’t been any racing, I’ve still been able to do a few track days, I’ve been training harder than ever and I feel really good on the bike, so it will be great to get back on the grid and actually race again. I just wanted to thank everyone that’s stood by us as a team, and me as a racer this year. My brother just opened a gym, Apex Performance and Fitness, I see how hard Ben works at Cube Performance Centre, and I know that all our sponsors work just as hard in their businesses, so I really appreciate everything that you all do so we can get on track.”

Team owner, Ben Henry

We’ve been lucky to get some solid track time for Oli over the last few weeks and he’s continued his progression, despite the lack of racing. He’s physically stronger, and his confidence continues to grow with every outing on the bike. He’s unofficially set the fastest time for a 600 at Morgan Park and he’s set times in race simulations that would see him win in previous years, so I’m just looking forward to getting him back into a race situation to develop his race craft and continue his progression.”

Revised 2020 ASBK Calendar

  • ROUND 1 – WSBK – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC: 27 Feb – 1 March
  • ROUND 2 – Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla VIC: 18 – 20 September
  • ROUND 3 – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes VIC: 2 – 4 October
  • ROUND 4 – Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW: 16 – 18 October
  • ROUND 5 – Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick QLD: 6 – 8 November
  • ROUND 6 – International MotoFest The Bend, SA: 20 – 22 November

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mike Jones set to kick off title defense at Phillip Island

2019 ASBK Champion Mike Jones kicks off title defence


Defending Australian Superbike Champion, Mike Jones, is feeling confident and ready to fire for this weekend’s first round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

The Queenslander aboard his DesmoSport Ducati V4R, believes he has struck the right combination following a successful test last month at Phillip Island and is ready to defend his championship title.

Mike Jones

“After the test I feel really confident heading into the race weekend. We were able to have good pace at the test, and now for me I’m preparing myself mentally to be able to come out on the race weekend and be firing straight away. I know everyone is amped up for the first round and ready to go.”

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

Mike Jones – TBG Image

It is the overall package of the new Ducati that has Mike excited.

“It feels like a completely different bike, but it’s probably been the most rider friendly bike I’ve ever ridden so that was a real positive, and it’s just been finding the right settings.”

Despite being “very happy” with the pace of the bike at the Official ASBK Test last month, Mike admits to keeping an eye on what Wayne Maxwell – also on the same model machine and who broke the Superbike lap record at the test – is doing.

“He did reel off a few quick laps, but as we saw last year it is not the be all and end all. Race pace is the most important thing and I feel like we got that at the test and something we are quite strong with.”

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

Mike Jones – TBG Image

Mike feels his biggest competition this year could come from 2018 ASBK Champion, Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss, who he battled for the championship win in the last race at Sydney Motosport Park in 2019.

“I believe it is going to be Troy Herfoss again, purely because of who he is as a person, and the drive and motivation that he has got. In my opinion that is what you need to be able to win, he’s going to be the strongest guy through the year again.”

It’s not only Australian superbike riders who want to upset the champ this weekend, but 4-time American Superbike Champion, Josh Hayes, will also be aiming to cause a few upsets when he joins the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship at the Island, which Mike thinks is fantastic for the championship.

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott

“I think it’s really exciting for ASBK for someone of his calibre wanting to race with us at Phillip island and I think it’s the perfect place for him to come and do it. All the riders are eager and keen to go racing so it should make for a really competitive first round and having Josh in the field will be really cool just to have another gauge of where the ASBK is. “I personally feel it (ASBK) is at a really high level.

“Having the first round of ASBK alongside WorldSBK is important because the motorbikes are based on the same type of production bikes. It’s a real asset for the riders and fans to see the world level and domestic level guys go racing on the same weekend.”

The 2019 ASBK Champion wants a big crowd at the Island this weekend.

“We all share the same passion and it brings everyone together, come down and watch. It will be a weekend of a lifetime with World Superbikes and ASBK on the same weekend with incredible action from both championships. But I know particularly here in Oz, the racing is fierce and it’s going to be close, so come and have some fun and get involved.”

ASBK JanTest PI TH Ben Henry Jones

ASBK JanTest PI TH Ben Henry Jones

Ben Henry prepping the DesmoSport Ducati for Mike Jones at Phillip Island

2020 ASBK Calendar

Mi Bike ASBK Motul logo Menu@x

Rnd Date Track
Rnd 1  Feb 27 – March 1 Phillip Island, VIC
Rnd 2  27-29 March Wakefield Park, NSW
Rnd 3 7-10 May The Bend, SA
Rnd 4 15-17 May Barbagallo, WA (SBK only)
Rnd 5 7-9 August Morgan Park, QLD
Rnd 6 11-13 September Winton, VIC
Rnd 7 2-4 October Phillip Island, VIC

Source: MCNews.com.au

DesmoSport Ducati’s Ben Henry on ASBK and Ducati

2020 Mi-Bike ASBK


It was a Ducati 1-2 at the top of the charts after the two-day ASBK Test at Phillip Island last week. Wayne Maxwell led the way from DesmoSport Ducati’s defending champion Mike Jones. As the test sessions drew to a close we sat down with DesmoSport Ducati Team Owner Ben Henry for an in-depth discussion about ASBK, and his experience with the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Originally from Western Australia, where he first started racing and preparing motorcycles, the 38-year-old is now a long-time Queensland resident and runs Cube Performance Centre out of the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh.

Ben hung up his competitive leathers a few years ago while still able to run a top ten pace in Australian Superbike, all the while managing and running his own team and riders. He then turned his focus to concentrating on his Cube Performance workshop along with expanding Cube Racing. He then went on to develop the DesmoSport Ducati Team in conjunction with Troy Bayliss and the team won the Australian Superbike Championship with Mike Jones in 2019.

Always forthcoming with insightful observations, that are for the most part refreshingly non-partisan, Ben was generous with his time and candid with his thoughts.

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Pits Ben Henry

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Pits Ben Henry

Ben Henry at work on the DesmoSport Ducati at the front, Troy Bayliss at the rear – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor Hedge: What were the most extreme of the challenges you faced in getting the V4 up to the speed of the 1299 V-Twin that Mike raced to great success last year?

Ben Henry: “The biggest challenge is the chassis, getting it to work as well as we had the twin dialled in, the motor – obviously they aren’t the same, but the power isn’t too far different, it’s just dialling in the chassis and probably electronics, that’s currently our patch.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike Jones

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike Jones

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: That’s a time consuming process isn’t it?

BH: “Yes it is, it is time consuming. The electronics aren’t that bad, we’re going pretty fast, and Wayne is going pretty quick on his, and that’s all on standard stuff, so it’s clearly not too bad.”


Trevor: Wayne said his team are waiting on an ECU and a few bits and pieces, are you waiting for anything before the start of the season as well?

