2020 Mi-Bike ASBK
Official Phillip Island Test Day One
By Trevor Hedge – Images TBG/Rob Mott/TH
Kawasaki Australian Superbike Championship
After a great weekend of weather at the Island Classic over the Australia Day long weekend blue skies again graced Phillip Island on Wednesday for the first of what is a two-day official ASBK Test for all classes.
Mike Jones will defend his #1 plate with Ducati but has switched from V-Twin to V-Four power for season 2020
In the premier Superbike category Ducati riders topped the charts across both morning sessions. Defending champion Mike Jones topping FP1 with a 1m33.279 this morning before Wayne Maxwell lowered the bar to 1m32.546s just before midday in FP2.
Ben Henry prepping the DesmoSport Ducati for Mike Jones today at Phillip Island
Mike Jones is on the V4 R Panigale this year in place of the V-Twin 1299 Panigale Final Edition he rode to championship victory in 2019.
Mike Jones
With the winding up of the official Ecstar Suzuki effort at the end of last season Wayne Maxwell has joined forces with Craig McMartin for a 2020 ASBK assault on a V4 R Panigale. They are running on K-Tech suspension with Pirelli rubber.
Maxwell is running K-Tech suspension on the V4 R Panigale
I did think the port and starboard taping up of the wings was a nice touch.
Ducati gives you wings! Colour coded wings in the case of Maxwell…
Troy Herfoss is riding the outgoing model Fireblade as the new machines are still a little way away. There must also be 20 of the $50,000 SP models in Australia before they are eligible for ASBK competition, so don’t expect to see Herfoss competing on the all-new bike any time soon.
Paul Free is back in the Honda camp for 2020
Paul Free is back in Herfoss’ corner this year after being contracted to the Penrite Honda squad for 2020 and while he obviously knows the Fireblade very well, he is still getting up to speed with the latest software now used on the bike, while also getting acquainted with K-Tech suspension for the first time.
Penrite Honda Team owner Deon Coote checks out the data traces with Stewart Winton
Then there is the no small matter of both the team and Troy Herfoss getting their heads around the Michelin rubber they will run during the 2020 ASBK season.
Troy Herfoss
This couple of days will be very important for Penrite Honda as they evaluate a range of tyres and really get to know their available options for the French rubber this season.
K-Tech and Michelin for Penrite Honda
The track temperature according to Computime was approaching 50-degrees Celsius as riders hit the track for the third 25-minute session of the day at 1330. The warmer track saw lap times slow a little and the field bunch much closer together. Yamaha Racing Team’s Aiden Wagner led the third session on a 1m33.006 ahead of Maxwell and Jones.
Aiden Wagner
It was still warm when the fourth and final sessions for the Superbikes got underway just after 1530. Just how hard would the boys go in order to get the bragging rights and day one headlines…?
Wayne Maxwell
Maxwell and Herfoss were quick out of the blocks with 1m33.075s and 1m33.136s laps respectively. They didn’t improve on those early markers until Wayne Maxwell dropped in a 1m32.366s scorcher with five-minutes to go.. To show that was no fluke he immediately backed it up with a 1m32.476s. Maxwell then returned to the pits before heading out again but the session was then red-flagged after Glenn Scott went down at turn ten. The session was declared.
Pirelli runners were fastest today at P.I.
Maxwell’s best of 1m32.366s today not far off the 1m31.995s qualifying lap record set by Mike Jones here at the ASBK round last October in much cooler conditions.
Mike Jones
Today Jones recorded a best of 1m33.062s but it was Wagner’s 1m33.006s from FP3 that saw the new YRT recruit claim P2 honours for the day, albeit almost seven-tenths off Maxwell’s marker.
Aiden Wagner was second quickest today at Phillip Island
Cru Halliday ended the day fifth quickest, three-tenths slower than Wagner.
Cru Halliday
Daniel Falzon is back in the family run JD Racing Team for season 2020 after two-years with YRT. Falzon had arm pump surgery less than two weeks ago and a heap of blood was syringed out of his swollen right arm this morning to aid dexterity. The familiar Caterpillar inspired livery seen on the #25 Yamaha machines today. Falzon ended the day seventh quickest.
Daniel Falzon
While the official Yamaha Racing Team are shaking down their new 2020 model YZF-R1 machinery, Falzon will continue on the 2019 model. The South Australian will run on Dunlop rubber with the Ficeda Accessories backing continuing through to all Daniel’s apparel sponsorships.
Dunlop
Bryan Staring is back with BCperformance Kawasaki and Dunlop this season. Glenn Scott joins him in the squad as he comes back from shocking injuries he sustained at Morgan Park last year. Staring ended today sixth quickest.
Bryan Staring
Josh Waters was riding a blank canvas on a GSX-R1000 Suzuki and is busy putting together his privateer based program for the upcoming season. The Mildura based three-time Superbike champion was eighth on the combined time-sheets today.
