Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday has captured pole position in Wakefield Park’s second round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

Halliday recorded a flying 57.138s lap-time in Q2 of the revamped premier class qualifying format, a new best lap of the Goulburn facility.

A flurry of fast times were lodged in the closing moments of the 15-minute session, with Halliday edging former record-holder Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar) by just 0.052s. Third was defending champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing).

No less than seven riders were within the 57s bracket, as DesmoSport Ducati replacement Mike Jones slotted into fourth, leading Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team), second of the Suzukis Josh Waters and round one winner Aiden Wagner (Landbridge Racing Yamaha).

After topping Q1 directly prior, last year’s privateer champion Matt Walters (Kawasaki) was an impressive eighth, while Bryan Staring (Kawasaki BCperformance) and triple champion Glenn Allerton (Maxima BMW) rounded out the top 10.

In Supersport qualifying it was points-leader Tom Toparis (Yamaha) who rode his YZF-R6 to pole position with a 59.399s, a few tenths shy of the circuit best lap set by Halliday one year ago.

While Goulburn local Toparis was 0.483s clear of the field out front, joining him on the front row will be fellow Yamaha-mounted rider Broc Pearson – the only other rider in the 59s – with Suzuki newcomer Reid Battye rounding out the top three.

Fourth on the grid is another rookie in Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing Yamaha), with the top 10 completed by Nic Liminton (Yamaha), Ty Lynch (Yamaha), Rhys Belling (Yamaha), Aidan Hayes (Yamaha), Dallas Skeer (Suzuki) and Sam Lambert (MV Agusta).

It was a tight opening affair in the YMI Supersport 300 category as pole-setter Max Stauffer pushed through on the final lap to deliver victory by just 0.069s on his YZF-R3.

Stauffer was involved in an entertaining duel with Ben Baker (Yamaha) and John Lytras (Yamaha) for position in the thrilling 10-lap battle, the trio eventually finishing in that order. Zac Levy and Locky Taylor filled the top five on their Yamahas.

More to follow.

Detailed results

Phillip Island winner Aiden Wagner faces an up-hill challenge in round two of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) after smashing his primary race bike in practice one.

Wagner, who stunned by winning the opener and currently leads the ASBK premier class points, was forced to eject from his Landbridge Racing Yamaha at speed this morning.

The Queenslander returned to the circuit for practice two later in the afternoon, however his privateer team continued to work into the evening as they prepare a competitive back-up bike for the weekend’s remainder.

“Everything’s all good,” Wagner declared to CycleOnline.com.au. “There was a heap of riders coming out of pit-lane, sitting there and doing nothing – going about 30km/h as I came around turn one. I had nowhere to go, so it was either going to be bowling through the pack or going down by myself.

“I stood it up-right, went to the back-side of them and pulled the front brake as hard as I could, so I destroyed the bike that I wanted to race. We tried to use the other bike, but it had some teething issues and now we’re building another bike here. Looking forward to giving it another crack tomorrow.”

Wagner’s lap-time of 58.677s set in the opening session this morning placed him eighth overall on combined times, however he did drop to 13th on the charts in practice two. The third outing was cancelled due to rain in the area.

Reigning champion Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing) has topped Friday practice at Wakefield Park’s second round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in New South Wales.

Afternoon rainfall prompted majority of FP3 sessions to be declared, with dry conditions earlier in proceedings offering up the fastest times on the opening day of riding.

Number one plated Herfoss clocked the quickest time in FP2 with a lap of 57.455s, edging former champion Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), who wound up with a 57.754s time.

Yamaha Racing Team duo Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday were third and fourth respectively with 57.757s and 57.916s times, while Mike Jones locked out the top five with a 58.116s lap in his DesmoSport Ducati homecoming.

Sixth through to 10th consisted of Josh Waters (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), Alex Phillis (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia), Aiden Wagner (Yamaha) – who escaped injury in a heavy fall in FP1 – Bryan Staring (BCperformance Kawasaki) and Damon Rees (Honda).

Maxima BMW’s Ted Collins also suffered a major fall in FP2, his premier class machine overcoming the pit wall on the exit of the final turn. He too managed come away from incident unscathed.

In the Supersport category, it was points leader Tom Toparis (Landbridge Yamaha) who set the pace with a blistering time of 59.507s, finishing well ahead of second’s Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing), posting a best-lap of 1m0.471s.

Rounding out the top three was Broc Pearson (Yamaha) with a 1m00.565s lap, finishing the session narrowly quicker than Reid Battye (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia) and Ty Lynch (Yamaha).

The Supersport 300 class was topped by Max Stauffer (Yamaha), Harry Khouri (Yamaha) and Ben Baker (Yamaha), while the Yamaha R3 Cup was also blitzed by Stauffer ahead of John Lytras (Yamaha) and Baker. The inaugural round of the Oceania Junior Cup saw Cros Francis (Yamaha) lodge the fastest time over Carter Thompson (Yamaha) and Jacob Roulstone (Yamaha).

Bikes will be back on-track tomorrow for qualifying and the first races of the weekend.

Detailed results

Maxima BMW’s Ted Collins was unharmed in a major incident during free practice two this afternoon in round two of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK).

Collins crashed on the exit of the final turn at Wakefield Park, the highside causing his S 1000 RR to tumble over the pit wall and crash into the pit-lane entry.

It happened in the closing seconds of the session, however the Victorian was lucky to escape uninjured. He was quickly on his feet and climbed over the barriers himself, out of oncoming traffic at the end of practice.

“We put a new tyre right in the end of free practice two because my weakness lately has been qualifying, so we went out and for me that session was qualifying,” Collins said. “I was going out to do the best possible time that I possibly could.

“I honestly put together one of the best laps that I have ever put together in my life around here at Wakefield Park – it felt really good and I was able to push the Maxima BMW S 1000 RR to its limits.

“I got to the last corner and got on the throttle a bit too early than the lap I had before and unfortunately I lost the rear. I managed to catch it and for whatever reason after that it let go again and flicked me off.

“Luckily I’m fine, I’m just a bit banged around from the crash obviously, but other than that I’m fine. The Maxima BMW team will build me up another bike and we’ll be back out there this weekend.”

Collins completed Friday’s practice in 14th overall, his 59.417s lap-time coming in the second session prior to the fall. Rain fall soon afterwards appears to have ended the on-track action sooner than anticipated for this afternoon.