BH: “In ASBK they’ve homologated the MoTeC ECU for our bike, so we need to get that and make it work. That’s definitely the road they (Wayne Maxwell and his team), are going to go down, and we probably will. We just need to see if it’s better than what we already run.

“I mean it’s hard to argue with what we’ve got when we are running low 32s on it, and Wayne’s just done a 31.7, I mean that’s the fastest lap ever on a domestic superbike around here.

“So it’s hard to say that putting something else on there will be markedly better. We will wait and see what happens.”

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

Mike Jones – TBG Image


Trevor: Do you get much help from Ducati Australia at all?

BH: “They are in a funny spot, NF Importers are theoretically finishing up, Ducati AU/NZ, which is essentially Ducati Italy coming into Australia to run the show, but yes they are helping us.

“It’s basically going to be a better situation once they get here, but while they are not here I’m dealing through Italy, everything has to come through Italy and it’s a little bit slower. But once they get here and have stock here, and a warehouse, it will be much better.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: How difficult is it to get the budget for the season and what’s the ballpark figure, without giving too much away, to run Mike in Superbikes and Oli in Supersport.

BH: “It’s really difficult, it’s a strange time, with winning the championship last year you would think things would be easier, but it just didn’t pan out that way. Our major sponsor QBE left straight away – the next day – and our support from within the industry isn’t as strong, because they just don’t have the money. They are not trying to bullshit me, it’s just a different time now for the importers, it’s definitely difficult.

“How much… for a cash figure on top of everything else… you wouldn’t get away with anything less than 350k in cash, that you can spend on whatever you need. But then on top of that the tyres, everything else that goes into it is probably another… bike and parts and all that… it must be another couple of hundred, and then with the stuff we are getting given. It would have to be half a million bucks, it really would.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: And that’s with you having your own premises, and not really adding up your time…

BH: “Yea, exactly, I mean I’m not making money out of it, obviously people come to my shop, but it’s a trade-off that’s for sure.”

ASBK TBG Round SMP Mike Jones TBG FinalRnd

ASBK TBG Round SMP Mike Jones TBG FinalRnd

Even winning the championship does not translate to less budgetary worries…. – Mike Jones – 2019 ASBK Superbike Champion – TBG Image


Trevor: You raced and worked on various models of ZX-10R Kawasaki when you yourself were racing, and the riders on your team through those years were Kawasaki riders, including Mike himself when he won the title in 2015, the year the series was at perhaps its lowest ebb. What’s the main difference working with the Italian bike, on the Ducati, compared to the then more street bike focused Kawasaki and other Japanese machines?

BH: “They are much more basic – the Kawasaki – in short I always said this, if you can see a bolt on a Japanese bike, you can undo it. It’s not like that on a Ducati. Just because you can see a bolt does not mean you’ll be able to undo it.

“But the good thing about Ducati is that they are very, very focused on racing, and if you understand the way they build things, they are quite fast to work on. You pull big sections of the bike off in one hit, and things like that once you understand and think a bit more laterally about how you approach them.

“They are probably faster to work on once you get the hang of them. And notice the little bits here and little bits there, and you basically pull the bike apart in sections.”

ASBK JanTest PI TH Jones Ducati Front

ASBK JanTest PI TH Jones Ducati Front

Mike Jones will defend his #1 plate with Ducati but has switched from V-Twin to V-Four power for season 2020


Trevor: I’ve heard it’s about a 12 hour operation to fit a full exhaust on the V4…?

BH: “If you didn’t know what you’re doing, then yes, and honestly my toolbox has quadrupled since I started working on Ducati motorcycles, and it’s the tricky little tools, and the odd little thing you’ll make to help you. It has got to the point now where through my shop I am putting exhausts on in about five hours, something like that.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Wayne MAXWELL Bike

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Wayne MAXWELL Bike

Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: So if a punter turned up at your shop in Queensland, they’d expect to pay five to six hours to get one fitted?

BH: “Yea they would, I always quote eight as that’s what Ducati quote, in case we get into trouble, but generally the punters go home a bit happier.”


Trevor: It’s good you bought up the nuts and bolts, the rear wheel on that Ducati….I see your boys swing off some pretty big bars putting that big wheel nut on, there’s 230 nm of torque or something put on that nut..?

BH: “That’s right, I don’t even tighten it up as much as you’re meant to, as we take it on and off all the time, and it gets too much.”

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Racers Edge Nut TBG

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Racers Edge Nut TBG

Ducati Panigale rear wheel nut – TBG Image


Trevor: It’s almost horrifying to watch, how much force gets put through the big bar, to put that nut on.

BH: “I can’t remember what it’s called, there’s a basic engineering thing, but if you have a threaded pipe and put a nut on the top of it, and torque that nut, it strengthens the pipe like ten-fold, and that’s why they do it. I can’t remember, it was so long ago that I learnt it.”


Trevor: So it effects the rigidity of the bike?

BH: “Absolutely, when you look at the axle, it’s so thin, the bit the wheel is hanging off is just so thin, and you would think not strong enough, it’s no special metal, there’s no magic there, but it’s the engineering that goes into it. When you do something like that and torque it that tight, the structural strength it gives the axle is incredible.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike Jones

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike Jones

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: What are the power and torque figures of the V4 in ASBK race trim, compared to the 1299?

BH: “The 1299 was a little bit stronger…”

Trevor: You’d expect that with a bit more torque..?

BH: “The 1299 was stronger up top, maybe five horsepower up top, just over 220-ish. The V4 is making peak power at 15,800rpm.”


Trevor: Overall, I guess this goes for everyone in Aussie Superbike, that race winners seem to be decided by who can make their back tyre last a race distance. Just how exacting is the suspension set-up required to give your rider the tyre longevity to race for the win in ASBK?

BH: “One mm, a click, half a turn of preload, it’s so so close, but I sometimes think that’s half in the rider’s mind. Put half a turn of preload and is it any different? You’d be doing well to tell. Tyre life is a combination of so many things, if I could put a percentage on it, I think its 70 per cent suspension, 30 per cent electronics, or say 20 per cent electronics, and 10 per cent good tyre management by the rider.

“You could vary those figures sometimes, different riders, some guys just roast the tyre out of it, no matter what you do. Some make tyres last longer, they just have a different technique.”

ASBK JanTest PI TH Pirelli

ASBK JanTest PI TH Pirelli

Pirelli runners were fastest at P.I. – Image TH


Trevor: In what specific ways does the machine setup vary between Mike and TB. I would imagine it would be a big difference between the two?

BH: “Honestly, not really, like when Mike rode our bike for the first time – on Troy’s set up – he was immediately fast on it, and there was just little stuff to tweak. Even this one (V4 R), Troy rode this one first, and did his thing, and pretty much from what Troy had to say from all the notes, is very similar to what Mike had to say.