Josh Waters
Max Croker was putting in laps on the Mat Mladin Motorsports backed GSX-R1000. He still has trouble with the right wrist and hand he damaged so badly at Wakefield Park last year but is working up to speed ahead of his return to competition this season. Croker’s best today a 1m35.375s to rank 13th.
Max Croker
While there is no official Suzuki team, as such, seven out of the 16 Superbikes that cut laps today at Phillip Island were in fact GSX-Rs. Along with Waters and Croker other Suzuki mounted riders today were Lachlan Epis, Sloan Frost, Jed Metcher, Brendan McIntyre and Nathan Spiteri.
The NextGen BMW Team was running Pirelli rubber today but are yet to commit to one particular tyre brand for the upcoming season. Allerton ended the day in tenth on a best of 1m34.438s.
Glenn Allerton
Kawasaki Superbike Day One Times
Combined Practices
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time |
| 1 | Wayne MAXWELL | Ducati V4R | 1m32.366 |
| 2 | Aiden WAGNER | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 1m33.006 |
| 3 | Mike JONES | Ducati V4R | 1m33.062 |
| 4 | Troy HERFOSS | Honda CBR RR | 1m33.136 |
| 5 | Cru HALLIDAY | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 1m33.354 |
| 6 | Bryan STARING | Kawasaki ZX10R | 1m33.503 |
| 7 | Daniel FALZON | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 1m33.835 |
| 8 | Josh WATERS | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m33.867 |
| 9 | Glenn SCOTT | Kawasaki ZX10R | 1m34.380 |
| 10 | Glenn ALLERTON | BMW S RR | 1m34.438 |
| 11 | Lachlan EPIS | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m34.831 |
| 12 | Jed METCHER | Suzuki GSXR | 1m35.285 |
| 13 | Max CROKER | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m35.375 |
| 14 | Sloan FROST | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m35.601 |
| 15 | Brendan MCINTYRE | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m37.920 |
| 16 | Nathan SPITERI | Suzuki GSX RR | 1m39.939 |
Combined Day 1 Practices
Australian Supersport 300/ R3 CUP
Combined Practice
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time |
| 1 | Harry KHOURI | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m49.024 |
| 2 | Luke JHONSTON | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m49.152 |
| 3 | Luke POWER | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m50.213 |
| 4 | Reece OUGHTRED | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m50.539 |
| 5 | Peter NERLICH | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m50.938 |
| 6 | Jacob HATCH | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.072 |
| 7 | Brandon DEMMERY | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.086 |
| 8 | Archie MCDONALD | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.216 |
| 9 | Caleb GILMORE | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.427 |
| 10 | Jack HYDE | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.619 |
| 11 | Angus GRENFELL | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m51.776 |
| 12 | Zylas BUNTING | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m51.828 |
| 13 | Laura BROWN | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m52.177 |
| 14 | Jake FARNSWORTH | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m52.645 |
| 15 | Jesse WOODS | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m53.463 |
| 16 | Joseph MARINIELLO | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m53.606 |
| 17 | James JACOBS | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m53.726 |
| 18 | Jake SENIOR | Kawasaki EX 400 | 1m53.898 |
| 19 | Cody VAN BERGEN | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m53.907 |
| 20 | Oliver SHORT | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m54.633 |
| 21 | Luca DURNING | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m55.994 |
| 22 | Jamie PORT | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m56.456 |
| 23 | Hannah STEWART | Yamaha R3 321 | 1m58.462 |
| 24 | David WILSON | Kawasaki EX 400 | 2m00.443 |
| 25 | Sam DAVIS | Yamaha R3 321 | 2m00.834 |
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Combined Practices
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time |
| 1 | Lucas QUINN | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.372 |
| 2 | Marianos NIKOLIS | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.621 |
| 3 | Cameron SWAIN | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.673 |
| 4 | Lincoln KNIGHT | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.808 |
| 5 | Varis FLEMING | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.842 |
| 6 | Tom DRANE | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.849 |
| 7 | Angus GRENFELL | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m12.892 |
| 8 | Brodie GAWITH | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m13.045 |
| 9 | Jai RUSSO | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m13.100 |
| 10 | Cameron DUNKER | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m13.322 |
| 11 | Clay CLEGG | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m13.804 |
| 12 | Jamie PORT | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m14.227 |
| 13 | Hayden NELSON | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m14.324 |
| 14 | Levi RUSSO | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m14.712 |
| 15 | Casey MIDDLETON | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m15.074 |
| 16 | Toby JAMES | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m15.107 |
| 17 | Henry SNELL | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m15.777 |
| 18 | Nate O’NEILL | Yamaha YZF-R15 | 2m18.200 |
Source: MCNews.com.au