“They do a few little things differently, like gearing, Troy really lets the bike do a lot of work, letting the bike go down and lug from low, but Mike revs them a lot more. If I could pick one thing that’s markedly different, Jones likes it stiffer in the front. They are actually pretty similar, yet they ride nothing like each other.

“They ride different, Troy can use a tyre, Jones is really good at looking after a tyre, everything is so different, but I really believe if Troy rode Jonesy’s set up, he’d be happy. And Jonesy, even when he’s not completely happy has the same thing to say about the bike as Troy.”

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

ASBK TBG JanTest PI Mike Jones TBG

Mike Jones – TBG Image


Trevor: What’s your expectations for Oli in Supersport this year?

BH: “I think he needs to knuckle down and he could win it. He certainly has the resources around him, and he’s a pretty talented fella when everything clicks for him, then he’s unreal. I’ve seen it happen for him a few times and it’s a bit special, which is nice for him. I reckon he could win it for sure, he has some really good people around him now this year, that should see him in the right direction more often, last year he was just learning, and there was nothing wrong with the team from last year, they were perfectly fine, but he is just trying to learn at 15, and have a crack at it.”

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Oli Bayliss TBG

ASBK TBG FebTest PI Oli Bayliss TBG

Oli Bayliss – TBG Image


Trevor: What ASBK rules would you change if you could?

BH: **Long pause**

“To be honest, I like it just how it is. It’s quite good, and the proof is in the pudding, as there’s a lot of good riders on all different brands going fast. Really any brand can potentially win here.

“What would I change, currently not much. What I can see happening moving forward in ASBK, I can see a change is coming and I think it will be bad for the sport.

“For instance, the way the electronics side of things is moving forward, if they don’t make an effort to reign that in, we are probably two seasons away from privateers not being able to afford to race to win anything. And currently as it stands, it’s already hard enough for them, like I’ve been there but if they (M.A.) are not careful – and they are not careful – because sometimes *pauses*…. they have the right people, just not quite *pauses*…. it’s hard to say without sounding rough, but they perhaps don’t have enough resources, and they maybe don’t have quite the experience on the latest machinery. People like this, someone like me can manipulate very simply, and they don’t understand what I’m doing to them. And I don’t do it, but I know I can for sure.”

ASBK Rnd SMP RbMotoLens Jamie STAUFFER Ducati FinalRnd

ASBK Rnd SMP RbMotoLens Jamie STAUFFER Ducati FinalRnd

Ducati V4 R instrumentation – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: So what would you suggest is the answer, going down the line of a control ECU like BSB use or something along those lines?

BH: “It’s nice for everyone to have a race, and you know you have a race in all aspects, I like the tyre war that maybe is going to happen. It’s going to happen, I don’t know who’s going to be best or what yet. I like all the different things that go down, and it is a race.

“It’s nice to race in all aspects of the term, but for sure if they are not careful, very soon I think they will find some of the manufacturers are not going to be that interested in racing in a race that then they can’t win. It just doesn’t make good sense. It’s not good for their brand, doesn’t make good economic sense and that’s why you see people ending up pissing off to do their own thing, that suits them, and that’s just business.

“So that’s a strange way to answer your question. But as it was last year it was much better but what I see happening rolling into this year will open a can of worms.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


Trevor: What is different this year?

BH: *long pause*

“Sort of the progress the electronics are making, in short, and I would say there will be a change as new models roll out, if M.A. aren’t careful, then I think they’ll find people will struggle to continue to compete fairly. At least not throughout a whole year.

“A privateer is not going to be able to turn up and win. Looking at Jonesy at the beginning of last year, as a privateer busting their ass like usual, and he turned up and banged the thing on the box and did the fastest lap here. That’s good, it’s great to see that. We already knew what he was capable of, but that gave us another opportunity to see it again, and then for him to ride our bike. If things move forward the way they eventually will, then you won’t see that again. It’ll be more like a handful of guys, always the same…. that’s what I think.”

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

ASBK Test Phillip Island RbMotoLens ASBK Test SBK Mike JONES

Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott


The 2020 Mi-Bike ASBK Championship season gets underway in conjunction with the WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island over the March 1 weekend.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mike Jones confirmed to defend ASBK Title on V4 R

DesmoSport Ducati Confirms Mike Jones to Race V4 R in 2020

After taking four pole positions and four race wins, along with nine podiums, on his way to winning the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship on the big booming 1299 Panigale R Final Edition, DesmoSport Ducati have now confirmed that Mike Jones will contest ASBK 2020 on the Panigale V4 R.

While it was initially unclear if Mike Jones, now a two-time ASBK Champion, would continue to pursue his racing career overseas as originally planned for 2019, the young Queenslander has removed any doubt about his intentions for the 2020 season.

ASBK Rnd SMP RbMotoLens SBK R Parc Ferme Mike Jones FinalRnd
Mike Jones – 2019 ASBK Champ on the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition – Image by Rob Mott

Mike Jones

“While I, like most racers, strive to race in the world championship, the racing in Australia just keeps getting stronger and stronger, and the credibility of the series continues to grow in the eyes of teams around the world. I love riding the Ducati for Ben (Henry) and Troy (Bayliss), and we have a really strong team. All of us agreed that it made sense for me to stay here, to ride the V4R, and defend our title, and by doing that, will only support my long-term goals of racing in the World Championship. I’ve been out and ridden the V4R that Troy’s been developing with Ben, and I’m pretty excited to race it to be honest. It’s not quite like anything I’ve ridden before, with the rpm, power delivery and of course, the wings.”

DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V R Troy Bayliss
DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by M33

Ben Henry – DesmoSport Ducati Team Manager

“We’ve always had a strong relationship with Mike, and after winning the title this year, it was more a matter of aligning our partnerships for 2020 and ensuring the teams goals worked with Mikes own before we could move forward. A lot of people, including me if I’m honest, would have been surprised if we didn’t come to an agreement, so I’m really happy to be able to confirm that Mike Jones will race the DesmoSport Ducati V4R in the 2020 ASBK Championship. Mike is not only an incredible racer, but also has a great work ethic, and is willing to put in lap after lap, and give us good feedback to allow us as a team to deliver a better motorcycle come race day, and this is incredibly important in a championship like the ASBK where data from the bike itself is at a minimum. As a team, we still have some work to do, and are looking to finalise some new key partnerships as we get closer to 2020, but we’re excited to not only go racing, but also see what initiatives we can do to ”

Ducati Panigale VR DesmoSport Ducati
DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by M33

Troy Bayliss

“I’m really happy to come to an agreement with Mike for 2020. I know he has aspirations to race in the world championship, and to be honest, I think he’s capable of great results if the right package is around him, so to retain him just goes to show how strong our championship here is becoming, and how good the DesmoSport Ducati team as a package has become. I’m really proud of what DesmoSport has achieved in such a short time, with a tight-knit crew, and I can’t wait to see Mike at full throttle on the V4R.”

DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V R Troy Bayliss
DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R – Image by M33

2020 ASBK Championship Calendar

  • Rnd 1; Feb 27 – March 1 | Phillip Island, VIC
  • Rnd 2; 27-29 March | Wakefield Park, NSW
  • Rnd 3; 7-10 May | The Bend, SA
  • Rnd 4; 15-17 May | Barbagallo, WA (SBK only)
  • Rnd 5; 7-9 August | Morgan Park, QLD
  • Rnd 6; 11-13 September | Winton, VIC
  • Rnd 7; 2-4 October | Phillip Island, VIC

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mike Jones takes stunning pole position at The Bend

2019 ASBK
Round Three – The Bend
Saturday Report One


Daniel Falzon showed his one-lap pace that set the Friday benchmark was no one-lap wonder when he went marginally quicker this morning in warm-up, a 1m52.648. Clearly the YRT rider is now more comfortable with his YZF-R1M, and is enjoying The Bend circuit, along with the home support from the local South Australian crowd.

ASBK Rnd The Bend RbMotoLens SBK SatAM Daniel FALZON
Daniel Falzon – Image by Rob Mott

Under a new qualifying format for ASBK this season the Friday afternoon session is dubbed ‘Timed Practice’, and it is the times from this session that decided the nine riders that automatically qualified for the Q2 session just before midday on Saturday. The riders from tenth back in the Timed Practice session having to fight it out in a Q1 session, with the top three then being promoted into Q2, making for a final 12-rider tussle over the first four rows of the grid.

300 Supersport

Prior to the Superbikes heading out for their qualifying sessions, the massive YMI Supersport 300 field took to the track to battle for their grid positions ahead of their opening stanza which is scheduled to take place over seven-laps at 1510 this afternoon.

Olly Simpson again topped proceedings amongst the 300 Supersport competitors but the big surprise was the pace of Brandon Demmery who slotted himself up to second place and very nearly stole pole from Simpson late in the session while Hunter Ford rounds out the front row after pushing Senna Agius down to the second row.

Seth Crump had clearly woke up with a new spring in his throttle tube this morning as he found a massive amount of time compared to yesterday, the KTM rider qualifying fifth while Locky Taylor also went much quicker today and rounds out the second row.

600 Supersport

The Supersport 600 grid will not be decided until later this afternoon though, with their Q2 session scheduled for 1435 this afternoon. Tom Toparis is on provisional pole from his stunning lap yesterday afternoon, a 1m55.964, almost a full-second quicker than second placed Broc Pearson.

Superbike Q1

It was again somewhat of a tyre preservation session when Superbike qualifying got underway, with most riders just going out for one quick lap, then spending the remaining of the 15-minute session in the pits. Arthur Sissis put in a 1m53.789 early on which proved good enough to secure his place in the Q2 session while Matt Walters left things a little bit later to secure his slot through to Q2, as did Alex Phillis. Ted Collins though then rejoined the track and managed to knock Phillis out of third spot and steal back his promotion through to the Q2 session.

Superbike Q2

Mike Jones was very quick out of the blocks to lay down a 1m52.665 early benchmark in Q2, he backed that straight up with a 1m52.392. Halfway through the 15-minute session the only other rider in the 1m52s was Wayne Maxwell, on a 1m52.958.

Mark Chiodo then went third quickest, a 1m53.014 a big improvement for the young Victorian.

Daniel Falzon then got wound up with five minutes remaining and lit up the timing screens straight away, -0.172 at first split and he doubled that gap through all the remaining splits to record the first ever 1m51s lap of The Bend International Circuit, a stunning 1m51.592s. His competitors had four-minutes to come up with an answer to the South Australian’s speed.

His team-mate was the first to try and return serve, Cru Halliday dropping in a 1m52.243 and then improved his marker down to 1m51.953.

With two-minutes remaining Wayne Maxwell was on a hot one, under at the first split, and the third split but the final turns just lost him a fraction and he just missed out on besting Falzon, a 1m51.675s though declaring his speed ahead of the three 10-lap races. He was going quicker again on the next lap, under at the first two splits but again lost time on Falzon through the final sequence of curves and Falzon’s pole looked safe…

Mike Jones though then went out again and was a full half-a-second in front at the third split, he carried that speed to the line to set a new outright benchmark of 1m51.220!

Thus Falzon was demoted to second while Wayne Maxwell rounds out the front row.

ASBK Rnd The Bend RbMotoLens SBK SatAM Wayne Maxwell
Wayne Maxwell will start from the front row – Image by Rob Mott

Cru Halliday was the only other rider in the 1m51s and heads row two ahead of Josh Waters and Bryan Staring.

Mark Chiodo heads the third row on the back of an impressive performance today to qualify in front of Glenn Allerton and Troy Herfoss. The defending champion to start from ninth on the grid.

Matt Walters rounded out the top ten ahead of Arthur Sissis and Ted Collins.

For reference, the race lap record set on a green track here last April was a 1m52.939 recorded by Herfoss, but the pole record and circuit best lap last year went to Wayne Maxwell with a 1m52.175. Thus Jones’ new benchmark almost a full-second quicker than what we saw here last year.

The opening 10-lap ASBK Superbike race is scheduled to take place at 1540 this afternoon, with the remaining two races in this triple-header round slated for 1020 and 1505 on Sunday.

ASBK Superbike Qualifying 1 Results

  1. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m53.789
  2. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m53.927
  3. Ted Collins – BMW 1m54.150
  4. Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m54.174
  5. Damon Rees – Honda 1m54.812
  6. Glenn Scott – Kawasaki 1m55.263
  7. Lachlan Epis – Kawasaki 1m55.829
  8. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 1m56.236
  9. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 1m57.459
  10. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m58.250
  11. Adam Senior – Yamaha 1m58.301
  12. Evan Byles – Kawasaki 1m58.917
  13. David Barker – Kawasaki 1m59.063
  14. Matthew Tooley – Yamaha 1m59.557
  15. Paul Van Der Heiden – BMW 2m02.145
  16. Sash Savin – BMW 2m04.282

ASBK Superbike Qualifying 2 Results

  1. Mike Jones – Ducati 1m51.220
  2. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m51.592
  3. Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki 1m51.675
  4. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m51.953
  5. Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m52.184
  6. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m52.478
  7. Mark Chiodo – Honda 1m52.917
  8. Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m53.102
  9. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m53.639
  10. Matt Walters – Kawsaki 1m53.987
  11. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m54.079
  12. Ted Collins – BMW 1m55.927

ASBK Superbike Championship Standings

ASBK SSP600 Qualifying 1

  1. Tom Toparis – Yamaha 1m55.964
  2. Broc Pearson – Yamaha 1m56.867
  3. Reid Battye – Suzuki 1m57.482
  4. Aidan Hayes – Yamaha 1m58.184
  5. Oli Bayliss – Yamaha 1m58.701
  6. Luke Mitchell – Yamaha 1m58.796
  7. Rhys Belling – Yamaha 1m59.874
  8. Avalon Biddle – Yamaha 2m00.026
  9. Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 2m00.029
  10. Zac Johnson – Yamaha 2m00.351
  11. Chris Quinn – Yamaha 2m00.477
  12. Andrew Edser – Kawasaki 2m01.482
  13. Timothy Donnon – Suzuki 2m01.603
  14. Ben Liebig – Triumph 2m01.679
  15. Jack Passfield – Yamaha 2m02.565
  16. John Quinn – Triumph 2m03.384
  17. Bronson Pickett – Yamaha 2m05.299
  18. Nic Liminton – Yamaha 2m06.918

ASBK SSP600 Championship Standings

ASBK SSP300 Combined Qualifying Results

  1. Olly Simpson – Yamaha 2m09.795
  2. Brandom Demmery – Yamaha 2m09.884
  3. Hunter Ford – Yamaha 2m10.368
  4. Senna Agius – 400 Kawasaki 2m10.678
  5. Seth Crump – KTM 2m10.853
  6. Locky Taylor – Yamaha 2m10.854
  7. Ben Baker – Yamaha 2m10.906
  8. Zac Levy – Yamaha 2m10.914
  9. Max Staufer – Yamaha 2m11.033
  10. Harry Khouri – Yamaha 2m11.532
  11. Travis Hall – Yamaha 2m11.559
  12. Yanni Shaw – 400 Kawasaki 2m11.738
  13. Mitchell Simpson – Yamaha 2m11.774
  14. Kyle O’Connell – Yamaha 2m11.921
  15. John Lytras – Yamaha 2m11.933
  16. Peter Nerlich – 300 Kawasaki 2m12.429
  17. Callum O’Brien – 400 Kawasaki 2m12.786
  18. Zylas Bunting – Yamaha 2m13.082
  19. Jacob Roulstone – Yamaha 2m14.032
  20. Jacob Hatch – Yamaha 2m14.483
  21. Tristan Adamson – Yamaha 2m14.644
  22. Tayla Relph – 400 Kawasaki 2m14.895
  23. Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha 2m16.330
  24. Jordan Simpson – Yamaha 2m16.575
  25. Josh Hall – Yamaha 2m17.749

ASBK SSP300 Championship Standings

Schedule Below

EVENT SCHEDULE
SUNDAY 28 APRIL – GATES OPEN 7AM SUNDAY 28 APRIL – GATES OPEN 7AM SUNDAY 28 APRIL – GATES OPEN 7AM SUNDAY 28 APRIL – GATES OPEN 7AM
START/FINISH CLASS SESSION TIME
08:00 – 08:10 ARRC AP250 WARM UP 10 mins
08:20 – 08:35 ARRC ASB1000 WARM UP 15 mins
08:45 – 09:00 ARRC SS600 WARM UP 15 mins
09:10 – 09:30 YMI SUPERSPORT 300 RACE 2 7 LAPS
09:40 – 10:10 AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPORT RACE 2 8 LAPS
10:20 – 11:00 KAWASAKI SUPERBIKE RACE 2 10 LAPS
11:00 – 11:30 LUNCH 30 mins
11:30 – 12:10 ARRC AP250 RACE 2 9 LAPS
12:20 – 13:20 ARRC ASB1000 RACE 2 12 LAPS
13:30 – 14:20 ARRC SS600 RACE 2 10 LAPS
14:35 – 14:55 YMI SUPERSPORT 300 RACE 3 7 LAPS
15:05 – 15:50 KAWASAKI SUPERBIKE RACE 3 10 LAPS
16:00 – 16:30 AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPORT RACE 3 8 LAPS
TRACK
INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT 4.95 KM
LAP RECORD TROY HERFOSS CBR 1000 RR 1:52.939


Source: MCNews.com.au

Mike Jones shooting for ASBK Title with DesmoSport Ducati

Mike Jones to challenge for the 2019 ASBK Championship

After a strong result at Wakefield Park for the second round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), 25-year-old Queenslander Mike Jones has earned himself a full-time ride with DesmoSport Ducati.

ASBK TBG ASBK Round Wakefield Park SBK R Sunday Mike Jones TBG
Mike Jones – Wakefield Park – TBG Image

With a strong existing relationship, obvious talent and commitment, and living in close proximity to the team, Mike Jones is a logical choice for the DesmoSport Ducati team, owned by Ben Henry and Troy Bayliss, in order to keep their championship hopes alive. Jones has moved to third in the ASBK championship standing, just 13-points behind current series leader Cru Halliday after two of seven rounds.

ASBK Rnd Wakefield RbMotoLens Mike JONES
Mike Jones – Image by TBG Sport

Ben Henry

“In some ways it was difficult, and in others, it was a very simple decision to make for Troy and me. We race at the highest level, and it’s our aim to win the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship. With Troy missing two rounds against so many racers capable of winning, our best chance to achieve our goal is to continue working with Mike. The work he did with us in testing and at round two made the bike even better to ride, and so, after some long conversations, Mike has been offered Troy’s race bike for the rest of the season. Troy, once he’s able to ride again, will now focus on setting up the V4R with us, while Mike gives the ASBK championship his full attention.”

ASBK Rnd Wakefield Mike JONES Parc Ferme RM
Mike Jones and Ben Henry – Image by Rob Mott

Mike Jones

“Three weeks ago, Ben asked if I could help set up Troy’s bike during testing while he was injured, which led to me racing for the team at round two. At the airport on Monday, while travelling home from the event, Ben and Troy offered me to race the rest of the season for them! Although I was planning to compete in the Spanish Superbike Championship this season, I’m very excited about this last-minute opportunity to be on-board with DesmoSport Ducati against one of the toughest fields of superbike racers in years. The team is the strongest it’s ever been, and the bike is significantly different to the Ducatis I raced in 2016 and 2017, which gives me the strong belief we can win races, and challenge for the championship. I’m highly motivated and really looking forward to putting in the maximum effort with the team to achieve these goals.”

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimages Mike Jones
Mike Jones – Testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image

Does this mean Troy Bayliss will not be back racing this season?

Troy Bayliss

“It’s an interesting position for me to be in right now. I want to win, and those who know me, know that I will do whatever it takes to ensure I can win. As a team owner, that means putting the best person on the bike for the season, and right now that’s Mike. I know that I can win races in the ASBK this year, but I don’t believe I can win the title after missing two rounds against such a strong field of racers. That’s not to say you won’t see me line up on the grid again this year, but Mike is our title contender. I’m 100% behind him and believe that we have the team and equipment to win.”

Ducati Panigale VR Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss and the Ducati Panigale V4R – Image by Karlos Neale

Source: MCNews.com.au

ASBK heads to Wakefield Park for Round Two | Form Guide

2019 ASBK Round Two Preview

With Mark Bracks


The first enthralling round of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship is but a memory – a vivid one at that – and now the second round at Wakefield Park is nigh. Bracksy looks back and peers into the future of what is shaping up as a momentous weekend at the Wakefield Park circuit near Goulburn in NSW, March 22-24.

If Alvaro Bautista was akin to a cyclone engulfing the WSBK paddock at the opening round of that Championship, in the ASBK class, Aiden Wagner was an air-to-ground, below radar low level attack dropping a couple of 500lb HE incendiaries on the ASBK field at Phillip Island.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne Maxwell Crash
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott

A few weeks previously, the 25-year-old Queenslander, on his privateer Landsbridge Transport Yamaha R1 used the official ASBK test to strafe the field with armour piercing shells to let everyone know, he is back, fully fit, ravenous for success, and he doesn’t give a rat’s arse about reputations.

He certainly ruffled a few feathers at the test. By the end of race two of the ASBK Superbike season on Saturday Feb 23 they were singed beyond recognition with his scorched earth, take no prisoners policy.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne Maxwell Crash
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott

With his round one victory with Pole, two wins and a second, the snatching strap of tension has been ratcheted up a notch. Or, five.

The quality and intensity of the on-track competition easily eclipsed the demonstration put on by the lads of the World Superbike field and showed the parity between the different motorcycles in our domestic championship is very even.

The ASBK season was shaping up as a landmark year, even before Wagner bounced back in the paddock. Now he is here, look out. The anticipation going into round two is even more palpable than the season opener.

ASBK Round TBG WSBKPI PI Troy Bayliss TBG
Mike Jones will stand in for Troy Bayliss at Wakefield Park – TBG Image

2019 is shaping up as the most competitive in many a year, as each season seems to increase in intensity and level of competition.

Round 1 Recap

So let’s have a recap of the opening round then a peer into the looking glass to see what this weekend has in store.

There was plenty of anticipation as the meeting got under way and Bayliss led the first session to continue his testing form, but his weekend was to soon unravel. In the afternoon qualifying session he had a monumental get off heading into turn four when he was distracted by a rider stricken on the edge of the track. The bike was basically obliterated in the cartwheeling that was reminiscent of his crash on a Ducati during the Australian Grand Prix of 2003.

Thankfully, this time he walked away to be able to relate soon after that he had cracked a finger on his left hand and the bike “was sent to heaven”.

In qualifying the prodigal son, Wagner grabbed the number one slot, one-thousandth of a second under Bayliss’s lap record, set at the final round last year. More importantly, he scored an extra championship point that goes with it to lead a Yamaha block out of the front row.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Aiden WAGNER start
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott

This year the extra championship point for Pole Position at each round could be more critical than ever in deciding the champion. Remember when since Shawn Giles was pipped in a countback with Josh Brookes in 2005…

The privateer gave a bloody nose to the Yamaha Racing Team duo of Superbike returnee, Cru Halliday, and his team mate in the official Yamaha team Daniel Falzon who made up the front row.

Wagner has some very astute people in his corner with Sam Costanzo, the principal of Landbrige Transport and Landbridge Racing. Sam has a fine reputation for preparing race machines while Adrian Monti is a very astute and analytical operator who knows how to set up a race bike, and probably more importantly, the understanding to translate what a rider is talking about to bike set-up.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Aiden WAGNER grid
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott

Before the opening race of the year, many people were asking the annual question of how far into the opening race we’d get before some carnage would erupt. In the past couple of years the season has only reached Turn Four on the opening lap before the cauldron has boiled over. Last year it was Glenn Allerton who hightailed it out of the race as he launched himself high over the bars, nearly bringing rain and almost dragging Wayne Maxwell off his bike as he flew past him.

It is understandable as it’s over four months since the last race of 2018 and we all know the eagerness riders display and the red mist visor is also a deeper tinge than normal for the opening laps of the year. In recent years there has been a bit of drama at Turn Four.

Race 1 – Phillip Island

This year we had to wait a few laps for the first real jaw dropping moment but the opening laps of race one were absolutely manic. What we had been anticipating had been confirmed. This year will be a seven-round, street brawl.

Falzon jumped to the front off the line to lead for the opening corners but Bayliss took over heading into turn 10 and led the frantic first lap across the line from Maxwell and Falzon. After a very mediocre start, Wagner was back in seventh, just shading Waters, the octuplet separated by less than a second. It was on as they all spread across the track careering to the apex on their 200+hp machines like the charge of the Light Horse, fighting for track position.

Wagner was excellent in testing. Now we were witnessing what he could do in a race mixed up with the pack of gangsters in front of him as Wagner commenced his carving exhibition. He showed from the outset that he is not here for a free lunch and it wasn’t even lunchtime Sunday!

ASBK TBG WSBKPI PI Maxwell Wagner TBG
Wayne Maxwell leads Aiden Wagner – TBG Image

He was up to second by the end of the third lap managing to pop out in front while everyone else was having a dip at the passing game, particularly Bryan Staring on the Kawasaki BC Performance ZX-10RR as he scythed his way through on the Dunlop shod machine to be among the leading pack climbing from 10th on the grid.

Wagner took the lead on the fourth lap and held it until the final few corners as he and Bayliss, Maxwell, Halliday, Waters, and Staring keeping well in touch

The first jaw dropping moment of the year came at the start of the sixth lap. Wagner led the charge from Maxwell and Bayliss, the others not far adrift as they tipped into Doohan Corner at a head shaking, meteoric rate. Wagner had a couple of bike lengths over Maxwell with Bayliss taking a deeper, more outer line into turn one but his entry speed was a little quicker, or maybe Maxwell slowed a tad but it was j-u-s-t enough for the brake lever of TB#32 machine to touch the rear of Maxwell’s machine.

The front wheel locked, a puff of blue smoke and in a nano second, Bayliss was sliding on his arse at over 200 kays and another steed of the Desmo Sport Ducati stable went looking for directions to the Pearly Gates to join its sibling.

The crash looked innocuous enough considering the speed of his trajectory into the kitty litter. Coming to a tumbling halt after a less than elegant face plant, he sat there, legs spread and punched the ground in exasperation, jumped to his feet and wandered back to the pits.

Bayliss may have exited stage left but that didn’t halt the swashbuckling as Staring joined the fray in fifth behind Wagner, Maxwell, Halliday and Waters. Half race distance and it was on.

The sword clashing continued at every corner and while Wagner led across the line there was plenty of pushing and shoving scything, slicing and magnificent dicing many times a lap.

Less than a second separated the quintet as they commenced the final lap but back markers were looming. The snarling pack negotiated the first couple ok but Wagner was baulked by one over Lukey Heights into T10. Maxwell was his typical blue heeler self as he nipped the heels of the Queenslander.

Out of T11 Wagner jumped on the gas, the pack broke away slightly losing drive which allowed Maxwell the opportunity to storm past into the lead and take the win from Wagner, with Staring filling the last step on the podium after another determined ride from the 2010 ASBK champion to prove that he will be in the mix all year.

ASBK Round TBG WSBKPI PI Wayne Maxwell TBG
Wayne Maxwell was clearly emotional after winning the opening race of ASBK season 2019 at Phillip Island, a win he had not expected as he was yet to feel as though the GSX-R was ‘his bike, and was not fully comfortable after a few years on Yamaha machinery – TBG Image

Wagner demonstrated in the opening stanza he has the goods to push for not only the privateer championship but the outright. He also has his own definitive style in riding a 1000cc machine at Phillip Island, riding more Supersport lines to carry corner speed. This was most evident at Turn 4 as he hung out very wide and swept across the track for a very late apex.

High corner approach had the others seemingly second guessing as if they tried to take an inside line there was a good chance that a collision may occur. In fact, it did happen with Halliday and Wagner touching with feet off the pegs, both lucky to stay aboard such was the hit.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Sunday Rob Mott Aiden WAGNER Cru Halliday
Wagner and Halliday tussle – Rob Mott Image

His antics reminded us in the commentary booth of a philosophy of racing that 2002 Australian Supersport Champion, Shannon Johnson, uttered to explain some of his determined moves, “A front wheel has a three-and-a-half inch rim. If there is three and a half inches of track then there is enough room for me.”

What a scene setter for the year. The first World Superbike race soon after the opening leg was somewhat of an anti-climax compared to the cut and thrust of ASBK.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne MAXWELL Places Parc
ASBK Superbike Race One Results
Wayne Maxwell – Suzuki
Aiden Wagner – Yamaha +0.147
Bryan Staring – Kawasaki +0.320

Maxwell had taken first blood, and was somewhat emotional in parc ferme as the 36-year-old had not expected to take the win. After recent years on Yamaha machinery, he was still not feeling fully comfortable on the GSX-R, saying the bike did not yet feel like his. Be interesting to see just how fast he goes when he does get back to that stage with familiarity on the Suzuki!

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne MAXWELL Parc
Wayne Maxwell celebrates victory – Image Rob Mott

Bayliss injuries surface

We didn’t have to wait long for part two later the same afternoon. If the opening race was a scene setter, race two will be in the background for the rest of the season as well. The action was a carbon copy of the opening leg with a few more exclamation marks for good measure – albeit with one disappointing turn of events.

After his whoopsie of the first race Bayliss seemed fine and in his usual laconic way was circumspect with the turn of events of his two massive crashes in less than 24 hours, but ready to come out swinging.

Bayliss headed out on a hastily prepared machine, but on the sighting lap as he applied the front brake for the first time he realised that he could close the ring finger of his right hand, but couldn’t extend it. A torn tendon forced his exit from the rest of proceedings and the loss of plenty of potential points.

Race 2 – Phillip Island

Race two soon turned into a Maxwell vs Wagner vs Waters vs Halliday vs Falzon affair, with the others not far off. Falzon crashed at turn 10 losing the front which baulked those following, allowing the top four a gap over the likes of Staring, Mike Jones (K&R Hydraulics ZX-10R) and Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda who was struggling to stay in touch.

ASBK Round TBG WSBKPI PI Falzon Crash TBG
Daniel Falzon slides out of contention – TBG Image

Wagner had complete faith in his front end in his desire to poke a wheel up the inside of the opposition and managed to hold his line. After a few laps the rear was starting to walk on him but he didn’t give a toss about what the rear was doing. He was right in the mix.

It all came down to the final lap dogfight. Again.

Hundredths of a second covered the top four and so typical of Phillip Island it all came down to the final four corners: setting up over Lukey Heights, a possible dive up the inside into MG Corner, then the drag through 11 and 12 to the line.

The last five hundred metres of the second Superbike race is now etched in history, but its repercussions may reverberate throughout the year. Maxwell had managed to get in front in the final set of corners and led Wagner, Waters and Halliday as they tipped into Turn 12.

Maxwell hung it up a little higher than usual leaving a bit of vacant bitumen. Wagner saw that lonely bit of bitumen as an invitation and reacted accordingly driving through – hugging the ripple strip, with Halliday and Waters line astern.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne Maxwell Crash
Aiden Wagner – Maxwell tumbles – Image Rob Mott

Kaa-boom! A clash as Wagner and Maxwell collided in the rush with Maxwell falling off the inside of the bike, cartwheeling into the track-side beach, spraying the gravel high.

Wagner kept it pinned as the carnage unfolded to take the flag from Halliday second and Waters third and a crater of destruction and controversy hot on their heels. Thankfully, Maxwell was soon on his feet and taking the long walk back to the pits from the outside of the track. Fuming.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Wayne after crash holding hand
Wayne Maxwell dusts himself off… – Image Rob Mott

Controversy

At race’s end, I descended down the stairs from the three-storey eyrie that is the commentary box in the control tower to head to park ferme to conduct the usual post race interviews. I had just emerged from the tower to pass a rapidly advancing and extremely arced-up, Phil Tainton from Team Ecstar Suzuki, who was charging up to race control to explain his point of view.

I hadn’t seen Phil like that in a long time. Hoo-ee, this has just taken the championship to another level.

There were plenty of words said from both sides and also the view of onlookers. Wagner claimed there was a gap. Maxwell claimed there wasn’t any room. Wagner was contrite and apologised to Maxwell for the incident but at the time it fell on deaf ears. Everyone else had their own opinion. Was there a gap or not?

Officials deemed it as a racing incident and no action was taken, much to the chagrin of some. Riders had different opinions with one telling me, “Tell them to stop sooking. It’s a racing incident. I’d rather be fighting for the lead and crashing than being back here where we are.”  Touche!

Personally, I think it is fantastic for the intrigue and interest. It brought more international attention to the ASBK and many in the WSBK paddock were talking about it, including Jamie Whitham who thought it was fantastic. It made the opening WSBK race seem like a procession!

Whoever was right, or wrong, it brought back a statement that the great Ayton Senna said at the 1990 Australian F1 Grand Prix, “By being a racing driver you are under risk all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win. And the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory, it’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win as long as I feel it’s possible. Sometimes you get it wrong. Sure, it’s impossible to get it right all the time. But I race designed to win, as long as I feel I’m doing it right.”

But that philosophy didn’t work out all that well for the Brazilian legend in the end did it…

Race 3 – Phillip Island

With the third and final race of the opening round held on Sunday morning, at least we could get our collective breath back over night. Lucky because race three left us all breathless. It was the race of the weekend.

Maxwell was battered and bruised after his 200 km/h+ get off the day before but his determination wasn’t lessened by any stretch. The anticipation was palpable.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Grid Wayne MAXWELL
Wayne Maxwell kits up – Image Rob Mott

Arthur Sissis stormed from 15th on the grid to grab the holeshot but was soon swamped as Waters led the first lap from Wagner and Falzon – the trio covered by 0.624 sec. Jones joined the fray on the next lap and created history by not only breaking the lap record but being the first rider to dip into a sub 1:32 with a corker of a lap to record 1:31.881!

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Sunday Rob Mott Start
ASBK Superbike 2019 – Race Three Start – Rob Mott Image

The leading freight train was adding extra carriages as the laps went by. It became a quintet the next lap when Haliday chimed in, 0.753 sec adrift.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Sunday Rob Mott Start Waters Leading
Josh Waters leads into turn one – Rob Mott Image

The passing moves had been stepped up especially at the frighteningly fast Hayshed where Jones was making it his corner, just like Jamie Stauffer did in the past, to dive up the inside accelerating through the apex.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Sunday Rob Mott Michael Jones Cru Halliday
Mike Jones leads Cru Halliday – Rob Mott Image

Another couple of laps and there were seven carriages but none of them remained in the same place. It was mental the amount of positional changes and at two thirds race distance, seven bikes were covered by less than a second with Wagner and Jones taking turns to lead the end of consecutive laps.

Wagner made it two victories after getting the best of Jones by 0.317 sec (the largest gap over the three races), with Halliday in third, the trio separated by just 0.394 sec. A blink of the eye behind was Falzon, Waters and a very gallant Maxwell 0.933 away in sixth.

Over the three races you wouldn’t see as much carving in a dozen pubs for a Sunday roast! Enthralling. The total winning margin for the three races was an astronomical: 0.765!

ASBK TBG Rnd Podium Wagner Halliday Waters TBG
ASBK Superbike Championship Points Standings
Aiden Wagner 71
Cru Halliday 55
Josh Waters 50

Round 2 – Wakefield Park

What lies ahead this weekend? There are no similarities between Phillip Island and this weekend’s round at the tight twisty bumpy and extremely demanding Wakefield Park, except they are racetracks.

This weekend extreme tension is a given. How far before the tension is too much and something snaps is anyone’s guess but I reckon something will happen in qualifying in the fist fight for the extra championship point.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimagesDay Troy Herfoss
Troy Herfoss testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image

Herfoss will no doubt start as a favourite such is his affinity with the track and he will have an added incentive of making up for what was, in his and the team’s eyes, an extremely disappointing weekend at Phillip Island – a place that has never been too kind to him.

Maxwell has done well at the the track in recent years and the pair have split wins pretty evenly. Then there is Cru Halliday. He has had some memorable moments at the track and now he is back on a Superbike after his domination of last year’s Supersport title.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimagesDay Wayne Maxwell
Wayne Maxwell testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image

Don’t be surprised if he takes a victory as he is a true dark horse for this year’s title, as is his team mate, Falzon. The South Australian, who now works as a fully qualified paramedic, has a hunger for race wins and he may well bring a take-no-prisoners approach into the meeting as well

Unfortunately, Bayliss will be a non starter but that allows Mike Jones to be reunited with the Desmo Sport Ducati team as he has been drafted in to fly the flag in the absence of Troy.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimagesDay Mike Jones
Mike Jones testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image

Staring showed that he and the Kawasaki BC Perfomance ZX10 is not too far off the pace. The big question mark for him is whether the Dunlop tyres are up to the rigours of the 2.2km track? Could they even have a weather dependent advantage this weekend..? Saturday and Sunday are looking warm.

ASBK TBG WSBKPI PI Bryan Staring TBG
Bryan Staring – TBG Image

Then there are the riders with three Australian Superbike Championships in Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters. Allerton and the Next Gen Motosrports BMW team have had a challenging start to the year. Still awaiting delivery of the new HP4, they had a setback with going to Dunlops then returning to Pirelli. At the Island they were well off the mark but anyone who discounts Allerton does so at their peril.

ASBK Round TBG WSBKPI PI Glenn Allerton TBG
Glenn Allerton – TBG Image

The same must be said for Waters. After the disappointment of last year, the Gixxer and Waters look to be back to their rampaging best. Plus he now has a team mate that is out to claim another title, and we all know what they say about team mates.

ASBK Test Wakefield TDJimagesDay Josh Waters
Josh Waters testing at Wakefield Park – TDJ Image

Then there is Wagner. What he brings to the table has given the championship that bit of extra mongrel and disregard for reputations that the series has been aching for.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Sunday Rob Mott Michael Jones Aiden WagnerParc
Mike Jones and Aiden Wagner – These two will figure hghly this weekend – Rob Mott Image

After his first round blitzkrieg the opposition will be more prepared to deal with what ever firepower Wagner throws their way. The arsenal of the opposition will be well stocked to defend the attacks.

ASBK Round Phillip Island SBK Saturday Rob Mott Aiden Wagner
Aiden Wagner – Image Rob Mott

Wakefield history

An interesting bit of trivia. In the past three years good mates, Maxwell and Herfoss have been the best performers at Wakefield, sharing the wins at three apiece. Herfoss has two second places to Maxwell’s one, with Herfoss’ worst result a fourth, while Maxwell has not fared quite as well overall, with an eighth and a DNF. Herfoss has also taken the last three pole positions. Herfoss’ points haul is 135 points compared to Maxwell on 108.

Are you ready for this?

ASBK Superbike Championship Points Standings
  1. Aiden Wagner 71
  2. Cru Halliday 55
  3. Josh Waters 50
  4. Mike Jones 49
  5. Bryan Staring 48
  6. Troy Herfoss 41
  7. Wayne Maxwell 40
  8. Glenn Allerton 40
  9. Daniel Falzon 32
  10. Ted Collins 31
  11. Matt Walters 30
  12. Glenn Scott 28
  13. Max Croker 267
  14. Mark Chiodo 24
  15. Alex Phillis 19
  16. Arthur Sissis 18
  17. Sloan Frost 12
  18. Damon Rees 11
  19. Lachlan Epis 10
  20. Phil Czaj 8

Source: MCNews.com.au